The View From Fez

No ‘3-for-2’: Shop for ‘Spiritual Truths’ in the Medina

No ‘3-for-2’: Shop for ‘Spiritual Truths’ in the Medina

CHRISTINA AMMON, THE VIEW FROM FEZ: A visit to the Medina in Fez is about as far away from a trip to Gap or Victoria’s Secret as it’s possible to get.

 Juan Cole

Israel in Race With Time: ‘Give Peace a Chance?’

Israel in Race With Time: ‘Give Peace a Chance?’

JUAN COLE: The maths speaks for itself – a country of 7.5 million people is surrounded by 400 others with whom it seems to be at constant odds.

 Richard Silverstein

The ‘Gingrich Newt’: Less Amphibious, More Reptilian

The ‘Gingrich Newt’: Less Amphibious, More Reptilian

RICHARD SILVERSTEIN: Adelson would explicitly reject the dictum, kol yisrael erayvim zeh ba-zeh (“All Israel is bound up on in the other”).

 Alexander McNabb

Ratings Agencies: The Emperor Has No Clothes

Ratings Agencies: The Emperor Has No Clothes

ALEXANDER MCNABB: I’m bewildered at the power that three ratings agencies wield in the world today.

 Mondoweiss

Israel’s Push for War with Iran is ‘Relentless’

Israel’s Push for War with Iran is ‘Relentless’

ALEX KANE, MONDOWEISS: The Israelis are doing all in their power to scuttle ‘back channel’ discussions to ease tension between the U.S and Iran.

 Abu Muhammed

Rethinking Education To Build Real Saudi Prosperity

Rethinking Education To Build Real Saudi Prosperity

ABU MUHAMMED: The only thing stopping Saudi from becoming a superpower is Saudi. A nation cannot truly be great until it can educate its own.

 David Roberts

A Saudi Hand in Iran? Possible But Unlikely

A Saudi Hand in Iran? Possible But Unlikely

DAVID ROBERTS: The Saudi authorities clearly have a vested interest in the failure of the Iranian nuclear programme. So could they have been involved in the recent assassination?

 Syria News Wire

What Happens When Journalists Want War

What Happens When Journalists Want War

NEWS FROM SYRIA: Christopher Hitchens famously did it with Iraq and now his friend Nick Cohen is doing the same on Syria – advocating for war.

 David Roberts

Tension Between the United States and Iran Escalates: Is Conflict Now Inevitable?

Tension Between the United States and Iran Escalates: Is Conflict Now Inevitable?

DAVID ROBERTS: It appears that both the United States and Iran’s domestic political requirements have spun the region into a dangerous spiral.

 Steve Royston

Kingmakers, Invention of the Modern Middle East

Kingmakers, Invention of the Modern Middle East

STEVE ROYSTON: Book Review: Here you’ll find the Britons and Americans – proconsuls, agents provocateurs, spies, politicians – that shaped the Middle East.

 Shelina Zahra Janmohamed

All American Muslim: An Alternative ‘Reality’

All American Muslim: An Alternative ‘Reality’

SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: The problem right-wingers have with ‘All American Muslim’ is that it doesn’t play to the usual stereotypes.

 Crossroads Arabia

Danger to America: The All American Muslim

Danger to America: The All American Muslim

CROSSROADS ARABIA: The group claims showing Muslims as ordinary, hides the fact that some are terrorists. The show therefore is a danger to America.

 Shelina Zahra Janmohamed

Home of the Brave? Branding to America’s Seven Million ‘Thriving’ Muslims

Home of the Brave? Branding to America’s Seven Million ‘Thriving’ Muslims

SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: The lesson from these examples is courage pays off. Muslims show loyalty to brands supporting them in the public space.

 David Roberts

Iran’s Capture of the U.S. Stealth RQ 170: Let Speculation Begin on the Fallout

Iran’s Capture of the U.S. Stealth RQ 170: Let Speculation Begin on the Fallout

DAVID ROBERTS: Certainly, this is a blow for the U.S. When grainy footage emerges from China of a wing shaped UAV taking off, we’ll know how much so.

 Crossroads Arabia

Reality TV: Challenging US Muslim Sterotypes

Reality TV: Challenging US Muslim Sterotypes

Reality TV show All-American Muslim is a step ahead in exposing American Muslim society as diverse, but also continues to perpetrate several stereotypes.

 Sawsan Morrar

The Call of Home on Jordan’s Diaspora

The Call of Home on Jordan’s Diaspora

SAWSAN MORRAR: The call to come ‘home’ is strong for Jordan’s diaspora, and yet the reality of coming home can be a hard adjustment to make…

 Michael J. Totten

The Real Issues Facing Egypt’s Christians: A Religious Leader Speaks Out

The Real Issues Facing Egypt’s Christians: A Religious Leader Speaks Out

MICHAEL J. TOTTEN: Sectarian clashes between Christians and Muslims are increasing daily throughout Egypt. Coptic leaders are understandably cagey…

 Abu Muhammed

The Unappealing Prospect of ‘Western Democracy’

The Unappealing Prospect of ‘Western Democracy’

ABU MOHAMMED: If there’s one thing calculated to get up the nose of just about every Arab it’s the supercilious lecture by a Westerner on the superiority of their democracy over all other forms of government. ‘Oh really?’

 SuhaibWebb

Rap’s Inception ‘Pioneered by Muslims’

Rap’s Inception ‘Pioneered by Muslims’

LAVON L. BROWN, SUHAIBWEBB: A socially engaged group of artists, the Last Poets, infused their work with religious tropes, setting the template for today’s rappers.

 David Roberts

Big Claims By ‘WSJ’ on Iran & Bahrain. But Proof?

Big Claims By ‘WSJ’ on Iran & Bahrain. But Proof?

DAVID ROBERTS: The Wall Street Journal has published a very curious piece indeed on the relationship between Iran and Bahrain. It’s long on allegation but very short on proof.