September 25, 2015 As the month of September drags on, people are still waiting for a number of apocalyptic episodes to take place. Personally, I’ve been waiting to see if I should pay my mortgage for October or not, while waiting for Palestine to become a state, looking for blood moons to appear and watching … Continue reading A Lingering September 2015: A Middle East View of Where the World is Headed
Tag: ISIS
Finally: An Iran Nuke Deal: The “Great Satan” and the “World’s Top Sponsor of Terrorism” Come to Terms
July 15, 2015 After years of talking about it, a deal was finally struck on Tuesday morning regarding Iran’s nuclear program. As could be expected, not everyone agrees with it. The news of the deal struck some as the best thing ever, others felt it was the best that could be done under the circumstances, … Continue reading Finally: An Iran Nuke Deal: The “Great Satan” and the “World’s Top Sponsor of Terrorism” Come to Terms
ISIS Advances: How Islamic is the Islamic State?
April 17, 2015 Today ISIS claimed responsibility for a car bombing near the U.S. consulate in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Yesterday, ISIS took over the eastern part of the city of Ramadi, in Iraq’s Anbar province. Families with children could be seen carrying whatever they could, fleeing the city looking for safety in … Continue reading ISIS Advances: How Islamic is the Islamic State?
ISIS: The Kurdish Factor
By Phil Johnson, Ph.D. (with special assistance from Ary Rasool) March 21, 2015 Today is Kurdish Newroz - a celebration of the Kurdish New Year. This year, the celebration coincides with yesterday’s release of a graphic video produced by ISIS showing the brutal beheadings of three Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers. At least fourteen other soldiers are still … Continue reading ISIS: The Kurdish Factor
ISIS: Fire and the Healing of the Believer’s Chest
February 6, 2015 Over the last couple of weeks, ISIS (Islamic State) has continued to make headlines by gaining territory in Syria, decapitating two Japanese journalists and releasing a highly-produced video showing the burning alive of Jordanian pilot, Muath al-Kassasbeh. In addition, a report released on Wednesday by the U.N. Committee on the Rights of … Continue reading ISIS: Fire and the Healing of the Believer’s Chest
State of the World: January 2015 Update
January 25, 2015 It seems that since November of 2014, I haven’t been able to catch my breath - between conferences in Italy and China, teaching courses in Geneva and Kabul and research in Qatar, India and Kashmir, I haven’t had time to comment on the goings-on of the world. But I’ve been tracking - … Continue reading State of the World: January 2015 Update
2014 RECAP
December 31, 2014 I love New Year’s Eve. I don’t actually do anything - or go anywhere, but there is something very satisfying about letting a year expire - with all the good or not-so-good that happened, at least it’s over and there’s a chance to start a new year. But before we officially say … Continue reading 2014 RECAP
Rome, Qatar and Chasing Rabbits
November 24, 2014 I recently returned from conducting a leadership conference in Italy followed by some research work in Qatar - two very different places, and each with a unique voice in the world. Rome is the home of the Roman Catholic Church and Pope Francis (who was recently ranked as the 4th most powerful … Continue reading Rome, Qatar and Chasing Rabbits
The World in a Nutshell: October 2014
It is time to give a quick “global update” and comment on some of the many stories dominating the news theses days. Fasten your seatbelt - here’s the world: 1. Shooting Near the Canadian Parliament. One soldier was killed and at least 3 others were wounded by a terrorist shooting today in Ottawa. Why does it … Continue reading The World in a Nutshell: October 2014
The ISIS Threat: As Viewed from Neighboring Lebanon
October 9, 2014 Regardless as to the US-led airstrikes which began several weeks ago, ISIS remains on the march. As I write this, the strategic town of Kobani, on Syria’s border with Turkey, is under siege. It seems likely now that Kobani will fall to ISIS - and Turkey seems to sit on the border with … Continue reading The ISIS Threat: As Viewed from Neighboring Lebanon
The Global Nexter 