This year marks the tenth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq. The war itself had been planned years earlier. by S. Taalay Ahmed In 1999, the London Institute of Petroleum invited Dick Cheney to address their Autumn lunch. Cheney had previously served as President George H. W. Bush’s secretary […]
By Robyn Dixon May 10, 2013, 12:28 p.m. JOHANNESBURG — Africa loses the benefit of billions of dollars each year through illegal tax evasion, money transfers and secretive business deals, […]
Ten years ago, to be a religious Muslim youth would be considered to be conservative or traditional. Ten years later, to be a pious Muslim youth is being associated with […]
STORY SUMMARY Source: Daily Star, Lebanon A Saudi court jailed a Lebanese man for six years and sentenced him to 300 lashes after convicting him of encouraging a Saudi woman to convert to Christianity, local dailies reported Sunday. The same court sentenced a Saudi man convicted in the same case […]
STORY SUMMARY By Rami G. Khouri The Daily Star It might be coincidental timing or just a really bad case of mean-spirited in-your-face aggressive Israeli diplomacy. In the same week […]
STORY SUMMARY Hezbollah denounced Sunday the car bombings that left dozens of people dead in south Turkey near the border with Syria and called for stopping terrorism that is targeting […]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Albigensian Crusade Part of the Crusades Political map of Languedoc on the eve of the Albigensian Crusade Date 1209–1229 Location Languedoc, France Result Crusader and French victory Belligerents Crusaders Kingdom of France Cathars Counts of Toulouse Crown of Aragon Commanders and leaders Simon de Montfort† Philip II […]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other uses, see Spanish Inquisition (disambiguation). Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Spain Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición Spanish Inquisition Seal for the Tribunal in Spain. Type Type Tribunal under the election of theSpanish monarchy, for upholding religious orthodoxy in their […]
Epigraph: “There should be no compulsion in religion. Surely, right has become distinct from wrong; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress, and believes in Allah, has […]
Healthy Living: by Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D. Do you have the sense that life is speeding up the older you get? If so, you’re not alone. Can there be a reason for this perception? I’ve discovered three scientific theories that shine a little light on this mysterious experience. 1. The […]
Source: NY Times: JERUSALEM — Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews tried to block a liberal women’s group from praying at the Western Wall on Friday morning, creating a tense standoff in the latest flash point of a broader battle over religion and identity that has engulfed Israel. More:
Huff Post: Rabbi Alan Lurie: There are many common misconceptions about religion that are often taken as unquestioned facts, such as the idea that religious people are inherently anti-science, that a literal reading of holy texts is the “true” religious stance, that faith is incompatible with reason, and that all […]
NYTimes LAHORE, Pakistan — Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, once a political exile deposed by the military, returned to the cusp of power on Saturday, taking a commanding lead in a parliamentary election in which Pakistanis braved Taliban intimidation to cast ballots with historic prospects for the country’s democracy. Record […]
WASHINGTON—U.S. officials say Malcolm Shabazz, grandson of political activist Malcolm X, has died in Mexico. Two U.S. officials say Shabazz was killed Thursday morning in Mexico City. They spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the case. Shabazz family publicist Terrie Williams confirms the death and […]
Huff Post: By Daniel Cox: The religiously unaffiliated are an increasingly important part of the American religious and cultural landscape. They account for nearly 1-in-5 American adults, and although they […]
Two Latin American women canonised by Argentinian pontiff, as well as 813 ‘martyrs of Otranto’ slain in 1480 by Turkish invaders Pope Francis has given the Catholic church a raft […]
Huff Post: by Alan Jones. Pakistan is in the news – not least because of the violence leading up to the elections. H.L Mencken told us that “for every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.” Sometimes something happens and we’re hit between the eyes […]
Source:LATIMES: (Illustration by Wes Bausmith / Los Angeles Times) When Susan had breast cancer, we heard a lot of lame remarks, but our favorite came from one of Susan’s colleagues. She wanted, she needed, to visit Susan after the surgery, but Susan didn’t feel like having visitors, and she said […]
Source: CNN (CNN) — At an age when most pensioners are winding down their lives, Fauja Singh began a new one. In his late 80s, and feeling “more dead than alive” following the loss of his wife and one of his sons, he took up marathon running. Now 102, he […]
Source: Spiegel What contours might a military intervention in Syria take on? Strategists are discussing the creation of a humanitarian buffer and no-fly zone. But experts warn that 40,000 to 75,000 ground troops would be required in Syria for that to happen. More: