If Israelis expected the world to be horrified at the atrocities committed by Hamas and by Gazan civilians against Israeli citizens, they were quickly disabused of such a hope. Shockingly, celebrations of the Hamas attacks were widespread, followed by
A view of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and its Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty ImagesAs a scholar of global Islam, I teach an introduction to Islam course and include a discussion about Al-Aqsa as part of the syllabus. That’s because Al-Aqsa has deep religious significance for Muslims around the world. But it is also important to highlight its remarkable political relevance for Palestinians. These two facts make it a focal point for conflict. The night journ
Saudi Arabia has ambitious plans to welcome millions more pilgrims to Islam's holiest sites. The increased number of pilgrims, with the associated surge in international air travel and infrastructure expansion, also raises sustainability concerns, even as the oil giant pursues the goal of getting half its energy from renewable resources by 2030. Next week, Saudi Arabia hosts the first Hajj pilgrimage without the restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic.