What the results of the 2018 Turkish elections tell us: a preliminary analysis
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An Alternative Statement from President Donald J. Trump on Ramadan
For Immediate Release May 26, 2017 Statement from President Donald J. Trump on RamadanOn behalf of the American people, I would like to say to my fellow Muslim Americans and all Muslims around the world, Ramadan Karim. During this month of fasting, many Muslims will find meaning and inspiration in acts self-control, charity, reflections, and […]
Continue ReadingQatar scapegoated by Saudi Arabia and its allies: Qatar Saudi Arabia relations tested, again
Trump would like to claim that all Arab and Muslim leaders he lectured in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, are united to fight terrorism and confront Iran. The reality tells a different story. Just a day after he left, Egypt, UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia launched an unprecedented and coordinated media attack on one of their own: […]
Continue ReadingWhat went wrong with Turkey’s referendum?
Ayla Gol* Turkey has missed an historical opportunity to prove that liberal democracy could work in a Muslim country. On Sunday, the 16th of April, over 50 million people voted in a public referendum and approved a constitutional change leading to a stronger presidency with extended powers. The voters had two options in the ballot […]
Continue ReadingAcademic Integrity and the Problem of Profiting from Slavery and Racism
by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Abstract: Teaching future generations is indeed a costly endeavor, especially when governments allocate little or no money to higher education. Universities’ administrators are always under extreme pressure to keep their institutions afloat. However, as learning and training institutions, universities instill values and norms that guide future citizens and professionals towards a […]
Continue ReadingIs Qatar training Egyptian fighters in Idlib, Syria?
Qatar’s global media outlet, Aljazeera, reported that 200 Egyptian military officers and experts are now in Syria. The report, is based on a Lebanese source, came days after the Egyptian president, Abdulfattah al-Sisi, in an interview to Portuguese media, said that he supported the Syrian national army in its war on terrorists. This seemingly new […]
Continue ReadingWhat is the difference between “Muslim” and “Islamic”?
by Ahmed E. Souaiaia * Abstract: Social labels and categories are exercise in control. They describe opponents, create boundaries, exclude social groups, justify discrimination, and promote persecution. They are imbued with sociopolitical power. Muslims used labels, internally for the first time, during the formative period of the community to privilege the elite and marginalize dissenters. […]
Continue ReadingSaudi Mufti used ISIL’s favorite weapon, takfir, to declare Iranians non-Muslim
Proving the point raised by critics of Saudi religious figures who often use religion to silence dissenters, the Grand Mufti of the kingdom took a page from ISIL’s book and issued a fatwa declaring all Iranians kuffar (non-Muslim) after the leader of that country accused the rulers of the kingdom of negligence when managing Hajj. […]
Continue ReadingWill Jabhat Fath al-Sham (aka al-Nusra), Jaysh al-Fath, and ISIL join forces?
With a Russian-U.S. agreement intended to isolate them from the so-called moderate opposition groups, Salafist fighters could end up joining forces to survive in Syria and Iraq. This scenario is made possible by a religious decree issued by the foremost religious guide for Salafists, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi. The latter just issued a fatwa declaring the […]
Continue ReadingGrozny Conference: The first international conference dedicated to answering the question: Who are the Sunnis?
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