Tammy Swofford

The Wall Street Journal had this headline for the April 24 online edition: “Suspects Roused by Jihadist Thought.” The article went on to state that YouTube and anti-US Islamic extremist material that is available on the web had an influence on the Muslim bombers’ ideological orientation. The US continues to pay a high economic price […]

Scientific and technological advances bring improvement to the human condition. So it is with great interest that those of us who use another craft — words to paint pictures — examine sci-tech innovations to formulate solution-based governance. One such opportunity to conceptualise was procured from a tragedy that unfolded on the northbound side of the […]

In the latest episode of Who’s in Charge? the diplomatic communities are already glad-clapping and patting themselves on the back. Ghassan Hitto has moved from the political shadows to centre stage as the newly elected interim prime minister for the Syrian opposition. From obscurity to the spotlight. That is the way we imagine it. It […]

We are quickly approaching the day when Americans will determine the future makeup of our Houses of Congress and choose the next POTUS. The season for political blackmail and yellow journalism is now in full swing. Already, we open our newspapers and are greeted with the non-news that freshman Rep Kevin Yoder (R-Kansas) took a […]

My Islamic baby teeth were cut under the mentorship of a Muhaddithun scholar, born in Pakistan, who also resided in Jeddah for several years. I remain grateful for the scaffolding put in place for my later Islamic studies. It would be easy enough to pull an obscure text from my personal library and convolute the […]

Expert divers would never consider a head first trajectory into the shallows of a body of water. But Islamic neo-jurists dive into shallow geopolitical waters every single day. The injury is not just to their personal reputation. The murkiness and lack of intellectual depth surrounding their proclamations impede critical thought. The steady drumbeat of Pakistan’s […]

What can be said of an administration wishing to stir populist sentiment for political gain, borne on shoulders of men who are considered American heroes? What can be said when filmmakers lacking even the lowest level of security clearance and without holding any rank are allowed access to some of the most sensitive documents of […]

The sun rises in the east and arcs toward the west. The moon and her maidens are predictable lights. But were a New Year’s Resolution to be granted, it would spring from a simple thought. May the Palestinians awaken to a happy and prosperous tomorrow. Mohammed and I sat across from each other with our […]

A stable government will allow private religious devotion to move in unhindered manner within the home and place of worship. Healthy governments allow seasonal and limited displays of worship traditions in the public square. The commemorative Christian display, Jewish observance, Muslim prayer or Hindu festival within the view of those of differing faiths is not […]

The Daily Times editorial pages on Wednesday, November 23 provided fragrant herbs of thought. I always look forward to reading the gentle musings of Mehboob Qadir. He writes in a manner recognisable to those dwelling within the military chain of command. Restrained strength borne under the burden of rank is a writing signature recognisable to […]