Islamophobia is the product of centuries of narratives stretching from medieval Europe and the Crusades through colonialism, Orientalism, and the modern media age, with anti-Muslim stereotypes repeatedly reshaped to suit changing political, religious, and ideological contexts, portraying Muslims as threats, outsiders, or security risks
Persian poet Saadi, who influenced thinkers such as French Enlightenment writer-philosopher Voltaire, was among the stalwarts who studied in Baghdad at iconic educational institutes such as Nizamiya College and Mustansiriya University, known for their structured teachings and diverse student body, during the Islamic Golden Age
Rebels attack Aleppo, reigniting the civil war, Israel continues assaults in Gaza despite expected talks for a ceasefire with Hamas, the latest on protesters demanding the release of Imran Khan, a new carbon-absorbing powder offers hope for climate efforts and record online holiday shopping
Ali Humayun Akhtar’s ‘Italy and the Islamic World: From Caesar to Mussolini’ is particularly relevant against the backdrop of Giorgia Meloni’s rise as Italy’s first far-right leader since the Second World War, her fearmongering and discriminatory policies against Muslims
Irgun and Stern Gang orchestrated the Deir Yassin massacre in 1948 to drive out Palestinians of what became Israel and created a new generation of fighters who turned to some of the methods including bombings and anarchist strategy that Zionists used for Israel’s creation
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan overcame decades-old domination of secularists, who saw themselves as the guardians of the secular Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded and shaped through sweeping top-down Westernization and suppression of religious citizens
The depiction of Muslims as monsters and villains in Western culture dating back to medieval times has been perpetuated through literature, art, cinema, and now social media and contributed to a culture of violence and discrimination against them
Former Oxford professor Avi Shlaim’s book Three Worlds: Memoir of an Arab-Jew uncovers what he calls ‘undeniable proof’ of Zionist involvement in the attacks that forced Iraqi Jews to emigrate to Israel after over 2,500 years of presence in Babylon
The words—’Mr Gorbachev, tear down this Wall’—that moved the world would have been edited out from Reagan’s Berlin Wall Speech had it not been for the US President’s insistence in the face of objections from mandarins
The Inter-linked events lead to peaceful German unification as well but my fascination has been not linked to that alone but also to deep admiration for Germans for their rise literally from the ashes along with Japan post-Second World War
