Published in Hudson New York That democracy equates freedom is axiomatic in the West. Say the word "democracy" and images of a free, pluralistic, and secular society come to mind. Recently commenting on the turmoil in Egypt, President Obama made this association when he said that "the United States will continue to stand up for democracyand the universal rights that all human … [Read more...]
Egypt’s Identity Crisis
Published in Pajamas Media Translations of this item: Danish French With Egypt's "July Revolution" of 1952, for the first time in millennia, Egyptians were able to boast that a native-born Egyptian, Gamal Abdel Nasser, would govern their nation: Ever since the overthrow of its last native pharaoh nearly 2,500 years ago, Egypt had been ruled by a host of foreign … [Read more...]
Can American Values Radicalize Muslims?
Published in Pajamas Media Translations of this item: Danish Recent comments by U.S. officials on the threat posed by "radicalized" American Muslims are troubling, both for their domestic and international implications. Attorney General Eric Holder states that "the threat has changed … to worrying about people in the United States, American citizens — raised here, … [Read more...]
Why the Egyptian Revolution Can Be the Best – or Worst – Thing to Happen
Published in National Review Online: The Corner It is clear that the media and its host of analysts are split in two camps on the Egyptian revolution: one that sees it as a wonderful expression of "people-power" that, left alone, will naturally culminate into some sort of pluralistic democracy, and another that sees only the Muslim Brotherhood, in other words, that sees only … [Read more...]
The Ultimate Lesson of Egypt’s Fake Photo
Published in Pajamas Media One of the most widely circulated newspapers in the world, Egypt's Al Ahram, recently ran a fake picturedepicting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak walking in front of U.S. President Barack Obama and a pack of other Mideast leaders. In fact, based on the original photo, Mubarak, the octogenarian, appeared trailing last. Why the outlandish deception … [Read more...]