Articles
Freedom of speech must not be lost in anti-extremist fight
ISIL and their non-violent enablers should not push the West to degrade the principle of free speech in our societies, writes HA Hellyer
The battle against ISIL cannot blind us to Assad’s sins
The emergence of a strong ISIL component in Syria is not in spite of Bashar Al Assad’s efforts – but because of them, writes HA Hellyer.
Libya isn’t too big to fail, but it mustn’t be allowed to
The Libyan crisis will have repercussions for the country’s system of government and the region as a whole, writes HA Hellyer
Arab League struggles to make solid progress
There remains some tension between rival factions over the Brotherhood and Islamism that will complicate joint efforts against ISIL, writes HA Hellyer
The West’s analysis of the Middle East is far too simplistic
There is a tendency in the West to over generalise the Arab world, writes HA Hellyer
UK must improve its programme to fight radicalisation
Radicalisation is a long-term problem in the UK and elsewhere and the time to begin tackling it effectively is now, writes HA Hellyer.
A religious rights ambassador must not be selective
HA Hellyer looks at the idea of an "ambassador for religious freedom", as recently posited by a British politician, and examines the state of religious freedom around the world
Mainstream Muslim voices must make themselves heard
The public narrative around Islamic State assumes that Muslim leaders don't condemn terrorism, but it's not that they don't – it's because we focus on radicals and when non-radicals speak, they are seen as not particularly interesting, writes HA Hellyer.
Colonialism fuelled modern forms of religious extremism
The connection between radicalism and Islam are being raised by Islamic State and its so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq.
New requirement to register rattles Egyptian NGOs
If Egypt’s rights organisations are weakened, it constitutes a victory for those forces seeking to destabilise the security situation, writes HA Hellyer
Egypt ponders its next move in the Gaza crisis
Egypt needs to find a prominent role in securing a ceasefire in Gaza or else others will step up to do so, writes HA Hellyer.
Who can be considered a religious authority in the West?
HA Hellyer asks whether a conglomerate of religious organisations could fill a need in the UK.
Counter-terrorism strategies tend to lack a key element
To avoid the instrumentalisation of religion, it seems necessary to invoke religion in any counter-radicalisation strategy, writes HA Hellyer.
European court’s niqab ruling is flawed and wrong
The European Court of Human Rights' ruling on the ban of niqab in France could have serious consequences on liberalism in Europe, writes HA Hellyer
Libya needs new leadership, not a renegade general
This week’s elections could be the first step to a process that rescues the remnants of Libya’s 2011 revolution, says HA Hellyer
