April2011

Halal Certification, the Industry of Doubt

THE “Halalisation” of our consumer space continues unabated. In previous articles on this topic I’ve discussed Halal toothpicks and Halal water, both legal anomalies guaranteed to make classical Islamic scholars roll in their graves. My recent discovery in a local supermarket that milk and yoghurt have now been certified Halal,[…]

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Arab Uprisings: The Clash of Civilisation Myth Falls

THE grand myth of the “Clash of Civilisations”, the clarion call of neo-cons and fundamentalists everywhere, has fallen. It fell during the Arab uprisings earlier this year when tyrants such as Ben Ali and Mubarak were toppled, and the bloodthirsty rule of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi overturned. The neo-con mantra that[…]

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Bethlehem

I HAVE NEVER visited Bethlehem during normal times. I have never seen the city crowded with tourists. In fact, I have probably seen more Israeli soldiers at its checkpoints than pilgrims in Manger Square. My first visit was in 1997, just after Israel had sealed off the West Bank and[…]

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