A long time ago we knew a young Iraqi whom I remembered today while reading the news. His name was Asal. Actually, I can’t figure out how to write this in English; that first letter does not exist in our language and to an American sounds like a vowel, a bit harsh, made down in […]
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The truth about what is happening in Syria is complicated, full of contradictions and hard to know. The truth about what we should do or not do concerning Syria is simple, after we shed our biases. Almost everybody I know, here and in the Middle East, has an opinion, often irrelevant. I too, because […]
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This story is contributed by Alastair Greeves, former auditor for World Vision International. The friend he speaks of here is a significant character in my memoir, In Borrowed Houses. FF “Are you Terry Waite?” the Lebanese immigration official asked me as I handed him my passport 25 years ago. “Are you returning to our country?” […]
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Before you read this article, I want you to know that I wrote with some ignorance and what I have said is inaccurate at one point. Because I want to stand by my conclusion and preserve the truth about how I reached it, I have decided to post the piece as I wrote it and […]
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The story is contributed by Dr. David King When I first met him, Ghassan Khalaf was a lanky 19 year-old with a fifth grade education who had applied to study at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary where I served as teacher and dean of students. Our seminary president, Dr. Finlay Graham, had asked me to […]
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Years ago there was a well-known writer whose opinions appeared in some big magazines. After I read enough of his articles, his very name would give me goose bumps. I knew that if I read his latest essay I would either get scared or I would get very angry. He had a distinctive writer […]
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Two incredible wrongs were done, two crimes committed. Two men are in prison, charged with these crimes, but I am confident that not everyone who is guilty will be charged. Aiding and abetting takes many forms. I am speaking of the murder of Khalid Jabara, a 37-year old man, on August 12 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, […]
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When I learned that Marion Osgood was going to Lebanon, I controlled my jealousy by asking her write a story for me about her trip. She did, and here it is. Marion is British, and I have preserved her slightly different spelling of a few words. Also, in case you have not been to London […]
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News in my email box this morning reminds me of how fortunate I am and prompts me to do something I have never done before—use this blog space to brag about it. It’s fair, I think. After all, this website relates to my memoir, In Borrowed Houses, and so does the news, indirectly. Aliki Barnstone […]
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The first paragraph of the preface to the American version of Radical tells us that Americans misunderstand Islam and Muslims misunderstand America. Consequently Maajid Nawaz feels that his book is an act of diplomacy, disguised as the story of his life. Indeed we learn from his story things very important for us to know. […]
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