Inconceivably, in November 2017 Sheikh Saleh Abdallah Kamel chairman and founder of the Dallah al Baraka Group, chairman of the General Council for Islamic Banks and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, perhaps Saudi Arabia's richest private citizen, was … [Read more...] about Sheikh Kamel: Has the Mighty Saudi Fallen?
Contributor: J. Millard Burr
Egypt’s Salafist* Party Returns to the Wilderness
“Running for the Salafi Party was a loss…I regret it. [My] popularity in the constituency was very strong, but joining the party caused it to decline.” - Daily News Egypt, October 24, 2015 Results from the first round of phase one of Egypt’s parliam … [Read more...] about Egypt’s Salafist* Party Returns to the Wilderness
The Rise of Islamist Dominance in Turkey – Part I
The creeping diminution of Ataturk's secular Turkish state began in 1970, when Necmettin Erbakan (1926-2011), who had been elected to Parliament the previous year, formed Turkey’s first Islamic political party in the post-Ataturk era. A year later, i … [Read more...] about The Rise of Islamist Dominance in Turkey – Part I
Libya: By Thirds
Left: Libyan major oil pipelines, refiners and major oil fields. (Hassan S. Hassan, 2009) The US Department of State International Boundary Study series was initiated in 1961 with studies (#1,2,3) on the boundaries of Libya: Algeria -- Libya … [Read more...] about Libya: By Thirds
Hillary Clinton: Libya and the Clinton Foundation
Revelations of donations to the Clinton Foundation after Hillary Clinton joined the Obama administration in January 2009, invite a second look at her decisions as Secretary of State. In early January 2011 U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was … [Read more...] about Hillary Clinton: Libya and the Clinton Foundation
A Pakistan-Saudi-U.S. Triangle
Left: Rival Pakistani rallies have been held for and against the Saudi-led campaign on Yemen [Reuters] In the first few months of 2015, Pakistan has made news regarding its relationship with both the United States and Saudi Arabia. And as usual, one … [Read more...] about A Pakistan-Saudi-U.S. Triangle
Yemen War – Water and the Houthi Homeland
Aden: Despite Saudi led coalition airstrikes on the city of Aden, Huthi rebels backed by Iran and other Shia states are continuously advancing in the city cause shortage of water for locals. Multiple disasters are looming for Yemen. One that is … [Read more...] about Yemen War – Water and the Houthi Homeland
Libya 2011: The Decisive Year
Left: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton learned about the death of Muammar Gaddafi via an SMS message. Clinton was staying in Kabul when she learned the news. The moment, when she was given a cell phone, was filmed by CBS NEWS as Clinton was … [Read more...] about Libya 2011: The Decisive Year
An Easter Gift to the Christians of Zhejiang?
Left: Demolition team attempting to remove a cross from Wenzhou’s Guantou church, June 11, 2014 Not widely reported outside of Christian circles is the fact that despite the success of the Christian movement in Zhejiang, the Chinese government had fo … [Read more...] about An Easter Gift to the Christians of Zhejiang?
Christians in China
In 1979 I spent some months prowling the State Department library in search of material for a study on the history of The United States’ concern with the narcotics trade in China. The final result, some 50,000 words, was submitted to Mathea Falco, t … [Read more...] about Christians in China