Articles

Relations between India and Pakistan have never been cordial, in fact often tense, but they have hit new lows in recent weeks. This was again illustrated by the abrupt cancellation of talks between the National Security Advisors of the two countries scheduled for August 23 in Delhi. The latest cancellation occurred against the back-drop of Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s virtual ultimatum to Paki-stan to decide by midnight August 22 whether it wanted to meet Indian officials or invite Kashmiri political leaders struggling for freedom from Indian occupation for a meeting in Delhi.

Stepping out of a train station in a European city and seeing a taxi plastered with an advertisement for a swingers club triggered a thought in my mind that leaders, thinkers, scholars, and activists of the global Islamic movement must ponder over deeply and carefully. The thought is not only about haram and halal of gender rela-tions; it is about a realization that committed Muslims today generally lack confi-dence in openly propagating their vision of gender relations.

An Israeli flag next to the rabbi’s podium, a synagogue-wide Israel Independence Day celebration, a prayer for the state of Israel during services — for many, these are innocuous if not positive parts of American Jewish congregational life.

When the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the Islamic Re-public and the P5+1 group of countries (the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany) was agreed in Vienna on July 14, Western media outlets immediately re-ported that there were “celebrations” in Tehran. The BBC as usual led the pack. Conversely, opponents of the deal were dubbed as “hardliners” whose personal in-terests would be affected if it was approved and implemented.

Will the long-delayed Russian supply of S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Iran ever near resolution? A large delegation of Iranian defence officials was in Moscow to attend the International Aviation and Space Salon (MAKS) air show in the last week of August. The show is held every two years at the Ramenskoye Airport 40km (25 miles) southeast of Moscow. The Iranian offi-cials also had discussions with their Russian counterparts about the delivery of the S-300 systems for which a contract was signed in 2007. Dmitry Shla-pentokh provides background to the Russia-Iran S-300 deal.

Until recently, Bushism referred only to George W. Bush’s infamous malaproprisms, such as “they misunderestimated me,” “make the pie higher.” As Americans gear up for the 2016 presidential elections, it is coming to mean something completely dif-ferent. Two dynasties are competing for the presidency. Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush will most likely face off, the former the spouse of the popular Bill Clinton (1992–2000), the latter, the younger brother of the now reviled George Bush junior (2001–2008), herein Bush II — both sons of George H.W. Bush senior (vice presi-dent 1980–1987, president 1988–1991).

When is genocide not called genocide? When the perpetrators are Americans, Israeli Zionists, and now, the Najdi Bedouins in illegal occupation of the Arabian Peninsula. The Najdi Bed-ouins’ (aka “Saudis”) attack on the residential neighborhood of Salah district in Yemen’s Ta’iz province killed 65 people on August 23. Those murdered in the latest “Saudi” onslaught were all civilians, mainly women and children.

In “Saudi” Arabia, as soon as a dissident makes himself known, he disappears, never to be seen again.

Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan has disappointed many sincere Muslims. He emerged in Turkey under difficult circumstances and Muslims, especially members of the Islamic movement, had reposed high hopes in him but his policies vis-à-vis Iraq, Libya, and Syria have astonished and disappointed many. How could a leader who fought so tenaciously against the Turkish “deep state” — no mean feat — sud-denly fall to the level of an ordinary politician willing to sell his soul to the devil?

Who is responsible for the mayhem in Libya and why is there little or no attention paid to the plight of the Libyan people in the media? The country no longer exists as a unitary state; there are fiefdoms created by warlords who are rampaging through parts of the country.