Abdelillah Bendaoudi

A two-day program of presentations, discussions, and interactive dialogue titled “Reorienting Islam in Southeast Asia: Global Forces, Local Projections” took place at Georgetown University in Washington DC from 27-28 February 2018. The event brought together scholars, experts, and about thirty attendees from almost six countries to review the role of Islam in Southeast Asia and …

New Trajectories Reshaping Islam in Southeast Asia Read More »

When asked at a March 28th press conference whether he still favored pulling U.S. troops out of Syria, President Donald Trump responded to the question with the statement “I want to get out. I want to bring our troops back home. I want to start rebuilding our nation.” At a more recent meeting of the …

Will U.S. Policy Allow IS to Reemerge? Read More »

The continually escalating war of words between Iran and the United States suggests that the Middle East will have much at stake in the coming months as sanctions take effect. The U.S. administration has made repeated assertions that “regime change” and “military action” against Iran are not on the agenda. Instead, the administration has stated …

Sanctions May Lead to Regime Change in Iran, but What Then? Read More »

After its military defeat in Iraq, the Islamic State (IS) has transformed from a governing entity to a scattered organization. Nonetheless, due to the worldwide spread of extremism, it is still necessary to combat the group’s ideology, which can easily be developed and spread by other extremist organizations. Luckily, the successful fight to defeat radical …

How Lessons from Algeria Can Shape Iraq Read More »

As world leaders and delegates prepare for the Conference of the Parties (COP28) in the UAE, there’s an undeniable sense of urgency. The impending climate catastrophe is a fast-approaching reality, even though we now possess a far deeper understanding of the science and impacts of climate change compared to three decades ago.  Since COP21 in …

COP28: The Struggle for Human Survival Read More »

As the world gears up for the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) on climate change in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), it becomes increasingly evident that Arab countries are grappling with the complexities of crafting effective climate change policies.  While Arab countries may not be the primary contributors to atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions, the …

Arab Nations and Climate Change Policies: Challenges and the Road to COP28  Read More »

After having been defeated militarily in Syria and Iraq, ISIS changed itself from a caliphate-building entity to a scattered organization as it prepared to shift from governing mode to insurgency mode. However, an ideological defeat of the organization has become a question of necessity rather than one of choice, since extremist ideology still characterizes the international …

COUNTER-TERRORISM LESSONS FROM THE ALGERIAN CIVIL WAR Read More »

Returning for its fourth year, this month the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) released its American Muslim Poll 2019 (AMP). This poll surveys Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Protestants, white Evangelicals, and those who consider themselves non-affiliated to compare attitudes across religious groups. The poll offers evidence-based contributions to a landscape that saw Muslims increasingly …

THINK TANK RELEASES REPORT ON AMERICAN MUSLIMS, ISLAMOPHOBIA Read More »