The Brass Crescent is waxing

Okay, as with all things on this blog, I’m woefully behind on this matter of business, but I hereby announce for the benefit of the few of you who have not already heard the news repeatedly from other, more diligent Muslim bloggers, it’s time to cast your vote for the 5th Annual Brass Crescent awards.

This year pranksters do not, thankfully, have the option of voting for Akram’s Razor, as I’m one of the judges. (Which is surely the Blogosphere equivalent of getting rid of a colleague who doesn’t produce by promoting him to middle management.)

The Brass Crescent Awards – Honoring the Best of the Muslim Blogosphere

The Brass Crescent Awards, a joint project of altmuslim and City of Brass, is an annual awards ceremony that honors the best writers and thinkers of the emerging Muslim blogosphere (aka the Islamsphere). Nominations are taken from blog readers, who then vote for the winners.

What are the Brass Crescent Awards? They are named for the Story of the City of Brass in the Thousand and One Nights. Today, the Islamsphere is forging a new synthesis of Islam and modernity, and is the intellectual heir to the traditions of philosophy and learning that was once the hallmark of Islamic civilization – a heritage scarcely recognizable today in the Islamic world after a century’s ravages of colonialism, tyrants, and religious fundamentalism. We believe that Islam transcends history, and we are forging history anew for tomorrow’s Islam. These awards are a means to honor ourselves and celebrate our nascent community, and promote its growth.

PAST WINNERS OF THE BRASS CRESCENT AWARDS:
View winners from 2007/1427, 2006/1427, 2005/1426, and 2004/1425
for examples of the best of the Muslim web, as chosen by their readers.

The Awards will take place in two phases. First is the nominations phase, where readers nominate their favorite blogs in each of several categories. All submitted nominations will then be narrowed down to a maximum of five nominees per category, as selected by our judges. We will then have the final voting round on this site.

Note: With the exceptions noted on this site, any blog is eligible for any category, including blogs authored by non-muslims. In defining the Islamsphere, we are not relying solely on adherence to the faith, but an affinity for parts of the diverse cultural fabric that Islam embraces and is embraced by worldwide.