Thomas Pierret illuminates the varying positions of Syria's Muslims and Islamists; Rasha Omran writes about being an Alawi revolutionary; Robin Yassin-Kassab investigates the revolution's artistic and cultural shifts; Firas Massouh appraises the role of workers and the left inside Syria; Louis Proyect castigates leftists in the West; Nader Attasi examines the successes of the revolutionary committees and the failures of opposition political elites; Hassan Hassan recounts the rise, fall and rise again of the Muslim Brotherhood's Syria branch; Razan Ghazzawi questions her atheism under fire; Omar Hossino presents the town of Selemmiyeh as a non-sectarian model; Ross Burns asks what's become of Syria's unparalleled archeological heritage.

Plus poetry from Golan Hajji, prose from Zakkariya Tamer and Lina Sergie Attar, an appreciation of Adonis's verse, satire from Karl Sharro, and 'the story of the bra'.

About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.