Infirmities notwithstanding, I couldn't let this story pass by without at least mentioning it. Researchers at the University of Birmingham in the UK have found a manuscript of a part of the Qurʾan that can be dated to the middle of the 7th century CE, shortly after Muhammad's death: Radiocarbon analysis has dated the parchment … Continue reading University of Birmingham finds what might be the oldest Qurʾanic text in existence
Category: blog
Minding the Minders
The UN makes a very big deal out of its role in protecting human rights around the world. Don't take my word for it; take theirs: The term “human rights” was mentioned seven times in the UN's founding Charter, making the promotion and protection of human rights a key purpose and guiding principle of the … Continue reading Minding the Minders
The Joys of Empire
I suppose it's time to write something about Robert Kaplan's awful "Imperialism is Actually Good" hot take from Foreign Policy a couple of weeks ago. First I need to confess something. Every time I read a piece like Kaplan's (or like Graeme Wood's "ISIS is really very Islamic" piece from March, though in that case … Continue reading The Joys of Empire
Are the “Sudairi Seven” consolidating power?
Earlier today, or late last night if you're in the US, we all received a pretty big announcement out of Saudi Arabia: Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz sacked his younger half-brother as crown prince and appointed his nephew, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, as the new heir apparent, state television said....King Salman also appointed … Continue reading Are the “Sudairi Seven” consolidating power?
“American Sniper” and being “anti-war”
Spoilers for the film American Sniper are going to be in here somewhere, I guess, I don't really know what qualifies as a "spoiler." Anyway, you were warned. There's a sequence maybe halfway through American Sniper where Chris Kyle (played by Bradley Cooper) is leading his men on a stakeout of a restaurant where a … Continue reading “American Sniper” and being “anti-war”
The reformer who didn’t really reform anything
There seems to be a theme in the early eulogizing of Saudi King Abdullah b. Abdulaziz, who died yesterday at the age of 90, give or take. See if you can pick out what it is: Yes, Abdullah was a reformer, which may come as a surprise to some of you at home, but not … Continue reading The reformer who didn’t really reform anything
Sykes-Picot Still Confounds
Hey, I've moved! If you enjoy this post you can find more of my writing at Foreign Exchanges, a Substack newsletter covering a variety of topics in history and foreign affairs. Check it out today and become a subscriber! Jennifer Thea Gordon at National Interest has what is actually not a bad piece challenging the … Continue reading Sykes-Picot Still Confounds
Columbus and the Islamic World
Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day! As today is the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the “New World,” I thought it appropriate to examine his impact on the Old World—specifically on the part of the Old World controlled by Muslim powers in 1492. This is just a placeholder. If you’d like to read the rest please … Continue reading Columbus and the Islamic World
A Persian Shah in Europe
A website called iroon.com has put together a video of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar, who ruled Iran (which most people outside Iran then called "Persia") from 1896 until his death in 1907, based on photos, films, and even an audio recording from the three trips he made to Europe while he was Shah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh1iO5QuJvg The … Continue reading A Persian Shah in Europe
On the Yazidis
Since we're now bombing northern Iraq in part to try to save the Yazidis, it's worth knowing more about them. This National Geographic piece is a pretty good start: The Yazidi religion is often misunderstood, as it does not fit neatly into Iraq’s sectarian mosaic. Most Yazidis are Kurdish speakers, and while the majority consider themselves … Continue reading On the Yazidis
The Foreign Exchanges Companion 