Salafis

By Tarek Osman | (Project Syndicate) | – – LONDON – Fifty years after the Six Days War, the Middle East remains a region in seemingly perpetual crisis. So it is no surprise that, when addressing the region, politicians, diplomats, and the donor and humanitarian community typically focus on the here and now. Yet, if […]

Iran

Could ISIL attacks in Tehran plunge the Middle East into greater turmoil?

contributors

By Mohammadbagher Forough | (The Conversation) | – – Iran experienced its first major ISIL attack on June 7, as armed men and suicide bombers targeted two symbols of the Islamic Republic in Tehran: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s mausoleum and the Iranian parliament. At least 12 people are reported to have been killed and 42 wounded. […]

Donald Trump

What is the Sunni-Shiite Divide into Which Trump just Stepped?

contributors

Ken Chitwood | (The Conversation) | – – In his address in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, May 21, while calling on Muslim leaders to lead the fight against terrorism, President Donald Trump identified Iran as a despotic state giving safe harbor and financing terror in the Middle East. As Iran is a Shia state and […]

Islam

Dear Trump officials: Stop confusing Muslim Conservatism with Terrorism!

contributors

By Z. Fareen Parvez | (The Conversation) | – – The Trump administration has been using the phrase “radical Islam” when discussing the “war on terror.” From his inauguration address to remarks to military leaders, President Trump has been warning against “Islamic terrorists.” Many different kinds of individuals and movements get collapsed into this category […]

Iraq

Sunni Clans in Iraq threaten Reprisals against ISIL Collaborators

contributors

Kamal al-Ayash | Anbar | (Niqash.org) | – – In Ramadi, tribes are marking houses belonging to suspected Islamic State [group] collaborators with special graffiti. Often the houses are demolished two or three days later. But the tribes can also get it wrong. Graffiti on walls in Ramadi calling for tribal justice. (photo: Kamal al-Ayash) […]

Iraq

Defeating ISIL in Iraq will Take Sunni-Shiite Reconciliation, not Just Tanks

Neil Thompson

London (Informed Comment) – As Iraqi, Kurdish and Syrian forces squeeze its territory in the Arab world and Turkey hunts down the group’s support networks and sympathisers inside its territory, it can seem like the days of Islamic State (IS) are finally numbered after a two year reign of terror in the region. However it […]

Alawites

Is Religion really Driving Middle East Violence?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Pew Research has released a report saying that “As a whole, the region continued to have the highest levels of religious hostilities in the world. In 2014, the median level of religious hostilities in the Middle East and North Africa reached a level four times that […]

Iraq

Ordinary Iraqis defy sectarianism after Islamic State’s attacks on Baghdad

contributors

By Balsam Mustafa | (The Conversation) | – – “I’m happy that I graduated. I’m so grateful to my parents and I dedicate my success to both of them.” These were the final words written by Adnan, a victim of a deadly attack on Sunday’s early hours in the crowded, buzzing street of Karrada in […]

Iraq

Abuses of Fallujah Sunnis Raise Question: Does Iraq Gov’t Control of Shiite Militias

contributors

Human Rights Watch | – – (Beirut) – The announced investigation into allegations of abuse of civilians around Fallujah by Iraqi government forces is a test for the government’s ability to hold abusive forces accountable. Judicial officials should conduct this investigation transparently and impartially, assess command responsibility, and ensure protection for victims and witnesses. Ahead […]