From Hama to Andijon – is dialogue with Islamists an impossibility?

Tharwa Editorial

Is dialogue with political Islam truly an impossible and futile undertaking as many “secular” regimes in the Region assert? Or does the real problem lie in the fact that authoritarian and corrupt regimes are simply unwilling to dialogue with anybody, regardless of their political affiliations?

Moreover, can such a dialogue take place between representatives of secular movements and Islamist ones? Continue reading “From Hama to Andijon – is dialogue with Islamists an impossibility?” →

Online Symposium: Syria’s Glasnost?

By Jamie Glazov | FrontPageMagazine.com | March 25, 2005

Syria has announced that it will withdraw its troops from Lebanon. The Syrian-leaning government of Lebanon dissolved itself and preparations are being made for multi-party elections. Syria has handed over to the Iraqi government Saddam Hussein’s half-brother, Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hassan, a most-wanted leader in the Sunni insurgency who was operating out of Syria. Syria has also announced that it is shutting down the Damascus office of Islamic Jihad. Continue reading “Online Symposium: Syria’s Glasnost?” →

Stop splitting hairs on “Terrorism”

Tharwa Editorial / Daily Star

Many people around the world today seek to differentiate between what they call “freedom fighters” and those described as terrorists. They argue that such differentiation, which is most often applied to Iraq and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, is necessary in order to grant legitimacy to those fighting for their freedom or the independence of their homeland against an oppressor or a foreign occupier, especially when the reality of occupation is recognized internationally, perhaps through relevant UN resolutions. Continue reading “Stop splitting hairs on “Terrorism”” →

Muslims Against the Ideology of Terror

Voice of America – ON THE LINE / Host: Eric Felten

Host: Muslims against the ideology of terror. Next, On the Line.

Host: Leaders of a dozen groups representing Muslim Americans and Arab Americans of other faiths met in Washington to speak out against terrorism and in favor of democratic freedoms. Zainab Al-Suwaij is the executive director of the American Islamic Congress. She said the conference was an effort to confront the fact that Many people use Islam as a reason to kill innocent people. One of the speakers at the conference was Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, a physician in Phoenix, Arizona. Continue reading →