religion

It looks like the perverse romance between MAGA and Israel’s Likud Party is becoming frayed at the edges.

Pope Leo XIV: “We Know Israel does not … Accept” Palestinian State, But “We see it as the only Solution”

What I like about Pope Leo’s remarks is that he openly admitted that the Israeli government is die-hard opposed to a two-state solution

Featured

Syrian FM: Israel’s deadly Incursion against Islamic Group a ‘War Crime’ after 13 killed

Juan Cole

appeared to be more democratic compared to other political parties when it comes to their internal administration

Academic Freedom

Trump using Jews to Ban Free Speech: The Ultimate in Antisemitism

Tomdispatch

In an extraordinarily effective work of political theater the Heritage Foundation dubbed its political opponents supporters of terrorism

African-Americans

When Zohran Mamdani campaigned in Arabic, He was Speaking an old American Language

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani made a campaign ad in quite passable colloquial Arabic for the some 180,000 Arab residents of New York, who live primarily along Steinway Street in Queens and in Brooklyn. Mamdani’s wife, artist Rama Duwaji, is a Houstonian whose family hails from Syria. Some observers are suggesting […]

Muslim-Americans

How Zohran Mamdani is the Future: Affordability and the Dignity of Working People

Tomdispatch

By Douglas H. White ( Tomdispatch.com ) – On Tuesday, New York, the largest city in America, has an opportunity to elect Zohran Mamdani, a young man, a democratic socialist, an immigrant (at age seven), a Muslim, a progressive, and someone hated by Donald Trump. And no wonder, since he’s the antithesis of Trump. No […]

Israel/ Palestine

A Gaza Ceasefire Is Not Enough: We Must Choose Life and Freedom

Shamai Leibowitz

( The Times of Israel ) – As we wait anxiously to see whether the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas will take hold and become permanent—ending the massacres in Gaza and bringing the hostages home—we find ourselves in the midst of Sukkot, the festival of fragile dwellings [or “Feast of the Tabernacles”]. During Sukkot, […]

Authoritarianism

The 6 Superpowers that Faith Communities bring to nonviolent Struggle

Waging Nonviolence

While religion has far too often been a tool of authoritarianism, faith institutions and communities have also been the life force of so many freedom movements. Maria J. Stephan ( Waging Nonviolence ) – In June, Catholic Bishop Michael Pham of San Diego, who fled Vietnam as a 13-year-old refugee in 1980, was part […]

Arab World

Why the Saudi-Pakistan Bilateral Defense Pact is unlikely to Revive Muslim Unity

Abdullah al-Ahsan

Chicago (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – When Israel launched an attack on Doha in September 2025, Arab and Muslim leaders convened an emergency summit. They condemned Israel’s “blatant violation of international law” and praised Qatar’s restraint. However, the joint statement, like so many before it, contained no concrete measures. CNN called it a “wordy […]