Month: August 2014
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News and Analysis (8/13/14)
The secretary of State John Kerry told the reporters during a visit to Australia that the US “will explore more “political, economic and security options,  “but will not send combat troops to Iraq again”… John Kerry Insists Any US Moves in Iraq Will Not Involve Combat Troops (The Guardian) … while “US air strikes continued on…
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News and Analysis (8/11/14)
Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki is to be replaced by Haider al- Abadi, who was nominated by the Shia coalition parties to form a new government … Nouri Al-Maliki Set to Be Replaced as Iraq’s Prime Minister (The Guardian) Iraq President Asks Abadi to Succeed PM Nouri Maliki (BBC) … but Iraq’s problems are far from over:…
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News and Analysis (8/10/14)
“[T]he Qur’an warns its readers to not be swayed by charismatic figures who, in reality, only spread evil in the world…The  killing  and oppression of innocent people and the destruction of land and property is completely antithetical to Islam’s normative teachings” … ISIS Is Ignoring Islam’s Teachings on Yazidis and Christians (TIME) … as demonstrated by…
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News and Analysis (8/8/14)
IS, which took advantage of the instability caused by American intervention into Iraq continues its assault on minorities and those Muslims who disapprove  of its actions. The latest victims are the Yazidis, trapped in the mountains with no food or water … Iraq Crisis: Who Are the Yazidis And Why is Isis Hunting Them? (The Guardian)…
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News and Analysis (8/7/14)
Feces, urine, vandalism, and graffiti such as “Burn Gaza down” and “Good Arab = dead Arab” were engraved onto a coffee table underscore that “Protective Edge” was about ethnic cleansing, not defense: Palestinians Returning Home Find Israeli Troops Left Faeces and Venomous Graffiti (Guardian) “In her resignation letter …Warsi wrote that Britain’s support for Israeli military action…
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Law and Ethics in Islamic Jurisprudence
[This is the first in a series of my notes on the International Institute of Islamic Thought conference on Islamic Law and Ethics held in Herndon, VA in June  2014. It sets the stage for the other papers the presentations and discussions of which will be summarized in the remainder of this series. These notes have only been…
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News and Analysis (8/5/14)
A truce, a land grab, and war crimes: Israel Withdraws Troops, 72-hour Gaza Truce Begins (Reuters) Crimes Against Humanity in Gaza: Is It Really a ‘Buffer Zone’ – or a Bigger Plan? (Guardian) Both Sides Prepare for New Gaza War Crimes Probe  (Christian Science Monitor) “All governments lie … including Israel and Hamas. But Israel engages in…
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News and Analysis (8/2/14)
In an effort to curb religious extremism in Egypt, the new Sisi government takes the other extreme by trying to limit freedom of religion, faith and expression, controlling mosques and granting a monopoly on Islam to al-Azhar and prohibiting Imam’s from preaching without a government license: Manipulating the Minarets (Economist) “We want to teach what the Koran…
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News and Analysis (8/1/14)
“[I]n an echo-chamber fed by ubiquitous updates on Hamas rocket and tunnel attacks, the minority of local voices that do agonize over Gazans’ suffering are being silenced in a way rarely seen in a country long proud of its spirited, democratic debate” … Dissent Quieted With Most Israelis Behind Gaza War (AP / abc News)…
