In this era of ISIS, many debates in the West center on how followers of Islam will eventually, through a series of steps and growing pains, arrive at liberal democracy. Shadi Hamid, the author of the new book Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam is Reshaping the World, believes that Muslims don’t want that path. In this animated interview by The Atlantic, Hamid explains how not only was the Prophet Mohammed a religious figure, he was a politician. In fact, for much of the Middle East’s existence, there hasn’t been a separation of religion and governance. "Islam has proven to be resistant to secularization," he says. “We don't have to like it or agree with it...but the goal shouldn't be to push [Islam] away or exclude people, it has to be to find ways to accommodate Islam in a legal, peaceful, democratic process.”
16 July 2016
AP: France's truck attack marks deadly twist in Europe
"Using vehicles in attacks is a fairly well-established tactic with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group," said Matthew Henman, managing editor at IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Centre. "The deliberate use of a heavy truck targeting a crowd illustrates the demonstrability of the attack and could be the precursor for other attacks." [...]
Terrorist attacks involving vehicles have been more common outside of Europe.
The deadliest recent attack occurred July 3 when a suicide bomber from the Islamic State group killed at least 292 people and wounded another 200 by exploding a minibus in a crowded commercial area of Baghdad. The blast came near the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan when streets were teaming with people — much like Thursday's festivities that drew crowds across France. [...]
The deadliest vehicle attack was in Beirut in 1983. Two trucks packed with explosives plowed into barracks housing U.S. and French military members, killing more than 300 people. In the United States, Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people in 1995 by driving a truck laden with explosives into a federal building in Oklahoma City.
Los Angeles Times: Hong Kong demands that candidates take pro-China pledge, threatens prison if they won't
In an unprecedented move, Hong Kong electoral officials are asking all candidates running for the legislature in September to pledge under oath that the territory is an inalienable part of China.
The measure, announced Thursday, two days before the period to nominate candidates opened, is believed to be aimed at appeasing Beijing by blocking any candidate who advocates independence from China. Both the long-established pan-Democratic camp of politicians and new political parties founded by young pro-democracy activists have roundly condemned the new requirement. [...]
Before, potential candidates only needed to sign a declaration to uphold the constitution and pledge allegiance to Hong Kong. Although Article One of the Basic Law states that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of China, “there’s no legal basis for the new requirement,” said Albert Ho, a legislator from the Democratic Party who plans to run for reelection. [...]
Independence so far has made little headway among Hong Kong’s electorate. In an election in February, Leung received only 15% of the vote in losing to a candidate from the pan-Democratic camp who did not advocate independence.
Popular Science: Take A Tour Of New York City In The 1800s With Google Street View
History geeks and time-travelers from the 1800s, get ready to have your days made: Old NYC combines Google Maps with photographs from the New York Public Library to create a timewarped version of Street View.
Developer Dan Vanderkam compiled over 80,000 photos from the NYPL's "Photographic views of New York City, 1870s-1970s" collection and plotted them, using geocoding, to their corresponding origins on an interactive map of the five boroughs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)