Carsten Wieland offers a nuanced insight into the complex make-up of Syrian society before it descended into chaos. Such insights will be of enormous value in a post Assad era.
Recent conflicts have highlighted how religion and identity are central to security issues. The question remains as to what extent individual conflict zones are facets of a wider, transnational war which pits the ‘West’ against al Qaeda?
Washington cannot unilaterally deal with the mayhem that the Islamic civil war has unleashed. The U.S. must enlist allies in multilateral responses to jihadist threats. Often, events can only be influenced at the margins. At times, the most prudent policy may be to do nothing at all.
The profound social and political changes Turkey has undergone have made it a law seeking nation. Ankara is now on the path to becoming a full fledged democracy under the rule of law.
It may be premature to talk about a distinct European Islam. Yet, the diverse activism among Turkish Islamic organizations indicates that Islam is incrementally but surely localizing in Europe.
Some theories of multiculturalism sell out democratic principles. ‘Culture’ has been turned into a political ideology that overrules democratic principles and human rights.
The nature of the terror threat is shifting and the question that has not been properly answered is whether we are seeing a threat that is finally in decline or continues to ascend.
Boko Haram has morphed from a local radical Muslim group to one that is more broadly Nigeria-focused. Its goals cannot be reconciled with the existence of the secular Nigerian state.
The post Arab Spring era is one in which many western liberals fear the rise of Islamist parties in post-revolutionary Arab states. If we are lucky, more democracies can soon emerge in the Middle East, and Islamic liberalism, which is actually not that much of an oxymoron, will be reborn.
There needs to be a greater understanding of the role that religion plays in different societies and countries, and specifically how this shapes the politics of these countries. Unless the different theories of international relations can accommodate religion in their frameworks, we will be unable to fully comprehend important geopolitical events.
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