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U.S. de-certifies Iran nuclear deal
Tread softly, President Trump
Notwithstanding the dreadful mistake of de-certification, Trump can keep the deal on life support if he does not immediately re-impose sanctions. This would give the other five powers the time needed to work collectively with Iran and reach a new agreement. Commentary by Alon Ben-Meir
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Islamic debate about human rights
The erroneous 'cultural distinction'
Syrian writer Morris Ayek is critical of those who claim that when it comes to human rights, Islamic countries are "culturally distinct" from the rest of the world. In his opinion, this discourse directly contradicts the universality of Islamic values
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Annulling the Iran deal
When amateurs rule
Abandoning the nuclear deal with Iran will leave the U.S. completely isolated, undermine global security and strain relations with its allies, which are already under mounting stress thanks to Trump′s unseemly and erratic behaviour. Commentary by Alon Ben-Meir
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The Silk Road Ensemble
"The Music of Strangers": A quest for perfect harmony
The Silk Road Ensemble has been a leading force on the cross-cultural world music scene for almost twenty years. A new documentary – ″The Music of Strangers″ – tells the story of the project. By Marian Brehmer
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China's Uighur heartland turns into security state
China says it faces a serious threat from Islamist extremists in its Xinjiang region. Beijing accuses separatists among the Muslim Uighur ethnic minority of stirring up tensions with the ethnic Han Chinese majority. By Nadine Berghausen
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Social media and the Arabellion
The myth of the Facebook revolution
Today, six years after the so-called Facebook revolutions of the Arab Spring, the hopes once placed in the social media have largely vanished. Authoritarian regimes in the region have long since succeeded in taking control of these channels and using them for their own ends. By Niklas Kossow and Ilyas Saliba
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Donald Trump the author
"Strengthen American Muscle"
Donald Trump has long been known in America as a book author and cautionary voice. He has already set down his plans for the Middle East in writing – and they give cause for concern. By Joseph Croitoru
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Book review: Giuseppe Catozzella’s ″Don′t tell me you′re afraid″
The flame of Olympia
″Don′t tell me you′re afraid″ is a heartbreaking and remarkable book about a young woman, like every other refugee, who deserved a better fate. Catozzella not only tells the story of Samia Yusuf Omar, but in the process brings the experiences of every refugee to life. Richard Marcus read the book
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Egypt's economic and fiscal crisis
Rescuing the sinking ship
Just last week, the Egyptian government and a delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reached a staff-level agreement about a 12 billion US-dollar loan package. Egypt hopes to restore confidence in its crippled economy and attract more investors. But is this deal the right answer for Egypt's economic problems? Sofian Philip Naceur talked to Amr Adly, a non-resident scholar of the Carnegie Middle East Center
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Arsalan Iftikhar is the Muslim Guy
″Scapegoats: How Islamophobia helps our enemies and threatens our freedoms″
Human rights lawyer Arsalan Iftikhar is a well-known face on US television networks. Usually pitted against right wing commentators calling for crusades against Islamic countries or tarring all Muslims with the same terrorist brush, he attempts to be a voice of reason. Richard Marcus interviewed him on his recently published ″Scapegoats: How Islamophobia Helps Our Enemies and Threatens Our Freedoms″
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Eco-Islam: Noor al-Hussein speaks out
Islam, faith and climate change
The Islamic Declaration on Climate Change, endorsed in August by Islamic scholars from around the world, calls on countries to phase out greenhouse gas emissions and switch to 100% renewable energy. With 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide, the collective statement sends a strong signal ahead of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit later this month, and the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in December. By Noor al-Hussein, Queen of Jordan
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Book review: "The Islam Quintet" by Tariq Ali
A wonderful reminder of Islam's contribution to world culture
Nearly 20 years in the writing, Tariq Ali's "The Islam Quintet" has just been reissued, redesigned and made available as a complete set by Verso Books. Written in response to a comment heard by the author during the first Gulf War suggesting Muslim's have no culture, the five books dip in and out of history disproving this proposition. Not only does the quintet successfully display the depth and variety of Islamic culture, it provides readers with a perspective on world events we rarely experience. By Richard Marcus