Islamic Scientific Schools

In the Name of Allah---the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. The UNO’s New World Map: How a Change in Cartography Could Change the Way We See the World For more than four centuries, one particular image of the world has shaped generations' geographical imagination. It has appeared in classrooms, atlases, newspapers, offices and, in modified forms, on digital maps. Yet the map most people recognize as the “world map” contains a fundamental visual distortion: it makes some parts of the world appear far larger than they actually are. On 4 September 2026, the United Nations General Assembly took an important step toward changing that picture. By a vote of 164 in favour, one against and six abstentions , the Assembly adopted the resolution “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World’s Regions, Particularly Africa.”  Togo led the initiative, with support from the African Union. ( United Nations ) The resolution pr...

In the Name of Allah---the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. Lebanon's demographic structure is essential for understanding its politics—and especially the growing sense among many Lebanese Sunnis that they have become politically weaker and economically marginalized despite being one of the country's largest communities . Lebanon's total population is approximately 5.9 million people in 2026 . 2025: 5,849,421 — World Bank estimate. ( World Bank Open Data ) 2026 (mid-year UN estimate): approximately 5,897,467 , or 5.90 million . ( Worldometer ) So, for our demographic analysis, ~5.9 million is the appropriate current figure. But there is an important distinction This 5.9 million is the total resident population , not the number of Lebanese citizens. It includes non-citizens, including a substantial Syrian refugee population and Palestinians. That distinction is crucial when discussing Lebanon's sectarian demographics . Lebanon has not conducted an official populati...

In the Name of Allah---the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. Alliance of Sahel States: Joint Gold Mines — The Rise of a Gold-Powered Confederation The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) is evolving from a military alliance into something much more ambitious: an alternative political and economic order in West Africa built around sovereignty, natural resources and strategic autonomy. Formed by Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger , the alliance was initially created in September 2023 as a mutual-defense pact. But after the three countries formally left the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the AES began developing the institutions of a confederation, including plans for a common development bank, an import levy and deeper economic coordination. ( Arab News ) At the heart of this transformation lies an extraordinary resource: gold . The three AES countries collectively produce approximately 230 tonnes of gold annually . At the spot price cited by Arab News on August 19, 2026 — s...