Reuters (June 20)
“At least 562 people have died during the haj.” As bad as that is, “climate scientists say such deaths offer a glimpse of what is to come for the tens of millions of Muslims expected in coming decades to undertake the haj,” especially from the 2040s, when the Haj will again “coincide with the peak of summer in Saudi Arabia.” Given impact of climate change, “the situation will get much worse as the world warms.”
Tags: 2040s, 562 deaths, Climate change, Climate scientists, Haj, Impact, Muslims, Peak of summer, Saudi Arabia, Worse
New York Times (April 3)
“President Trump and President Xi Jinping of China will probably soon reach a trade agreement, but that won’t solve the biggest problems…. A good trade deal with China is welcome. But when so many Americans are dying from Chinese fentanyl, when one million Muslims are interned, when Emperor Xi is dragging China in the wrong direction, let’s not celebrate but, instead, keep up the international pressure.”
Tags: China, Fentanyl, International pressure, Muslims, Trade agreement, Trump, Xi
Washington Post (December 19)
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have been exchanging compliments. They clearly have a lot in common. “Much as Mr. Putin has muzzled free expression in the media, marginalized political opponents and scrapped contested elections, Mr. Trump has blithely endorsed shutting down parts of the Internet, praised President Franklin D. Roosevelt for interning Japanese Americans during World War II and openly contemplated registering Muslims in America.”
Tags: Elections, Free expression, Internet, Internment, Japanese Americans, Media, Muslims, Political opponents, Putin, Roosevelt, Russia, Trump, U.S.
USA Today (July 7)
ISIS has revived the caliphate last abolished in 1924. While ISIS may have hoped to “provide a visible symbol of unity for the world’s Muslims,” reintroducing the caliphate might prove “the very worst thing it could have done.” Lacking an agreed upon succession process, “there are bound to be rivals. Already, ISIS is literally at daggers drawn with al-Qaeda and other Islamists…. ISIS has vastly raised the stakes and conceivably made itself a target for some fanatical and well-armed enemies.”
