General Issues

(Excerpts from the book “Nobody’s People-The Forgotten plight of Sri Lanka’s Muslims” by Latheef Farook)  During the World War 11 the British government asked its colonies to support them assuring that they would be given independence once the war ended. Like rest of the British colonies, Sri Lanka too supported the British. In the aftermath of the War, agitation for …

Welcome to an edgy world where a single incident at an energy “chokepoint” could set a region aflame, provoking bloody encounters, boosting oil prices, and putting the global economy at risk.  With energy demand on the rise and sources of supply dwindling, we are, in fact, entering a new epoch — the Geo-Energy Era — in which disputes over vital resources …

  CAIRO – Bringing back bad memories of the Soviet repression, the Tajik parliament has passed a bill that would ban children and adolescents from attending mosques, drawing sharp criticism from Muslim leaders as a crackdown on religious freedom. "It's a black day for Muslims," prominent Muslim theologist Akbar Turadzhonzoda told Times of India on Saturday, June 18. “Even in …

As best I can recall, I first met Saudi Arabia’s Prince Turki al-Faisal at a private home in Washington years ago. I found him stern and humorless, sometimes even bitter. I have seen him since at international conferences and the like — never in the mood for small talk and exhibiting, sometimes in his glorious robes, not an ounce of …