Author: Imran
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Obama’s First Hundred Days
Up until the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt, the notion of measuring a president’s success within the first 100 days of office did not exist. In his attempts to capitalize on the zenith of political power coinciding with his election, FDR sprinted to enact as many reforms as possible with the urgency of the Great Depression…
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News and Analysis (5/2-3/09)
Called an anti-Semite for calling Gaza “Israel’s Warsaw _ a vast concentration camp that confined and blockaded Palestinians, subjecting them to the slow death of malnutrition, disease and despair” followed by “the quick death of Israeli bombs … a slow-motion process of genocide, “… Professor’s Holocaust-Gaza Comparison Stirs Debate (Washington Post) … while a U.N.…
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News and Analysis (5/1/09)
Judge Garzón seeks to target the “framers” of Guantanamo rather than those who executed the orders… Spanish Judge Opens Guantánamo Investigation (Christian Science Monitor) …However, new evidence does not justify the abusive behavior of the Abu Ghraib guards: Abu Ghraib Guards Say Memos Show They Were Scapegoats (Washington Post) Since its occupation in 1967 over…
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Wahabism in Salafi Thought
Prof. Ahmad Moussalli’s purpose was simple, to clarify the distinction between the Salafi and the Wahhabi schools of thought. In essence, Wahabism is a subset of Salafism. Although very similar in nature, the basic difference can be understood in these terms, not all Salafis are Wahabis but all Wahabis are Salafis. Reverting to what they…
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News and Analysis (4/30/09)
A new dialogue coinciding with Israel’s “independence” hopes to expose both sides to the “experiences of the other while not denigrating one’s own” … In Israel, Jews and Arabs Aim to Bridge ‘Independence’ and ‘Catastrophe’ Narratives (Christian Science Monitor) … while in the U.S. an advertiser under pressure breaks a contract for a billboard containing…
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Elections in Turkey
Before the elections, which were believed to be local elections with national implications, Prime Minister Erdogan claimed anything under 47% for his AK party would be considered a failure. How then should carrying only 39% percent of the vote, the lowest performance since his party gained power in 2002 be interpreted? Despite the considerable decline…
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News and Analysis (4/29/09)
Given the imbalance of power between the sheikh and the grain dealer, the alleged agreement “not to bring formal charges against each other, i.e., theft on the one hand and assault on the other hand’” is alarming: Torture Tape Implicates UAE Royal Sheikh (ABC News) The court wisely agrees that the need to protect classified…
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News and Analysis (4/28/09)
Deteriorating conditions lead to fears over Pakistan’s longevity as a functioning state: Pakistanis Worry About Their International Image (LA Times) In the Wahhabi dominated Saudi Arabia, Shiites struggle for equality: With Shiites Rising Across the Region, Saudi Arabia’s Grow Impatient (Christian Science Monitor) Contradicting viewpoints within Fatah and the rising popularity of Hamas have many…
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News and Analysis (4/27/09)
Prosecution of American soldiers will be the first test of the Ivaguely-worded Iraqi / US security agreement … Deaths in U.S. Raid Elicit Anger in Iraq (Washington Post) … While negotiations begin to consider extending troop stay past the June 30 deadline for Mosul: Exceptions to Iraq Deadline Are Proposed (NY Times) If the importance…
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News and Analysis (4/25-26/09)
Even as the Taliban embarrass Islam with their violations of shariah … Taliban Betrays Qur’an (Washington Post) How Islamic Law Can Work (Washington Post) … Rwandan Muslims’ demonstration of Islamic principles attracts enough survivors of Rwanda genocide to double their share of the population to 14%: Jihad Is Taught as ‘Struggle to Heal’ (Washington Post)…
