The World's Plaidiest News Source
2013
May
7
Here we are 2 years in to the Syrian Civil War that was sparked by the Arab Spring…70,000 dead, hundreds of thousands of refugees, and no end in site to the suffering. Instead of trying to make any grand predictions about the future of this mess, or to try and explain all the historical intricacies that lead up to it, the Professor is simply offering up a short list of players involved in the struggle for control and the soul of this state….and indeed outlines why this particular face-off could be the start of a greater regional showdown between Shia and Sunni Islam
Keywords: Syria, civil war, Shia, Alawite, Sunni, Islam, Iran, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Turkey, Israel, USA, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Arab, Arab Spring, Arab States
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2013
Apr
16
A Turkish court just sentenced a concert pianist 10 months of jail time for ‘insulting religion.’ Say what? I thought Turkey was a total secular society and well established democracy where such things are unheard of? Indeed! Thus my interest in the story! Is this ruling a sign that Turkey’s ruling AK Party is moving to make the country “more religious”….or is it just an example of a typical conservative issue that occurs in societies the world over? Hmmm…maybe a little of both, but in Turkey’s case the outcome of such a shift will have influence in other Islamic states across the region, and the world.
Related Stories:
Turkish pianist Fazil Say convicted of insulting Islam
Opinion: Turkey's Shameful Prosecution of Pianist Fazil Say
A whole paper on the subjecT: MUSLIM POLITICS WITHOUT AN “ISLAMIC” STATE: CAN TURKEY’S JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT PARTY BE A MODEL
Keywords: Turkey, AK Party, pianist, secular, democracy, free speech, conservative, liberal, Arab Spring, Muslim, Islam, Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt
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2013
Mar
25
The Prime Minister of Israel just apologized to the Prime Minister of Turkey? What’s that all about? The apology issued by PM Benjamin Netanyahu if Israel to PM Recep Erdoğan of Turkey was over the death of 9 Turkish citizens in the 2010 Gaza Flotilla Raid. But this apology has wider repercussions than just political niceties….the re-established ties between Israel and Turkey may pave the way for these two old allies to move against Syria, in conjunction with the USA. Watch the Professor rage about all this, and more!
Related Stories:
Israeli Apology Resets Alliance With Turkey
Keywords: Turkey, Israel, USA, Gaza Flotilla Raid, Gaza Strip, Palestine, Hamas, Syria, Arab Spring, Egypt
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2013
Feb
6
Holy diplomatic thaw! For the first time since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, an Iranian head of state (currently President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) is visiting Egypt; a core of Arab culture and power. And this comes on the heels of the Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi visiting Iran a few months back…the first time that an Egyptian head of state has been to Iran since 1979 as well! Are we seeing the beginnings of an Islamic/theocratic alliance between these states, and thus Iran’s increasing influence spreading to the religiously conservative Muslim Brotherhood? Will Egypt go the way of theocratic Iran? Doubtful. Learn what the Professor makes of this most memorable Mahmoud/Morsi meeting in this podcast! Shoes will be thrown!
Related Stories:
Iran's Ahmadinejad makes historic visit to Egypt
Iran-Egypt relations remain cool despite Ahmadinejad's visit to Cairo
Ahmadinejad makes history with trip to Egypt for OIC summit
Keywords: Iran, Egypt, Persian, Arab, Islam, Muslim Brotherhood, theocracy, democracy, NAM, Non-Aligned Movement, OIC, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, lame-duck, space program, monkey, shoe
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2012
Oct
1
Hilary Clinton just met with the GCC, and the US is selling hell-tons of weapons to the GCC, and the GCC is developing a joint missile defense shield…and…and…and…and who the hell is the GCC? It’s the Gulf Cooperation Council, and it is increasingly the most important player to consider for the future of virtually all Middle Eastern show-downs and US strategic partnerships! It is possibly the “NATO” of the Persian Gulf! So dig this knowledge and let’s get this GCC discussion started!
Related Stories:
GCC and US discuss boosting Strategic Cooperation Forum’s role
U.S., Gulf countries seek to advance missile defense plan
US pushing Gulf nations to develop missile defence
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