“Politico media critic Dylan Byers has criticized Dana Milbanks’ column about the treatment of Sara Ahmad, concluding that she “was actually treated graciously by the panelists” …
… but an Irish Muslim explains that he is tired of defending Islam, when “Islam is not a violent, barbaric faith; rather, it teaches tolerance, love and forgiveness. The Holy Qur’an makes it very clear that there is no compulsion in Islam and that right is clearly distinct from wrong” …
“Khatallah’s capture was a victory for Obama, who has been accused by Republicans of playing down the role of al Qaeda in the 2012 attacks for political reasons and being slow to deliver on promises of justice”:
“President Uhuru Kenyatta today told surprised Kenyans that the grisly murders of 60 people in recent days – some while watching the World Cup – were not carried out by the terror group Al Shabab, but by local “networks” organized by his political opponents”:
- Kenya’s President: Massacres Aren’t Al Shabab but Political Opponents (Christian Science Monitor)
In Sri Lanka, “At least three people have been killed and 52 injured after Buddhist mobs rampaged through Muslim areas in southwest Sri Lanka,†where “Muslim homes and shops were gutted in the violence, which has prompted Muslims in the region to gather in mosques for safetyâ€:
In the week since it captured Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul, a Muslim extremist group has tried to win over residents and has stopped short of widely enforcing its strict brand of Islamic law, residents say. Churches remain unharmed and street cleaners are back at work. Getting around is easier now”:
- Iraq Militants Walk Fine Line in Seized Areas (AP / abc News)
With militants 35 miles from Baghdad “led by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), and other Sunni groups around the city of Baquba, have been held back by Shi’ite militias and security forces†…
… “[t]he prime minister of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region … believes Iraq may not stay together as Sunni areas feel neglected by the Shia-dominated Iraqi government.” Meanwhile, “[t]he US is deploying up to 275 military personnel to protect staff at its huge embassy in the capital” …
… and the Iraqi PM calls on the Sunni Leaders to join him in fight against the ISIS, after the U.S insisting that he takes measures to include minority Sunnis, before the US can intervene and help his government …
… and as Obama contemplates his options, US Veterans reflect on the futility of their past sacrifices:
- Would US Air Strikes Work Against Iraq Insurgents? (The Christian Science Monitor)
- US Veterans React to Turmoil in Iraq ( Christian Science Monitor)
John Stewart mocks the neoconservatives who led the Iraq war and the irony of its pending collaboration with Iran:
- Mess O’Potamia – Now That’s What I Call Being Completely F**king Wrong About Iraq ( The Daily Show)
- Middle Eastern Politics: A Love Story ( The Daily Show).
Among the surprises for a woman who converted to Islam is, “I wasn’t and I am still not, and have no desire to become such a thing. And most likely neither are you. Having strong opinions doesn’t make one an expert”:
-  7 Things I Didn’t Expect When I Converted to Islam (Muslim Matters)
“Making reconciliation work requires Fatah and Hamas to merge two parallel security forces, pay overdue salaries, and resolve differences on everything from the rule of law to freedom of expression – as well as heal social divisions that have left many embittered” …
- Palestinian Unity Government Confronts Divided Police Forces (Christian Science Monitor)
… while an unnamed source has told Haaretz that Israel has decided “to expand the treatment of Hamas in the West Bank, and use the upcoming days to arrest anyone ‘infected’ with Hamas”:
- Â Israel Steps Up Arrests amid Search for Kidnapped Teens (Christian Science Monitor)
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