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Conflict in Mecca: The Prophet Muhammad and Soft Power
Featured

Conflict in Mecca: The Prophet Muhammad and Soft Power

Juan Cole

I believe that the earliest source we have for the life of the Prophet is the Quran itself. And I believe the Quran is early.

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“Into this Universe:”  Heidegger and FitzGerald’s The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám 1:29

“Into this Universe:” Heidegger and FitzGerald’s The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám 1:29

12/14/2025 By Juan Cole

“Identity is never fixed:” Interview with Iranian-American Artist Soraya Sharghi

“Identity is never fixed:” Interview with Iranian-American Artist Soraya Sharghi

12/14/2025 By Global Voices

More Stories

Energy
What if? and the Meltdown Threat

What if? and the Meltdown Threat

If the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant had been a bank of wind turbines, we wouldn’t all be on hanging on every item about radiation release. […]

Juan Cole

Libya
Rebels Hold Key Libyan Towns as UN Considers Intervention

Rebels Hold Key Libyan Towns as UN Considers Intervention

Forces loyal to Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi launched a two-pronged attack on Tuesday and Wednesday, on Misrata near Tripoli and on Ajdabiya in the east, […]

Juan Cole

Egypt
Sunni-Shiite Tension Boils in Iraq, Gulf over Bahrain

Sunni-Shiite Tension Boils in Iraq, Gulf over Bahrain

Reuters Arabic reports that the Saudi invasion of Bahrain on Monday has inflamed sectarian passions in Iraq. Likewise it has angered Iran, which openly condemned […]

Juan Cole

al-Qaeda
Qaddafi threatens to Join al-Qaeda as his Forces advance on Rebel Strongholds

Qaddafi threatens to Join al-Qaeda as his Forces advance on Rebel Strongholds

As the world watches Japan, transfixed by the aftermath of a massive tsunami that has probably killed over 10,000 and left half a million homeless, […]

Juan Cole

Egypt
These are Not Bush’s Revolutions: Cole in Truthdig

These are Not Bush’s Revolutions: Cole in Truthdig

My column is out in Truthdig, entitled “People Power vs. Washington”. Excerpt: ‘The claim that George W. Bush’s war of aggression against Iraq somehow opened […]

Juan Cole

Africa
Anzalone:  Building an Insurgent State in Somalia?

Anzalone: Building an Insurgent State in Somalia?

Christopher Anzalone writes in a guest column for Informed Comment: The Somali insurgent movement Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen (Movement of Warrior-Youth) has controlled nearly all of […]

Juan Cole

Saudi Arabia
Bahrain Demonstrators Repressed

Bahrain Demonstrators Repressed

Bahrain police abruptly broke up a peaceful demonstration in downtown Manama on Sunday, deploying tear gas and rubber bullets at close range. Despite warnings by […]

Juan Cole

Libya
Qaddafi on a Roll, Rebellion Could Collapse

Qaddafi on a Roll, Rebellion Could Collapse

In Libya, forces loyal to dictator Muammar Qaddafi made rapid advances against the rebels on Saturday and Sunday, pushing them out of Ra’s Lanuf, and […]

Juan Cole

Energy
Japan Nuclear Threat, Libya Oil Crisis, Highlight Need for Renewable Energy

Japan Nuclear Threat, Libya Oil Crisis, Highlight Need for Renewable Energy

Fears over possible nuclear reactor meltdowns have complicated Japan’s attempt to recover from the tsunami that hit northern prefectures on Friday. Japan, which has no […]

Juan Cole

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