The Arabist

The Arabist

By Issandr El Amrani and friends.

Whoops!

Rather embarrassing mistake:

Professor Juan Cole thinks:"An outspoken but generally anti-Shiite Bahrain blog by a Sunni is Mahmood's Den"


So I'm anti-shi'ite, and I'm a Sunni!


Apart from both statement being completely wrong (I'm not just a Shi'ite, but am a Sayyed and an Alawi (both parents are Sayyeds and can trace their lineage as descendants of the Prophet (pbuh)) to boot) but these statements (judgements) struck me as odd and would like to know from the professor (and you if you would) what in this blog suggested that I am anti-Shi'ite and that I am a Sunni?


Or is it not allowed for one to criticise his/her own side in order for that side to get better for fear of being labled with the "other side?"


I would have been better to check the sources first, don't you think?


I generally like Cole and think he's doing a sterling job of covering Iraq, but some recent posts have a bit weird, like this one about Paul Wolfowitz's Tunisian girlfriend, in which he says "I don't think the private lives of people are relevant to their public service" and then proceeds to talk about, er, Wolfie's private life. Perhaps one of the dangers of blogging too much.