Month: September 2019

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf was recently in the news again.  Yusuf, born Mark Hanson in 1958, is probably the best-known Muslim leader in the USA.  (I know the word “leader” is loaded, so substitute “cleric” or “theologian” or “scholar” or “imam” or “hype man” if you wish.)  Controversy is an inevitable feature of that position, so a journey through the social media cycle isn’t unusual, but Yusuf exhibits a talent for empty provocation.  A good controversy pushes people to rethink common assumptions; those provoked by Yusuf impose orthodoxy on audiences who crave daring and meaningful ideas.