Group items tagged

What are the differences between Sunnis and Shias?Muslims are split into two main branches, the Sunnis and Shias. The split originates in a dispute soon after the death of the Prophet Muhammad over who should lead the Muslim community. The great majority of Muslims are Sunnis - estimates suggest the figure is somewhere between 85% and 90%.

Kurdish pop singer Helly Luv has received death threats from extremists in Iraq due to her recently released music video "Risk It All," which has more than 2.5 million views on YouTube.

This article from News Week basically paints a picture of Libyan history and how Gaddafi's reign devastated the state economically, socially, and politically. Author Dirk Vandewalle uses the phrase "a political tabula rasa" which in Latin means a blank slate, to describe the fate of Libya after Gaddafi's rule and convey the extent to which the country has to literally reconstruct every component that makes up a society and its government. He highlights major events that led to the downfall of both the Gaddafi regime and the Libyan state as a whole such as Arab nationalism, Jamahiriya, the Green Book, security apparatuses snuffing all opposition, terrorist incidents, isolation and international sanctions, the Lockerbie bombing, weapons of mass destruction, human right violations, divide and rule policies, and his use of oil revenue to fuel his insurgency. Vandewalle concludes the article with uncertain ideas thoughts towards Libya's future and the way the state is going to literally rebuild themselves from this "blank slate" that Gaddafi left behind. 

The author of this article strongly opposes Social Media companies, specifically Twitter censoring ISIS related materials on their website. The author argues it violates free speech and the democratic principles associated with the website, arguing censoring a beheading video would be a slippery slope for future content.

After the ousting of the Gaddafi regime the country pivoted into civil chaos. Because of the deficiency of structure and state autonomy, armed militias have become the dominant force in determining Libya's future governmental system. While the UN has internationally recognized the NTC as the interim government to ultimately turn the country into a democratic one, militias have taken things into their own hands tipping the country towards the brink of civil war. General Khalifa Haftar launched his Operation Dignity campaign accusing congress of allowing terrorists flourish in Libya and vowed to wipe them out, gaining much support from the regular armed forces and nationalist militias. The opposition to Haftar insist that his attacks are aiming for a military coup. This article was helpful in highlighting the armed groups and dividing them by Pro-Haftar and Pro-Congress sections. 

! This article shares 3 stories of women who have gone through the FGM procedure. They tend to consider FGM as the "Right of Passage" for young worn. Many women die in childbirth or have complications because of the results of FGM. 

ABU DHABI // Expatriates have embraced the UAE's culture and traditions, and increased their understanding of Islam since they moved here. Most western expatriates (94 per cent) say they have embraced the culture, followed by Arab expatriates (93 per cent) and Asian expatriates (89 per cent). Wow, so according to this source people moving into the UAE from Western culture have apparently started embracing that culture. This article sounds really good on the surface, but recalling that UAE is like one of the countries that actually still enforces possibility of death penalty for homosexual activity and prison sentences or beatings for adultery...

This is a blog article that raises the question of whether the US drone war in Yemen has caused more harm than good. The author notes how the indiscriminate death of innocents in drone attacks creates hatred for the US.

The video is about individuals who are campaigning against female genital utilization (FGM). The women who does the procedure has no medical license or experience. She said the mother doesn't care of the girl dies. All she wants is for her to "cleansed". 

The article mentions an ogling trial about FGM. A young girl Suhair died during the procedure. Outlawed in 2008, FGM continues to happen.

Egypt justice minister says killings of police and army forces must be avenged with killings of 400,000 Muslim Brotherhood members (MB). The minister also said that he will resign from his post if the death penalties of jailed Brotherhood leaders are not carried out.

In a recent audio message put out by Al Qaeda leader Al-Zawahiri, he blasts the Isis Islamic group, saying that they have no control over all muslims. Also Al-Zawahiri goes on to say that Al Qaeda is in all out war with the new terrorist group that has no customs or beliefs other than death of others who oppose them.

The terror network "remains far from crippled, and there is little evidence" al-Qaeda is on the decline, says one analyst. BEIRUT - The death of leader Osama bin Laden did not end the spread of al-Qaeda, say analysts. It may have even helped it.

The Muslim Brotherhood responds to the Sinai attack. The Brotherhood states that the attacks are linked to the islamist militants. The Muslim Brotherhood "says it is a peaceful movement...believes that shedding blood of any Egyptian is forbidden." 

The Muslim Brotherhood responds to the Sinai attack. The Brotherhood states that the attacks are linked to the islamist militants. The Muslim Brotherhood "says it is a peaceful movement...believes that shedding blood of any Egyptian is forbidden."

On October 25th, 33 security personnel were killed in Sinai by Islamist militants. According to this article, President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi was responsible for the security failures that resulted in the deaths. Sisi was quick to blame the Muslim Brotherhood for the attack, despite the Brotherhoods insistent denial.

This article talks about where Morsi stands as of now in trial. Mohammad Morsi was Egypt's first democratically elected president. This article is interesting because it also gives the perspective of those that are on Mori's side.

A court in Egypt has put Ex President Morsi on a death sentence for the murder and torture of many protestors, for Prison Break and espionage. Morsi was democratically elected but failed to solve any social or economic problems and was overthrown soon after.

The newly crowned monarch of oil-rich Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who acceded to the throne last month following the death of his brother, King Abdullah, has given billions of dollars on his citizens in an extravagant celebration of his coronation.