| Editorial |
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| Microscope |
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| Earthquakeproof |
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Mohammed Khan
Pakistan's appalling lack of preparedness in a region known for significant seismic activity was exposed in the aftermath of the recent earthquake that struck northern Pakistan. Arguing that a comprehensive pre-earthquake preparedness and postearthquake response programme is an urgent and basic duty for the Pakistani government, Mohammed Khan presents key features that should define any such programme.
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| Introducing the Qur'an's Literary Excellence |
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Hamza Tzortzis
The Qur'anic discourse has been the focus of many literary studies in the western world. Orientalists and scholars have investigated the Qur'an's use of literary devices to express meaning. Such studies have provoked a host of questions, mostly questioning the authorship of the text. Hamza Tzortzis details the Western viewpoint as well as explaining some key features of the Qur'anic discourse.
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| US Think-Tanks: Casualties in the War of Ideas | 
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James McGann
The partisanship of modern American politics is narrowing the agendas of thinktanks of left and right. James McGann asks what can be done to raise the quality
of debate.
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| Battle of Ideas |  |
Sajjad Khan
After four and half years of the War on terror, the military aspect is now taking a subservient role to the battle of ideas. For supporters of a movement that is supposed
to be winning the battle of ideas, western secular liberals are in a mess. This is not to say that in the battle of ideas those that advocate alternatives have managed to succeed either, but for many people western specific ideas of secularism, capitalism, individualism and materialism are the only games in town. So what has gone wrong?
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| Caliphate & the Myth of Violence |  |
Akmal Asghar
Less than a century after its fall, the Caliphate is again shaping the debate about the future of the Muslim world. Senior figures in Britain and the US have all recently announced their opposition to its emergence and have been particularly eager to equate its return with the violence of terrorist organisations like al-Qa'ida. Akmal Asghar argues that this thrust lacks historical, political and intellectual credibility and that the Caliphate will actually be a stabilising force for the Muslim world.
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| Post 7/7: Is Legislation Enough? |  |
Dr Salman Ahmed
An exclusive focus on anti-terrorism and security measures will not remove the threat of further "Jihad" inspired attacks in Britain. Without examining why some British Muslims are motivated to carry out suicide attacks, it will not be possible to develop policies that stop the growth of "Jihadists" in Britain. It is too simplistic to attribute the 7th and 21st July attacks to a perverted understanding of Islam. Dr Salman Ahmed argues that if the government persists with this assumption, it will fail to respond effectively.
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| Fighting the War of Ideas: Myth and Reality |  |
Dr Mohammed Abu Talha
A recent paper in the US journal Foreign Affairs claims that the Islamic political movement Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) is a conveyor belt for terrorists. It further claims that the
movement has much in common with Leninism and Wahhabism. Such claims are baseless and stand no ground when cross-examined against the well-documented literature of HT and its 53-year long history of activities. This paper proves the defective nature of such claims with evidences from the theory and practice of HT. It also offers an alternative approach to understand HT in order to achieve credible conclusions.
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| Egyptian Elections: Painful Lessons |
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Mohammed Zahid
US foreign policy post September 11th has been connected with bringing democracy to the Middle East. The US administration has on many occasions been vocal about its desire and commitment to rid the Middle East of tyranny and despotism. Mohammed Zahid tests US commitment to democracy in the Middle East and questions whether progressive reform is going to be seen in the near future.
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| Integration Disintegration |  |
Jamal Okae
In the wake of the London bombings, the Van Gogh murder and the Hijab ban, discussion of European Islam has increased. There has been a backlash against the allegedly indulgent stance of multiculturalism towards reactionary attitudes in Muslim communities across Europe; in its place an aggressive monocultural liberalism has emerged. This strident secularism has France as its greatest champion, so what can we learn about its prospects of success cross-Europe in the aftermath of the widespread rioting that rocked France's sink estates?
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| Accountability without Western Democracy |  |
Dr Ali Ahmed-Shuaib
The Islamic ruling system is often characterised as an authoritarian, unaccountable regime in Western political discourse. In this article, Dr Ali Ahmed-Shuaib looks at
whether this criticism is justified by exploring the concept of authority both in the western and Islamic context. The possibilities of establishing a political system that is accountable within the Islamic framework are also explored.
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| Understanding
Hamas |  |
Thomas Charles
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| A Postcard from Amman |  |
Akmal Asghar
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| Letter to the editor | |
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