Juan Cole

Long time human rights activist Moncef Marzouki became Tunisia’s president this week. Tunisians wept, at the idea that this principled man, forced into exile by the dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, should now himself tread the official red carpet as president of his country. Marzouki is an admirer of Mahatma Gandhi and a secularist. […]

Italian cat inherits $16 million. Feline lobby in the making?

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visited Washington this week, in something of a commemoration of the withdrawal of all US troops from his country. As the American War on Iraq draws to a close, the Neoconservatives have been trying one last time to depict one of the modern world’s great catastrophes, the Bush Administration invasion […]

From Loonwatch: “This “three-decade war for domination of the Middle East” becomes apparent when we consider how many Muslim countries the peace-loving United States and her “stalwart ally” Israel have bombed.” (I generally agree, but there are a couple of problems here, see below) [I may be having a senior moment, but I actually don’t […]

As the Arab Spring blossomed and President Obama hesitated about whether to speak out in favor of protesters seeking democratic change in the Greater Middle East, the Pentagon acted decisively…

Lowes should be ashamed of itself for bowing to hate speech. Well, there is always Home Depot. Detroit’s Channel 7 has a video report from Dearborn, Michigan: The grounds on which the Florida Family Association, a far right wing hate group, ordered Lowe’s to drop its advertising on TLC’s “All-American Muslim,” were reminiscent of the […]

Saudi Arabia’s news service announced that the kingdom has executed a Saudi woman for the practice of sorcery, according to the BBC. Amina bint Abd al-Halim b. Salim Nasir was arrested in 2009. Amnesty International condemned the execution as a violation of the woman’s human rights. The BBC gives some details on this case that […]

The global summit on climate change and curbing carbon emissions at Durban in South Africa ended on a positive note diplomatically. The international community rededicated itself to binding emissions limits and pledged four years of studies and assessment. Ambassador Luiz Alberto Figueiredo, the head negotiator for Brazil, summed up the positive case: “This is a […]

From Democratic Underground: Each star is a US base. But just to be clear, Iran is the one that is threatening us.