Europe

Written by Lina Khatib (*) The Paris attacks were the most audacious act in Europe by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), signaling the dawn of a new era in which nowhere is immune from terrorist threats. However, …

Written by Sunny Hundal, The independent (*). The worst response to a tragic and horrific attack like that on Paris last night would be one that strengthens Isis. When President Francois Hollande said we are at war with Isis today, he …

Phil Orchard, The University of Queensland The recent deaths of asylum seekers attempting to reach European shores have prompted ongoing calls for action. But, given the scale of the issue, only a comprehensive, global program can go some way to …

In order to tackle social divisions, Belgium must address shocking inequalities and fundamentally reform its discriminatory education system.   Belgium has more jihadist fighters per head than any other European country. They are mostly “second-generation” Moroccans. They are Belgian officially, …

Since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in Turkey’s 2002 election, Ottoman nostalgia has played an increasing role in state policy. Often termed “neo-Ottomanism”, this was initially used to define the AKP’s foreign policy. Preaching the principle …

Following the 2013 murder of Lee Rigby, Tony Blair offered a characteristically vacuous response: “there is not a problem with Islam…but there is a problem within Islam”. That is, while not quite bigoted enough to equate Islam with terrorism in toto, Blair (for obvious reasons) …

The trap of cultural determinism “Ethnic identity, as much as any other collective identity, is an object of manipulation by individuals, who, being free, stay largely undefinable” (M.Giraud) The recent dramatic events in France have redirected public attention to the issues …

On January 7th 2015, the Kouachi brothers stormed the Charlie Hebdo editorial board and attempted to kill everyone in the room. The satirical weekly newspaper was known for its controversial drawings and cartoons, approaching religions with humour and sarcasm. This led them to represent and caricature Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam. For instance, in 2011 they released a …

Wednesday’s murder of twelve Charlie Hebdo journalists was tragic, brutal and unjustifiable: this is beyond doubt. However, the way in which we understand the attack – and Islamist extremism more generally – desperately requires rethinking. The current mainstream narrative is …