BERLIN – GERMANY is helping mediate secret, direct talks between the United States and the Afghan Taleban, with meetings taking place on German soil, Spiegel magazine reported on Sunday. Germany’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Michael Steiner is moderating the talks, the latest round of which took place on […]
This is not a predominantly racist country, but we are guilty of failing to recognize victimhood in others. By Anshel Pfeffer Almost 30 years ago, my father employed a computer programmer who was an early and prominent support of Rabbi Meir Kahane’s Kach party. Innocently, I once asked him how […]
Netanyahu’s decision to have Israel clash with Obama is not only a dead end, it could remove the only protective wall Israel has left and sacrifice the country’s future on the altar of hollow ideology and unbridled nationalism. Haaretz Editorial Lots of high-sounding words were uttered over the weekend. There was […]
Hugh Pope, Transtlantic Academy | 13 May 2011 The Middle East’s season of popular revolts for greater freedoms has thrown a critical spotlight on Turkey’s ambition for a leading role in the region, whether as an actor pursuing a ‘zero problem’ foreign policy or through the gravitational pull of its […]
by Michael Tomasky Bibi Netanyahu could have reacted any number of ways to Barack Obama’s mention of the “1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps.” Let’s say, actually, four ways—embrace, circumspection, suspicion, tantrum. That he chose the last—saying immediately after the Obama speech that he “expects” to hear Obama in essence […]
Being young and Jewish and realizing what Israel’s occupation is really like, contrary to what we may have been taught in our religious schools or high school trips to the holy land, can be a lonely journey. It can be compared to a “coming out” experience, where sharing your perceptions […]
By ARAB NEWS RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has pledged $4 billion in aid to Egypt, the chief of Egypt’s ruling military council said Saturday. The aid will be in the form of soft loans, deposits and grants, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, head of the council, was quoted by Egypt’s MENA […]
By Laila Azzeh AMMAN – Calling for an international intervention to stop the “massacres” against civilians in their homeland, several Syrians gathered in front of the UN headquarters in Amman on Saturday. Chanting anti-regime slogans, the protesters called for an end of Baath regime rule and highlighted its “brutal” actions […]
Historically, Islam contributed to the modern concepts of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The concept of the Constitution fits in perfectly with Muhammad’s (s) example of coexisting on the basis of fair treaties guaranteeing freedom of religion and integrity of the individual. Constitutions often embody the same inalienable […]
By Qasim Rashid The case of the missing Messiah is a mystery that has intrigued countless minds through the ages. Pope Innocent III predicted Christ’s return and doomsday in 1284. William Miller made his call in October, 1844. Alexander Dowie launched his campaign at the turn of the 20th century. Edgar […]
Some believe it is about protecting civilians, others say it is about oil, but some are convinced intervention in Libya is all about Gaddafi’s plan to introduce the gold dinar, a single African currency made from gold, a true sharing of the wealth. “It’s one of these things that you […]
Selecting a potential father for your children, it turns out, is not unlike shopping online. “A lot of our clients typically want their donor to be at least 180cm [5ft 11in] tall and have blue eyes,” says Peter Bower, director of Nordic Cryobank, who is showing me his database of sperm donors. […]
ROME (AP) — Police said Thursday that they rescued about 500 migrants from Libya after a small fire broke out on their boat miles (kilometers) off the Italian coast. Police patrol boats spotted the boat and were escorting it toward the small island of Lampedusa when the fire began, Maj. […]
As a Muslim-American, I watched with great interest Thursday morning as President Obama spoke to the world about the state of the Middle East. With that region engulfed in so much turmoil, this provides America a crucial opportunity to take a stand. I was looking for a glimpse into how […]
The Holy Quran says about the Judgment Day, “Men ask thee concerning the Hour. Say, “The knowledge of it is with Allah alone.’ And what would make thee know that the hour may be nigh?” (Al Quran 33:64) But Mr. Fitzpatrick predicts the doomsday, not in 1000 years, or in 30 […]
‘Pakistan Times’ Wire Service MARDAN: One person died and four others injured when a suicide bomber blew up explosives strapped on his body at a worship place of Ahmedis here at Muslimabad Canal, Geo News reported Friday. The injured were immediately rushed to District Headquarter Hospital where doctors described their […]
Despite their deepening political divide, the United States and Saudi Arabia are quietly expanding defense ties on a vast scale, led by a little-known project to develop an elite force to protect the kingdom’s oil riches and future nuclear sites. The U.S. also is in discussions with Saudi Arabia to […]
The capacity for compassion and forgiveness can reach almost unbelievable proportions. The post-9/11 shooting spree by Mark Stroman was a predatory act of ghastly viciousness. To a Dallas County jury, the two lives that Stroman took demanded a sentence of death by injection. But to a shooting victim who survived […]
The National Education Ministry’s plan to reconstruct the curriculum of religious education for students calls for the attention of all stakeholders, particularly because religious education has played and always plays an important role in the creation of an Indonesian identity. As we live in a diverse country, students should learn […]