Assuming there is a consensus on the definition of radical Islam, which is not the case, the question is why this seemingly extreme manifestation at a time when there is broad agreement that Islam is a religion of moderation, compassion and humanitarianism. More specifically, wh

There is broad consensus that 2014 was one of the most turbulent years in contemporary times, with violence raging in many parts of the world. The reasons for many of the intense and explosive events of the past year were rooted in religious, ethnic or racial conflicts. This ma

The execution of 11 convicted criminals last week took many by surprise since Jordan had frozen the application of the death penalty some eight years ago. The execution caused also an uproar among EU countries, which are at the vanguard of nations opposed to capital punishment a

I am not sure whether we in Jordan have in place a proper procedure for emergency medical situations. The other day, I witnessed a disturbing case: a waiter at a café in Shmeisani accidentally cut his right hand while washing a glass and sustained a deep wound.

While Islamic State followers are calling on Arab and Muslim communities making Western countries their homeland to leave these places of the “infidel”, these communities are increasingly feeling right at home in their adopted countries. The Arab and Muslim immi

The recent report of the US Senate on the CIA’s torture practices during the era of President George W.

The fluctuation in the price of oil in the last few weeks was not due strictly to economic principles, including supply and demand. There must have been other reasons for the quite steep drop in the price of oil.  When oil prices change in a dramatic way, ob

The list of human rights is getting quite long these days with the addition of every conceivable kind of right to the already long record. The latest addition is the “right to play”. At first glance, this right might sound out of place, but deeper consideration

The suicide car bombing that claimed the life of 30 Egyptian soldiers and wounded many others in Sinai last month was not the first of its kind, nor will it be the last, judging by the ever-increasing number of such attacks. This state of affairs prompted Cairo, and rightly