When a Christian king and a Muslim caliph united against their common foes
Despite the official holy war between Islam and Christendom, Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid and Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne exchanged lavish
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caliphate
How not to make Europe great again
By Khaled Diab A new alliance of Italian, Polish and Hungarian far-right parties promises a renaissance that will make Europe
Read moreAfter ISIS, former Yazidi sex slaves are caught between trauma and taboo
Safia, a Yazidi teenager from Iraq, was captured by the Islamic State, sold into sexual slavery, raped, tortured and made pregnant, leaving deep psychological scars. Her ability to come to terms with the trauma are thwarted by taboo, shame and her forced separation from her daughter.
Read moreThe shocking similarities between white supremacy and Islamist extremism
Despite their conviction that they are polar opposites, white supremacists and Islamist extremists share much in common, including a hatred for minorities and the enemies within, a persecution complex, and nostalgia for past glories.
Read moreThe unlikely demonisation of Salman Rushdie
By Khaled Diab Salman Rushdie made a very unlikely target for the fury of conservative Muslims, which is why the
Read moreIn search of the lost city of Londonistan
Our intrepid and fearless reporter visited the fabled capital of the European Caliphate, Londonistan. What he discovered was shockingly, surprisingly, confoundingly, almost frighteningly… ordinary.
Read moreIslam for Donald Trump and the politically incorrect
Mr Trump, if you really want to know “what the hell is going on” with Islam, I invite you and all the other bigots out there to join me on a mind-expanding journey through Islam(s), passing through the main thoroughfares and back alleys of history, society, culture, politics, theology and, above all, people.
Read morePost-ISIS Mosul, pt 1: The final death of a city?
Its building turned to dust, its citizens traumatised and impoverished, Mosul may have been ‘liberated’ from ISIS but it has become a graveyard. Can this razed and devastated city ever be free again?
Read moreSpiritual oasis or consumer paradise?
Despite having acquired some 21st-century trappings, Eid al-Fitr’s mix of religion and revelry is centuries old.
Read moreISIS and the mash of civilisations
Counterintuitive as it may sound, ISIS is proof that the clash of civilisations is a myth. The reality is that interests clash, while cultures mix.
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