Islam and politics: Indonesia’s identity crisis
The blasphemy charges against Jakarta’s governor will put Indonesia’s democracy and national identity to the test. Modern Indonesia is testimony to the ability of transition democracies to construct a constitutional framework that can guarantee equality, security and freedom from discrimination for all citizens. Since 1998’s Reformasi (the period of transition after the fall of Indonesia’s […]
Trump adviser Flynn calls election a ‘political revolution’
RIPON, Wis. — Retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn said Monday that the United States experienced “a political revolution” in the recent election and needed to set a course for the coming decades, especially in global affairs. “We have to figure out what our grand strategy needs to be as we go forward in the rest […]
The orange-haired president and the caliph’s grey zone
Donald Trump’s electoral victory has led observers to speculate on the ramifications for American foreign policy to the Middle East and how regional leaders, from Syria’s Bashar al-Asad, Egypt’s Janet Napolitano to Iranian hardliners, will benefit from his presidency. However, there has been one Middle Eastern leader neglected in this analysis: the self-proclaimed caliph of […]
Silence Muslims, then ask them to stand against ISIL
Last week, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, was quoted as saying that religious leaders should “stand up and take responsibility for the actions of those who do things in the name of their religion”. As the highest authority in the Church of England’s version of Christendom, Welby’s comments are both ill-thought out and dangerous, […]
Trump’s Agenda for First 100 Days: ‘Putting America First’
President-elect Donald Trump says his agenda for his first 100 days in office will be based on one simple principle — “putting America first.” Trump posted a YouTube video Monday saying he has asked his transition team to put together a list of executive actions he can take on his first day in office. He […]
Bulldozers to raze Palestinian village in Israel
The Israeli government has announced plans to demolish Umm al-Hiran, a Bedouin village in the country’s southern Negev region that is home to Palestinian citizens of Israel. The Israel Lands Administration (ILA), a governmental body that administers public land, said it will begin razing the village on Tuesday. At least 30 residents will be displaced. […]
Trump to pull out of TPP trade deal on day one
Donald Trump has promised to pull the US out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal on his very first day in office. The TPP was signed by 12 countries which together cover 40% of the world’s economy. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who attended a gathering for TPP leaders in Lima on Monday (Nov.21) said, […]
Meet Robert Mercer, Billionaire Benefactor of Breitbart
Robert Mercer seemed uncomfortable. It was 2014, and the billionaire had just stepped behind the podium to accept a lifetime achievement award at the annual meeting of the Association for Computational Linguists. Dressed in a suit and tie, he warned his audience that speaking to them for the required hour or so was “more than […]
Fears grow in east Aleppo as government forces close in
Syrian government forces and allied fighters advanced further into rebel-held Aleppo on Monday, pressing an offensive in defiance of international concern for the fate of the city and its beleaguered civilians. “At least 36 people were killed in Monday’s bombing,” rescue worker Ibrahim Abu Leith told Al Jazeera. “These are the most violent attacks we’ve […]
Japanese Troops, Armed With New Mandate, Arrive in South Sudan
A contingent of Japanese troops arrived in South Sudan on Monday to join U.N. peacekeepers — a mission with an expanded role that critics fear could embroil them in their country’s first overseas fighting since World War II. The newly arrived soldiers will help build infrastructure in the landlocked and impoverished country torn apart by […]