religion

By Susan Carland | (The Conversation) | – – Islam is not unique in having theological interpretations that centre on men. Christian, Jewish and Buddhist women (and men) have grappled with the overt and covert sexism within their own sacred texts and traditions in numerous ways. This is because where there are people there is […]

Islam-hatred

Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes in US Rose 57 Percent in 2016: Report

contributors

TeleSur | – – Anti-Muslim hate crimes in the United States rose by a staggering 57 percent in 2016, according to a new report released Tuesday by Muslim civil rights group Council of American Islamic Relations, CAIR. The report, titled “The Empowerment of Hate,” found that Muslim bias incidents rose by 65 percent between 2014 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Donald Trump

Hassan Minhaj was told not to Roast Trump, But did Anyway (WH Correspondents)

contributors

Hassan Minhaj | (White House Correspondents Dinner) | (Video Clip) | – – “Daily Show correspondent Hasan Minhaj took full advantage of Donald Trump’s absence by taking aim at the president and his administration during his monologue at the White House Correspondents’ dinner.” Daily Show’s Hasan Minhaj White House Correspondents’ Dinner full monologue

Bashar al-Assad

Syria’s forgotten pluralism and why it matters today

contributors

By Andrea Williams | (The Conversation) | – – The Syrian Civil War has been raging for six years. It has killed nearly half a million people and left over 12 million, about half of Syria’s total population, without a home. A few weeks ago, a devastating chemical attack brought this conflict back into the […]

Far Right

For First Time, a US President backs a Fascist France

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – While she is highly unlikely to win the run-off presidential election on May 7 against the Bill Clinton of France, Emmanuel Macron, Marine Le Pen managed to come in second in the first round on Sunday. She came ahead of the leaders of both major French […]

France

Is there such a thing as a ‘Muslim vote’ in France?

contributors

By Fatima Khemilat | (The Conversation) | – – On April 8, the well-known French television show Salut les terriens turned sour when guests discussed the very sensitive topic of the so-called “French Muslim vote”. One panelist, journalist Sonia Mabrouk, argued that Muslims in France are constantly used by opportunists, from politicians to intellectuals, as […]