In The News

Modi and India’s Muslims? Al Jazeera

Sudipto Mondal June 9, 2019
In the aftermath of his party’s convincing election victory, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tried to push the issue of decreasing inclusion and representation by the substantial Muslim minority to the spotlight. History shows that the rise of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, has led to increasing violence against Muslims in recent years. Muslim leaders do not trust Modi’s...

Nationalist Surge Divides India: New York Times

Jeffrey Gettleman, Kai Schultz, Suhasini Raj and Hari Kumar April 19, 2019
Since his ascension to power five years ago, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party have championed Hindu nationalism despite the country’s long history of secularism. In the same election that brought the BJP into power, India’s Muslim minority, which makes up 15 percent of the total population, received record low representation in Parliament. During Modi’s tenure,...

Fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral: New York Times

Sona Patel and Alan Yuhas April 16, 2019
A fire destroyed the roof of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, causing the spire to collapse, and the New York Times reports “an outpouring of grief in France and around the world as the symbol of French culture and history burned.” The cathedral had been been under construction. Citizens and tourists watched from around the city, and people around the world watched the footage on social media and...

Israel and US Politics: New York Times

Nathan Thrall March 31, 2019
Support for strong US-Israel relations crossed party lines from the 1970s to the start of this century. More recently, though, a rift has opened between the two major parties as surveys show that the least pro-Israel demographics – among black, Hispanic, the young and nonreligious voters – represent a larger proportion of the Democratic Party. "Many blacks and Hispanics draw strong parallels...

Thanking a Global Supply Chain: Times of Israel

Cindy Sher March 21, 2019
A lot of trade goes into a cup of coffee, and at the urging of his son, authur A.J. Jacobs wanted to express his gratitude. So he set out to research the individuals who helped make the routine of a morning cup of coffee possible and wrote a book. “During his quest, which took him from a farm in Colombia to a steel plant in Indiana, he discovered how interconnected the world is,” explains Cindy...

#MyMosque Shows Packed Places of Worship: Daily Dot

Elizabeth VanMetre March 17, 2019
Social media messages from around the world express support for the victims of a terrorist attack at two Christchurch mosques and defiance against white supremacy. “Photos of packed mosques filled social media, accompanied by the hashtag #MyMosque just hours after terrorists went on a shooting spree at two mosques in Christchurch, killing 49 people,” reports Elizabeth VanMetre for the Daily Dot....

Mass Murder, Terror Alert in New Zealand: Stuff

Henry Cooke and Stacey Kirk March 15, 2019
New Zealand mourns a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch that left at least 49 people dead. Three suspects are in custody. At least one gunman, from Australia and reported to espouse white supremacy ideologies, filmed the attack and live-streamed parts online. None of the four had been on security watchlists. “Questions would likely be asked later over how they managed to go unnoticed...