Turkey between Europe and the Middle East

By Rachel Aunspaugh | Disclaimer
It is an understatement to say that Turkey occupies an odd and slightly uncomfortable position in the world. Sitting between Europe and the Middle East, yet not fully a member of either, Turkey offers a unique opportunity for NATO. As one reads more and more about Turkey and NATO, the importance [...]

Turkey says it will push ahead with Iran gas deal

IRAN. Turkey’s Energy Minister said yesterday the country would push ahead with a planned deal to produce and export gas from neighbouring Iran, saying cancellation of the deal was “out of the question”. Turkey and Iran failed to conclude expected energy accords during a visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Turkey in August. The [...]

Islam and Democracy

In the article “Islam and Democracy,” by John Esposito and John O. Voll discuss the complexity of democracy in the contemporary world. In particular, there focus is on the involvement of the multiple groups in the twentieth century political seen. They argue that many of these groups “identify themselves explicitly as Islamic” as a way [...]

A seminar about “the Many Faces of Political Islam”

Seminar
Series: Initiative on Religion in International Affairs Event
Open to the Public – Harvard Kennedy School Campus
October 22, 2008
11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
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Related Project: Religion in International Affairs
Description:
Dr. Mohammed Ayoob will discuss the major themes of his recent book on the diverse manifestations of Islam and [...]

Middle East flags and presidents pictures

Asia to become economic powerhouse by next decade

Islamabad: Pakistan Economy Watch has said that only regional cooperation can provide relief to 50 crore poor living in South Asia. Political differences, if set aside, will spur new era of growth and Pakistan will reap dividends as Asia will be world’s centre of economic activity by next decade.

Pakistan will be world’s leader in textile [...]

Islamic beliefs honor Women

Los Angeles District
Have you ever walked through a mall and seen a woman with a veil covering her hair? What crossed your mind? Did you think she was one of the many wives of a rich Saudi Arabian oil sheik? Did you feel sympathy for her because some man forced her to dress that way? [...]

Turkey is getting more secular, or religious

Mustafa AKYOL
Almost every survey about Turkish society reveals that religious observance is becoming more visible but also less dense. Let me tell you why…  Mainstream Turkish media loves to be alarmist about the “creeping Islamization of Turkey.” Especially since the conservative AKP (Justice and Development Party) came to power in 2002, fear mongering about the “shariah [...]

The Middle East’s Water Crisis: Will the Jordan River Run Dry?

The River Jordan has flowed freely for thousands of years, its name immortalized in the Hebrew Bible and its lush upper reaches once known as the gates to the Garden of Eden. This summer, however, large sections of this storied river were reduced to a trickle, the water so low that grass fires spread freely [...]

Modernisation of Islam the only way to the victory for Muslims

MUSTAFA AKYOL, contributing author to www.WauBebas.org, is a Turkish columnist based in Istanbul.
Not long ago I ran into a quote from Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the Egyptian Muslim scholar and Al-Jazeera televangelist, in Turkey’s controversial Islamist daily . The 80-year-old cleric was saying, “Victory is only possible by returning to Islam.”

Economy of Turkey pursuing a progressive growth

Over the past two decades, the Republic of Turkey has undergone a profound economic transformation.  Combined with an outward oriented trade policy, the Turkish economy has been pursuing a progressive growth in most sectors.  In spite of certain difficulties, the Turkish economy has become more resilient to external and domestic fluctuations. As a result of [...]

Democracy meets moderate Islamists wishes

A quick look at the Islamic countries reveals the fact that moderate Islam coordinates democratic values. In fact if democracy establishes in these countries, moderate Islamists will gain more than anybody else. They will receive the freedom of activities and get ride of cruel dictators which limits their freedom. here is more concrete examples:
In Egypt [...]

Turkey’s archaeological treasures go online

A project that aims to create a complete list of all Turkey’s archaeological treasures has been recently completed and the information has been published on the Internet for the use of researchers. Oğuz Tanındı, project coordinator of the Turkish Archaeological Accommodations, or TAA, told the Anatolia news agency that they have provided 2,907 archaeological assets [...]

Middle East internet Broadband Forecast

High demand for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) products and services in the Middle East is making the region an attractive proposition for the development of high speed broadband access market. The governments across the region are adopting policies to promote the uptake of broadband technology. In particular, aggressive development by the Gulf countries in [...]

Islam and the Evolution theory

Emre Kizilkaya
My fellow countrymen who imitate Evangelical Christians to wrongly argue that the Evolution is an anti-Islamic concept still make me angry, especially after the latest news from Britain. I, as a practising Muslim who fasts in these Ramadan days, strongly support Charles Darwin’s theory, because it just make sense. At the same time, [...]