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Presenting the winners of the
Fifth Annual Brass Crescent Awards
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2008 BCA SPONSOR: KUBE PUBLISHING |
On behalf of both altmuslim.com and City of Brass, we'd like to thank the nearly 1000 people who voted in the Fifth Annual Brass Crescent Awards. Voting was very close in most categories, and we would like to be the first to congratulate our winners and Honorable Mentions, as well as extend our thanks to all the nominees and voters for helping make this celebration of the Islamsphere a success. We also would like to thank everyone (including the nominees) who linked to us and helped publicize the Brass Crescent Awards.
We'll keep a permanent list of winners of the Brass Crescent Awards available at brasscrescent.org, as they represent a dynamic, creative, and powerful cross-section of Muslim thought on the web. Inshallah, we'll run the Awards again next year, so start bookmarking posts, series, comments, and blogs now!
Winners and Honorable Mentions may contact us to receive a badge announcing their achievement if they desire.
Let's not keep you waiting any longer - listed below are this year's Winners and Honorable Mentions: |
This category honors the most indispensable, Muslim-authored blog there is. Period.
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Tariq NelsonA "Best Thinker" winner in 2006, Tariq Nelson "consistently stirs up discussion and action - not just in the blogosphere, but in real life." WINNER
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Mr. Moo (Musab Bora) Musab's "fresh humor, along with occasional poignant insights" have driven the popularity of this rising blog. HONORABLE MENTION
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Achelois"Retired goddess" Achelois has posts that "make me smile, laugh, (nearly) cry and really think." Readers find that "every post is completely unique and very interesting."
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Umar LeeSt. Louis-based activist Umar Lee's popular blog is "exhaustive" and "essential." Readers find that he is "not afraid to discuss controversial issues" and "keeps it real" with "lessons for us all."
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Spirit 21 (Shelina Zahra Janmohamed) Last year's "Best Blog" winner Shelina Janmohamed continues to make her mark in online and print media.
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Which blog has the most aesthetically pleasing site design, appealing to the eye, evoking Islamic themes, and/or facilitating debate and discussion?
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The Manrilla Blog (Marc Manley) Original design, with tons of amazing photography, make this blog notable. WINNER
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Mind, Body, Soul (Yursil Kidwai) Yursil Kidwai's perennial blog is "eloquent, informative, and, frankly, enlightening," with "one of the most diverse media libraries of any blogs." HONORABLE MENTION
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FolioTim's carpet design brings warmth to his blog, as well as a touch of Turkish sensibility to this most British blog.
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Leechon Films (Belal Khan) The website for this filmmaker has undergone a "major transformation" and reads like "a breath of fresh air when you visit it." Creator Belal Khan is "very, very good at what he does. The site is slick and easy to navigate."
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The Western MuslimThis online magazine produced by two Canadian Muslim students "exudes professionalism" and boasts a "nice, clean interface."
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The woman's voice in Islam is equal to the man's, and in the Islamsphere we seek to make sure the female perspective is highlighted and given its rightful due. Which Muslim woman's blog has done the most to explore the role that women play within Islam and society?
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The Muslimah (Umm Layth) Umm Layth's blog is "deep and important. If I had to limit myself to only one blog to ever read again, this would be it." (Note: this site was recently hacked - view the Google cache here) WINNER
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Just Another Angry Black Muslim Woman? (Aziza Margari Hill) Aziza brings forth a point of view that's often lost in the fray: the Blackamerican woman. Add to the mix her international travel and her academia, and what comes out is a strong writer with strong opinions. HONORABLE MENTION
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Nzhinga's Soap BoxNzingha is "honest and insightful" about Saudi Arabia, but "never makes Islam look bad in the process." Plus, "she's hilarious."
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Spirit 21 (Shelina Zahra Janmohamed) Shelina Janmohamed's Spirit 21 is written "with authority," a "high standard of English," and an "interesting insight."
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Annalog (Anna Dirks) Anna Dirks' extensive and stream-of-consciousness writing "is gorgeous. There just isn't anything better out there."
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Which multiple group blog in the Islamsphere has the best diversity of writers and the most interesting debate on Muslim issues?
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Muslim MattersReaders found past nominee Muslim Matters "very relevant, up to date, news worthy" with "excellent reads." Covers a "wide variety of issues" with "prolific writers and amazing bloggers." Plus, it "organizes activities and events" like a "Quran content quiz and a Ramadan inspiration short story contest." WINNER
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Muslimah Media WatchFans of past nominee MMW find it "editorially brilliant" with "in depth analysis on the portrayal of Muslim women in the media." Every entry is "always critical and intelligent" along with "well-written, well-argued, and well-thought. And how about those link lists? Damn!" HONORABLE MENTION
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AqoulPrevious nominee Aqoul is called a "favorite read" with "fresh perspectives from one of the most misunderstood regions on Earth."
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AustrolabePast winner Austrolabe "continues to deliver thoughtful commentary," recognised by The Guardian as one of the top religion blogs.
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IjtemaThe group blog Ijtema labels itself as a "congregation of Muslim bloggers" with 3-5 posts daily. Fans loved its "extensive archive" of posts related to religion, culture, and politics. "Great design, too."
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Which blog gets their point across by using humor in the most effective way?
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Maniac Muslim (Hamzah Moin) Hamzah Moin's humor blog contains "some very funny articles that get the youth excited about Islam." "Just read it and see for yourself. You'll laugh out loud for real!" WINNER
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Mr. Moo (Musab Bora) Britain's Musab Bora writes a "very light hearted blog" that "always hits the nail on the head." It is also "creative, hilarious, but never mean." HONORABLE MENTION
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Captain Chaos (Haleem) Captain Chaos was nominated for its "laugh-out-loud funny posts."
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How to Snag a Bearded Mozlem in 10 DaysThis blog pokes fun at Muslims and it's by Muslims, but more importantly, it's humor by Muslim women, sometimes rare when so many people tell us it is shameful to be seen laughing and cracking jokes.
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Oyhabibti (Sabiwabi) Sabiwabi's blog Oyhabibti was nominated because "nobody says it better than this sister!" It was also called "well rounded" and "knowing that she gets up and takes time away from her busy day to share knowledge while making us laugh is refreshing."
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Which blog is a true diamond in the rough, one that everyone should be reading but who most just haven't heard of (yet)?
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Lucky FatimaWritten by an American convert to Islam from the South, but living now in Dubai, Fatima writes about her personal and cross-cultural experiences in depth. WINNER
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Jamerican MuslimSamah is an African-American woman who writes extensively about race, gender, and spirituality in her year-old blog. HONORABLE MENTION
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Muddled ThoughtsStudent Maryam Haleem is an "excellent writer" who "shares poetry and essays" and highlights "issues concerning political prisoners, present and past."
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Walls Come Tumbling Down (Chris Allen) The prolific and multi-talented author and media expert Chris Allen writes extensively about Islamophobia and British politics in his blog.
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TradicionalistaTradicionalista is the blog of a Muslim woman who makes a case for a return to traditional Islamic scholarship, with gender and politics issues thrown in.
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Which blog writen by a non-Muslim is most respectful of Islam and seeks genuine dialogue with Muslims?
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Informed Comment (Juan Cole) Perennial favourite Juan Cole reappears here due to his "irreplaceable" analysis on the political issues of the day. WINNER
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Jews Sans Frontieres (Mark Elf) Returning nominee Mark Elf remains "genuinely respectful of the Muslim community" and "attracts commentators of the highest calliber." His "committment to the Palestinian cause should be recognized and encouraged." HONORABLE MENTION
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Articles of Faith (Michael Paulson) Michael's blog represents "what is best among principled bloggers" and his "selflessness... should be applauded."
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Unclaimed Territory (Glenn Greenwald) Author and former civil rights litigator Glenn's "thorough analysis" of America's legal minefield is "enlightening" and "sympathetic" to Muslims.
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Richard SilversteinRichard progressive Jewish perspective on the Israel-Palestine conflict is "inspiring" and "heartfelt".
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Which single post or group of posts in the Islamsphere was the most original and important, above all the others?
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 Female, Muslim, and Mutant (Broken Mystic) Reader's hailed Jehanzeb Dar's two part essay on Muslim women in comics as "brilliant," a "must read" and "a very intelligent write up, a perspective I have never thought of." WINNER
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Muslim LOLcats (Musab Bora) Humourist Musab Bora's take on kitten pictures is "laugh out loud hilarious". HONORABLE MENTION
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Blogging the Qur'an (Ziauddin Sardar) Author and critic Zia Sardar's series of posts on Qur'anic suras is a "must read".
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Marry a Jewish Man (Hijabman) This "articulate post" describes a young woman's feelings about the "Muslim marriage crisis".
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Who Were the Indian Prophets? (Mirza Faisal) Mirza's controversial post on exploring Prophethood in pre-Islamic India is "thought provoking" and "well researched".
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Islam in China (Wang Daiyu) Wang's extensive blog covers all aspects of Islam in China. from the esoteric to the mundane. Readers find it "awesome in every way." WINNER
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The Storyteller (Yasmin Ahmed) Malaysian filmmaker Yasmin Ahmed writes one of Malaysia's most popular blogs and extensively documents the making of her film "Muallaf." HONORABLE MENTION
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Blogger Indonesia (A. Fatih Syuhud) Fatih's popular personal blog extensively covers Muslim issues in Indonesia and beyond.
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The Other Malaysia (Farish Noor) Past nominee Farish Noor's widely read blog is committed to "objective, deconstructive historical research".
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Cycads (Alicia Izharuddin) Alicia's new blog Cycads tackles feminism, Malay culture, and the legacy of post-colonialism in the developing world.
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Indigo Jo (Matthew Smith) Matthew's exhaustive website is "one of the best political blogs on the blogosphere with "must read opinions." WINNER
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Folio (Timothy Bowes) Timothy's blog is "just what the doctor ordered" for readers who nominated it. "Always the best writing, very introspective and intelligent, but also accessible." HONORABLE MENTION
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Bradford Muslim (Atif Imtiaz) Atif's blog is not updated as often as fans would like, but is found "thoughtful" and "relevant," regarding issues in Britain and Yorkshire.
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Fug's BlogPast nominee Fug's Blog provides "searing" comment on life in "Londonistan" and on British political and cultural life.
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The Cultural Anarchlyst (Yakoub Islam) Readers find Yakoub's blog, which "keeps being renamed," "original and creative." Though he's "not always an easy read," he's "not dealing with easy topics, either."
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Black Iris (Naseem Tarawneh) Named after Jordan's national flower, Naseem's Amman-based blog is "intelligent" and "beautifully laid out" with a great "insight into Jordanian life and politics." WINNER
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Southern Muslimah (Jennifer Umm Farouq) Umm Farouq's widely read blog from Jordan makes one fan "feel happy about her writing." Others find it "beautiful" and "inspirational." HONORABLE MENTION
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Achelois"Retired goddess" Achelois has posts that "make me smile, laugh, (nearly) cry and really think." Readers find that "every post is completely unique and very interesting."
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Nzingha's SoapboxNzingha shares "the complexities of raising a large family" in the Middle East, writing with "such joy about life!" Writing about her new baby with Down syndrome has made her "a resource for any parent with children who have developmental disabilities."
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Sabbah's Blog (Haitham Sabbah) Haitham Sabbah "is one of the most active bloggers" in the Middle East and readers find his "blog is indispensable." Fans feel he "is not giving up until he gets his people's (Palestinians) rights."
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Teeth Maestro (Awab Alvi) Teeth Maestro is "at the forefront of free speech" for some fans, and "remains one of the best political blogs on Pakistan." "A truly informative blog putting things in perspective." WINNER
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Afghan Lord (Nasim Fekrat) This Kabul-based blog by 25 year-old Nasim Fekrat, called "Afghanistan's most fearless blogger" by Slate magazine, provides a unique insight into contemporary Afghan life. HONORABLE MENTION
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Indian MuslimsReaders found this blog "absolutely essential" for its coverage of Indian Muslims with a "neutral perspective" and "reasonable, balanced and humanistic views."
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Watandost (Hassan Abbas) Watandost "provides daily updates on the political developments in Pakistan-India-Afghanistan region" along with "useful articles about relations between Islam and the West."
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Chapati Mystery (Sepoy) Manan Ahmed's group blog is a perennial favourite for its "indepth reviews and news" catering to South Asians and beyond. "Rich content" and "frequent updates."
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Who is the most stimulating, insightful, and philosophically wise among us? This category is intended to highlight a blogger who may not post daily, but when they do post, they really make an impact.
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Rickshaw Diaries (Baraka) Baraka "writes in a manner that is honest and inspirational" and "touches and connects on many levels." Others find her "real yet poetic, soulful, inspiring and even comforting at times." WINNER
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Tariq NelsonPast nominee Tariq Nelson's blog is lauded as "great stuff," with "daily posts on a wide range of news, personal anecdotes and opinions." Urges "readers to act upon things one has read...not just posts." HONORABLE MENTION
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Annalog (Anna Dirks) Anna Dirks writing is called "gorgeous" by her fans. "Lengthy, spiritual" entries "captivate the senses."
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The Corner (Abdul Rahman) Abdul Rahman's writings are seen as "drenched in spirituality" by his fans, making some feel "refreshed and invigorated, enlightened and peaceful."
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Avari (Haroon Moghul) Haroon's recently resurrected blog has been hailed by readers for his "visionary writing" and "great political insight." As one fan puts it, "we're glad he's back."
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