This Blog is intended for use by students in the Islamic Middle East course at Northfield Mount Hermon School and guest students and teachers from other participating schools.
A report in today’s New York Times claims that, thanks to infighting within American security and intelligence networks and cooling relations between the United States and Pakistan, Al-Qaeda is gaining strength in the border regions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Mark Mazzetti and David Rohde, “Amid Policy Disputes, Qaeda Grows in Pakistan,” New York Times, June 30, [...]
Story from the BBC
In today’s New York Times Book Review, Adam LeBOR reviews a new book by Bernard Avishai, The Hebrew Republic: How Secular Democracy and Global Enterprise Will Bring Israel Peace at Last (Harcourt). Both the book and the review address the question, “Can Israel be both a Jewish state and a democracy?” Avishai’s solution is to [...]
The Taliban, exploiting the relatively lawless border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, have been regaining ground in both countries. Earlier this month, they broke into a prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Today, the New York Times is reporting, they are positioning themselves to take over the city of Peshawar in Pakistan.
Jane Perlez and Pir Zubair Shah, [...]
Here are links to websites about various places in Turkey:
Istanbul
Ephesus
Bursa
The galleries at Tulpart.com
Here is a collection of links to websites featuring the architecture of:
Turkey generally
Istanbul in particular
The buildings of the great Ottoman architect Sinan in particular
The Wade Photo Archive features a website entitled “Pattern in Islamic Art.”
Here is a link to a recent piece in the Turkish Daily News about how a women’s group has mobilized to protect women’s rights in Turkey.
Safak Timur, “Women Mobilize in a Men’s Country,” Turkish Daily News, June 21, 2008
A recent issue of The Economist features an article on important discussions occurring between representatives of the world’s religions.
The Economist, “Islam and the West: When Religions Talk,” June 12, 2008
More on the polemical battles between Muslims and Christians throughout history
A one week old truce between Israel and HAMAS appears to be unraveling with violations reported by both sides. Part of the problem is that HAMAS appears unable to control the behavior of rival Palestinian factions.
Story at the BBC
More on the Arab-Israeli Conflict from the IME course study pages
BBC Middle East