A decade’s end lends itself to reflection. As a historian, I am thinking about how the 2000s compare to previous decades. While time and perspective may alter my thinking, I believe the 2000s is...
When I was in college in the US, I dated someone who used to say, “I'm a Christian with a big crush on Islam.” I think it's safe to say that I'm a Sunni with a big crush on Shi'ism. This is a...
Imagine your street. Imagine it strewn with litter and debris. Now imagine that any plastic bag you touch or Coke can you kick could annihilate you and a large proportion of your surroundings....
In his speech to the Congress (and the world) on Tuesday night, Barack Obama outlined many changes that he plans to make going forward. He touched on education and health care reform, and had even...
This is a review of Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World by Samantha Power. Allen Lane, 2008. Most United Nations officials do not make for engrossing literary...
Dear Readers, These two poems are presented here together, because they are meant to compliment one another. Mustapha Marrouchi is as glorious, and grave, as ever. It is a privilege to continue...
And there you have it. After all those endless speeches about freedom and democracy, and the supposed surge of a new dawn for a new Iraq where the rule of law reigns supreme. After the elections and...
"God take revenge on the Americans and those who brought them here. They have no regard for our lives.” Those are the heart wrenching words of a brother whose sister has just been gunned down by...
Quick memo to the good ol' folks that drive straight from church to the pro-war rally in their starred and striped S.U.V.'s: You are total idiots. Oh, I am sorry. I doubt even you would have an easy...
If George W. Bush wants Arabs to believe a word he says, then big heads should quickly start rolling in his administration. Starting with Donald Rumsfeld, who played down the torture incidents with...