by Howard LaFranchi

Al Qaeda’s fundamentally different approach to winning the hearts and minds of the world’s Muslims – recently thrown into shadow by the bold moves of the Islamic State – is now showing signs of longer-term success.

Al Qaeda has long espoused “strategic patience” to establish a global caliphate only after gradual persuasion of Muslims through a long war with the West. That approach contrasts starkly with that of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, which declared a caliphate in Syria and Iraq months after breaking with Al Qaeda in 2014.

Now, as ISIS faces mounting pressure from the outside with apparently scant support from the populations it dominates, Al Qaeda’s “patience” appears to be paying off. In Syria, Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra is solidifying both its place within the Syrian opposition and its hold on some pro-opposition communities. 

Washington D.C., Apr 20, 2016 / 03:23 pm (CNA).- As the U.S. treasury announces the legendary Harriet Tubman as the new face of the 20 dollar bill, she also drew praise from religious freedom advocates for her deep and abiding Christian faith.

“Harriet Tubman was a woman of faith who was not afraid to act on her beliefs to fight for justice,” said Kristina Arriaga, executive director of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

“Her incredible moral and physical courage is an example to all Americans, as is her willingness to act on her Christian faith. She is an icon of religious liberty.”

by: Parag Khanna, “Connectography: Mapping the Future of Global Civilization” The Middle East continues to crumble, and the next American administration may …