religion

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – In this political season in which Syrian refugees have become a political football, it is worthwhile remembering that baby Jesus is depicted by the Bible as being a Syrian political refugee not once but twice. In ancient times, “Syria” referred not to the area of the […]

Islam-hatred

Islamophobia in 2015: The Good, the Bad and the Hopeful

contributors

By the Bridge Initiative Team | – – Looking back at the last twelve months, it can initially appear that Islamophobia was pretty bad in 2015. And indeed it was. Attacks against Muslims in the United States and their institutions have occurred in rapid succession. Meanwhile, leading politicians and the voting public have expressed increasingly […]

Iraq

If Iraq can take Ramadi from ISIL/ Daesh, it will Need to reach out to Sunnis

contributors

By Balsam Mustafa and Scott Lucas | (The Conversation) | – – After days of mounting expectation, the Iraqi government finally announced a serious offensive to retake the city of Ramadi, the capital of western Iraq’s Anbar Province, from [the so-called] Islamic State [group] (IS). This is far from the first announcement of the imminent […]

Democratic Party

Is Clinton right that Trump is Helping ISIL?

contributors

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – During Saturday night’s Democratic debate, Sec. Hillary Clinton at one point alleged, “And we also need to make sure that the really discriminatory messages that Trump is sending around the world don’t fall on receptive ears. He is becoming ISIS’s best recruiter. They are going to […]

Bernie Sanders

Clinton: Trump chief recruiter for ISIL; Sanders: Take out Daesh First, Assad Later

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The second Saturday-night Democratic debate had a lot of discussion on foreign policy. It is a shame that the Democratic National Convention put it on a Saturday, when its audience was much lower. Many Bernie Sanders supporters believe that the DNC supports Sec. Hillary Clinton and […]

Islam-hatred

‘Off the Charts’ Violence against Muslims Ravaging US Communities

contributors

By Sarah Lazare, staff writer | (Commondreams.org) | – – New data confirms anecdotes of rising Islamophobic violence reflect nationwide trend. From an attack on a hijab-wearing sixth grader in the Bronx to the arson of a mosque near Palm Springs, reports of hate crimes targeting Muslims are more than troubling anecdotes, but rather, reflect […]

Education

Rural Fury over Arabic Script in World Cultures Module forces closing of Augusta, Va. Schools

Juan Cole

AJ+ | (Video news report) | – – “VA’s Augusta County School District shut down over security concerns posed by parents who were angry about an Arabic calligraphy lesson. Officials didn’t mention a specific threat, but said that the “tone and content” of messages pouring in from the community and beyond was cause for extra […]

Christianity

Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Wheaton College suspended a tenured professor of Political Science for quoting Pope Francis that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. So, do they? History Buff blog asked me what I thought, and this is what I told them: “Hebrew, the language of the Hebrew Bible, […]

Islam-hatred

Dutch Pranksters tell People Bible verses are from Qur’an & Hilarity Ensues

contributors

RT | (Video report) | “Dutch pranksters have conducted an experiment aimed at testing public prejudice towards Islam. They took to the streets and read extracts from a book which they claimed was the Koran. Then came the big reveal. What people had originally believed were extracts from the Koran were actually being read from […]