More Evidence of Pakistani Collusion With Taliban

July 27th, 2010 | by Ted Thornton

The lead editorial of today’s New York Times “Pakistan’s Double Game” contains a good summary of the problems surrounding the behavior of Pakistan’s intelligence service (ISI) over the course of the last few decades, problems we have been discussing in this course since its inception in 2000.  Pakistan has long used the Taliban as a proxy: its overall aim is to  build and maintain influence over what happens in Afghanistan, thus preventing Afghanistan from falling into orbit around India, Pakistan’s biggest enemy.

See also

More in the “Pakistan” category of this blog

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Fears of Renewed Political Conflict Rising in Lebanon

July 25th, 2010 | by Ted Thornton

Many in Lebanon fear that the international tribunal investigating the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 will issue indictments of members of the Lebanese Shia movement Hizbullah (also spelled Hezbollah).  If that happens, Hizbullah has warned it will not accept the indictments.  The outcome could be a new new war picking up, as it were, where the summer 2006 war left off.  The following article contains a good summary of Lebanon’s recent political woes (click here for more)

Robert F. Worth, “Hezbollah Looks for Shield From Indictments’ Sting,” New York Times, July 25, 2010

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Where Does Middle Eastern Sectarian Intolerance Come From?

July 21st, 2010 | by Ted Thornton

Sami Zubaida tells us that in the late Ottoman Empire (19th century), Jews, Christians, Freemasons, and Muslims lived together, with exceptions to be sure,in an atmosphere of harmonious cosmopolitanism.  So, what went wrong?  Zubaida blames Arab nationalism and a renewed sectarianism that accompanied it. 

Go to article at OpenDemocracy.net

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Change is in the Air for the Arab World

July 19th, 2010 | by Ted Thornton

The Economist is featuring a series of reports on its website (dated July 15, 2010) profiling the political futures of three key Arab countries: Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.  The author of the piece on Egypt is NMH alumnus Max Rodenbeck. 

Go to the reports

The July 17, 2010 issue of The Economist features a “Special Report On Egypt” containing much more.  This report is accessible via ProQuest on the NMH Virtual Desktop to members of the NMH community

More on Egypt

More on Lebanon

More on Saudi Arabia

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Sectarian Attacks in Baghdad

July 8th, 2010 | by Ted Thornton

More than 45 people have been killed in bomb attacks in Baghdad this week during the annual Shiite pilgrimage to the shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim. 

Story at the BBC 

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Vali Nasr on Religion and Politics

July 7th, 2010 | by Ted Thornton

Professor Vali Nasr on religion and politics

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Recent Books About Anti-Semitism

July 7th, 2010 | by Ted Thornton

At a point where anti-Semitism throughout the Middle East has reached an all time high, Edward Rothstein explores the phenomenon in a review of recent books on the topic:

Edward Rothstein, “A Hatred That Resists Exorcism,” New York Times, July 6, 2010

More on Anti-Semitism throughout history

The neologism “anti-Semitism” was coined in 1879 by a German writer and hater of Jews named Wilhelm Marrih in an attempt to replace the word Judenhass (“Jew-hatred”) with a more “scientific” term.  His intent was to sanitize and otherwise dress up discourse devoted to defaming Jews.

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Turkey Theatens to Break Off Relations With Israel

July 5th, 2010 | by Ted Thornton

Turkey is threatening to break off diplomatic relations with Israel.

Story at the BBC

BBC analysis

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Lebanese Leader Fadlallah is Dead Amid Warnings of a New War

July 4th, 2010 | by Ted Thornton

Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, a leading Shiite cleric in Lebanon revered as a religous guide by the militant group  Hizbullah, is dead at the age of 74.

Story at BBC

Analysis from ABC News

The death of Fadlallah comes in the wake of warnings by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki -moon that Lebanon and Israel may be on the brink of another war.  See:   Edith M. Lederer, “UN Chief Warns That Increased Tensions Could Spark New Lebanon-Israel Conflict, Canada East, July 2, 2010.

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A Muslim Voice for Reason and Tolerance

July 3rd, 2010 | by Ted Thornton

Egyptian Ismail Serageldin is attracting attention as a voice for reason, pluralism, and tolerance in Islam.

Michael Slackman, “A Voice in Egypt for an Arab Voice of Reason,” New York Times, July 3, 2010

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