Tag Archives: Islam

On ISIS, Enchantment and Authoritarians against Totalitarians

Over on his blog, Sam Harris interviews Mark Riebling, the author of Church of Spies: The Pope’s Secret War Against Hitler. The historical ground covered is interesting—how could it not be?—but these passages, in particular, caught my attention: Conservative, even … Continue reading

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Palmyra

Janice Turner: In eliminating ancient architecture, ISIS is also destroying the architecture of minds. Until there is nothing between you and your judging, revengeful God. Not a single joyous distraction – of art or music or history or dance – … Continue reading

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Religious Liberty!

Balkanization moves on merrily along. WABC: – A man is suing Costco for religious discrimination. He tells Eyewitness News exclusively that when he refused to work with pork, the major retailer sent him outside to gather carts. “Just because you … Continue reading

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Islam: Enlightenment or Reformation?

Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been calling for an Islamic ‘reformation’. Dan Hannan is not so sure that that’s right: What, though, do we mean by “Reformation”? Most people mean that they want a more modern Islam, one which accepts the … Continue reading

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ISIS: Looking to the North

Cross-posted on the Corner: Over in the Financial Times, there’s an interesting piece on Putin’s friends abroad, but this passage in particular caught my eye: The current Egyptian government believes that the Obama administration’s failure to support former President Hosni … Continue reading

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‘But’

Cross-posted on the Corner. A writer for the Guardian, on cue (my emphasis added): We are in perilous territory. Slaughter as political protest cannot be defended. Free speech as legal and moral pre-requisites in a free society must be defended. … Continue reading

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Too Dangerous a Historical Debate

Writing in the Guardian, Nick Cohen on self-censorship: Unless we find the courage to overcome fear, the self-censorship will spread, and not only in the media. Colleagues who wanted historians at a London museum to talk about the long history … Continue reading

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#PasCharlie 2

Cross-posted on the Corner (yesterday): Tomorrow Paris will play host to a march designed to show France’s unity in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attacks. The Guardian explains: Je suis Charlie. Nous sommes Charlie. La France est Charlie. Under … Continue reading

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#PasCharlie

Cross-posted on the Corner: The #JeSuisCharlie message doesn’t appear to be getting through to some. The Global Post: A Swedish member of parliament reported a far-right leader to the police on Friday for alleged incitement to hatred over a comment … Continue reading

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Will Anything Change?

Cross-posted on the Corner. At the Financial Times, Europe editor Tony Barber’s initial response to the atrocity in Paris included this: Charlie Hebdo has a long record of mocking, baiting and needling French Muslims. If the magazine stops just short … Continue reading

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