In Retrospect: A Year of Sharpening Contradictions
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) Reprint, revised Note: The horrific murder of 12 persons and…
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) Reprint, revised Note: The horrific murder of 12 persons and…
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - In a rare victory for freedom of…
Foreign Policy
In Retrospect: A Year of Sharpening Contradictions
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) Reprint, revised Note: The horrific murder of 12 persons and the wounding of 11 in the attack on the staff of the satirical weely Charlie Hebdo…What It Takes To Defeat ISIL’s Ideology
By Charles Recknagel | RFE/RL Daniel Koehler is among a handful of people in the West who work with Islamist militants returning from Syria in an effort to reintegrate them into normal…Year in Review: Paris Attacks must not become Pretext for a new ‘Global War on Terror’
Petra Gümplová | (Open Democracy) | - - It will only exacerbate the causes of terrorist attacks, diminish society’s capacity to cope rationally with risks, and permanently damage freedom, democracy, and international…Rare victory for Freedom of speech in Turkey, as Pianist allowed to quote Omar Khayyam
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - In a rare victory for freedom of speech in Turkey, the country's Supreme Court of Appeals has completely overturned a lower court ruling…Top 5 Things for which We should be grateful to Arabic Writing
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - When a teacher in rural Augusta county, Virginia, decided to expose her students to the Arabic script (a piece of calligraphy writing out…Palestine Tourism For True Rapprochement Between People
By Siraj Center | (IMEMC) | - - The Siraj Center makes up the Travel Department of The Palestinian Centre for Rapprochement between People (PCR). The Siraj Center is a nonprofit tour…Muslims Shield Christians from al-Shabab Terror
Cenk Uygur | (The Young Turks Video Report) | - - "Al-Shabaab is a terrorist group that operates in Somalia and Kenya. Lately they have been attacking buses full of civilians, particularly…Interpol: 1% of 2014 European Terrorism by Muslims
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The Interpol report on European terrorism for 2014 would obviously look different for the horrible year of 2015. So too was 2011 an…Israeli PM: ‘Arab terror and Jewish terror’ are different
Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- In lieu of a growing Israeli focus on Jewish extremism, Israel’s Prime Minister on Sunday said that comparing “Arab terror and Jewish terror”…Daesh/ ISIL hasn’t weakened al-Qaeda– Its Affiliates are Stronger than Ever
By Ari Heistein | (Informed Comment) | - - Experts predicted that the rise of the Caliphate declared by Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) would be disastrous for al-Qaeda(AQ). One report that concluded “The…Yemen: US-Backed Saudi Coalition illegally bombing Residential Areas
By Human Rights Watch | - - (Beirut) – The Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting in Yemen carried out at least six apparently unlawful airstrikes in residential areas of the capital, Sanaa, in…Will Mosul rise against Daesh/ ISIL? If not, who can liberate it?
By Nawzat Shamdeen | (Niqash.org) | - - “Everyone says zero hour is coming closer. Some of the politicians – including the Prime Minister – have said that operations to liberate Mosul…Eyes on Mosul next, as Iraqi Army advances in Ramadi in face of Stiff ISIL/ Daesh Resistance
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Iraqi prime minister Haydar al-Abadi announced Friday that after the city of Ramadi was recovered from Daesh (ISIS, ISIL), the Iraqi army would…The Regime Strikes Back: Syrian Gov’t advances, Bolstered by Russia
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Russia's aerial intervention in Syria is apparently yielding some modest battlefield advances for the Baath regime of Bashar al-Assad. Russia is also resupplying…Saudi’s Suffragists: Women vote for first time, are elected to City Councils
By Katherine Mackenzie | (Inter Press Service) | - - ABU DHABI (IPS) - The triumph of 19 women in what is being seen as a landmark and historical election in a…Palestine: Friday clashes erupt across occupied West Bank as Israeli Occupiers use Lethal Force
Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Weekly Friday demonstrations took place across the occupied West Bank on Friday, locals said. Locals told Ma’an that clashes broke out between Palestinians…In Iraq’s Ur, Archeologists Explore History’s Potential to Unite A Divided Land
By Ahmad Thamer Jihad | (Niqash.org) | - - The best way to combat the damage done to Iraq's antiquities during the current security crisis is to put more effort into exploring…Christmas and Christians in the Middle East
by Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Whether Christmas is joyous sad or nervous-making for Christians in the Middle East this year depends very much on the country in which…Oh little town Near Bethlehem, cut off from Highway by Israeli Military
Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- The movement of residents in Ras Al-Wad southwest of Bethlehem has been cut off for weeks by Israeli military forces, locals said Wednesday.…Would Syrian Refugee Baby Jesus be allowed to immigrate to the US?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - In this political season in which Syrian refugees have become a political football, it is worthwhile remembering that baby Jesus is depicted by…