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Al Jazeera
Columnist for Al Jazeera and author of The Upstairs Wife: An Intimate History of Pakistan, former member of the Board of Directors of Amnesty International
PROFILE
Rafia Zakaria
Guest
FROM Rafia Zakaria
To the Point
San Bernardino Massacre and the 'Terrorist Bride' Reports that one of the dead suspects in the San Bernardino attacks, pledged allegiance to ISIS on Facebook have led to the media labeling her a "terrorist bride." The truth could have been very different. Tashfeen Malik was born in Pakistan and raised in Saudi Arabia — one of the world's most conservative Islamic countries. It's been widely speculated that she "radicalized" her American husband. Rafia Zakaria is a Pakistani-American, an attorney and columnist for Al Jazeera. She's also author of The Upstairs Wife: An Intimate History of Pakistan .
To the Point
Avoiding the "I" Word During his summit on violent extremism, President Obama refused to use the word "Islamic" to describe the brutal group calling itself the "Islamic State." He says connecting its savage acts to religion gives religion a bad name. "We must never accept the premise that they put forward because it is a lie. Nor should we grant these terrorists the legitimacy they seek. They are not religious leaders, they are terrorists." A chorus of critics, including some scholars, say he's denying reality. Like it or not, they insist, ISIS is rooted in the Koran. So, what's to be done about the continuing flood of ISIS supporters? Should there be less talk about words and more about living conditions for the poor, young people and women in much of the Muslim world?
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To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
To the Point
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.
To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.