“Our future does not depend on what the gentiles will say but on what the Jews will do.” David ben Gurion, Israel’s founding father. Israel is a diverse society and individual identities include religion, ethnicity, ideological and political views. Despite this diversity, Israel born amid existential security threat emerged as a strong country built on…
“I don’t need you to agree with me; I need you to care about me”. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. Israel is going through unprecedented upheaval where large numbers are protesting the government’s legislative agenda related to the judiciary. Israeli politics is notoriously fractious, and the political system only allows a coalition government. Both Israelis and outsiders…
“Theologians may quarrel, but the mystics of the world speak the same language.”Meister Eckhart (1260-1328) Every religion has two aspects; one deals with outward rituals and legal codes while the other with mystical aspect of contemplation and self-improvement. Mysticism tries to bridge the gap of understanding between an eternal divine entity and a finite universe…
“Grand Delusion” by Steven Simon provides a timely analysis of the dynamics that shaped American foreign policy in the post-Cold War era in the Middle East. The major theme of “Grand Delusion” revolves around the notion that American policymakers suffered from a persistent delusion that military force alone can bring about sustainable change and security…
“Four Battlegrounds” by Paul Scharre is a fascinating account of emerging technologies especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) in military affairs and modern warfare. New technologies from the invention of gun powder, artillery, automobile, airplane, tank, and submarine have propelled revolution in military affairs throughout human history. The first computer-based model was used by the Russian military…
“If any individual who objects to government policy can take it in his own hands to publicly disclose classified information, then we will never be able to keep our people safe or conduct foreign policy”. President Barack Obama In April 2023, the Pentagon became aware of the leak of classified documents when a twenty-one-year-old low…
It was in the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), predecessor of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was born. Over the next few decades, several intelligence agencies were tasked with handling different shades of intelligence. The National Security Act of 1947 established CIA that remains the…
The Prophet’s Heir is the biography of an exalted companion of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), his cousin, friend, confidant and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib. Hassan Abbas has written an excellent biography of Ali in the English language that covers all aspects of Ali’s life; this was published by Yale University Press. This work brings to…
Ghazali known in the west as Algazele tried to reconcile revelation, reason, and spirituality. He incorporated existing beliefs and categorizations with innovative ideas; it is no surprise that he was criticized by all sides. Rationalists criticized him for his orthodox theological beliefs, theologians criticized him for his rational and spiritual ideas and Sufis criticized him…
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction”. E. F. Schumacher In recent months, there have been increased incidences of terrorism mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has taken responsibility of…
