By Khaled Diab Salman Rushdie made a very unlikely target for the fury of conservative Muslims, which is why the opportunistic fatwa issued by a Khomeini in serious decline took the novelist and the world by surprise. Thursday 21 February…
Tag: iran
The clash between realpolitik and principled politics
The contrast between the red card from protesters and the red carpet from officials that greeted Mohammed bin Salman on his world tour highlights the growing global battle between a principled grassroots and a ‘pragmatic’ political leadership.
The drinker’s guide to Ramadan
Ramadan is the time of year when hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world abstain from food or drink. But one group of fasters suffers a special variety of thirst this time of year: Muslims who drink alcohol.
Israeli pilgrim in Prophet Muhammad’s house
By Khaled Diab A visit by an Israeli Jewish blogger to some of Islam’s holiest sites has stirred up controversy and anger. But should it have? Wednesday 27 December 2017 A photo of a smiling man dressed in a traditional…
Donald Trump: Universal scapegoat
Donald Trump is possibly the worst American president in history, but that does not give the rest of the political establishment a get-out-of-jail-free card when it comes to taking responsibility for the mess the world is in
Foreign tourists vote to thump Trump’s America
Left without a say in the election of Donald Trump, a new breed of conscientious objectors are making their mark on the USA. Foreign tourists are voting with their feet and going elsewhere.
Give Donald Trump a Nobel prize
It is outrageous that the fake news media is not outraged that Donald Trump has been left empty handed at this year’s Nobel awards. This oversight must be rectified next year.
Dreaming of a vanished Syria
“A lot of Syrians are indulging in a nostalgia that requires a lot of denial,” says Syrian-American author Alia Malek. “This is why I’m a student of history, not to live in a fantasy but to learn why and how we are where we are today.”
Mosul in my heart
The Mosul I have always loved, whose sky was our protective shield, has been replaced by an alien city of death, destruction and destitution.
Trapped inside Fortress Europe
The plight of the 63,000 refugees and migrants still marooned in Greece should give Europeans pause for thought.
