Are Islam and democracy incompatible? The evolution of a radical Turkish Islamic group in Germany suggests that the pursuit of ‘fundamentalist’ goals can itself create the space for a rational appraisal of tradition. By seeking truth in origin and scripture rather than history, successive generations of Islamists may be drawn – even despite themselves – t […].
Opposition 43
“The Rise of Militant Islam”
Conversation with Ahmed Rashid. Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley. 3/26/02 1-Background Welcome to Berkeley. Thanks a lot. Where were you born and raised? I was born in Ravapindi in Northern Pakistan. After the Second World War, my family was based some of the time in Pakistan and some of the time in London. So I grew up in both places […].
“Islamic Societies”.
Conversation with Ira Lapidus. Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley. 1/14/03 1-Background Ira, welcome back to Berkeley. Thank you, Harry. Where were you born and raised? I was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised there. I went to high school there, and then I went to college and graduate school at Harvard. Looking back, how did your pa […].
“Islam, Empire, and the Left”.
Conversation with Tariq Ali (1). Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley. 5/8/03 1-Background Tariq, welcome to Berkeley. Very nice to be here. Welcome back, I should say. Where were you born and raised? I was born in Lahore, long years ago in 1943, when it was still part of British India. When I was four years old, it became part of a new c […].
Dying empty !
Posté le : Mer Mai 26, 2004. Forum Taht Essour Early last year I began to suffer from a severe stomach-ache ,few months later I was diagnosed for cancer. Confronted with my own mortality ,I began to lament myself for all the things I had not accomplished yet with my life. Yes, it’s true, I had traveled very much, met a lot of fantastic peoples, slept w […].
Unity Through Opposition: Islam as an Instrument of Radical Political Change
By Thomas Butko In wake of the September 11 attacks, there has been a heightened focus on political Islam (or Islamism) as a global area of research. Yet, in spite of the view that political Islam is essentially internationally oriented in its outlook, the primary focus of Islamist groups is actually at the domestic level, as Islam is utilized as a polit […].

The forgotten dictatorship: Tunisia
The re-election on October 24 of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, with the Ceausescu-like score of 94.49%, was scarcely noticed in the Stateside news media. Even the New York Times only posted a brief dispatch from AP on its website. The re-election on October 24 of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, with the Ceausescu-like score of 9 […].