News & Analysis (7/2/16)

The debate over the government’s report on the number of civilian deaths from drone strikes is exemplified by the dispute over whether young men of military age are automatically presumed to be combatants:

• Obama Administration Releases its Dubious Death Toll (Intercept)

A terror attack on a Bangladesh bakery popular with foreigners has highlighted concerns over the Bangladeshi government’s ineffectiveness in the face of extremist Islamist attacks:

• Bangladesh Siege: Country at a Crossroads as Violence Hits Dhaka (BBC)

This article illustrates the tendency to see Muslims as responsible for terrorism, even when they constitute the majority of the victims and argues that there is no inherent conflict between Islam and “the West”:

• Why We Forget Muslim Terror Victims (CNN)

Holding all Muslims suspect for the actions of a few is unfair and against freedom. The small community of Muslims is targeted for surveillance despite the fact there has been no Muslim terrorist attack:

• Top-Court Green-Lights Surveillance of Japan’s Muslims (Al Jazeera)

The Chicago Police, a force already mired in controversy, last year arrested a Muslim woman, for no apparent reason. She was just cleared of any wrongdoing by a court, but now the police have to answer:

• Muslim Woman Accuses Chicago Police Of Profiling, Attacking Her (CBS–Local Chicago)

From the perspective of American converts to Islam, the crux of the religion is a personal relationship with God, who has no partners, and gives their soul peace. This runs contrary to typical media portrayals of what Islam is:

• 3 Muslims on How Converting to Islam Changed their Ideas About God (Huffington Post)

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