Nabil Al-Tikriti
Over the course of two Rappahannock Rotary Club morning meetings, Professor of History and American Studies Nabil Al-Tikriti discussed current humanitarian challenges, the rise and spread of the “Islamic State” (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria, and related issues concerning American and European fears concerning Muslims in their home societies.
In the first meeting, on Aug. 27, Al-Tikriti began by summarizing his involvement in humanitarian affairs with MSF/Doctors Without Borders USA, initially by presenting the growth and evolution of the medical humanitarian agency since its founding in the late 1960s. He then discussed challenges facing NGO actors in the world today, particularly with recent conflicts in Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Central African Republic, and South Sudan, as well as with the rapid outbreak of the Ebola epidemic. In the course of the Q&A, fears were expressed concerning the intentions of Muslim communities in both Europe and the United States. Al-Tikriti, in the course of offering his own perspective on such fears, encouraged the audience to explore the following information sources:
Reach of War 5 minute video on MSF in Syria:
http://vimeo.com/101446661
Vice News Documentary on ISIS (Difficult Material):
https://news.vice.com/video/the-islamic-state-full-length
Syria map:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByQl9HGZDeRXYU5rZVJZVDVlZkU/edit
ISIS threatening ancient burial sites:
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/articles/middle-east/13461-isis-threatens-iraqs-ancient-past-the-lost-city-of-nineveh
Patrick Cockburn, “The Jihadis Return”
As a result of points raised in the first discussion, a second presentation on related topics was felt to be beneficial for all concerned. For that reason, on Sept. 17, Al-Tikriti explored further the background causes and political motivations for the rise and spread of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, attributing the phenomenon primarily to the regional collapse of the state monopoly on violence in the course of the past generation. Following a summary of Western involvement in the region since the Great War, Al-Tikriti cautioned that no easy outcome for regional developments should now be expected. Following that, Al-Tikriti turned to fears concerning Muslim communities in Europe and the United States, pointing out that prominent Muslim leaders have spoken out against ISIS on several occasions, that extremism also exists in several self-identified Christian groups throughout the West, and that some of the same groups harassing American Arab and Muslim communities appear to have also been harassing Mardi Gras revelers in downtown New Orleans. He closed with a discussion of the “Andrew Berwick” manifesto of 2011, pointing out that the author in question was also responsible (as Anders Breivik) for the Oslo massacre of the same year. In the course of the discussion, audience members were urged to investigate the following sources of information:
Iraq Displaced Populations, according to Relief Web International:
http://reliefweb.int/report/iraq/iraq-displacement-humanitarian-snapshot-06-september-2014-enar
Muslim Leaders Speak Out Against ISIS:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/13/term-islamic-state-slur-faith-david-cameron
Malta Boat Sinking Kills 700, mostly from Gaza:
http://euobserver.com/justice/125652
ISIS Issues New Education Curriculum:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/islamic-state-group-issues-curriculum-iraq-25513767
ISIS Bans Evolution in Curriculum:
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/09/16/islamic-tea-party-isil-bans-teaching-of-evolution-in-schools/
Clarion Project Website Addresses “No Go Zone” in Dearborn:
http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/dearborn-no-go-zone-where-islam-rules-and-christians-are-stoned
Detroit Free Press Article and Slides on Same 2012 Dearborn Protest:
http://www.freep.com/article/20120616/NEWS05/120616015/Christian-missionaries-with-pig-s-head-taunt-Arab-Americans-at-Dearborn-festival
ABC News Story on same 2012 Dearborn Protest:
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/06/christian-taunts-and-violence-mar-arab-festival-in-michigan/
Same (or similar?) Protesters at Mardi Gras:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asRcUresCBQ
Article Tying 2003 Iraq Invasion Supporters to Calls for Muslim Deportation, Conversion and Violence:
http://www.loonwatch.com/2014/09/radical-right-wing-christians-who-supported-the-iraq-war-want-to-convert-deport-and-kill-muslims/
Original Call for Muslim Deportation, Conversion, and Violence (referred to in previous link):
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:UWvb-YtDzE0J:https://defendchristians.org/commentary/im-islamaphobic-are-you/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a
Op-Ed Argues that ISIS Shaped by Western Philosophy:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/09/isis-jihadi-shaped-by-modern-western-philosophy
“Andrew Berwick” manifesto calls for European Independence against Islamic threat (see pdf p. 54 for Nabil Al-Tikriti citation):
http://fas.org/programs/tap/_docs/2083_-_A_European_Declaration_of_Independence.pdf
Denver Post Picture Gallery on Anders Breivik (aka Andrew Berwick) 2011 Oslo attacks:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2011/07/27/brutal-terror-attack-in-norway/4531/