Salafism and Dutch democracy

Many young Dutch Muslims are attracted to the fundamentalist Salafi movement. Anthropologist Ineke Roex has been researching the attitudes of the movement’s followers to democracy. “Accept them as part of Dutch society, and then they become more democratic.” Michel Hoebink Salafists condemn the idea of democracy in principle, explains Roex. […]

Santa Monica Shootings

Source: CBS News: The man suspected of a shooting rampage that left six people dead and shattered the calm of Santa Monica, Calif., allegedly began his spree of violence by killing his father and brother, and then setting their home on fire, a law enforcement source told ABC News. The […]

Obama rocks foreign-policy pundits

Source: TOI How far the cabinet appointments in the United States reflect ideological considerations or how merely subjective and whimsical they could be on the part of the president remains a matter of debate. Perhaps, the president largely chooses the men (or women) he is comfortable with as cabinet colleagues. […]

Russia’s new Middle Eastern role

Source: Asia Times: Russia has thrown a monkey wrench into Western plans for Syria by promising to deliver its top-of-the-line S300 surface-to-air missile system to the Bashar al-Assad government. Exactly when the missiles might arrive remains unclear; the last word from Moscow is that the missiles are not yet in […]