How the world’s biggest Islamic organization drives religious reform in Indonesia – and seeks to influence the Muslim world

Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University After its return to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban are again imposing their religious ideology, with restrictions on women’s rights and other repressive measures. They are presenting to the world an image of Islam that is intolerant and at odds with social changes. Islam, however, has multiple interpretations. A humanitarian interpretation, focusing on “rahmah,” loosely translated as love and compassion, has been emphasized by a group I have studied – Nahdlatul Ulama, which literally means “Reawakening of the Islamic Scholars.” Nahdlatul Ulama, or NU, was founded in 1926 in reaction to the Saudi … Continue reading How the world’s biggest Islamic organization drives religious reform in Indonesia – and seeks to influence the Muslim world

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 – Updates

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370), also marketed as China Southern AirlinesFlight 748 (CZ748/CSN748) through a codeshare, was a scheduled passenger flight fromKuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing, China. On 8 March 2014, the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER operating the flight disappeared with 227 passengers of 15 nationalities and 12 crew members on board, following its last contact with air traffic control less than an hour after take-off. A joint search-and-rescue effort covering an area of 27,000 sq nmi (93,000 km2; 36,000 sq mi) in the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea[1][2] is being conducted by more than 12 countries. Vietnam briefly reduced its efforts on 11 March, but the search area continued to expand and searchers began to look … Continue reading Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 – Updates