archive

The clash of Arab civilizations

A review of The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land by Thomas Asbridge and Holy Warriors: A Modern History of the Crusades by Jonathan Phillips. Hate Radio: Jeffrey Herf on the long, toxic afterlife of Nazi propaganda in the Arab world (and a debate with Richard Wolin). A review of The Strong Horse: Power, Politics, and the Clash of Arab Civilizations by Lee Smith. How rockets transformed the Middle East arms race and made Russia the big winner. Were early Islamic historians the first to embrace post-modernism? Lesley Hazleton investigates. The fad element in suicide bombings: Abdulmutallab was just one of many young people who flock to the siren song of martyrdom. World history is historiography against the grain: The role of the Middle East and its inhabitants in the two world wars has barely been studied to this day. Does Islamist party Hizb-ut-Tahrir pose a threat to Western society? The answer may well be yes — but that doesn't mean it should be banned (and a response). An interview with Richard Bulliet, author of The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization. The Muslim Brotherhood is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states; now splits within the world's oldest and largest Islamic political group indicate that it is at a decisive crossroads. A review of The Sum of All Heresies: The Image of Islam in Western Thought by Frederick Quinn. Life and Death in the Middle Belt: A look at the clash of civilizations taking place in Nigeria. An interview with Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi on the secular elements of the Islamic Republic of Iran.