By Iqbal Akhtar, Florida International University (The Conversation) – When Zohran Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City, political observers noted his progressive platform and legislative record. But understanding the Democratic candidate’s background requires examining the rich cultural tapestry woven into his very surname: Mamdani. He takes the name from his father, […]
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Islam
What do the Bible, the Quran and the Torah say about the Justification for War?
By Robyn J. Whitaker; Mehmet Ozalp, Charles Sturt University, and Suzanne Rutland, University of Sydney (The Conversation) – Wars are often waged in the name of religion. So what do key texts from Christianity, Islam and Judaism say about the justification for war? We asked three experts for their views. The Bible Robyn J. Whitaker, […]
Ibn Battuta, a 14th-century Judge and Ambassador, travelled further than Marco Polo. The Rihla records his Adventures
By Ismail Albayrak, Australian Catholic University In our guides to the classics, experts explain key literary works. (The Conversation) – Ibn Battuta, was born in Tangier, Morocco, on February 24, 1304. From a statement in his celebrated travel book the Rihla (“legal affairs are my ancestral profession,”) he evidently came from an intellectually distinguished family. […]
Israel’s Attacks have Exposed Iran’s Weaknesses, but it is in Little Danger of Collapsing
By Farhang Morady, University of Westminster The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said that his country’s campaign in Iran “could certainly” lead to regime change. In an interview with Fox News on June 15, he called the government in Tehran “very weak” and added that, given the opportunity, “80% of the [Iranian] people would […]
Iraqi Shiites Demand Expulsion of US Troops after Israel Attacks Iran
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Israeli-Iranian War of 2025 has put Iraq in an extremely difficult situation. The country’s Shiite majority sympathizes with Iran and with the Palestinians, and resents Israel’s use of Iraqi airspace to attack their Shiite neighbor. On Sunday the Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Soudani met with Thomas Seiler, the […]
Genetic Study finds Echoes of the Early Modern Ethnic Cleansing of Spain’s Muslims
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A genetic history study of Spain by Gonzalo Oteo-Garcia et al. in Genome Biology eloquently confirms the story of the great seventeenth-century ethnic cleansing of the remaining crypto-Muslims of Spain. As Mar Jonsson writes in his 2007 “The expulsion of the Moriscos from Spain in 1609–1614: the destruction of an […]
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 […]
Pope Francis encouraged Christian-Muslim Dialogue and helped break down Stereotypes
By Craig Considine, Rice University (The Conversation) – Pope Francis’ pontificate marked a distinct shift in the Catholic Church’s engagement with the Muslim world. While his predecessors fostered dialogue and tolerance, Francis sought more active engagement with Muslims, particularly in the Middle East. Francis framed his efforts around the “culture of encounter,” which he explained […]
The Islamic Peace Studies Initiative
Pacifism in Islam – University of Manchester. Juan Cole’s remarks at their conference. The Islamic Peace Studies Initiative Juan Cole and Samer Ali have directed the Islamic Peace Studies Initiative at the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies in the International Institute of the University of Michigan from 2016. The initiative sought to […]
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