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Muslims encounter all kinds of problems from Americans, and particularly American Christians. Not the least of which is the American distaste for the Arabic word for God, Allah. The word Allah has become connected solely with Islam itself, and therefore when the word is used, all kinds of unpleasant images are evoked in the American mind.

Bu we should know that Allah has been used by Arab Christians for centuries. And Allah is contained in ancient Arabic translations of the Scriptures.

While there several theories of the etymologic derivation of “Allah”, these theories are irrelevant to its present day usage.

The question then arises as to our understanding of the character of the Islamic Allah versus the Christian Allah. Is it the same God each refers to? And that’s the real issue.

As the West worries about the results from the French election, perhaps our real concerns should rest with coming election in Iran on June 14.

The hard liner, Aminadinejad, was rejected from the process by the Council of Leaders. The current president, Rouhani, is running again, but he may lose because he has failed to deliver on the economic promises expected from the nuclear deal.

Al Jazeera recently published interviews from six representative citizens. Although the individuals were from differing segments of society, their chief concerns were in two areas: personal freedom and economic security. Sounds like the US, doesn’t it?  No one mentioned Islam, Israel, or their relation to the United States.

It may take years for the thread of freedom in Iran to take over the whole cloak.  But the citizenry is ahead of the theocracy.

Let’s watch the results with interest.

The solution to the Syrian “civil war” remains elusive, perhaps unachievable. It’s the Syrian people and rebels versus Assad, Russia and Iran, with ISIS an added force allied only with themselves. How have the Syrian rebels have lasted so long? That’s the real mystery.

The US interest has been transient, ineffective, and uncertain in goals. Of course, the West applauds the recent US strike following Assad’s use of poison gas. There was no choice but to take this step. But what next? Beyond inserting US forces, I have no idea what we could do to reverse the apparent course of events.

Russia and Iran are committed to Assad emerging as the leader of Syria. Russia has a vital stake in Assad remaining in power: the only Russian naval base on the Mediterranean at the port of Tartus.

And both Russia and Iran can claim the role of maintaining order in Syria, as they have been “invited” by Assad.  Our intervention would, therefore, be “un-invited.” The US once again faces the choice of another proxy war, much like the one being conducted in Yemen between the US and Saudi Arabia on one side and Iran on the other.

One might argue that the US failure to intervene with troops at a much earlier date might have carried the day and defeated Assad. But considering subsequent events after our intervention in Iraq, that alternative was avoided.  The result of intervention with US troops was totally unpredictable.

Perhaps there never was a solution for Syria.

Crisis in Faith – How God Shows Up When You Need Him Most hits the streets this week. Our book tells the story of God’s care for us during the Kuwait hostage crisis when Iraq invaded the little Gulf State in 1990. It’s a story of how God imparted faith to my wife and me.

But the book also tells about Muslim friends who took care of us during our years in Kuwait and their concern for me during the invasion. They hid me from the invading Iraqis and sheltered me in their homes at great risk to themselves .

Given the current US fear of Muslims, the book would be a good read for Americans just to see how to see how most Muslims really are – not at all like the picture often displayed in the news.

With the new Trump administration, we ask the question whether the Israel-Palestine conflict might move toward resolution.

There is absolutely no indication the new administration has any interest in the issue. There are no matters extant which force the issue for them.

The Israelis have the upper hand, and they will not relinquish it without pressure from the US.

The Palestinian authority lacks sufficient unity to force the issue.

And the real problem now is that the Trump administration does not possess the moral authority to weigh in successfully on the conflict.

Count on no progress for at least four years.

Could it be possible that the threat of ISIS will end?

Unlike Al-Qaeda and its derivatives, ISIS predicated its unique character on the development of a Caliphate, based on a piece of land, a stand-alone geographic entity.

Now that concept dissipates as the Caliphate comes under siege. In Mosul ISIS fighters are slowly driven from the city. And Raqqa, the “capital” of ISIS, will soon be under attack.

What will be the consequences of ISIS’ loss of territory when the geographic Caliphate no longer exists? Will they have any lasting political or inspirational power? Will they still show up here and there when they bomb a car or a building or take hostages?

Will they appear again in another form like  Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula?

But their political strength rested on a specific tract of land. Surely, they will diminish.

It has been several years now since I visited the city of Taiz in Yemen. At that time we stayed at a little guest house near the center of town. We had no trouble purchasing food, and we rode the city bus when we went to work at the hospital.

Even then, the hospital was poorly equipped. There were not enough respirators for the infants who needed them, some with neonatal tetanus, a disorder never seen in the developed world. Tetanus is completely preventable by the assurance of maternal immunization.

In the evening we drove up the mountain, where we dined at a quiet little restaurant overlooking the city. The mountain road was lined with parked cars, the Yemeni occupants taking their afternoon qat chew.

Now, I understand, the city is a battleground: the Houthis versus the defenders of the old Hadi government, both supported by other countries. The minimal resources previously available are gone. Both food and water are in short supply. And the meager resources of the hospital are gone, I’m sure.

The UN has noted the disaster, but they have no impetus to take action. Yemen has nothing anybody wants.

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey, published in 2008, offers great studies of Jesus’ life with emphasis on the way it was all seen in the context of time and place. As constitutional scholars would say, “an originalist” view.

Two examples: In Luke 19:4, Zacchaeus, the tax collector “ran on ahead.” Middle Eastern adults do not run in public. To do so is to expose oneself to shame. And they do not climb a tree as Zacchaeus did. We gain new insights into his character and motivation.

In Luke 7:36-50 we see the story of the woman in the house of Simon the Pharisee. Simon ignored the actions expected in receiving a teacher: omitting the traditional kiss and the failure to bring water and oil for washing. The woman, on the other hand, honored Jesus by her actions.

Bailey also stresses the presence of the prophetic rhetorical template used in  many of the accounts. Most Western church sermons skip over this important literature device.

President Trump, in an off-handed manner, brought up the possibility of a one-state solution for Israel/Palestine. For years, the two state solution  has been the dogma of international diplomacy.

At first I thought, Oh No.  But let’s think about it.

The NY times commented on the idea, “There is no conceivable one-state solution that both parties will like.” But maybe that’s a good thing.  At various times, depending on the circumstances, either Israel or Palestine has favored the two state solution. If one side wants it, the other side doesn’t. The timing is never right for both sides.

What would be the consequences of a one state solution? In 2015 there were 6.22 million Palestinians and 6.34 million Jews in the geographic area. The concern is that Palestinians have more children than Jews,  but I suspect economic concerns will ameliorate the disparity.  So we would be left with a 50/50 split. Boy, they might have to work together for solutions. Would this be any worse than the US split? Hamas and Likud might have to back off.

What about settlements, either Jewish or Palestinian? Such discussion would have to be handled jointly. The government leader might, on occasion, be Arab. Jerusalem would be truly an international city.

Another little secret. They are both Semitic peoples.

Major countries no longer need to declare or commit to full-scale war. They now engage other, lesser states to carry out their goals.

Consider Iraq, where we fund and equip Iraqis to fight ISIS for us.

Consider Syria, with all its complexities, where we choose various rebel groups to represent us against Assad and the Russians.

And now today, the UN acknowledges how bad things are in Yemen. They say famine is approaching there. Have they been watching before today? In Yemen we see another proxy war between Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia.

How convenient and sterile is the concept of proxy war!