“Experts say that it’s especially critical for children to learn about Islam and other world religions now, as fear of terrorism linked to jihad have become an increasingly dominant part of the country’s political debate.”
http://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-washington-post/20160224/282007556464354/TextView
The French government has been in a state of emergency since the Paris Attacks this past November. There have been several questionable actions made by police and government that seem to be violating human rights of French Muslim citizens.
Behind Stark Political Divisions, a More Complex Map of Sunnis and Shiites
Sunni-led allies of Saudi Arabia have cut diplomatic ties with Shiite Iran, further polarizing the Middle East along the two major branches of Islam. But while almost all of the governments are controlled by one sect, the countries’ populations are a mix of Sunnis and Shiites, as well as other branches and sub-sects, an important and complicating factor in the region’s conflicts.
http://www.midafternoonmap.com/2016/02/century-old-us-map-envisions-united.html
European Territorial Claims on Turkey from Europe at Turkey’s Door, The Geographical Review, 1916
“As the French and British were hammering out the Sykes Picot agreement in the spring of 1916, an American geographer named Leon Dominan prepared a map showing the possible European spheres of influence that might be carved out of the Ottoman Empire after its defeat. His accompanying article discusses the historical, economic and political background to each power’s claim in the region, but does not give any specific details on how we came up with this particular division. His predictions seem to have erred rather consistently in France’s favor, not only granting them Palestine but the Karadeniz too. The map also imagines Russia’s sphere of influence extending from Iran into much of Eastern Anatolia and what is now Northern Iraq, which even before the revolution was more than the British and French seemed willing to offer.”
A previous post I made was about the organization called Rumi Forum. Occasionally Rumi Forum hosts discussions and speakers on Muslim topics. I thought I would share a couple of upcoming events for anyone who is interested in attending them! I’ve hyperlinked everything so you all can go straight to the source and have all the details.
The first discussion is on Islamophobia and it’s February 23, 2016.
The second event is on February 24, 2016 and is titled “Welcoming the Stranger: Refugees and Immigrants in Our Midst.”
