History

Column » ‘By the Book’ with Joseph Preville by JOSEPH RICHARD PREVILLE and JULIE POUCHER HARBIN for ISLAMiCommentary The life of Prophet Muhammad has inspired the development of a vast body of literature over the centuries. Kecia Ali takes a look at this diverse literature in her new book, The Lives of Muhammad (Harvard University […]

Colonialism

America didn’t learn the Lessons of Tribes & Counter-Insurgency in Vietnam, Leading to the Iraq Quagmire

contributors

By David Moore The rise of ISIL, as well as the resurgence of the Taliban, has brought numerous “experts” out to offer analyses on the best way to combat these developments. The consensus is to bomb and arm (or re-arm Sunni) groups to fight ISIL. Since I have written a book on insurgency and counter-insurgency […]

Colonialism

America’s Colonial Armies: Absentee Soldiers, Corrupt Officers and Collapse

contributors

By William J. Astore via Tomdispatch.com In June, tens of thousands of Iraqi Security Forces in Nineveh province north of Baghdad collapsed in the face of attacks from the militants of the Islamic State (IS or ISIS), abandoning four major cities to that extremist movement. The collapse drew much notice in our media, but not much in the way of […]

Colonialism

French Planes bomb Damascus to put Down Syrian Revolt, 1925 (Video: This Day in History)

contributors

“Title reads: “Defence of Damascus. French troops – barricades – and armed posts – now circle the town of view of threatened attack by Rebels”. Having invaded and occupied Syria, French troops who brutally suppress an uprising against them in 1925 were described in British newsreels as “defending” Damascus against “rebels.” british Pathe: Damascus Revolt […]

Colonialism

Columbus Day: How is it Still a Thing? (John Oliver)

contributors

John Oliver, “Last Week Tonight” “Christopher Columbus did a lot of stuff that was way more terrible than “sailing the ocean blue,” but we don’t learn about that. Columbus Day: How is it still a thing?” Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Columbus Day – How Is That Still A Thing (HBO)

Health

Top Five Worst Disease Epidemics (Historical Footage)

contributors

Top 5 Worst Disease Epidemics – British Pathé

History

Remembering the Muslim Heritage of Tolerance and Hybrid Civilization

contributors

By Tareq Ramadan Because the brutal behavior exhibited by members of IS have drearily captivated audiences around the world, Muslims in the West fear that their faith will be increasingly stereotyped and essentialized as one that is inherently violent and intolerant. Of course, the fallout may further feed Islamophobic sentiments that have only increased after […]

History

First 1300 Years of Islamic History in 3 Minutes

contributors

Lost Islamic History: “1300 Years of Islamic History in 3 Minutes ”

Colonialism

Lessons from French Morocco: “Fanaticism Anxiety” about Muslims has been with us since the Colonial Era

Juan Cole

By Edmund Burke III Today we hear a great deal about the question of what went wrong in Middle Eastern societies. For an historian of the early twentieth century world, it’s déjà vu all over again. Similar questions and similar anxieties were being voiced a century ago. Very much like fin de siècle Europeans, we […]