In The News

Iran Befriends Iraq

Dilip Hiro September 19, 2006
Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship in Iraq relied on mass murder, torture and chemical warfare against its own citizens. He was also the last of several Iraqi rulers who elevated the Sunni minority at the expense of the Shiite majority. During the years of repression, the Shiite sect in Iraq sought refuge in the mosque, much like their spiritual brethren in Iran, who became more devout during the...

Pope “Sorry” About Reaction to Islam Remark

Alan Cooperman September 18, 2006
Pope Benedict XVI issued a rare apology for comments that spurred angry reactions from Muslims around the world, but the Vatican reiterates its opposition to any violence in the name of religion. Extremists reacted to the comments with church bombings in the West Bank and Gaza and the murder of a nun who worked in a Somali children’s hospital. In his lecture, the pope had called attention to a...

Muslims Lash Out at Pope's Remarks

Tracy Wilkinson September 15, 2006
Muslim clerics and leaders have lashed out at criticism from Pope Benedict XVI about Islam and the concept of “jihad.” Some Muslim pundits suggest that the criticism was steeped in arrogance, considering that the Catholic Church sponsored ample bloodshed over the centuries. The Muslim Brotherhood expects an apology, and Pakistan’s parliament passed a resolution condemning the comments. The pope...

Tragedy and Opportunity

Matthew Philips September 13, 2006
In February 2002, the parents of Daniel Pearl, a reporter for “The Wall Street Journal” received notice that their abducted son had been killed. Through the Daniel Pearl Foundation, his parents arrange for Muslim journalists to work as fellows in US newsrooms. The father, Judea Pearl, partners with Pakistani scholar Akbar Ahmed to sponsor dialogue about Islamic-Jewish relations and promote peace...

Living Under Police Protection: Advocates for Muslim Women Face Constant Danger

Cordula Meyer September 11, 2006
The legal system is often helpless, when it comes to intervention on cultural or family differences, such as assisting women who refuse to enter arranged marriages. Or the police help arrives too late. Muslim women who want to shed cultural restrictions endure taunts, brutal attacks and even death. Intimidation is so intense that some lawyers refuse to assist Muslim women in family disputes....

The Basis for Iran's Belligerence

Shlomo Ben-Ami September 8, 2006
Without doubt, Israel has some dangerous foes. Attempts to remove those foes by military means and regime change, without efforts at diplomacy, have only strengthened old enemies and created new ones. Israel has good reason to worry about Iran, as the country develops nuclear capability and the president calls for Israel’s destruction. Israel cannot really depend on the US, which now struggles...

The Spider's Web

Georg Mascolo September 4, 2006
The secretary general of the Arab League once warned that a war in Iraq would open "the door to hell." As hundreds of civilians die in the Middle East each week, the US struggles to control Iraq, Europe waits on the sidelines and Israel remains anxious about its long-term survival. As the world grows weary with conflict, Iran patiently waits. Even without nuclear bombs in hand, Iran,...