أرشيف الوسم : violence

By Max Fisher There’s a certain ritual that each and every one of the world’s billion-plus Muslims, especially those living in Western countries, is expected to go through immediately following any incident of violence involving a Muslim perpetrator. It’s a ritual that is continuing now with the Sydney hostage crisis, in which a deranged self-styled sheikh named Man Haron Monis …

The tense autonomous region of Xinjiang has banned prayers and other religious practices in government business offices, schools and other buildings. Religious activities will only be allowed to take place in registered locations like mosques. Under new rules, people will also be not allowed to wear or force others to wear logos or clothes associated with extremist groups. It remains …

Al-Azhar University, the most prestigious center of learning for Sunni Islam, urged Christians living in the Arab world on Thursday to stand firm in resistance and not flee in the face of extremist violence. The call comes days after Pope Francis urged Muslim leaders to criticize extremists using Islam as a crutch, especially groups like al-Qaeda and Islamic State, and …

By Ramzy Baroud When a journalist tries to do a historian’s job, the outcome can be quite interesting. Using history as a side note in a brief news report or political analysis oftentimes does more harm than good. Now imagine if that journalist was not dependable to begin with, even more than it being “interesting”, the outcome runs the risk …

UN Assistant-Secretary General Jens Toyberg-Frandzen on Monday warned the UN Security Council that violence in the Palestinian territories and in Israel will likely worsen if the peace process does not get back on track soon. “Returning to negotiations has never been more important. Without a genuine commitment from the parties and an overall improvement in the lives of Palestinians, we …

Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian on Tuesday during clashes in the West Bank as a wave of unrest is gripped the country, prompting thoughts of a fresh Palestinian uprising. A 22-year-old Palestinian was killed near Hebron as soldiers and around 150 Palestinians clashed near the Kiryat Arba. Since the new round of violence began five months ago, at …

The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh and two Huthi commanders, only two days after Saleh walked out on the new government. The sanctions follow Saturday’s UN sanctions on the three, imposed for threatening peace in Yemen. The US Treasury said that it was blacklisting Saleh, Abd al-Khaliq al-Huthi and Abdullah Yahya al-Hakim …

By Ramzy Baroud Sinai is both heaven and hell. This triangular desert boasts an arid landscape of hopeless horizons often interrupted by leftover military hardware from previous wars. The land is comprised of breathtaking beaches, incredible history, and a fusion of fascinating cultures that reach back into the past as far as ancient times can possibly go. This thrilling land …

The Masjid al-Salaam mosque in the town of Burnaby has recently come under the spotlight after it was discovered that Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, the man behind the Ottawa shooting, had attended the mosque. However, on Friday, the mosques fielded questions from international press members to dispel all notions that the Mosque has not condoned his actions. B.C. Muslim Association’s spokesman for …

Journalist and author Glenn Greenwald, the award winning journalist who published Edward Snowden’s US government surveillance programs, on Thursday said that Canada cannot be surprised by the recent violence in the country. “Canadians shouldn’t allow this week’s violent attacks in Ottawa and St-Jean-sur-Richelieu to scare them into giving up more freedoms and privacy to the government in the name of …