Lamis Andoni: Once again, the West is using heart-wrenching scenes of loss and sorrow to win support for its misguided war on terror. It is all deja vu; a repeat of the post-9/11 scenario that led to the bombing of Afghanistan in 2001 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Both interventions wreaked havoc and
Juan Cole: GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump, having said earlier that he might seek to close down mosques if he were president, on Thursday went further and said he would implement a registration and tracking database for Muslim-Americans. Rabbi Jack Moline of the Interfaith Alliance pointed out that the Nazis made Jews register. When a
I always thought forced ‘marriage’ is an oxymoron, as marriage by definition cannot be forced. According to Islamic teachings, marriage is a contract; two parties enter into an agreement without coercion, and the element of consent is essential to forming a valid contract. However, unlike a business contract that only requires the consent of mind
When people ask me what my new job is like, I tell them that I wake up very early and count the dead. When I say “very early,” I mean a few minutes after four a.m., as the sky is just softening to the color of faded purple corduroy. By “the dead,” I mostly mean
CounterPunch: True to form, the reaction to the Paris terrorist attacks has fallen hardest on Muslims and refugees rather than the handful of psychopathic nihilists who perpetrated them. Without even waiting for anyone to claim responsibility, François Hollande closed the borders, laying blame at the feet of refugees in pitiful capitulation to the far right.
The Diplomat: Could the deal pave the way for greater regional cooperation in Afghanistan’s fight against terrorism? Since the beginning of the nuclear negotiations between P5+1 and Iran, there has been much debate about the deal’s potential impact on the Greater Middle East, including Afghanistan. The Afghan government supported the multilateral negotiations process, and now
CounterPunch: The country is a deeply corrupt, politically incoherent, economically insolvent, insurgent-ridden shambles that leads the world in production of heroin. Click here to read more (external link).
Wall Street Journal: There is much to lose. Under Taliban rule, television was banned, and all but one radio station silenced. Only the religious radio station, Voice of Shariah, was allowed, operating under strict guidelines. An Afghan today has access to more than 70 TV stations, 175 radio channels, hundreds of print publications and local
Al Jazeera: There are deep tribal, religious and traditional impediments for ISIL to make headway in Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
The National Interest – Opinion: Concerted, focused and relentless diplomatic leadership by the United States might be the only thing that could end the war in the foreseeable future. Click here to read more (external link).