( Tomdispatch.com ) – Leon Golub once related a story to a mutual friend. A Chicago artist famous for large canvases depicting crimson torture rooms in Central America, Golub had been asked what it meant to him to be a “Jewish political artist.” The painter’s quick reply was that he wasn’t a “Jewish political artist,” he […]
Archives for May 2025
Islam: A New History
A Review of Islam: A New History, from Muhammad to the Present (Princeton University Press, 2025) by John Tolan Detroit (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Islam has had a major influence on the world as a religion, a culture and a civilization. As a religion, Islam is based on two main sources: the Quran […]
As US Pushes For Zero Enrichment, Iran Insists It Won’t Give Up Nuclear Program
By RFE/RL’s Radio Farda and Kian Sharifi ( RFE/RL ) – US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff declared that the Donald Trump administration’s “red line” in the nuclear talks with Iran is Tehran’s ability to enrich uranium at any level, prompting Iran to say it will continue enrichment “with or without a deal.” “We cannot allow […]
Israel’s Policies have already Created Catastrophic Starvation Risk for Millions in Gaza: a Trickle of Aid won’t Avert It
By Yara M. Asi, University of Central Florida (The Conversation) – After 18 months of punishing airstrikes, raids and an increasingly restrictive siege in Gaza, the United Nations on May 20, 2025, issued one of its most urgent warnings yet about the ongoing humanitarian crisis: an estimated 14,000 babies were at risk of death without […]
From Gaza to America and Vietnam, the Prospect of a Peacemaker Pope
Auburn, Al. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – It’s not surprising that Pope Leo XIV took the name Leo in honor of Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903). Why so? In 1891, Leo XIII wrote the encyclical, Rerum Novarum, that stated Capital and Labor must cooperate and there should be a just wage for workers. Leo also […]
Protesting NYU’s Withholding of Degree over Gaza Protest
Committee on Academic Freedom | Middle East Studies Association Letter to New York University concerning its decision to withhold the degree of graduating senior Logan Rozos and initiate disciplinary proceedings against him Linda G. Mills President, New York University office.president@nyu.edu Dear President Mills, Provost Dopico and Dean Rosner: We write on behalf of the […]
Trump isn’t even Trying to Hide the Racism Anymore
( Tomdispatch.com ) – On May 5th, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute held its annual fundraising gala. The event showcases the extraordinary imaginations of people who design exorbitant clothes and the gutsiness of those who dare (and can afford) to wear them. I’m dimly aware of this annual extravaganza because of […]
Britain, France and Canada threaten Israel with Concrete Sanctions if Gaza War is not Halted
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Britain, France and Canada issued a statement on Monday, demanding that the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu cease its military campaign against the people of Gaza and halt its months-long blockade of food and medical aid, which has left the Strip on the verge of widespread famine. The three threatened […]
Gaza faces Catastrophic Famine
By Dr. AbdulMajed Al-Aloul ( Middle East Monitor ) – The Gaza Strip is currently experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises of modern times. The tragedy of hunger has reached unbearable levels, and the cries of those in need go unheard. While the occupying state enjoys abundant food supplies and the world lives […]