The end of electoral appeal in the Arab world
For too long, the totem of elections was sold to the people in the Middle East—those who live outside the pro-US tyrannical regimes in particular. In the decades of the Cold War, the whole premise of...
View ArticleHenry Kissinger’s world view of the Middle East
In his new book “World Order,” Henry Kissinger reveals the extent to which classical Orientalism lives on the mindset and worldviews of thinkers, writers, journalists, and scholars. New scholarship on...
View ArticleAddressing Hezbollah’s “corruption”
There is always a story or an angle about Hezbollah that gets the attention, first, of the Saudi media, and then consequently of the Western media. Readers of Arabic are struck by how the themes,...
View ArticleThe Left and Islamophobia: Remarks About Michael Walzer’s Essay in Dissent...
There is so much to say about the crime against Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical newspaper, AND the ensuing affair. Much has been said already, and protests were held, and pens were brandished all...
View ArticleObtaining Respect and Acceptance in Western Countries: a Guide for Muslims
1) They should never try to produce their own leaders and representatives. Western governments can do a far better job in that respect. 2) They should never try to sympathize with the Palestinian...
View ArticleSaudi Political Dilemmas
The political transition in Saudi Arabia may not have been as smooth as it has been made out to be. Muhammad Bin Nayif’s selection as the Crown Prince of the Crown Prince was intended to solidify the...
View ArticleHezbollah and the New Rules of Engagement
Israeli calculations don’t always meet their goals. In 1982, the Israeli army invaded Lebanon and killed more than 20,000 Lebanese and Palestinians — mostly civilians, as usual — in the hope of ridding...
View ArticleOrigins of Savagery in the Middle East: Non-Islamic Origins of Terrorist...
There is an attempt underway to make the case that Islam, the religion, inspired or spawned the creation of various jihadist groups. The fact that the US itself was a major catalyst for the creation of...
View ArticlePitfalls of Comparing the Terrorist Crimes of ISIS With Crimes of Other...
American writer Susan Jacoby wrote a very interesting article for The New York Times about the crimes of the Crusades. She cited the valuable contribution of James Carroll in his book, “Constantine’s...
View ArticleHow the US Can Really Combat Radicalism
The US government held yet another conference on how best to combat “Islamic radicalism.” It is interesting that radicalism — even without adding the Islamic adjective, as the Obama administration...
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