Islamophobia

By Domenica Ghanem | (Foreign Policy in Focus) | – – The U.S. military apparently thinks Muslim women’s clothing choices — rather than, say, drone strikes — are a driver of terrorism. Women are used to getting blamed for wearing too little. Can they now also be blamed for wearing too much? Misogynists have spun […]

Displaced and Refugees

Trumpism & Europe’s Refugees: Poland says it cannot coexist ‘with Middle East people’

contributors

By Sarantis Michalopoulos | ( EurActiv.com) A dispute over how to shelter 160,000 refugees in Europe got deeper today when Poland said its population is unable to live with people from the Middle East. EurActiv Greece reports. The Dutch EU presidency, helped by Germany, Italy and Greece, is trying to convince Eastern European countries to […]

European Union

Muslims in Europe: A Crisis of Liberalism, not a Clash of Civilizations

contributors

Column » ‘By the Book’ with Joseph Preville by JOSEPH RICHARD PREVILLE and JULIE POUCHER HARBIN | ISLAMiCommentary | – – Are Muslims embraced as part of the mosaic of Europe? Or, are they considered and treated as outsiders, foreigners, and invaders? Political Scientist Peter O’Brien deconstructs this issue in his new book, The Muslim […]

Featured

In Retrospect: A Year of Sharpening Contradictions

Juan Cole

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 by terrorists on January 7 this year was followed on the evening of 13 November by six coordinated attacks, killing 130 people, including […]

Featured

Top 5 Things for which We should be grateful to Arabic Writing

Juan Cole

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 the Muslim profession of faith), the backlash from some furious parents so hinted at violence that county schools had to be closed for […]

Featured

41% of Trump Supporters want to bomb Aladdin and Jasmine

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Public Policy Polling asked US voters if they favored bombing “Agraba.” Some 30% of Republicans said “Yes!” Obviously, this is a a little bit of a trick, since voters being asked such a question assume it is a real policy issue. But wouldn’t you want to […]

Islam

How Islamic law can take on ISIL

contributors

By Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im | (The Conversation) | – – The media coverage of the terrorist atrocities of Friday November 13 in Paris would seem to promote an almost mythical image of the [so-called] Islamic State group (ISIL, ISIS). What humanity needs, however, is to demystify ISIS as a criminal organization. And that need is […]

Buddhism

Terrorism and the Other Religions

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Reprint edn. slightly revised. Contrary to what is alleged by bigots like Bill Maher, Muslims are not more violent than people of other religions. Murder rates in most of the Muslim world are very low compared to the United States. As for political violence, people of […]

Islamophobia

The Colonial roots of Hating on Muslims, & of Muslim Nationalism

contributors

Sami Zubaida | (Open Democracy) | – – The presence of growing Muslim populations in Europe at the same time as the rise of political Islam and the inception of Israel, was largely a legacy of twentieth century colonial history. ‘Islamophobia’ – fear, hostility or negative sentiments with regard to Islam and Muslims – comes […]