Posted in Islam on Mar 6th, 2008
This post is worth repeating.– weh
The Financial Times, perhaps the most respected news journal in the English-speaking world, summarizes why al Qaeda is rapidly losing the hearts and minds of Arabs. Registration is required at the FT site, but AJStrata has an excellent summary. Quoting the FT piece:
In fact, in large measure because of what [...]
For a long time, I let my hopes for a decent outcome in Iraq triumph over what I had learned reporting from Lebanon during its civil war. Those hopes vanished last summer. So, I’d like to offer President Bush my updated rules of Middle East reporting, which also apply to diplomacy, in hopes they’ll help [...]
‘Islamofascism’
Whenever I consider this matter I am struck by a singular fact about the Christian religion, a fact noticed by Kierkegaard and Hegel but rarely commented upon today, which is that it is informed by a spirit of irony. Irony means accepting “the other,” as someone other than you. It was irony that led Christ [...]
Power Line: Old Hands At Fakery
Some time ago, Richard Landes, a Professor of History at Boston University, and Pedro Zúquete made a film about the Palestinians’ use of staged and faked video “bites,” and the credulous international news agencies that fall for them. Or, perhaps, collaborate in them. It’s called “Pallywood,” and is exceptionally well [...]
There are many opinions floating around about this war and I have my own. Here are some of them.
War is Hell! The US is the only country that believes it can fight a perfect war. Everyone else understands that they cannot fight a perfect war and that collateral damage is going to occur. It is [...]
Posted in Islam on Jul 29th, 2006
Everything Exploded
In case you missed it the first time, or if (like me) you feel like re-reading it, exactly three months ago I published Everything Could Explode at Any Moment from the Lebanese/Israeli border. That piece feels heavier now than it…
An amazing piece!
Posted in Islam on Jul 3rd, 2006
Moderate Islamists Found
I wrote a shorter version of this piece for one of the largest American newspapers, one that gets a hefty dose of criticism almost every day. The editor rejected it because it wasn’t “groundbreaking enough.” I wish he would have…
For me this was an interesting article. I have recently been reading several books [...]
Posted in Islam on Jul 31st, 2005
Asharq Alawsat Newspaper (English)
Islamic extremism will remain in our midst, sometimes behind the scenes, other times at the center of events. The fundamentalist movement is convinced us non-believers lead worthless lives, stuck in the dark ages, lacking divine inspiration. Our problem is due to a lack of a genuine Islamic system of government.
This is the [...]
On this day, the Virginia Tech community reflects on the vibrant lives of the 32 students and faculty who were tragically taken from us a year ago. Through light, art, and music we pay tribute to each and every person we lost. We gather to honor our friends, colleagues, and family members. We will never forget.