Thus the Financial Times today. “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi sees borders as a mirage,” elaborates the newspaper. Which reminds me of a website bookmarked on my desktop (“Euratlas,” June 4, 2013). Going from year 1 to 2000 in one-century steps, it shows the sub-continent’s history in twenty easy steps (www.euratlas.net). For my sins, I visit the site quite often. Returning to al-Baghdadi and his caliphate, he is perfectly right in seeing borders as a mirage. What else could they be? By way of proof, a quick visit to Euratlas is all that is needed. Not that I am a fan of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, I hasten to add. The very name of the organization betrays fascinations with borders of yesteryear.