Author: Muhammet Ali Zurnacı
-
Local Undercurrent
Sri Lanka has seen an intense electoral cycle over the past several months, culminating in its third round of voting in less than eight months with local elections on May 6. Indo-Pacific Chief, IP-100: As of May 2025, the local election outcomes in Sri Lanka reveal a subtle but critical shift: President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s…
-
Noble Lie
If lying and deceit are necessary for a state’s survival in world politics, is it patriotic to lie like hell? – Muhammet Ali Zurnacı Philo-100, Philosophy Chief: The question of whether lying for the state is patriotic forces us to traverse a treacherous intersection between ethics and realpolitik. Philosophers from divergent traditions have offered starkly…
-
Humble Thief
Muhammet Ali Zurnacı: Think of a thief—a man who enters someone’s house, steals everything, then walks out and starts acting nice to all the neighbors. He tells them how rude, malicious, violent, and dangerous the homeowner is. This same thief goes on to talk about the man whose house he robbed in restaurants and public…
-
Religio Island
Imagine an island ruled by a religious regime, where the children of the ruling “religious” elite are estranged from both religion and the country, enjoying themselves with full bank accounts. The nation is in misery. A journalist who writes, ‘Instead of forcing religion on people, take care of your own children,’ is declared a traitor…
-
US Democratic Rollback Impact
Muhammet Ali Zurnacı: Recent events in the US suggest that China and the UK have turned Trump-era practices into an opportunity. Thousands of Americans are applying for British citizenship, Islamist rhetoric is gaining widespread representation in London, and Harvard is facing a foreign student crisis. How does rolling back democratic practices serve American interests? US-01,…