Juan Cole: Informed Comment

Except as they relate to public services and library funding, I usually avoid mentioning politics and world affairs in this blog.

However, Juan Cole, Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan, and publisher of the blog Informed Comment: Thought on the Middle East, History and Religion, is a writer of crystal clear explications of the deeper issues within the Islamic world.

His 2009 book, Engaging the Muslim World , is a valuable effort "to debunk the myths concerning Islam in order to improve the political and ideological understanding between Muslim countries and their Western counterparts."

Cole's blog caught my attention today because of two recent posts:

• The Dilemma over Syria, Cole's discussion of Russia, China and the United Nations
• Greek Lessons for the Arab Spring, Anouar Majid's thoughtful essay about the Islamic world's error in rejecting the wisdom of the ancient world.

I'll leave it to the reader to decide whether or not to peek into Cole's work.

Thanks,
Mike