religion

ABC 15 Arizona | (Video News Report) | – – “FULL: Khizr Khan son was 1 of 14 American Muslims who died serving – Democratic National Convention Khizr Khan’s son, Humayun S. M. Khan was a University of Virginia graduate and enlisted in the U.S. Army. Khan was one of 14 American Muslims who died […]

Arab Americans

Amid Trump Campaign, New Jersey Muslims Step Up Outreach

contributors

By Daniella Cheslow | ( RFE/RL) | – – PATERSON, New Jersey — The president of the largest mosque in northern New Jersey says Donald Trump’s campaign for the White House has galvanized his community to raise its profile and reach out to non-Muslim neighbors. “We’re cautious that we don’t want people to know about […]

Featured

Islamophobia Kills: German Munich shooter admired Breivik, Killed Turks

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The shooter at a Munich mall last week who killed 9 and left 27 wounded was an admirer of far right wing Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, and appears to have hated Muslims. Although David Sonboly was of Iranian heritage, he does not seem to have […]

Iraq

Will Iraq’s next Government be . . . Iran-backed Shiite Militias?

contributors

By Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) | – – The [so-called] Islamic State [IS] group has caused a realignment of Iraq’s political map. Next year’s provincial elections will signal who will rule the land after the security crisis has passed – and it may not be to everyone’s liking. In April 2017 Iraq will […]

Christians

Newt Should Check out Mike Pence’s Christian Sharia

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Newt Gingrich suggested late last week on cable tv that Muslim Americans should be asked if they believe in “sharia” and if they answer yes, they should be deported. You can’t deport US citizens, so the whole remark was ridiculous. Sharia for Muslims is the equivalent […]

Iraq

Defeating ISIL in Iraq will Take Sunni-Shiite Reconciliation, not Just Tanks

Neil Thompson

London (Informed Comment) – As Iraqi, Kurdish and Syrian forces squeeze its territory in the Arab world and Turkey hunts down the group’s support networks and sympathisers inside its territory, it can seem like the days of Islamic State (IS) are finally numbered after a two year reign of terror in the region. However it […]

Alawites

Is Religion really Driving Middle East Violence?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Pew Research has released a report saying that “As a whole, the region continued to have the highest levels of religious hostilities in the world. In 2014, the median level of religious hostilities in the Middle East and North Africa reached a level four times that […]

Arab Americans

On Eid al-Fitr 2016: Muslim-Americans becoming Thread in the US Tapestry

contributors

By Abbas Barzegar | (The Conversation) | – – Ramadan, a month of intense prayer and fasting, has been especially trying for American Muslims this summer: Other than the heat, the small community has been grappling with the aftermath of the massacre in Orlando and the presumptive Republican Party candidate Donald Trump’s call to ban […]

Iraq

Ordinary Iraqis defy sectarianism after Islamic State’s attacks on Baghdad

contributors

By Balsam Mustafa | (The Conversation) | – – “I’m happy that I graduated. I’m so grateful to my parents and I dedicate my success to both of them.” These were the final words written by Adnan, a victim of a deadly attack on Sunday’s early hours in the crowded, buzzing street of Karrada in […]