International Politics and Economy

TeleSur | – – Speaking last month of reducing restrictions on drone usage, President Trump resorted to biblical language, saying “retribution will be fast and powerful.” The United States is preparing to eliminate several major restrictions and regulations on the use of drones, making it easier to use the controversial form of warfare more frequently, […]

Featured

Iraq Supreme Court strikes down Kurdistan referendum, Clashes in Kirkuk

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Iraqi Supreme Court has ordered that the referendum on independence planned for September 25 be halted. The problem is that the Iraqi supreme Court’s decision will not be recognized or honored by the elites in the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Kurdish super-province. The Kurds say […]

Elections

Can Iran keep its Influence in Baghdad?

Juan Cole

Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) | – – Iran wants to reunite the fighting Shiite Muslim political parties in Iraq that once gave it unconditional support. But that job is far from easy. Last week Mahmoud Shahroudi, the head of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council, which advises that country’s theological leader, Ali Khamenei, visited Baghdad. […]

Colonialism

Why we should be wary of Calls for an “Islamic Reformation”

contributors

By Todd Green | ( Mizan Project ) | – – This year marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Reformation in Germany, a monumental event in Christian history that generated permanent divisions in the body of Christendom. As commemorations of Luther’s Reformation commence throughout the world, it’s likely that some of Islam’s most ardent […]

Iraq

Will Iraqi Kurdish Independence Referendum Further Roil the Middle East?

contributors

By Ali R. Abootalebi | (Informed Comment) | – – The Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President in June 2017 announced September 25 as the day for a referendum on independence from the rest of Iraq. In August, U.S. Central Command Head Gen. Joseph Votel and Defense Secretary James Mattis separately sat down with Kurdish […]

Islam-hatred

Muslim-hating Heckler harasses Sikh Politician; he replies with ‘Love and Courage’

contributors

Brampton Focus | Jagmeet Singh | Rally Video | – – Jagmeet Singh, who grew up in Windsor, Canada, is a member of the Ontario legislature. His family is originally from India and belongs to the Sikh religious tradition, which mandates that men wear a turban. Sikhs, essentially a monotheistic reform of Hinduism, are often […]

Corruption

Why Climate Criminals like Exxon should pay for Hurricane Destruction

contributors

By Jake Johnson, staff writer | ( Commondreams.org) | – – “It may take tens to hundreds of billions of dollars to support disaster relief and recovery among Gulf Coast communities affected by Hurricane Harvey. ExxonMobil, Chevron and BP have collectively pledged only $2.75 million,” note Peter Frumhoff and Myles Allen. “It may take tens […]

Displaced and Refugees

Are Muslims allowed to be Sympathetic Victims in US Media, or only Perpetrators?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Libyan activist Hend Amry makes an important point about the relative lack of interest of television news in stories such as the persecution of the Burmese (Myanmar) Muslims by the Buddhist establishment: When Muslims are the victims of terrorism, there isn't the fraction of western attention […]

Arab World

Arabs, Thomas Friedman and the “iron fist”

contributors

By Brian Whitaker | ( Al-Bab.com) Writing about conflicts in the Middle East for the New York Times yesterday, columnist Thomas Friedman talked of “the power that is lost to a society like Syria or Iraq that needs an iron fist to make its many into one, and when that fist is removed, how the […]