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30th November 2014
Suppose for a moment that Islam had not become the dominant faith in the Middle East and that instead most of its people were Mandaeans or Yazidis, Zoroastrians, Samaritans, Copts, Kalashas or Druze.
Had it happened, the Middle East would be a somewhat different place, both politically and… Read more
28th November 2014
Many displaced Iraqis seeking shelter in camps have found they cannot leave to get warm blankets, medicine or extra food. The camps lie in what are known as Iraq’s “disputed territories”.
By Ibrahim Saleh in Diyala, via Niqash
Ali al-Bayati brought his family to the Bahari Taza… Read more
28th November 2014
In the article below, reposted from the Muftah website, Douglas Garrison echoes what I have been saying in recent blog posts regarding the importance of not talking about "true" Islam or "good" Islam versus "bad" Islam.
There is a well-established trend among western scholars of… Read more
27th November 2014
Over the last few months I have written a lot about the problem of ISIS and what to do about it (most of the articles are here). I have been pointing out that the military campaign doesn't address the underlying question of ISIS-type ideologies, and so even if ISIS is defeated militarily similar… Read more
25th November 2014
one of the tweets from British MEP Afzal Khan" src="/sites/default/files/bahrai2_0.jpg" style="border-style:solid; border-width:1px; height:338px; width:450px" />
While the British Foreign Office, the British ambassador and a British MEP have been tweeting enthusiastically about Bahrain's latest… Read more
23rd November 2014
The British embassy in Bahrain was busy yesterday putting a positive spin on the tiny Gulf kingdom's controversial elections.
One tweet posted in Arabic by the British Foreign Office showed ambassador Iain Lindsay at a polling station, accompanied by the US ambassador, and reported a "good… Read more
20th November 2014
Bahrain's ruling family is holding parliamentary and local government elections today but they are unlikely to do anything to resolve the kingdom's political crisis.
The main opposition group, al-Wefaq, is boycotting the polls, along with several other groups – mainly on the grounds that the 40-… Read more
20th November 2014
With two days gone, the "Arabs Without God" book translation fund has reached £613. Once again, many thanks to all who have contributed. This is very encouraging progress but please keep the donations coming in. The target is to raise £4,600 ($6,200) within 30 days.
The purpose of the fundraising… Read more
19th November 2014
Yesterday Queen Rania of Jordan spoke about "reclaiming the narrative" from religious militants.
"It’s a fight for the future of Islam and the future of the Arab world," she said. Winning it, she added, "depends on our ability to conquer the philosophical battleground ... because at the heart of… Read more
19th November 2014
The "Arabs Without God" crowd-funding project has got off to a great start, with £312 raised in the first 24 hours. The aim is to raise £4,600 ($6,200) over the next four weeks which will cover the cost of translating the book into Arabic. The Arabic version will then be posted on the internet… Read more
ARAB ART ONLINE: Susan Hefuna: Al Sabr Gamil (Patience is Beautiful) 2007. Ink stained on wood 140 x 170 cm. More information | Click to enlarge
