by Ranbir Singh Sufism is contrasted with more intolerant strains of Islam, notably that advocating jihad, proscribing of dancing and music, intolerance towards the kuffar, and strict interpretation of sharia. Unlike the stern teachings found within Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia or the Shia strain in Iran , Sufi Islam holds a more mystical approach in […]
The release last week of an Indian think tank report entitled “Non-Alignment 2.0: A Foreign and Strategic Policy for India in the 21st Century” has prompted robust discussion about Indian foreign policy in the age of a rising China. Indian national security advisor Shiv Shankar Menon provided remarks at the report launch and apparently participated […]
This week’s terror attack in New Delhi focused the Irish Times‘ attention on the Israeli-Indian relationship, particularly on Israel’s position as India’s second largest supplier of arms. But despite this rapidly proliferating association – Israel’s most significant in Asia – it is shrouded in secrecy, operating in an undefined smoke-and-mirrors environment. Both sides go to […]
Israel raised its state of alert on Tuesday following the attacks on Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia that took place on Monday. There has been also speculation that Israelis were the intended targets of another attack in Bangkok on Tuesday, in which an Iranian man carrying explosives blew off his own legs. Yigla Palmor, […]
BIDEN: Even call centers, even call centers rushed over seas, hundreds of thousands. How many times you get the call, ‘I like to talk to you about your credit card’? Or that ad on TV, what is it? ‘Nancy, this is Nancy, can I talk to a supervisor?’ Right? Ok? Well, it’s a little overdone […]
Iran continues to claim it is reaping the rewards of European sanctions even amid a deep currency crisis that rocks Tehran. In fact, the oil ministry in Tehran claims the embargo would leave Iran unscathed while inflicting “heavy economic loss” on the “people of Europe, who have been affected by crisis”. The result would be […]
The Japan India summit has concluded with both sides boosting security cooperation and Japan helping India out economically. This is what emerged from a joint statement by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh. The two leaders announced said that the Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Indian Navy will conduct joint exercises […]
Canada has become the first country to exit the Kyoto Protocol designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Canadian environment Minister Peter Kent explained that Kyoto, far from contributing to a reduction in greenhouse gas and tackling global warming, was actually functioning as an impediment, saying: “We believe that a new agreement with legally binding commitments […]
Given the economic stagnation in the West, the tendency has been to regard Asia as the supplier of growth engines. Unfortunately China has reported a slowdown and now India is joining suit as the global crisis is depressing demands for Indian exports. Indian manufacturing and export has contracted for the first time since 2009 and […]
The South China Sea continues to bubble as the small fish in the sea summon bigger fish to counter the Chinese leviathan. Vietnam has strengthened its ties with the United States and now the sub rosa ties between New Delhi and Hanoi are surfacing. India has quietly been providing Vietnam with help in beefing up […]
