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FEATURED COMMENTARY

Morocco a Stable East-West Bridge
Vanessa Noël Brown, ICAR M.S. Student, and Andrew Kessinger
Posted: 05/07/08

[Published, Washington Post-Newsweek "On Faith" Blog, May 7, 2008] Between Afghanistan and America, situated at the crossroads of Eastern-Western civilization, lies a low-key ally in the fight against religious intolerance and extremism: Morocco. Despite the headlines painting this region as the new front on terror, Moroccans object to their country becoming a base for western-focused extremism and are determined to prevent Al Qaeda from securing a foothold in this corner of the Maghreb. READ MORE


RECENT COMMENTARY

A Mufti, A Christian and a Rabbi
Marc Gopin, ICAR Professor
Posted: 03/12/08

[Published, Washington Post-Newsweek "On Faith", March 12, 2008]
In the West, "A Mufti, a Christian and a Rabbi ..." is often how a good interfaith joke begins. But I live inside this reality. I am a rabbi and my Syrian colleague, Hind Kabawat, is a Christian Arab. We have worked for four years with the Grand Mufti of Syria, Sheikh Ahmed Hassoun, in both Damascus and Aleppo. READ MORE


A Debate That's Way Too Loud
Marci Moberg , ICAR M.S. Student
Posted: 03/11/08

[Published, Washington Times, March 11, 2008]
Danish efforts to discourage the screening of Geert Wilders' film ("TV stations refuse anti-Muslim film," World, Friday) may diminish the risk for violence but miss the greater risk of growing intolerance.In recent months, Mr. Wilders has called for Dutch Muslims to renounce their religion or leave the country and has labeled the Koran a fascist book. Though the Netherlands has remained mainly tolerant, Mr. Wilders and his supporters threaten to shift attitudes toward a perception of mismatching values and identities between Muslim immigrants and the country's citizens. READ MORE


Working Against the Problem, Not Each Other
Rebecca Cataldi, ICAR M.S. Student
Posted: 02/07/08

[Published, The American Muslim, February 7, 2008]
In the years since 9/11, war and terrorism have led to much discussion over whether a “clash of civilisations” is occurring between the United States and the Muslim world. This turmoil, however, has inspired many others to work even harder to promote dialogue and understanding between our cultures. Ordinary” Americans and people of the Muslim world have a particularly critical role to play in this process by reaching out to one another in friendship. When we do, we will come to appreciate not only how unique and diverse we all are, but how many of our deepest values we share in common. READ MORE


The Missing Two-Way Street
Marci Moberg and Jay Moon, ICAR M.S. Students
Posted: 12/01/07

[Published, ICAR News, Vol. 1, Issue 4, December 2007] In an effort to win hearts and minds, the Bush administration’s public diplomacy initiatives in the Muslim World have failed to do either. It squandered opportunities to gain valuable insight into anti-U.S. sentiment, opting instead for a psychological operations-style campaign aimed at explaining the benefits of U.S. foreign policy to the Middle East. As Muslim opinion of the U.S. continues to plummet in the wake of Karen Hughes' resignation, the public diplomacy shop faces an uphill battle. READ MORE


Understanding Islamophobia
Richard Rubenstein, ICAR Professor
Posted: 06/15/07





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