It’s not the religion that creates terrorists, it’s the politics
By Giles Fraser, The Guardian The radicalisation hypothesis steers us away from the real causes of terrorism – and enables the west to maintain its denial about a role in […]
Roman Empire to the NSA: A world history of government spying
By Anthony Zurcher for BBC News Magazine; 1 November 2013 Revelations about the US National Security Agency’s spying have provoked global outrage. But government snooping is nothing new. Chinese general Sun Tzu […]
Why has the Nobel Peace Prize chairman been demoted?
BBC News: by Thom Poole — Mr Jagland presents President Obama with the award, which surprised many around the world For the first time in its more than 100-year history, the committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize has demoted its chairman. But what made Thorbjoern Jagland step down? His […]
The world has broken its promises about rebuilding Gaza – and the children will suffer
theguardian: by Chris Gunness — Six months after international donors pledged billions after the last war, the cash has not materialised, lives remain shattered and the desperate suffering goes on Jibril, left, lost two of his four grandchildren to hypothermia in the storms last month. The family now live […]
From Ataturk to Erdogan
aljazeera.com: A hundred years ago this week, an Ottoman army lieutenant-colonel stationed in Sofia as a military attache received a telegram from the Ministry of War back in Constantinople. In […]
Murdering Journalists … Them and Us
Global Research: by William Blum — After Paris, condemnation of religious fanaticism is at its height. I’d guess that even many progressives fantasize about wringing the necks of jihadists, bashing into their heads some thoughts about the intellect, about satire, humor, freedom of speech. We’re talking here, after all, about young […]
The convenient myth of radicalisation
Middle East Eye: by Cj Werleman — War, occupation and Western atrocities are the breeding ground for terrorist attacks, not Islamic scripture Why is it standard procedure for the media to focus on the religiosity of the terrorist, rather than his political grievances, in any analysis of a terrorist attack? […]
Charlie Hebdo aftermath: we French must find how to keep this spirit of unity
Source: theguardian.com Rachida Dati, the first Muslim woman to hold a key ministerial post in France, calls for a new stance on religion In the immediate aftermath of the terrible attacks that have shaken our country, the French came together last week in a rarely equalled demonstration of national unity. […]
NA adopts 21st Constitutional Amendment unopposed
Dawn.com — “No matter who it is, no one can speak against religion. The country has been a victim of terrorism for a long time. It is a sin for us to even pass laws here which go against the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).” ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on […]
The real war is the war of narrative
Dawn.com: by Farrukh Khan Pitafi — The terrorist narrative of victimhood, denial and conspiracy theories can easily be deconstructed and dismantled. The closer you want to get to eradicating the menace of terrorism, the bigger this menace seems to get. For the past week, following the attack in Peshawar, our […]
Tunisia election: Essebsi wins presidential run-off
BBC News: Veteran politician Beji Caid Essebsi has been confirmed as winner of Tunisia’s first free presidential poll. He secured 55.68% of the vote in Sunday’s run-off, defeating caretaker president Moncef Marzouki (44.32%), the head of the electoral commission said. Mr Marzouki, a 67-year-old former exile, earlier refused to admit […]
What to say when your Muslim child asks about Peshawar
The Washington Post — (RNS) The massacre of 145 people, nearly all of them children, at a Pakistani school on Tuesday (Dec. 16) is almost too horrible for adults to talk about, much less children. But what if your Muslim child brings it up? What if you want to open […]
Ukip mistakes Westminster Cathedral for mosque
theguardian: by Aisha Ghani — Nigel Farage’s Ukip branch rebukes BBC for ingrained liberal bias in holding straw poll about leader in front of noted Muslim place of worship … wait, hang on Westminster Cathedral: not a mosque. Nigel Farage’s local Ukip branch has rebuked the BBC for its ingrained […]
Egyptian president says his regime is ready to protect Israel
MEM — Egyptian President Abdul-Fattah Al-Sisi told an Italian newspaper that his country is ready to send troops to Palestine in order to guarantee Israel’s security and work jointly against terrorism. In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Al-Sisi said: “We are prepared to send military forces inside […]
Tunisia holds first post-revolution presidential poll
BBC News: Tunisians are voting in the country’s first presidential election since the 2011 “Arab Spring” that triggered uprisings across the region. More than 25 candidates are in the race, but incumbent Moncef Marzouki and anti-Islamist leader Beji Caid Essebsi are widely seen as the favourites. The poll forms part […]
Europe and America’s Journey from Religious Bigotry to Pluralism, A Book Review
Book Review: Thomas Jefferson’s Qur’an: Islam and the Founders Author: Denise Spellberg Review from Amazon.com In this original and illuminating book, Denise A. Spellberg reveals a little-known but crucial dimension […]
Secularist Nidaa Tounes party wins Tunisia election
Tunisia’s secularist party Nidaa Tounes has won 85 seats in the country’s parliament following Sunday’s elections, official results show. The governing Islamist Ennahda party won 69 seats in the 217-seat chamber. READ MORE…
The Pompey jihadis: how did one English city produce six young fighters for Isis?
Huff Post: by Mark Townsend — As another Briton dies in Syria, residents ask whether Portsmouth radicalised ‘bad boys’ who flew out to join Islamic State At the Globex money transfer and flight services shop close to the mosque, one British Bangladeshi believes that youngsters who feel they have no […]
Iran, Pakistan Exchange Mortar Fire
The Diplomat: by Ankit Panda — Amid growing tensions, Pakistan and Iran exchanged mortar fire. According to Pakistani officials, the Iranian army fired six mortar shells into the Pakistani border town of Mashkail early Friday morning. The BBC reports that Pakistan “is then thought to have fired back.” This exchange of fire comes […]
Israel to vote on partitioning Al-Aqsa Mosque between Muslims and Jews
Middle East Monitor — It is important to note that both Rabbinical and Israeli law currently bans Jews from prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque because of the sanctity of the site for the Jewish religion [pture: Dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque An Arab Knesset member has revealed that there will be […]