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News and Analysis (4/8/19)
How and why the Saudis are changing their tactics for controlling the Islamic resurgence from donations promoting reactionary extremism to commercial investment promoting quietest conservatism: Kazakhstan: Testing a 21st Century Upgrade of Faith-driven Saudi Soft Power (Mideast Soccer) The saber-rattling dance before the war: U.S. to Place Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Terror Watchlist, Officials Say…
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News and Analysis (4/5/19)
Brunei is characterized by a lavish lifestyle for the sultan and “Shellfarism” for the masses … The Sultan of Brunei: Opulence, Power and Hard-Line Islam (NY Times) … Gulf state welfarism stands in the way of “copying China’s model of economic growth while tightening political control”: Economic Reform in the Gulf: Who Benefits, Really? (First…
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News and Analysis (4/2/19)
“137 states bilaterally recognize Palestine.” The “City Council’s leadership team … decided to remove [the Councilman who refuses to recognize this fact] from the immigration committee”: A Jewish Councilman Who Said ‘Palestine Does Not Exist’ Loses Seat on Immigration Committee (NY Times) “The plea bargain also requires Martinez-Torres to answer any questions from the victim’s…
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News and Analysis (3/30/19)
” Israeli forces on Saturday used live rounds, rubber bullets and tear gas on the protesters, killing three 17-year-old boys, and wounding at least 207 people”: ‘Our People Will Not Back Down’: Gaza Marks Protests Anniversary (Al-Jazeera) “HijrahFest is like a pious version of the US’ SXSW where, instead of music, 12,000 festivalgoers network, explore…
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Cracks in the Wall: Beyond Apartheid in Palestine/Israel.
[This is a summary of author Ben White‘s remarks at an Arab Center of Washington DC round table about his book Cracks in the Wall: Beyond Apartheid in Palestine/Israel. held on March 29, 2019. It is not a transcript, but a summary of my impressions of his presentation and the discussion.] There is a de…
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News and Analysis (3/28/19)
It is disturbing that even in the 21st century some Virginians cant morally distinguish killing chickens for food from enslaving humans for the color of their skin: Squawking NIMBYs Fail to Doom Halal Chicken Slaughterhouse (Reason) “CelebrateMercy, has over the past two years given $115,000 to vandalized Jewish cemeteries and memorials …, and facilitated the…
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News and Analysis (3/26/19)
The history of Muslims in New Zealand, which goes back to 1769, includes helping “in the construction of Christchurch Cathedral by transporting stones from the Port Hills quarry” … From Mahometan to Kiwi Muslim: History of NZ’s Muslim Population (The Conversation) … yet the community has been spied on, and even a government official’s statement…
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News and Analysis (3/23/19)
Penalties for students “who criticize the Kingdom while abroad are daunting: passport freezes, death threats, intimidation, retraction of scholarships, and attempts to lure them back to the country”: Saudi Students in U.S. Say Their Government Watches Their Every Move (PBS) “62 Palestinians [were] also wounded by Israeli forces” and the UN Human Rights Council condemned…
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News and Analysis (3/20/19)
“When minority identity politics overreaches, it lamentably forces Christians to bake cakes for gays. When a majority united by ethno-nationalistic passions does so, mass violence … isn’t off-limits”: The Right’s Identity Politics Is More Dangerous Than the Left’s (Reason) Until Australian media and politicians realize their role in what led to the Christchurch tragedy, they…
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News and Analysis (3/18/19)
“New Zealand Muslim leaders on Monday conveyed messages of love, compassion and appreciation for the community support they had received after a lone gunman … [killed] 50 people and injur[ed] dozens more” … New Zealand Muslim Leaders Preach Love, Compassion After Mosque Attacks (Reuters) …. The first victim responded to the man pointing a rifle…
