Many have rushed to blame religious conservatism for a surge in terror attacks, citing Islamist extremism as the root of increased violence. Conflating the issues of terrorism and religious conservatism is not only simplistic, it is also dangerous and short-sighted. It alienates those very same communities who are our best allies in curbing the spreading of home-grown terror. An effective answer to domestic terrorism should focus on socioeconomic issues, not on religious conservatism.
READ MOREWhen the EU reported on it revised external policies in its neighbourhood, did it deliberately overlook its shortcomings and meagre deliverables? Is the EU shying away from following a harder line with southern neighbours to achieve the agreed-upon objectives of political reform? Worst still, is the maintenance of the status quo a goal in itself?
READ MOREIzumo is a Japanese 249 meter-long warship that can operate up to nine helicopters. It’s the largest warship to be dispatched in the South China Sea and symbolizes the shift of Japanese politics from a pacifist approach to a more aggressive one. Izumo will counter the menaces in the South China Sea, but it will definitively shake up political relations as well.
READ MOREIncreased contributions to NATO’s budget might not significantly alter member states’ security situation – the aggressive rhetoric around them could.
READ MOREEuropean countries are having a hard time addressing all the security threats they face. Radicalization is one particular challenge, where a dominant community within society feels menaced by a smaller group. The problem nowadays is that European counterterrorism measures ignore societal needs, enabling the rise of racist policies. Trump’s so called Muslim ban is only one recent example.
READ MORETo get Japan out of its gloomy economic situation that now has lasted for the past 20 years, the country Prime minister devised a new strategy which consists of three pillars: monetary, fiscal and structural reforms. The monetary and fiscal actions of the “Abenomics” received a lot of attention from the international media. On the other hand, the structural reforms went completely unnoticed, although these may be the real factors needed to save Japan’s economy, as ignoring them helped the country’s economic fall from grace.
READ MORE