Tag Archives: Islamism

Iran, chess, and the psychological bullying of non-hijabi defiant women

Posted on October 16, 2016 by nervana111

A poisonous debate has erupted since Nazi Paikidze, a 22-year-old American champion chess player, announced her decision to boycott next year’s World Chess Championship competition in Iran. A stream of articles published criticism about her decision to boycott and her … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Read, Iran, Islam, women rights | Tagged , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Muslims, France, and the war on shorts

Posted on September 10, 2016 by nervana111

  Photo via UK’s Independent/ Getty Images In the wake of the Burkini war, a violent skirmish of altogether different proportions has surfaced in France. In the southern French city of Toulon, two women wearing shorts were verbally assaulted as … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam, Short Comments | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Essentializing Islam will not stop Islamophobia

Posted on September 4, 2016 by nervana111

( A woman wearing Niqab in France- Via AFP) The cynical glee with which the Western media publicly flaunts — and generalizes — the practice of Islamic customs has become a disturbing pattern. The Hijab, Nigab, and Burkini have now … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam, Middle East, Politics, women rights | Tagged , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

The Right Not To Wear A Burkini

Posted on August 21, 2016 by nervana111

The ban on the Islamic burkini, or full-body swimsuit, on the beaches of the French Riviera has triggered heated debates and controversies. For some, it is a ban on freedom of choice; for others, the ban is a symbol of … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Read, Egypt, Islam | Tagged , , , , , , | 126 Comments

Re-blog: The Dangerous Stipulation of Islamic Exceptionalism

Posted on July 30, 2016 by nervana111

I re-blog, with permission, this important analysis by the  Middle East Institute scholar Hassan Mneimneh on Shadi Hamid’s recent book “Islamic Exceptionalism.”  I completely agree with Mneimneh: Shadi’s work ” is likely to bolster the rhetoric of and be welcome by the … Continue reading →

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Suheir Atassi’s swimsuit and our moral bankruptcy

Posted on July 11, 2016 by nervana111

Syria’s Suheir Atassi Millions of women around the world do this daily without attracting much attention, but recently, Suhair Atassi, a prominent, secular Syrian opposition figure was spotted wearing a swimsuit at a Turkish resort. When photos of her appeared … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam, Short Comments, Syria, women rights | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Podcast: Religion

Posted on June 10, 2016 by nervana111

Here is our latest podcast with Prof. Matt Sienkiewicz from Boston College  and our guest Ambassador Alberto Fernandez discussing religion and media. Enjoy …    

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Nibras Kazimi On How Jihadists Weoponize History

Posted on June 5, 2016 by nervana111

Earlier today, I wrote on Twitter how political Islam’s cherry picking of history is wrong and help feeding radicalism. I later received a link to this interesting video of Nibras Kazimi a Visiting Fellow at Hudson Institute, in which he … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam, Middle East, Politics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Can Tunisia’s Ghannouchi divorce political Islam?

Posted on May 31, 2016 by nervana111

  Leader of Tunisian political party Ennahda, Rachid al-Ghannouchi. (Photo: AFP) The rebranding of political Islam has just started. In an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde, Ennahda leader and founder, Rached Ghannouchi, announced that Ennahda would no longer … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam, Middle East, Politics, Tunisia | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Plight of Non-Islamist Muslims

Posted on March 31, 2016 by nervana111

When it comes to Islam, terminologies can be baffling and hotly disputed. Muslims, Islam, Islamism, and radicalism can all be confusing labels. But with the escalating waves of terror flowing around the globe, it is paramount to demystify the fog … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Read, Egypt, Islam, Politics, Terrorism | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments