The Sixth Annual Brass Crescent Awards - Honoring the Best of the Muslim Blogosphere

BEST BLOG:

This category honors the most indispensable, Muslim-authored blog there is. Period.

Suhaib Webb
Fans of scholar Suhaib Webb find his group blog "incredibly useful" and a "treasure trove of insight" into spiritual, cultural, and political issues.

WINNER

Muslim Matters
Admirers of this popular and "exhaustive" group blog like its "diversity in authors as well as topics" and "interactivity."

HONORABLE MENTION

Umar Lee
This is the third year that St. Louis resident Umar Lee has been nominated for Best Blog, with fans admiring his "honesty" and "intensity."

Indigo Jo
A previous Brass Crescent winner, Britain's "prolific" Matthew Smith (aka Indigo Jo) writes "the best political blog" covering Islam in the West.

Muslimah Media Watch
A first time finalist for Best Blog, nominators called Muslimah Media Watch "thought provoking" and "consistently brilliant."

BEST DESIGN:

Which blog has the most aesthetically pleasing site design, appealing to the eye, evoking Islamic themes, and/or facilitating debate and discussion?

Road to Jannah
Newcomer Jannah has built her colourful blog "Road to Jannah" with crispness, beautiful pictures, and an eyecatching home page avatar.

WINNER

The Manrilla Blog
Winner of last year's Brass Crescent Award for Best Design, Marc Manley went ahead and redesigned the whole thing, earning it another nod as a finalist.

HONORABLE MENTION

Slice of Lemon
Fans of Sabrina Enayatulla's blog believe that "she has one the most appealing and interesting blogs out there" and admire her "daily style and photo section."

HONORABLE MENTION

Nzingha's Soapbox
Winner of a Brass Crescent Award in 2006, Nzingha's Soapbox has been nominated many times since. An updated design brings her back.

iMuslim
Englands self-proclaimed Desi Dreamer and Mad Muslimah, iMuslim offers extensive photos, videos, and a clean interface. "She's a good all rounder."

BEST FEMALE BLOG:

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?

Muslimah Media Watch
Fatemeh Fakhraie's group blog is stacked with "inspiring and in-depth commentaries, reviews and articles. Islamic feminism at its best."

WINNER

Muslimah Source
This group blog "speaks to a whole range of women, from pre-teens to parents." It's still "picking up speed" and "is a good non-academic site."

HONORABLE MENTION

Margari Aziza
Readers of Magari Aziza's blog find that "her writing always makes me think" and help "intersect race, Islam, and gender."

Ginny's Thoughts
Ginny's long running blog (five years and counting) on the everyday events in her life leaves her readers "inspired" and "refreshed."

Lucky Fatimah
Lucky Fatima "is one smart cookie" whose "ruminations cover class, privilege, and gender issues in a way that blogs rarely do. A thought-provoking read."

BEST GROUP BLOG:

Which multiple group blog in the Islamsphere has the best diversity of writers and the most interesting debate on Muslim issues?

Muslim Matters
Admirers of the extremely popular and "very well-managed group blog" Muslim Matters find its articles "relevant, informative, insightful and useful."

WINNER

Muslimah Media Watch
The indispensable Muslimah Media Watch is "a great source for modern Islamic feminist oriented, anti-racist/anti-Islamophobic critical writings."

HONORABLE MENTION

Aqoul
Four time Brass Crescent Award nominee Aqoul is still around, providing what they call "take a step back" analysis and commentary that fans find "thorough" and "essential."

Symphonic Discord
Symphonic Discord features a "diverse group of Muslim girls writing with different styles" who are "funny, original, and informative."

Muslimness
The ambitious new group blog Muslimness looks at the shades of grey in the Muslim landscape, with articles on Muslim vegetarians, climate change, and Muslim bikers.

BEST HUMOR BLOG:

Which blog gets their point across by using humor in the most effective way?

Mr. Moo
Runner up last year for a Brass Crescent Award, Britain's Musab Bora keeps the Muslim LOLcats coming in his "witty" and "side-splitting" humour blog.

WINNER

The Gori Wife Life
The Gori Wife writes in a "light, fun, and witty way" about her exploration of Islam, Muslim American life, and being married to a Pakistani immigrant.

HONORABLE MENTION

Captain Chaos
Bangladeshi-Canadian Haleem A's blog Captain Chaos is "funny and honest" with "dry humour" that "cracks me up."

Mummyjaan
Fans of the blog Mummyjaan like the author's "warm, funny, open and honest insights on parenting by a mother of two from Ireland."

McPagal
Even the name of the blog McPagal "makes you laugh with its creative humour." "Read her mother's day post. If you don't know about this blogger yet, you should."

BEST NEW BLOG:

Which blog is a true diamond in the rough, one that everyone should be reading but who most just haven't heard of (yet)?

Seekers Guidance
Faraz Rabbani's introspective blog Seeker's Guidance is "full of benefit, lots of resources to good audio, and more."

WINNER

Slice of Lemon
Readers of newcomer Sabrina Enayatullah's blog "Slice of Lemon" find it "witty, insightful and always humorous." "What more could I want from a blog?"

HONORABLE MENTION

Muslim Reverie
Jehanzeb Dar's blog is "consistently good and enjoyable" with "articulate expositions" that" transcend the borders of typical one-sided jargon."

The Gori Wife Life
Fans of the Gori Wife find her a "great resource for people involved in intercultural marriages" and a "fun blog, but poignant at the same time."

Muslimness
Eclectic group blog Muslimness consists of a diverse bunch of writers and personalities (with their own colourful avatars) that fans find "inspiring" and "dogma-free."

BEST NON-MUSLIM BLOG:

Which blog writen by a non-Muslim is most respectful of Islam and seeks genuine dialogue with Muslims?

Inside Islam
A groundbreaking effort by the University of Wisconsin, Inside Islam has built a blog concurrent with podcasts and a radio show with the help of its students.

WINNER

Glenn Greenwald
Glenn has been a "fierce defender" of Muslim and Palestinian rights and is "showing no signs of letting up."

HONORABLE MENTION

Jews sans Frontieres
A perennial favourite, Jews sans Frontieres is "informative and comprehensive" with news "missed out in mainstream media."

Marc Lynch
Formerly known as Abu Aardvark, Marc Lynch has moved his blog to Foreign Policy magazine and continues his bold analysis of the Arab and Muslim world.

Bartholomew's Notes on Religion
Britain's Richard Bartholomew has published his "invaluable" blog on religious issues, with a fair treatment of Islam, since early 2004.

BEST POST OR SERIES:

Which single post or group of posts in the Islamsphere was the most original and important, above all the others?

Davi Barker - Rifqa Bary (Parts 1-4)
San Francisco's Davi Barker takes on the Rifqa Bary controversy in a series of articles that is "bold and investigative."

WINNER

Muslimah Source - Eleven White Roses (Parts 1-4)
The "Eleven White Roses" series on Muslimah Source "captivates the reader" and "spawns intelligent and heartfelt discussion" about real-life issues. "Original? Yes. Important? Very."

HONORABLE MENTION

Timothy Bowes - More than Bricks and Mortar
Fan's of this post found it "a timely and well researched piece addressing the some popular claims of the extreme Right in the UK."

Brooke - White Privilege and the Ummah
This series of posts by various bloggers "was a much needed contribution to the issue of race and race privilege among Muslims."

Bradford Muslim - Farewell to the Bush Years (Parts 1-8)
Bradford Muslim's Atif Imtiaz, a past BCA nominee, looks extensively at the Bush years and their effect on the Muslim world in this eight part series.

BEST EAST OR SOUTHEAST ASIAN BLOG:

Islam in China
Wang Daiyu's "informative" and comprehensive blog on Islam in China brings "a disenfranchised part of the Ummah into the spotlight."

WINNER

Bin Gregory Productions
This blog by Zayn Al-Abideen bin Gregory, an American expat married to a Malaysian woman, explores this region from an immigrant's perspective.

HONORABLE MENTION

ARTiculations
Art Harun's intriguing blog fuses Islam with Malaysian politics (such as his posts on Islamic pluralism) in ways that enlighten the reader about both.

Anak Alam
Anak Alam's Malaysian travelogue documents the "people and places in out-of-the-way Muslim communities from China to the Philippines to the Deccan Plateau."

The Other Malaysia
Farish Noor's blog, a past nominee in this category, continues to provide an authoritative voice on Muslim issues in Southeast Asia and beyond.

BEST EUROPEAN BLOG:

Indigo Jo
Matthew Smith's seminal blog won this category last year with its authoritative look at Islam in Britain and Europe and Smith's prolific, well-written content.

WINNER

Folio
Timothy Bowes long-running blog Folio, which was a BCA runner up in the European category last year, still provides to its fans an "honest, prolific, discussion of relevant topics."

HONORABLE MENTION

Wij Blijven Hier!
Wij Blijven Hier! ("We're staying here!) is a blog by Dutch Muslims, but not just for Muslims. "A breath of fresh air" in the Dutch blogosphere.

Gli Altri Siomo Noi
Sponsored by the mainstream Italian newspaper La Stampa, Gli Altri Siomo Noi ("The Other is Us") is a blog by young Italian Muslims.

Yalla Italia
Yalla Italia is a groundbreaking blog by young Italian Muslims that has gained international attention in the New York Times and elsewhere.

BEST MIDEAST BLOG:

The Black Iris
Naseem Tarawnah's Jordan-based blog, last year's BCA winner in this category, is "indispensible" and "still the best Middle Eastern blogger out there."

WINNER

Al Miskeenah
Al Miskeenah's "very inspiring blog" and past BCA nominee is written "beautifully from Medina and Mecca, and is a treasure of love and insight."

HONORABLE MENTION

Saudiwoman's Weblog
Eman Al Nafjan, a mother of three and English lecturer in Saudi Arabia, produces this "honest, bold, and insightful" look at the desert kingdom.

Saudi Jeans
An early contributor to Global Voices, King Saud University student Ahmed Al-Omran chronicles religious and cultural life in Saudi Arabia in English and Arabic.

Southern Muslimah
This blog by Umm Farouq "makes me want to live in Jordan, painting the good, bad, ugly, and lots in between." "The writing is excellent."

BEST SOUTH ASIAN BLOG:

Indian Muslims
Winner of Best Group Blog in 2007, Indian Muslims continues to explore the largest Muslim minority population on the planet with a variety of writers.

WINNER

The View from Behind My Specs
Fans of Pakistan-based Specs feel she "always checks in, always gives me a laugh, and always keeps it real."

HONORABLE MENTION

Abdusalaam al-Hindi
A previous runner up in the first Brass Crescent Awards in 2004, Abdusalaam al-Hindi is back after a very long hiatus with this "comeback."

Inspirations and Creative Thoughts
This blog by Sadiq Alam "offers daily inspiration and love from a spiritual point of view, and is always worth reading."

Afghan Lord
As last year's BCA runner up for Best South Asian Blog, Nasim Fekrat's "Afghan LORD" offers a "well-written" blog from Kabul that has gained international notoriety.

BEST RETIRED BLOG:

What blog or blogger, now retired or on extended hiatus, do still remember fondly and most wish were still with us? This is a way to honor those blogs of yesteryear that remain part of our history, and our memories, whether their archives remain or not.

Sunnisisters
Blogger Umm Zaid's work "was exceptional" and could "uplift you and leave a lasting impact on your way of thinking." "This doesn't even need an explanation. Epic."

WINNER

Ali Eteraz
Ali was nominated, as one fan put it, "because I actually had to THINK to understand his posts. Almost like doing brain teasers. No other blog that I knew of could do that to me."

HONORABLE MENTION

Lightness of Being
Past BCA nominee and winner Maliha offered "some of the most gorgeous writing in all of the internets. She left us to raise her sons!"

Mere Islam
Though it shows up with Japanese script now, Mere Islam was "a very informative, content-filled blog. All substantial, no fat. Greatly missed."

Kelly Izdihar's Blog
This lamented blog discussed Kelly's "experience (as a convert, an artist, a woman, and an American in Dubai) with both hilarity and aplomb. A must-read."

BEST TWEETER:

Who in the Islamsphere is a "must-follow" on Twitter, who provides the best retweets, links, and/or witticisms in 140 characters?

Muslim Voices
Part of Indiana University's extensive Muslim Voices project, these tweets (nearly 2,500 so far) have links to essential reading across the Web.

WINNER

Kawthar
Tweets from Kawthar Muhaib come from what fans call "a great blog by a brave woman," covering "issues like virginity, honor crimes, etc."

HONORABLE MENTION

Islam and the West
European blogger Kashmiri Nomad's informative tweets "brings attention to a constant stream of informative and interesting news articles."

Reza Aslan
Author Reza Aslan was everywhere on the news during the Iranian election crisis, and his tweets on the subject became essential viewing.

Mohamed Nanabhay
Mohamed Nanabhay is "one of the pioneers" at Al Jazeera Online who, with his tweets on Gaza, "leveraged social media for truly innovative journalism."

BEST WRITER:

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.

Omer Mozaffar
Blogger Omer Mozaffar, who writes at his own blog and at the group blog Other Matters, demonstrates "inspiring, common-sense spirituality."

WINNER

Jehanzeb Dar
Jehanzeb is an "exceptional, thoughtful, and compassionate young writer" who is "talented and unbelievably prolific. Jehanzeb makes it look easy!"

HONORABLE MENTION

Timothy Bowes
Writer Timothy Bowes sometimes has "long gaps between posts, but when he does put finger to keyboard, his posts are both lyrical and timely. And sometimes funny too."

Anna
Blogging at Other Matters and her own blog Annalog, "wonderful writer" Anna is a previous Brass Crescent Award nominee and makes a return to the list this year.

Marc Manley
Readers find past Brass Crescent Award winner Marc Manley's blog "consistent with ideas and views pertaining to the American Muslim community."

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