Brass Crescent Awards

The Brass Crescent Awards, started in 2004 by the websites [http://www.altmuslim.com alt.muslim] and [http://cityofbrass.blogspot.com City of Brass] , is an annual contest that allows visitors to Muslim or Islam-themed weblogs to vote for the best weblogs in various categories. Nominations and voting are conducted online at the awards website, [http://www.brasscrescent.org brasscrescent.org] .

The awards describe themselves in this way:

"What are the Brass Crescent Awaenrds? 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."

Categories as of the 2006/1427 awards include Best Blog, Best Non-Muslim Blog, Best Post or Series, Best Ijtihad, Best Female Blog, Best Thinker, Most Deserving of Wider Recognition, Best Group Blog, and Best Middle-East/Asian Blogger.