Rasmussen: Turkey ‘matters’ in NATO

Turkey has a major role within the NATO in shaping policies and Ankara’s views are heard across in all allied capitals, NATO chief Rasmussen says.

NATO chief Rasmussen (L) with
Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoğlu.
(Daily Photo: Selahattin Sonmez)

In this exclusive interview with TPQ, the honorable secretary-general provides an overview of the major developments of the past two years in Turkey’s neighborhood, including the Libya operation and crisis in Syria, and assesses NATO’s stance thereof. He points out that unlike in the Libya case, there has not been a united response from the international community or a UNSC mandate in the case of Syria. Emphasizing NATO’s open door policy, he commends Georgia for its commitment to a vision of NATO membership and underlines the democratic success marked by the recent elections in this country. The secretary-general also notes NATO’s decision to enhance cooperation with partners and include partners that contribute to NATO operations into relevant decision-shaping processes.

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John L. Esposito: Islamophobia is symptom of broader problem

Moinuddin Ahmed

Living in a globalized world poses a great challenge for theologians and scholars as they try to develop an understanding of how people belonging to different religions and faiths can coexist.

However, we are living in a time where stereotyping a particular community has become a common practice and hampers the functioning of pluralistic societies.

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Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens talks to Pacifica Institute

OC Sheriff Sandra Hutchens

After the Luncheon Forum, Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens sat down for a one-on-one interview with Pacifica Institute. During the interview Sheirff Hutchens talked about nonprofits, Homeland Security and how she deals with the streses of her job.

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Gülen Movement, emphasis on service, and reaching out

Dr. John Esposito speaks to Pacifica Institute

At a fundraiser sponsored by the Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) on Wednesday February 15th, Dr. John Esposito, one of America’s leading experts on Islam, was invited to give a talk about the future of Islam in the 21st century.

After a brief introduction of Dr. Esposito by the president of MPV, Ani Zonneveld, the event was started with a 30-minute lecture followed by a Q&A session moderated by KPCC’s Shirley Jahad.

Dr. Esposito started off by giving a brief history of the turbulent relationship the West has had with Islam and its origins.

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