Hasan Ismaik
Twenty years after 9/11: which is worse? The beginning, or the end?
Opinion
September 10, 2021
Twenty years after 9/11: which is worse? The beginning, or the end?
Hubris comes in many forms, but surely the rushed exit of American forces from Afghanistan to meet an artificial political…
Al-Azhar: A Gate to Muslim Unity
Featured Opinion
July 8, 2021
Al-Azhar: A Gate to Muslim Unity
Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, both the mosque and the university, are often seen as a distinguished part of contemporary Islamic history. The…
Arab Feminism: A Luxury or a Necessity?
Opinion
April 1, 2021
Arab Feminism: A Luxury or a Necessity?
It is not an exaggeration if I say that since the beginning of March, all my conversations and talks with…
Opinion | Islam: The religion of love, tolerance, and moderation
Opinion
March 10, 2021
Opinion | Islam: The religion of love, tolerance, and moderation
For a religion to be strong, it must be confident in itself – solid in its convictions and robust in…
The new Sudan: A crossover into prosperity
Opinion
February 13, 2021
The new Sudan: A crossover into prosperity
The Arab Spring spawned a mixed record of success regarding liberalization, but one recent bright spot has been the revolution…
Reflections on Arab politics: To create good leaders, good citizens need to be nurtured
Opinion
February 7, 2021
Reflections on Arab politics: To create good leaders, good citizens need to be nurtured
The Egyptian Nobel Prize-winning author Naguib Mahfouz wrote in his novel ‘Heart of the Night’, that ‘Politics is a spacious…
Boredom opens the door to isolation, depression, and terrorism
Opinion
January 27, 2021
Boredom opens the door to isolation, depression, and terrorism
When governments talk about how to reduce the risk of terrorism, the most oft-voiced policies are security-based: detecting and cracking…
Silicon Valley: the ultimate goal, or the beginning of the end? (Part two)
Opinion
January 21, 2021
Silicon Valley: the ultimate goal, or the beginning of the end? (Part two)
There is no doubt that technology has made our lives easier. From communicating with others despite miles of separation, to…
Silicon Valley: the ultimate goal, or the beginning of the end? (Part one)
Opinion
January 18, 2021
Silicon Valley: the ultimate goal, or the beginning of the end? (Part one)
I was watching a promotional clip of Oprah Winfrey’s interview with former US President Barack Obama. He was discussing his…
What can be done about society’s ongoing crisis of values?
Opinion
December 19, 2020
What can be done about society’s ongoing crisis of values?
It is so painful, so inexpressible when I look at what our relationship with “the other” has become; when I…
The West and the Syrian-Iranian alliance: A card that should be played
Egypt
December 12, 2020
The West and the Syrian-Iranian alliance: A card that should be played
Today, Syria is experiencing a serious impasse, where the country is living in a state of “no war, no peace”. There…
Islamic Rationalism: A Missed Opportunity?
Opinion
December 7, 2020
Islamic Rationalism: A Missed Opportunity?
On one of my visits to Germany, while walking in the streets of Munich, I bumped into a sheikh whom I know…
Their existing secularism and our aspired secularism
Opinion
December 3, 2020
Their existing secularism and our aspired secularism
George Holyoake’s 1896 publication English Secularism describes secularism as follows: “Secularism is a code of duty pertaining to this life, founded on…
Macron… Betrayal of Language and Problems of Terminology
Opinion
November 20, 2020
Macron… Betrayal of Language and Problems of Terminology
Did Macron catch the vicious “bug” of sectarianism from Lebanese officials when he met them in Beirut? They know how…
Trump: an exceptional president for an ordinary time
Opinion
November 13, 2020
Trump: an exceptional president for an ordinary time
During and after each US presidential election, the connotations of winning and losing differ from their general use, as the…
Christians: The Salt of the Arab-Islamic Civilization
Opinion
November 6, 2020
Christians: The Salt of the Arab-Islamic Civilization
Historians agree unanimously on the importance Christianity’s role in the Arab renaissance in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.…
The Donkey & Elephant Race: Reflections on a Significant Event
Opinion
November 3, 2020
The Donkey & Elephant Race: Reflections on a Significant Event
Every four years, the world, armed with statistics on the one hand and predictions and expectations on the other, gaze…
Pandora’s Box… Radicalization and counter-radicalization in France
Opinion
October 31, 2020
Pandora’s Box… Radicalization and counter-radicalization in France
While presenting his strategic vision to confront “political Islam” in a speech on October 2, French President Emmanuel Macron could…
How educational curriculum wastes the Arab youth’s potential and creates a backward society
Opinion
October 16, 2020
How educational curriculum wastes the Arab youth’s potential and creates a backward society
“Westerners are not geniuses and we are not stupid, they only support those who fail until they succeed, while we…
Between the Mind and the Rifle – Reflections on the struggle of “Enemy brothers”
Opinion
October 10, 2020
Between the Mind and the Rifle – Reflections on the struggle of “Enemy brothers”
Dear readers, this article may differ from my previous work as I am writing it as a form of inner…