Omid Safi

Omid Safi is a Professor of Islamic Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in contemporary Islamic thought and classical Islam. He leads educational tours to Turkey every summer, through Illuminated Tours: http://www.illuminatedtours.com

All Stories by Omid Safi

First response to Boston Explosion

By Omid Safi — April 15, 2013
On days like this, many feel like giving up on humanity. It is a natural urge, but do not. Don’t. Some are using this story to perpetuate hatred against this ethnic group or that religious group. Some are urging us to pray to the One for all of us. Where do we stand?

Tiger Woods, and the unspoken legacy at the Masters

By Omid Safi — April 13, 2013
While we are discussing these "scandals" related to Tiger Woods' penalty, let’s not forget to talk about the Master Tournament host’s vicious history of sexism and racism.

Unblessed are the Peace-breakers & the Warmongers: Pat Robertson, Bashar al-Assad, and Daniel Pipes

By Omid Safi — April 13, 2013
Christ taught us: "Blessed are the Peace-Makers." If Blessed are the Peace-Makers, what do we say about those who not only do not make peace, nor pray for peace, but actually pray for conflict and seek to extend war? These are the unblessed Peace-breakers, the War-makers.

To NC Republicans seeking to establish an official state religion: Shame on you.

By Omid Safi — April 3, 2013
(RNS) — There is an absolute disconnect between the North Carolina that we live in and the patronizing, prejudiced legislation coming out of the state's legislature.

To set out on the spiritual path, you have to be ugly

By Omid Safi — March 31, 2013
If we were already perfect and beautiful, there would be no need to set out on a path.

Between Good Friday and Easter: A Muslim Meditation on Christ and Resurrection

By Omid Safi — March 30, 2013
When I reflect on the suffering of Christ, I see the connection between the suffering of Christ and the suffering of all of God’s children, all of us who are vessels of the Spirit of God. 
I seek the Easter of our own spirit, the resurrection of our spirit, long dead, brought back to God through God’s grace. May there be an Easter for the Jesus of our spirit, overcoming every death, every suffering and every affliction.

Shi’i Islam: Origin and Foundational Teachings of Shi’ism

By Omid Safi — March 29, 2013
I am making available my two-part lecture plus a slideshow with lots of images to help explain the origin and foundations of Shi’i Islam.

Why I support same-sex marriage: a religious argument in solidarity

By Omid Safi — March 27, 2013
This is the reason that I ultimately came over from the cautious supporting “civil union” side to supporting full marriage. We don’t want a society in which some people are “kind of” married, sort of married. We don’t want a two-tiered model of marriage. We don’t want a two-tiered model of justice. We don’t want a two-tiered model of citizenship. A two-tiered justice is not justice, and a two-tiered citizenship is not real citizenship.

Murder of a Cleric: Order, Chaos, and Justice in a Violent World

By Omid Safi — March 24, 2013
Even our best and most luminous religious scholars and clerics can show horrendous political judgments. If there ever was an age, in this age we cannot expect perfection in politics and perfection in sanctity in one and the same soul.

Iranian New Year, and the War on Iran

By Omid Safi — March 21, 2013
In this Youtube lecture on the occasion of the Persian New Year, I point out that the poetic tradition of Iran contains powerfully illuminating lessons for how to respond to constant war-mongering against Iran today.

Remembering Rachel Corrie: A martyr for human rights

By Omid Safi — March 16, 2013
Words like martyr are used all too loosely these days. If there ever was one, Rachel was a martyr for justice and human dignity in Palestine/Israel. And as hard as it is to state this publicly, Rachel's blood is on our hands for having supported the Israelis' brutal occupation of Palestine.

Why is Prince Charles so attracted to Islam?

By Omid Safi — March 15, 2013
Prince Charles seems most drawn to Islam in terms of its teachings which connect the integration of humanity and the sacred with living harmoniously with the natural realm.

A celebration of the International Women’s Day

By Omid Safi — March 8, 2013
Our suffering is connected together because our dignity is connected together, because our spirits are already intertwined.

Who are the Wahhabi Muslims? Muslim puritans, United States allies

By Omid Safi — March 7, 2013
How the Wahhabi clerics, in tandem with Saudi royal elite, have destroyed 90% of Islamic monuments in Mecca and Medina.

Facebook Rumi: How a Muslim mystic became a popular meme

By Omid Safi — March 2, 2013
These memes and Facebook sayings are transforming a 13th century Muslim mystic into the perfect New Age mystic.
Page 3 of 6