religion

By Raed Jarrar | ( Otherwords.org) Both Democrats and Republicans are spreading the same Islamophobic message: you're either with us, or you're against us. On August 31, Nazma Khanam, a 60-year-old Muslim woman, was stabbed to death while walking near her home in Queens. The culprit was charged with second degree murder and robbery. But […]

Featured

Trump-inspired felon allegedly torches Ft. Pierce FL Mosque, says “All Islam is radical”

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Joseph Michael Schreiber stands accused of having carried out an arson attack against a mosque in Fort Pierce, Florida, about an hour’s drive north from West Palm Beach. The mosque was burned down on the first night of Eid al-Adha or the Festival of Sacrifice, a […]

Millenarianism

The Millenarian Dimensions of the Attempted Coup in Turkey and implications for Muslim Modernism & Traditionalism

contributors

By Mohammed Nuruzzaman | (Informed Comment) | – – The failed July 15 coup in Turkey has generated a whole range of debates on who was really behind the coup, Turkey’s future relations with NATO and the U.S., and President Erdogan’s possible pivot to Russia and Iran. A more serious debate that did not receive […]

Islam

What’s The Hajj About, Anyway?

contributors

AJ+ | (Video Report) | – – “The Hajj: It’s one of the biggest gatherings in the world, with millions of Muslims from everywhere making the pilgrimage to the city of Mecca – but what’s it about, anyway?” AJ+: “What’s The Hajj About, Anyway?”

Featured

Nearly 500 more US Troops sent to Iraq for Mosul Attack in advance of Election Day

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Stars and Stripes is reporting that the number of US troops in Iraq has risen from 4,000 to 4,460 in preparation for the Iraqi government campaign against Mosul. The WSJ reported that the government of Iraqi prime minister Haydar al-Abadi wants to begin the campaign in […]

Islam-hatred

Donald Trump’s “sharia law” Bogeyman is more Islamophobia

contributors

By Lena Salaymeh | (Informed Comment) | – – Donald Trump has called for extreme vetting of those who believe that “sharia law” should supplant American law. Newt Gingrich suggested that Muslims should be tested for belief in “sharia law.” To discredit Trump’s unexpected adversary, Khizr Khan, Paul Sperry claimed to have discovered a smoking […]

Featured

Saudi Bigot-in-Chief Declares Iranian Shiites “Not Muslim”

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – `Abd al-Aziz Al Shaikh, the chief jurisconsult or mufti for the interpretation of Muslim law in Saudi Arabia, said Wednesday that Iranian Shiites are not Muslims. This statement is a huge step back from the limited progress Saudi had made under the previous king, Abdullah, toward […]

Christianity

The Violent Christian West should drop Islamophobia and work on itself

contributors

By Johan Galtung | (Inter Press Service) | – – ALICANTE, Spain (IPS) – Watching Christianity nearly a century–fundamentalist Christians fighting ritualistic Christians fighting secularism, generally moving fundamentalism–>ritualism–>secularism–maybe the same for Islam? Their similarities make “Islam right now” a repetition of Christianity; their differences shout, Watch Out! Let us see where this leads us. Johan […]

Iran

Saudis Should Not Run Hajj Pilgrimage: Iran

Juan Cole

TeleSur | – – Pilgrims from Iran will be unable to attend hajj, which starts on Sept. 11 this year after talks between the two countries on arrangements broke down in May. Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei renewed criticism of Saudi Arabia over how it runs the hajj after a crush last year killed […]