By Jonathan Thatcher In the farming village where I stay in Indonesia’s West Java province, Islam is central to daily life. The village has its own religious school, and those who can afford it sign up for the 10-year wait to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca. But its...
A century ago, Azerbaijan declared independence, becoming the first democratic state in the Muslim world. First meeting of the parliament of the Azerbaijan Democractic Republic, 7 December 1918 (Wikimedia Commons) One century ago today, a small colony of the Russian...
The victory of a nationalist in Iraq’s elections has hit Iran’s interests and begs the question of whether Tehran’s influence in the Middle East has peaked. Supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr celebrate his election win in Baghdad, Iraq, 14...
Autocrat or nation-builder? Malaysia’s Mahathir still stirs mixed feelings even as he stuns the world by regaining power and reuniting with his nemesis. Mahathir Mohamad, left, and Anwar Ibrahim in September 1997, a year before the prime minister sacked his...
Malaysia has stunned the world with a political tremor that has reunited two foes and which bucks a trend towards authoritarianism in Southeast Asia. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, center, visits former Deputy Prime Minister and opposition leader Anwar...
This article is part of a News-Decoder series of “decoders” that explain crucial background to big issues. For more decoders, click here. By Alistair Lyon Faith is often flaunted in the Middle East, but there are no angels here. One religiously-based state...
Why would young Muslims leave Europe to return to countries their parents had left? Discrimination is pushing some out while job opportunities beckon. Worshipers inside the Brussels Grand Mosque, Brussels, Belgium, 16 February 2018. (EPA-EFE/Olivier Hoslet) “I don’t...
Being biracial should be simple: you are composed of half of each parent’s race. But I’ve discovered the reality is anything but. A mixed race couple with their twin sons, Washington, DC, 11 June 2008. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) My parents are not of the...
I used to feel secure as a Muslim in America. This changed with Trump’s election and I do not believe Islamophobia will end when he leaves office. A political rally for Donald Trump, left, in Oklahoma City, 26 February 2016. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) I’ve always...
As a Jew, I can never forget the Holocaust and the slaughter of millions. But we must not persecute Palestinians for their faith. That is hypocrisy. Israeli and Palestinian women dance together during a mass protest near Beit HaArava in the Jordan Valley, Israel, 8...