The Saudi execution of Shaykh al-Nimr was bound to revoke strong reaction. This is precisely what the US wanted: to set the region on fire as it retreats so that nobody would be able to control it.
The Syrian army and pro-government militias are making steady progress against the takfiris driving them out of many important areas. This has been possible because Russia has been bombing the takfiris strongholds causing massive damage.
The oldest contemporary Islamic movement—the Ikhwan al-Muslimoon—in Egypt is expected to display much better understanding and greater maturity but unfortunately their conduct has led to the disaster they faced.
Two crucial elections are scheduled for this month in the Islamic Republic: for the Majlis and the Assembly of Experts. There is immense excitement about both.
The culture of entitlement that is so prevalent among the Pakistani elite is leading the country to disaster. Are the elite willing to give up their terrible ways?
The US drone war on innocent Muslims has caused massive deaths. Unfortunately, most Muslim rulers are complicit in these crimes.
Change is in the wind in Central Asia and the Caucasus. How Iran and Russia manage their affairs and relations will have profound impact on future developments.
By killing more than 1,000 (perhaps as many as 6,000) members of the Islamic movement in Zaria, the Nigerian army has proved, if proof indeed were needed, that it is an agent of Zionism and imperialism.
The Boko Haram terrorists have been rampaging throughout Nigeria since at least 2009. Instead of going after these terrorists, the army has targeted the Islamic movement that itself is the victim of Boko Haram terrorists.
Peace in Afghanistan is vital for the region but there are players that want to disrupt it, especially members of the Afghan Northern Alliance because they believe such an outcome would diminish their influence and clout in the country.
The illegitimate Aliyev regime is determined to cling to power at any cost, including starting a civil war in the country that would cost it dearly.
The strategic shift caused in Syria through Russian involvement is self-evident. NATO’s project against Islamic Iran in Syria has collapsed but what are the ramifications beyond Syria?
Canada may have elected 10 Muslims to parliament — the first time in its history — but that is no protection against racist attacks. Several arson and physical attacks against masjids and Muslims have occurred in Canada in the wake of the terrorist acts in Paris on November 13.
Nobody had anticipated the landslide victory that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) secured in last month’s snap elections in Turkey. Even the most optimistic opinion polls showed the AKP barely coming close (not reaching) a majority in parliament to form the government.
Five Yemeni prisoners held at the notorious US torture camp at Guantanamo Bay were finally released on November 14. According to a Pentagon announcement, the five were flown to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). None of the five Yemenis was ever charged with a crime.
Even as British Prime Minister David Cameron thundered against the ISIS terrorists (aka takfiris, Da‘ish, or ISIL) that had caused mayhem, death, and destruction in Paris on November 13, he was happily consorting with another terrorist.
In deeply class-conscious society like India where everyone tries to project himself as being “superior” to others, a curious phenomenon is underway. Hundreds of mil-lions of Hindus are clamoring to be granted “backward class” status.
Whatever Russia’s motives in joining the fight against the takfiri terrorists — and these have been dissected endlessly — they have resulted in dramatic changes on the ground in Syria.
The Najdi Bedouins’ (aka Bani Saud or the House of Saud) hold on power has always been tenuous. It has become even more precarious because of recent developments in the region. Things are not working out as they had hoped for and their ill-conceived and totally destructive policies have constrained their options even further.
The ballot papers were all printed and arranged in neat piles in each polling station. The ballot boxes duly locked were also delivered to the appropriate polling stations. There were even election officials present — a remarkable achievement in a country where the bureaucracy is notorious for its lethargy.
