Debate over the Charlie Hebdo attacks has centred on different problems that the tragedy speaks to – freedom of expression, integration of immigrants into French society, anti-foreigner sentiment, Western political and military involvement in the Middle East, the rise of the anti-Western […]
From RIEAS Research Institute for European and American Studies The Syrian civil war has been the third major jihad of modern times for Gulf Arab states. The first, Afghanistan, was a new experience, the inaugural transnational jihad of the modern era in […]
In case this site is pulled down, here is Abu Mohammed al-Maqdisi’s statement of 23 September 2014 reflecting his view that ISIL, Jubhat al-Nusra and other Salafi Jihadists have damaged their cause through their division: Tweet
Global Oil Forum discussion, Sept. 3 2014: Middle East Risk Tweet
While the beheading of US photo journalist James Foley has rightly drawn global attention to the violence of Salafi jihadi groups, the successes of the Islamic State (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIS) are being exploited by various actors to score political […]
The Islamic State movement is a crude caricature of what its leaders think an Islamic state was and should be. Its latest violent spectacular – throwing Christians out of Mosul – is as contrary to the general tenor of inter-faith relations in […]
First published by European Council on Foreign Relations The word “caliphate” sends many into paroxysms of horrified excitement. Following the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011 the opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and its Arab calques liked to raise the bogeyman of this […]