Most recent articles by Loay Mudhoon
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Scholz in Saudi Arabia and the EmiratesThe autocrats' finest hour
Chancellor Olaf Scholz's recent trip to the Persian Gulf underlines Germany's need for consistency in its dealings with the region's assertive rulers, writes Loay Mudhoon
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Salman Rushdie attackSummoning up Ayatollah Khomeini's spirit
Thirty-three years after Ayatollah Khomeini first issued his "Satanic Verses" fatwa, the attempt to kill Indian-born British writer Salman Rushdie in the United States proves just how destructive the political instrumentalisation of Islam is, writes Loay Mudhoon
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Media and politics in the Arab worldThe despotsʹ henchmen
The murder of well-known Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi highlights the difficulties facing media in post-revolutionary Arab states. The freedoms temporarily gained after 2011 have long since fallen victim to the authoritarian restoration. By Loay Mudhoon
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Authoritarian reinstatement in the Arab worldWhatʹs left of the Arab Spring
Not much remains of the euphoric mood and the hopes that drove the Arab Spring. A return to pre-2011 conditions is however out of the question. Commentary by Loay Mudhoon
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Pew Research Center studyIslam does not stand in antithesis to the West
A study by the Washington-based Pew Research Center says the number of Muslims living in Europe is set to increase. But this is no reason to conjure up the spectre of an Islamisation of the West, says Loay Mudhoon
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Islamic StateDown but not necessarily out
With Mosul and Raqqa retaken, the fate of Islamic State's territorial caliphate is sealed. Yet Loay Mudhoon says that's no reason to give the all clear, as IS is nothing more than a symptom of a crisis of statehood
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Berlin′s new mosqueLiberal Islam is a chimaera
The hostile reactions to the opening of a "liberal mosque" in Berlin are no great surprise. They are not, however, evidence that Islam is incapable of reform, says Loay Mudhoon
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Social unrest in the Arab worldGuilty of gross negligence
The ongoing protests in North Africa reveal the extent of the failure of government there. Never before have corrupt elites been so alienated from the social realities of the ordinary people, says Loay Mudhoon
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US Middle East policy under Donald TrumpA recipe for further catastrophes?
Trump's election is also being seen as a caesura in the Middle East. Many fear a return to a simplistic way of thinking, which would make his presidency a nightmare for the region, says Loay Mudhoon
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The Reform Islam debateIslam doesn′t need a Martin Luther!
Calls for an Islamic Reformation are issued in the wake of every Islamist act of terrorism. But Muslims don't need a Martin Luther. What is needed is a reconciliation of Islam with the constitutional state, says Loay Mudhoon
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Russian intervention in SyriaMake no mistake
The partial withdrawal of Russian armed forces from Syria came as a surprise to many. But Loay Mudhoon says that its message to President Assad is clear: he must finally negotiate with the opposition
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European refugee policy: a commentaryEurope needs common standards
The refugee crisis is a chance to revive Europe's humanitarian heritage. Germany and the German people are taking the lead, says Loay Mudhoon