June 1, 2013

The Day Hamas Walked Away from Damascus: What Future for the MENA Church? (Part 2)

By Martin Accad In my blog post last week, I suggested that Hamas’ shift from its allegiance to the Syrian regime back to its ideological roots in the Muslim Brotherhood was setting new priorities in the regional politics of the Middle East and North Africa region. It is redefining Sunni-Shi‘i […]
May 24, 2013

The Day Hamas Walked Away from Damascus (Part 1)

By Martin Accad Please note: The post this week is part 1 of 2 under the same title. This week’s post is historical and political in nature. Next week’s post will look at the implications of Hamas’ action for the Church and Christians in the Middle East and North Africa […]
May 16, 2013

Muslims, Mary, and the ‘Son of God’: Colin Chapman Reflects (Part 2)

In reflecting upon The Annunciation, the announcement of Jesus’s coming birth to Mary, IMES MRel faculty Colin Chapman set out last week  to share with us “how he would try to explain to Muslims what we mean when we say that Jesus is the Son of God”. You can find […]
May 9, 2013

Muslims, Mary, and the ‘Son of God’: A Reflection (Part 1)

Being home to millions of Muslims, Christians, Druze and others, Lebanon celebrates many holidays. However, one holiday in particular, “The Annunciation”, has taken on special significance as being the only holiday celebrated by virtually all Lebanese faith traditions. IMES MRel Faculty Colin Chapman shares his reflections below.– IMES Staff Muslims, Mary, and […]
May 2, 2013

Should Christians Advocate for the Respect of International Humanitarian Law in the Syrian Conflict?

*By Wissam al-Saliby The cornerstone principle in International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is the principle of distinction: You can only attack military targets and persons directly participating in the war; you can never attack civilians. The violation of this principle, such as indiscriminate attacks, would amount to a war crime.[1] In […]
April 25, 2013

“Is Allah God?” 5 Reasons I Am Convinced (A Primer to a Much Larger Conversation)

A number of years ago, upon learning of my intention to pursue the academic study of Islam, a dearly beloved relative of mine felt compelled to ask: “Is Allah God?” This question took me by surprise, for I felt as though I was being put to the test, as if […]
April 18, 2013

Interviews with IMES Director Martin Accad on the Middle East Conference 2013 and the Syrian Refugee Crisis

EthicsDaily.com and CompassionRadio.com recently interviewed IMES Director Dr. Martin Accad in regard to this year’s upcoming Middle East Conference and on the ongoing Syrian Refugee Crisis. 1) Interview with EthicsDaily.com (April 10, 2013) In reference to the upcoming Middle East Conference 2013, “Your Rights and My Responsibilities: Biblical and Islamic […]
April 11, 2013

Whose Side Is God On?

By Arthur Brown Sitting on the fence is not always the most comfortable place to be. In trying to avoid aligning yourself with a particular group, belief or political party, it is often easy to alienate yourself from all parties in the debate, thus  potentially becoming irrelevant. I was recently […]