By Noorzehra Zaidi, University of Maryland, Baltimore County | – For many Muslims breaking fast in mosques around the world this Ramadan, something will be missing: plastics. The communal experience of iftars – the after-sunset meal that brings people of the faith together during the holy month – often necessitates the use of utensils designed […]
The Meaning of the Ramadan Fast for those in Gaza and other War Zones
By Mahan Mirza, University of Notre Dame | – Ramadan in the Gaza Strip this year will be anything but “normal.” Malnutrition and disease are claiming dozens of lives. The Gaza Health Ministry said on March 6, 2024, that at least 20 people had died of malnutrition. Many others, it said, were “dying silently,” unable […]
Climate Crisis and Mass Extinction: Can Archeology tell us Which types of Species are most at Risk?
By Erin Saupe, University of Oxford and Cooper Malanoski, University of Oxford | – (The Conversation) – Many experts believe we may soon face a mass extinction event, with a high proportion of Earth’s species dying out. Projections indicate the climate will continue to change for centuries to come, and this is a significant threat […]
Joe Biden’s Gaza Aid Pier isn’t Enough: 6 More Things that Must be Done
By Sarah Schiffling, Hanken School of Economics and Foteini Stavropoulou, Liverpool John Moores University | – (The Conversation) – In his State of the Union address, Joe Biden announced an idea to alleviate the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza. The American president said he is “directing the US military to lead an emergency mission to […]
Ramadan finds greater Recognition in America’s Public Schools
By Amaarah DeCuir, American University | – Ramadan – the Islamic month of fasting – is expected to begin at sunset on March 10, 2024. The likely first day of fasting will be Monday, March 11. Amaarah DeCuir, who researches Muslim student experiences, offers insights into how public schools can move toward greater recognition of […]
Israeli Peace Activists agree War must end with some form of Democracy for All
By Atalia Omer, University of Notre Dame | – (The Conversation) – The months since Hamas’ attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, have been excruciating ones for Israeli peace activists. As the country rallies behind the war effort, critics have been arrested and condemned by opponents who say the attacks proved how misguided the peace movement […]
The War in Gaza is wiping out Palestine’s Education and Knowledge Systems
By Chandni Desai, University of Toronto | – (The Conversation) – Gaza’s education system has suffered significantly since Israel’s bombardment and assault on the strip began. Last month, Israel blew up Gaza’s last standing university, Al-Israa University. In the past four months, all or parts of Gaza’s 12 universities have been bombed and mostly destroyed. […]
My Malaysia Ordeal shows how Religion can Fuse with Nationalism to Silence Dissent
By Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University | – (The Conversation) – I hadn’t expected my book tour in Malaysia to end with a confrontation with men who identified themselves as police in a Kuala Lumpur airport. I arrived in the Muslim-majority country in early January 2024 to promote the Malay translation of my […]
How Climate Change is Messing up the Ocean’s Biological Clock, a Potential Catastrophe
By Frédéric Cyr, Memorial University of Newfoundland | – Every year in the mid-latitudes of the planet, a peculiar phenomenon known as the phytoplankton spring bloom occurs. Visible from space, spectacular large and ephemeral filament-like shades of green and blue are shaped by the ocean currents. The phytoplankton blooms are comprised of a myriad of […]