The Not-War in Gaza, Ukraine’s Muslim Soldiers, Europe’s Ethno-Borders, and More
This week at Inkstick Media.
Hello, everyone.
In the face of so much death and destruction, the political controversy surrounding the Israel-Palestine issue, and the contradictory accounts of fighting in Gaza, it can be difficult to guard against the emotional biases and political distortions surrounding Israel’s ongoing war. But social scientists James A. Siebens and Benjamin S. Case argue there are objective criteria with which to judge what’s happening in Gaza.
Meanwhile, in another war-stricken part of the world, Ukraine’s Muslim military chaplains are doing their best to build solidarity while also fighting for recognition. But that isn’t an easy task, as Marc Loustau reports, because they are shorthanded, and many Muslims don’t openly identify with their faith in the country’s armed forces.
That’s not all we’ve got at Inkstick. And if you’re not already, please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
“Coming Soon: The F-Word” by Laicie Heeley (March 4)
Countries in Europe and Latin America have been experimenting with something called “feminist foreign policy,” and feeling the backlash. After all, there’s a lot in a word. But that word is really just the best way folks have come up with to describe this thing that some people think could begin to break up the boys club that dictates how we wage war, and peace. So, can it survive? That’s what we set out to find out in this season of our podcast, “Things That Go Boom.”
“Does the US Need New Plutonium Pits?” by Alicia Inez Guzmán (March 4)
Now, as the nuclear industrial complex awakens from its long slumber, the resumption of plutonium pit production has emerged as a deeply polarizing and political act. Anti-nuclear activists have accused the federal government of exploiting the uncertainty around aging to jumpstart a nearly $60 billion dollar manufacturing program.
“What’s Happening in Gaza Is Not a War. It’s a Massacre” by James A. Siebens and Benjamin S. Case (March 5)
Lawyers and judges will no doubt continue to argue about how to appropriately interpret the facts of the case and how to apply the law, and the genocide hearings will likely take years to reach a verdict. However, as social scientists we can already assess the violence in Israel and Gaza based on other objective criteria.
“Ukraine’s Muslim Military Chaplains Fight for Recognition” by Marc Loustau (March 5)
Muslim chaplains face distinctive challenges as a religious minority in the Ukrainian military. Ukraine’s military has fewer than 200 full-time Christian religious leaders in service. Most of these are Orthodox Christian priests in this Orthodox-majority country, but there are only five Muslim chaplains.
“We Need a Ceasefire for the War of Terror Against the Planet” by Tom Engelhardt (March 6)
Dropping the atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima brought us to the edge of annihilation. And since those fateful days in August 1945, ever more nations — with the addition of North Korea early in this century, the number has risen to nine — have acquired nuclear weapons, while the nations that had them only continue to “improve” and expand their arsenals.
“From Gaza to Ukraine, AI is Transforming War” by Heather Ashby (March 6)
As advances in artificial intelligence accelerate, the ways state and nonstate actors apply it in conflict environments will grow. From Ukraine to the Gaza Strip, militaries are applying technology in different ways to advance their interests from weapons systems to the information space.
“Deep Dive: State of the Nation(s)” by Emily Tamkin (March 7)
In a new study, Carl Müller-Crepon, Guy Schvitz, and Lars-Erik Cederman argue nationalism created the demand for ethnically homogeneous nation states, and that this, in turn, created a map of Europe that aligns with its map of ethnicities. The authors take readers of their study through a history of nationalism, unpacking the ways in which it transformed Europe.
“Why the Black Church Is Calling for a Gaza Ceasefire” by Pastor Michael McBride and Rev. Dr. Jacqueline A. Thompson (March 7)
Black church leaders issued a moral call for a ceasefire in November, imploring Biden to use his enormous leverage to bring about a ceasefire, the return of all hostages from Gaza, and humanitarian relief to Palestinians. As the presidential election approaches and disapproval of Biden’s Israel policy grows, his team has made increasing efforts to show they’re “listening” to the demands. But are they hearing them?
“As Israel’s War in Gaza Deepens Hunger, Famine Looms” by Mohammed Ali* (March 8)
In Gaza, there is a growing number of children who have died due to what the United Nations has warned is on its way to becoming an “almost inevitable” widespread famine. The health ministry in Gaza has reported almost a daily surge in deaths as a result of malnutrition and dehydration.
From the desk of Patrick Strickland, managing editor of Inkstick Media.