Essays
The Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces (SNCORF)
by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* On October 31, I wrote, Who is the Syrian Opposition?. Less than two weeks later, a new coalition of opposition figures was born in Qatar, underscoring the erratic composition of the groups fighting to oust Bashar Assad from power. Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, Riad Seif, Suhair al-Atassi, and Mustafa al-Sbbagh The Syrian National Read more
Continue ReadingWhen Religion and Culture Part Ways
HOLY IGNORANCE: When Religion and Culture Part Ways; By Olivier Roy; Translated by Ros Schwartz.259 pp. Columbia University Press. $27.50 Every winter Fox News, seeking to stir up anger through the land, uncovers evidence of a war on Christmas. Secular humanists ignorant of religion and hostile to its traditions, someone in the studio will Read more
Continue ReadingUnited States 2012 Presidential Elections Results
United States 2012 Presidential Elections Results (some results are not final) President Obama wins his second term in office State-by-state U.S. Presidential race results’ table below: Washington D Winner B. Obama (i) 55.2% 1,062,561 R M. Romney 42.8% 822,611 L G. Johnson 1.0% 20,117 G J. Stein 0.5% 10,442 O V. Goode 0.2% 4,592 Oregon D Read more
Continue ReadingUS must abandon policies that cause terrorism
by John B. Quigley A reset is in order for our policy in the Middle East. From what the two candidates for the White House have said, neither seems to grasp the fact that current policy is fostering, not stopping, the violence we continue to face there. Hillary Clinton says we can’t protect our embassies Read more
Continue ReadingWho is the Syrian Opposition?
by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Since the start of the uprising in Syria, countries supporting the opposition groups wanted to unify them. They organized a series of the so-called “Friends of Syria” conferences one after another only to adjourn without realizing their objective. In most cases, the meetings created more discord than opportunities for Read more
Continue ReadingU.S. Middle East foreign policy needs upgrade
by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Map: Syria and Iran The third presidential debate in the United States’ race focused on foreign policy. In reality, there was no real debate. It was an argument between two candidates about which one of them would apply policies that are already in place better than the other. Granted that Read more
Continue ReadingFree Syrian Army may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity
by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Armed opposition groups operating inside Syria may have violated international humanitarian law by committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Arguably, some members of the Syrian troops may also have committed similar violations. However, the self-incriminating evidence released by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups is simply overwhelming. The evidence used Read more
Continue ReadingReevaluating Islam and Slavery in the Antebellum United States
Ala A. Alryyes. A Muslim American Slave: The Life of Omar Ibn Said. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2011. xii + 222 pp. $19.95 (paper), ISBN 978-0-299-24954-0; ISBN 978-0-299-24953-3. Reviewed by Hilary Green (Elizabeth City State University) Ala Alryyes has made a valuable contribution to the understanding of the religious and intellectual lives of enslaved Read more
Continue ReadingMuḥammad the Prophet and Arabia
Uri Rubin. Muḥammad the Prophet and Arabia. Farnham: Ashgate, 2011. getr. Zählung (XIV, 346 S.). ISBN 978-1-4094-0846-8. Reviewed by Konstantin Klein Der Schwerpunkt der Forschung Uri Rubins (Tel-Aviv-Universität) liegt auf dem frühen Islam und dabei vor allem auf dem Koran, dessen Exegese (tafsīr) und der frühen islamischen Überlieferung (sīra und ḥadīth). Im Jahr 2005 erschien Read more
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