With a never-ending siege on Gaza, the economic capacity of Palestinians has shrunk to an unbearable limit where families struggle to feed their children. A breeding ground is thereby created for extremism and radical ideologies.
In the Arab World, elites are acutely aware of their condition of inferiority in the eyes of the west, and at the same time feel a sense of contempt for themselves, their culture and their own countrymen.
The traumatic attacks in Paris provoked agonised public debate. But to be productive this needs to range more deeply through France's colonial history and modern society.
Three questions not to discuss under this heading, and four more that strike uncomfortably near the heart of the matter.
Cas Mudde's article on the Charlie Hebdo attacks went viral. Here's what some of you had to say in the comments.
Mutual recognition between people and cultures moves in mysterious ways, the cartoon its Rorschach test.
Were the demonstrations of January 11 the signs of a Republican renewal? No. Less than a third of the Republic's work is done.
In fact, the removal of the ‘duty to promote community cohesion’ in schools from the UK's Ofsted inspection regime sent a very clear signal.
The EU is following a bizarre logic, where support is given to autocratic regimes who benefit from the rise of extremist groups, instead of seeking reasons for the rise of radicalization among European youth. Why?
Since the touchstone of a free speech regime is in how well it protects speech that most find revolting, its defenders have to be willing to speak also for those whose opinions they don’t find respectable.
Perhaps it is not the Muslim communities of France that must change, so much as the notion of laïcité.
Instead of distancing ourselves from terrorist crimes, as progressive Muslims we should confront the ultra conservative, violent Wahhabi/salafi version of Islam that is practised by both professional terrorists and despotic nations like Saudi Arabia.
