Middle East

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Trump’s abrupt and virtually unprecedented firing of FBI director Jim Comey raises the question of whether he and his far right wing circle of Neofascists intend to reshape the Bureau as (even more of) an instrument of white nationalism and executive authoritarianism. Despite the cover story […]

Elections

Iran Election: Rouhani charges Rivals are ‘Executioners & Jailers’ in Risky Move

contributors

By Golnaz Esfandiari | ( RFE/RL ) | – – Less than two weeks before voting in Iran’s presidential election, incumbent Hassan Rohani has risked crossing the political establishment’s “red lines” in an unusually blunt attack against two conservative rivals. In a campaign speech in the western city of Hamedan, Rohani said on May 8 […]

Egypt

Pope Francis, Islam and Peace-Building

contributors

Interview by Jayson Casper | (Informed Comment) | – – Dr. Kamal Boraiqa is a lecturer at al-Azhar University and a member of al-Azhar Center for Dialogue, the al-Azhar Observer for Combating Extremism, and the Egyptian Family House. With a PhD from al-Azhar in Islamic Studies, he has served as an imam at the Santa […]

Elections

Iran: Will Voters’ Economic Gloom Doom Rouhani’s Reelection Bid?

contributors

By Nader Habibi | (The Conversation) | – – Markets breathed a collective sigh of relief after Emmanuel Macron won the French presidency. But there’s another vote this month that’s just as consequential yet has received far less attention: Iran’s May 19 presidential election. If the incumbent moderate Hassan Rouhani doesn’t win a second term, […]

Featured

What will new French President Macron do about Syria & ISIL?

contributors

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Now that Emmanuel Macron is president of France, it is worthwhile asking what sort of foreign policy he would be likely to pursue. The French presidential system is more centralized than the American. I once did some consulting at the Quai D’Orsay, the French Foreign Ministry, […]

Israel/ Palestine

Israel to vote on Bill making it a “Jewish State,” demoting Arabic

contributors

Ma’an News Agency | – – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — An Israeli cabinet committee approved a contested bill on Sunday seeking to enshrine Israel’s status as a Jewish state into the country’s central legislation, sparking concern the heightened discrimination Palestinians would face should it become law. The Ministerial Committee for Legislation voted unanimously to move the […]

Featured

It was ISIL, not Hackers, who Hijacked French Election

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – That hackers, most likely Russia-linked, were trying to throw the French election to Marine Le Pen this weekend by releasing thousands of emails from her opponent Emmanuel Macron, probably struck too late to achieve their goal. They were counting on the rule that candidates may not […]

Iraq

Can Iraq’s Sunni Politicians agree on post-ISIL Future?

contributors

Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) | – – “Iraq’s Sunni Muslims desperately need their politicians to present a united front and act in their interests. But the politicians cannot agree on a vision for the post-Islamic State future.” Last Sunday, Iraqi parliamentarians voted to ban their colleagues from participating in conferences held outside the […]