photo 7

photo10

photo16

photo11

photo4

Photo13

Photo1

Photo3

Photo6

Photo15

photo9

photo2

photo12

photo5

photo8

photo14

new19

Taste of ring-shaped bread bonds Turkey

By Alia Turki Al-Rabeo in Istanbul, Turkey, for Silent Heroes, Invisible Bridges

Hussein Shiraz

For either of the ethnic groups in Turkey, chilly winter morning and summer evening tea means little if served without a snack. Hold on, calling this crisp, circular bread a snack may offend many here. This indispensible pastry is called simit. Hussein Shiraz, 22, runs a bakery – Simit Evi Shop – on an Üsküdar street near Istanbul’s Marmara Sea. Popularity of multi-flavored sesame-studded simit helps this 15-member family from southeastern city of Sirnak make both ends meet. Unlike most shops in metropolitan Istanbul, the bakery has an English-speaking proprietor and a scarf-wearing account.
~Read more

Quran burning

On Feb 20, Afghan soldiers burnt their fingers while trying to retrieve the copies of Holy Quran in Kabul’s Parwan Detention Center. Four texts of Islam’s holy book were reportedly damaged while some could be salvaged in time. Soon after the news spread, outrage united the predominantly Muslim but generally bitterly divided Afghan people. Delay in damage control measures at the NATO as well as Afghan government levels led to escalation of protests into violent expression of revenge, leaving behind bodies of 30 Afghans and six US military personnel in days. Fury was shared by common Afghans as well as the Taliban militia.

An Associate Press story, quoting internal documents, blamed ‘avoidable mistakes’ leading to the explosive happening. The same wire service quotes sources in joint investigation team suggesting that the officials did not intentionally desecrate the Holy Quran. Whatever the final report may reveal about the motivation behind the troops gross anger, the incident does not help the advocates of peaceful co-existence in the West and Muslim world. ~Read more

The forgotten Rohingya

By Akbar S Ahmed in Washington DC, U.S

Akbar S Ahmed

The image of a smiling Daw Aung San Suu Kyi receiving flowers from her supporters is a powerful message of freedom and optimism in Myanmar, the symbol of democracy in a country which has known nothing but authoritarian oppression for decades.

Yet few ask one of the most pressing questions facing Daw Suu Kyi. How will she deal with the Rohingya?

"The Rohingya," you will ask. "Who are they?"

The Rohingya, whom the BBC calls "one of the world's most ~Read more

In his commentary,From winter of discontent to Arab spring, Malaysian former deputy premier Dr Anwar Ibrahim explores the dynamics of public mood in Muslim nation predominantly controlled by autocratic, dictatorial regimes.

Dr. Anwar Ibrahim

“The Arab Spring itself will be considered a failure if the newly minted democracies are unable to ensure this separation. We know that the mother of all power abuses stems from the tenacious hold exerted on the judiciary by the executive.”

Taste of ring-shaped bread bonds Turkey By Alia Turki Al-Rabeo in Istanbul, Turkey, for Silent Heroes, Invisible Bridges Hussein Shiraz For either of the ethnic groups in Turkey, chilly winter morning and summer evening tea means little if served without a snack. Hold on, calling this crisp, circular bread a snack may offend many here. This indispensible pastry is called simit. Hussein Shiraz, 22, runs a bakery – Simit Evi Shop – on an Üsküdar street near Istanbul’s Marmara Sea. Popularity of multi-flavored sesame-studded simit helps this 15-member family from southeastern city of Sirnak make both ends meet. Unlike most shops in metropolitan Istanbul, the bakery has an English-speaking proprietor and a scarf-wearing account. ~Read more	Quran burning On Feb 20, Afghan soldiers burnt their fingers while trying to retrieve the copies of Holy Quran in Kabul’s Parwan Detention Center. Four texts of Islam’s holy book were reportedly damaged while some could be salvaged in time. Soon after the news spread, outrage united the predominantly Muslim but generally bitterly divided Afghan people. Delay in damage control measures at the NATO as well as Afghan government levels led to escalation of protests into violent expression of revenge, leaving behind bodies of 30 Afghans and six US military personnel in days. Fury was shared by common Afghans as well as the Taliban militia. An Associate Press story, quoting internal documents, blamed ‘avoidable mistakes’ leading to the explosive happening. The same wire service quotes sources in joint investigation team suggesting that the officials did not intentionally desecrate the Holy Quran. Whatever the final report may reveal about the motivation behind the troops gross anger, the incident does not help the advocates of peaceful co-existence in the West and Muslim world. ~Read more	The forgotten Rohingya By Akbar S Ahmed in Washington DC, U.S Akbar S Ahmed The image of a smiling Daw Aung San Suu Kyi receiving flowers from her supporters is a powerful message of freedom and optimism in Myanmar, the symbol of democracy in a country which has known nothing but authoritarian oppression for decades. Yet few ask one of the most pressing questions facing Daw Suu Kyi. How will she deal with the Rohingya? "The Rohingya," you will ask. "Who are they?" The Rohingya, whom the BBC calls "one of the world's most ~Read more
In his commentary,From winter of discontent to Arab spring, Malaysian former deputy premier Dr Anwar Ibrahim explores the dynamics of public mood in Muslim nation predominantly controlled by autocratic, dictatorial regimes. Dr. Anwar Ibrahim “The Arab Spring itself will be considered a failure if the newly minted democracies are unable to ensure this separation. We know that the mother of all power abuses stems from the tenacious hold exerted on the judiciary by the executive.”