Tag Archives: Islam

Reflecting on the shades of grey in Lebanon

Posted on May 27, 2013 by

After a week in Beirut meeting with an array of religious and political actors as well as humanitarian relief agencies it’s weird to be back in the Weald of Kent dependent once again on conventional news outlets for analysis of … Continue reading →

Posted in British Foreign Policy, Middle East | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Building Bridges with Modernity and its Futures

Posted on April 23, 2012 by

Last week I explored how the shift to a multi-polar world might give rise to multiple understandings of modernity. I suggested that rather than resisting this trend the West needed to be tolerant of others who follow different paths with … Continue reading →

Posted in Interfaith | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Modernity and its futures?

Posted on April 20, 2012 by

Trawl the shelves of any respectable bookshop today and you will find a growing body of literature expounding the now well trodden thesis that China’s rise inevitably means the West’s demise. To be fair scholars have been exploring this possibility for … Continue reading →

Posted in British Foreign Policy, Europe, Middle East | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Where have all the Arabs gone?

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

Where have all the Arabs gone? This question could well be answered over the next few days when the Syrian National Council and other opposition groups meet in Istanbul and when the Arab League meets in Baghdad. Political and media … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Developing an Understanding of Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions

Posted on February 23, 2012 by

Putting aside for the moment the unanswered question of whether Iran intends to militarize the nuclear capability that it appears likely to acquire any time soon, what exactly is driving Iran’s nuclear ambition? It is not the place of this blog to document … Continue reading →

Posted in Iran | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Christians in the Middle East

Posted on November 18, 2011 by

Later next month, on the 9th December, the Archbishop of Canterbury will be leading a debate in the House of Lords to call attention to the situation of Christians in the Middle East. The debate will provide an opportunity for Peers … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East, Religious Freedom | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Islam is Part of Europe

Posted on April 11, 2011 by

France’s law banning the wearing of burkas in public comes into effect today. The burka might be an uncomfortable symbol to many in the West, but this particular piece of legislation does appear unnecessarily provocative. Most of the papers that … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Islam | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments