Religion and Civil Society

commentary

Vive France's Defense of Its Jewish Citizens

France is not the problem when it comes to defending Jewish lives and Jewish rights. With a few exceptions, the French state and nation have been stalwart on these issues, if only because the French government has understood that those who strike at Jews usually are striking at values dear to France.

Michael Shurkin

commentary

Obama's Burmese Gamble

A year ago, the United States and Myanmar (Burma) did not even have ambassadors in each other's capitals. In May, President Thein Sein became the first leader from Myanmar to visit the White House in nearly a half-century. Has Obama's administration been too quick to embrace what was one of the world's most repressive regimes?

Jonah Blank

commentary

Can Catholic Colleges Block Free Condom Distribution?

If this issue were to be decided on the basis of public health benefits, the outcome would be clear: Condoms indisputably prevent both unintended pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted infections, writes Chloe Bird.

Chloe E. Bird @ChloeBirdPhD

blog

New RAND Study Examines Voting Patterns in Post-Mubarak Egypt

While much has been written on the electoral strength of Islamists in Egypt, most of the analysis has been done at the national level, ignoring regional divides within the country. A new report identifies the areas where Islamist parties run strongest, and the areas where non-Islamists are most competitive.

commentary

Obama and Myanmar (Burma): Four Points About Conflict There

We can expect to see continued jockeying for scarce resources among vulnerable populations around the globe, attempts by majority communities to disenfranchise powerless minority groups, and episodes of extreme weather to blow away any notion that disasters—whether natural, man-made, or both—can't happen here, writes Jonah Blank.

Jonah Blank

commentary

Headscarves on Egyptian Newscasts Are a Victory for Tolerance

Lifting the Egyptian ban on headscarves on TV newscasts can be seen as a positive development. It ends state discrimination against those who wish to show their faith outwardly.

Jeffrey Martini

commentary

How Does Arab Spring Compare to Third Wave Transitions?

The changes underway in the Arab world may lead to various possible destinations that differ both from their points of departure and from liberal democracy, write Laurel Miller and Jeffrey Martini.

Laurel E. Miller, Jeffrey Martini

commentary

Victims of Terrorism-by-Mistaken-Identity

Perpetrators of hate-crimes against Sikhs often think they're attacking Muslims. This may not make the slaughter any more or less heinous, but it's another example of hatred flowing from ignorance, writes Jonah Blank.

Jonah Blank

commentary

The Great Silencing: Intolerance and Censorship in the Arab World

Cynthia P. Schneider, Nadia Oweidat

commentary

Backlash Against Terror

The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, are part of a disturbing trend across the Muslim world of groups that target civilians in the name of Islam. Less visible to Western eyes, but potentially just as significant, is a growing backlash among Muslims who condemn such attacks as unethical, writes Seth Jones.

Seth G. Jones

commentary

Cartoons and Terror

Published commentary by RAND staff: Cartoons and Terror, in United Press International.

Farhana Ali

commentary

Unavoidable Clash of Islam and the West?

Published commentary by RAND staff.

Steven Simon