For the past decade Islam has been suffering from fear almost everywhere you look.  Arab countries are afraid of being invaded by the U.S. in the wake of the invasion of Iraq. Sunni Muslims are nervous about the rise of Iran to a nuclear state dominated by Shiites.  But on a far more personal level, everyone is afraid to say anything about Muhammad that would inflame the faithful.  I’ve experienced this recently myself. On tour for a book about Muhammad — one that I wrote primarily to tell Westerners that the Prophet led an exciting, inspiring life — the first word that comes up in every interview is fatwa. The first question is “Aren’t you afraid to write this book?”
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Editor’s note: Arsalan Iftikhar is an international human rights lawyer, founder of TheMuslimGuy.com and legal fellow for the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding in Washington.

By Arsalan Iftikhar, Special to CNN

It was nearly one year ago – in November 2009 – that Deepak Chopra first told me about his upcoming historical fiction novel about the Prophet Muhammad. It was during a coffee meeting of ours at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington right before Deepak’s attendance at President Obama’s first official state dinner at the White House. (more…)

When people face a dark hour, as all of us have to, what is the best way to move out of it? The kinds of darkness haven’t changed over the centuries, but our response has. The greatest change is that medicine has replaced religion as a way to explain what is happening. We speak of depression and anxiety as disorders, not as curses or as signs of sin. In the aftermath of trauma we don’t ask why God wanted t punish us; we cope with post-traumatic stress disorder through therapy, either talking to a professional or taking a pill. Thus the doctor has replaced the priest as first choice for dispelling the darkness when it descends. (more…)

By Deepak Chopra and Annie B. Bond

True Self
Light has the power to fill the void afflicted by darkness. Healing yourself comes in two stages—releasing the energy of suffering, then replacing it with the soul’s energy. It is a gentle process, very much like holding on to a thread as it leads (more…)

Deepak  says rationality must overcome emotions over the Quran controversy on the 9/11 anniversary. View the video: CNNI