TIMES OF ISRAEL
The West fundamentally misunderstands the ethos of the ‘caliphate,’ writes Muslim author
by JP O’Malley
July 6, 2016

In his new book, author Shadi Hamid asks the fundamental question: Why exactly does the Middle East suffer from a lack of legitimate political order? The answer, he says, doesn’t lie in Israel’s backyard. Born into a Muslim family in Pennsylvania, Hamid is a senior fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. and recently authored a new book, “Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam is Reshaping the World.” “Yes, bringing about a two-state solution would help,” says Hamid. “It’s something that the international community should strive to do. But we shouldn’t be under any illusions that it would unlock the puzzle of [failed states] across the Middle East right now.” READ MORE