The book examines the growing tension between social movements that embrace egalitarian and inclusivist views of national and global politics, most notably classical liberalism, and those that advance social hierarchy and national exclusivism, such as neoliberalism, neoconservatism, and national populism. In exploring issues relating to tensions and conflicts around globalization, the book identifies historical patterns of convergence and divergence rooted in the monotheistic traditions, beginning with the ancient Israelites that dominated the Near East during the Axial age, through Islamic civilization, and finally by considering the idealism-realism tensions in modern times. One thing remained constant throughout the various historical stages that preceded our current moment of global convergence: a recurring tension between transcendental idealism and various forms of realism. Transcendental idealism, which prioritize egalitarian and universal values, pushed periodically against the forces of realism that privilege established law and power structure.
Louay Safi
commentaries on current events
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Saturday, May 15, 2021
Palestine: Prophetic Principles Over Prophecies*
Palestine: Prophetic Principles over Prophecies outlines the emerging patterns of the struggle for freedom and justice; of unfulfilled promises, dashed hopes, untold misery, and the long search for the elusive peace in Palestine. For 60 years modern Israel flourished as the Palestinian pain and suffering grew, and Palestinian anger gave birth to new generations of fighters who draw meaning from their life of suffering by challenging the Israeli occupation.
Monday, April 13, 2020
Corona Pandemic and its effects on Arab and other Debt-Ridden Countries
The Corona epidemic, which started in December in China before it turned into a global pandemic last month, poses a major challenge to human societies, both developing and developed, especially Arab societies. The Corona pandemic came and the world is mired in many crises that will intensify during the coming months, and its repercussions will affect the economic and political conditions in addition to health conditions.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Is the Trump Rally a Financial Bubble or Real Growth?
Trump has been taking credit for the rapidly rising stock
market, which Wall Street has termed the "Trump Rally." The rally,
and the boom in the capital market that followed the 2008 financial crisis, is
deceptive, and does not really reflect any meaningful economic growth. It,
indeed, hides the real problem that inflict the US economy, the increasingly
excessive greed that plagues the financial market and the business conglomerates
that seem to be more interested in
creating private wealth than growing the economy. The problem is not limited to
the US but has a global dimension.
Tuesday, February 07, 2017
What Makes America Great?
Donald Trump came to power on the slogan of "making America
great again." The question we need all to ask is what makes America great?
Trump did not take the time to articulate what exactly makes America great, and
no one took the time to demand that this question be clarified.
It does not take hard thinking to discover that what makes
America great is indeed the commitment of the American people to the ideals of
freedom, equality, and fairness. This simply means that Trump cannot make
America great again when he ignores the values and principles that made it exceptional in the first place.
Sunday, February 05, 2017
Responding to Texas Legislator's Misrepresentation
On January 11, 2017, a letter signed by Kyle Biedermann, Texas House representative, and cosigned by two Far Right activists, was sent to Muslim leaders in Texas asking them to “renounce, repudiate and oppose any physical intimidation, or worldly and corporal punishment, to apostates who leave Islam.” The letter cited me among Muslim authorities who advocate capital punishment for apostates, and quoted a brief statement from my book Peace and the Limits of War as an evidence of my alleged death-to-apostate position.
Aside from the fact that the letter is offensive, intimidating, and designed to support an initiative by Far-Right groups, it distorts both my views and the reality of the overwhelming majority of Muslim Americans. This is not the first time that my views were distorted by individuals who harbor dislike and hatred of Islam and Muslims, and who are bent
on distorting Islam's teachings and demonize its adherents. I have had a long
confrontation with various members of the Far Right during my association
with the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) and Islamic Society
of North America (ISNA), and throughout the Bush Jr. Administration.
Wednesday, February 01, 2017
Making Sense of Trump’s Immigration Policy Through the Lens of Bannon’s Populist Conservatism
Donald Trump made it clear during his presidential campaign, and
right after assuming the office, that he is serious about making it difficult
for Muslims and Latinos to come to, and stay in, the United States. Trump’s
statements and actions must be understood in the context of the rise of the
populist conservative movement, represented in the Trump administration by his
senior advisor Steve Bannon.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Against the March of Humanity
What we are witnessing today is the rise of regressive domestic and global agendas in the US and Europe to reverse human progress. These frantic efforts to undermine a progressive agenda that started to empower individuals, communities, societies who were not part of the privileged culture is doomed to failure.
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Internal Colonialism and Counter-Revolution
"When an elite ruling class controls state institutions and resources and uses them for its own benefit, this can be called ″internal colonialism″. Such systems exist in their worst form in the Arab world. The Syrian author Louay Safi believes, however, that all signs indicate that the Arab peoples will rid themselves of this colonialism and that the repressive military regimes will be smothered by their own crimes and corruption."
Friday, January 20, 2017
It is Dictatorship Stupid!
The US presidential inauguration ceremony is a reminder of how precious democracy is and how invaluable is life under the rule of law. For over 200 years peaceful transfer of power took place, even in most politically divisive times, like the one we have today in the inauguration of Donald Trump.
Being involved in the last few years with efforts to facilitate and support transition to democracy in Syria, I have been appalled to witness the ugly face of military dictatorships violently crushing even the slightest demands for genuine political participation.
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