geopolitics

Authorities stand near a damaged Home Depot truck after a motorist drove onto a bike path near the World Trade Center memorial, striking and killing several people Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Weaponizing language: How the meaning of ‘Allahu akbar’ has been distorted

The man who shouted “Allahu akbar” after driving into a crowd in Manhattan last week was not the first to do so after an attack. But his use of the Arabic phrase, according to two Northeastern scholars of linguistics and the Arabic language, illustrates a fundamental misunderstanding of its use and syntax in the Quran and highlights the ability of people to abuse the tools of language.

by Molly Callahan November 8, 2017

British prime minister Theresa May and her husband Philip May arrive back at 10 Downing Street in London, following a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II, in which she asked to form a new government. Photo by Ben Cawthra/ Sipa via AP Images

After historic UK election, what’s next for Brexit?

British Prime Minister Theresa May failed to win a parliamentary majority in Britain’s snap election last week, leaving the country with what’s known as a “hung parliament.” We asked political science professor Mai’a Cross, a European politics expert, to explain how the outcome might impact the future of Britain and its impending exit from the European Union.

by Jason Kornwitz June 13, 2017

Aerial view of Doha, Qatar. Photo by iStock

What Arab nations’ isolation of Qatar means for US, Middle East

Five Arab nations severed all diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday, exposing deep rifts between the Middle Eastern nations. We asked professor Denis Sullivan, co-director of the Middle East Center, to explain the geopolitical impact of this move and how the U.S. might respond.

by Danny Hajjar June 8, 2017

President Donald Trump, Saudi King Salman Bin Abdelaziz Al Saud, and First Lady Melania Trump visit a center to fight extremism in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 21, 2017. Photo by Balkis Press/Sipa USA

Faculty experts reflect on Trump’s foreign trip

President Trump’s aides praised his first foreign trip as commander in chief. But others viewed the overseas swing as nothing more than “some firm handshakes, forced smiles, and awkward sword dances.” We asked two fauclty members—Valentine Moghadam, director of the International Affairs and Middle East Studies programs, and John Portz, interim chair of the Department of Political Science—to give their takes.

by Jason Kornwitz June 5, 2017

The battle for Ukraine

In a lecture Wednesday, Mitchell Orenstein, chair of the Department of Political Science, discussed the turmoil in the Eastern European country and what it means from a geopolitical standpoint.

by Joe O'Connell March 27, 2014

Weaponizing language: How the meaning of ‘Allahu akbar’ has been distorted

After historic UK election, what’s next for Brexit?

What Arab nations’ isolation of Qatar means for US, Middle East

Faculty experts reflect on Trump’s foreign trip

The battle for Ukraine

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