Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Thursday, May 26, 2011,
It was extremely painful to listen to Netanyahu's speech to Congress on Tuesday and see how U.S. representatives and senators eagerly cheered the Israeli prime minister's defiance and political arrogance. His categorical refusal to deal with the Palestinians now that Fatah and Hamas have united is reckless at best. Yes, Hamas is a radical organization that uses violence to achieve its ends, but it does play a critical role in Palestinian society, at times providing better social and economic ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Thursday, May 19, 2011,
I always find it better to read important speeches like the one President Obama gave today on democracy in the MIddle East and North Africa and the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. Here is the transcript:
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Please have a seat. Thank you, very much.
I want to begin by thanking Hillary Clinton, who has traveled so much these last six months that she is approaching a new landmark: 1 million frequent flyer miles.
I count on Hillary every single...
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Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Monday, May 9, 2011,
As I said in my last post, you will see no ambivalence on this blog about the death of bin Laden. The questions I still have are not about the legitimacy of this surgical strike, but about why it took so long to take him out and why thousands of American soldiers and scores of Iraqis and Afghans had to die for something that could have been achieved right after 9/11. Arab (not only Pakistani or Afghani) regimes should also share the blame in this vicious negligence. Bin Laden's evil rhetoric... Continue reading ...
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Wednesday, October 20, 2010,
The New York Times reported yesterday that Obama will not visit the Sikh Golden Temple during his upcoming trip to India because of how he must cover his head in respect of Sikh traditions. The White House is concerned that a turban on Obama's head might play nicely in the hands of 20% of Americans who are convinced their president in secretly Muslim. This is what happens when fear pervades our thinking. The risk now for the United States President is that he might offend hundreds of millions... Continue reading ...
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Sunday, January 24, 2010,
For almost six years the Swiss intellectual, Tariq Ramadan, had been barred from entering the United States, but no more. Thanks to a direct order from President Obama and Secretary Clinton, Ramadan will no longer be denied an entry visa. This is a major victory for critical debate. I'm sure requests to speak at conferences are already pouring in. I saw Ramadan speak at the last American Academy of Religion conference in Montreal and you can disagree with his ideas, but he's a great, construc... Continue reading ...
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Tuesday, June 9, 2009,
In a surprising statement this last weekend, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he fully agrees with Barack Obama that Muslim veiling is a right each country must respect. Coming from the leader of a country that has instituted a ban on wearing visible religious symbols (the veil being the prime target here) in public offices, this is quite intriguing. "In France, every young girl who wants to wear the veil can do it. It's her freedom," said Sarkozy citing some limitations in a secular (la... Continue reading ...
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Wednesday, June 3, 2009,
Some food for thought as President Obama prepares to deliver his speech to the "Muslim World" tomorrow. Should we be talking about a Muslim world as if there were a unified one? Doesn't that, as this FP article says, raise the specter of 'us vs them'? 
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I was born and raised in Morocco. My research focuses on the intersections between Islam, Arab popular culture and the media. I'm currently an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
