USA
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Reform Islam
Transcending the secular-sacred divide
Sherman Jackson's "The Islamic Secular" makes a compelling case for an alternative understanding of 'secular', which is neither outside religion nor a rival to it
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“From the river to the sea”
How to interpret a slogan
The notion that the slogan is sweepingly anti-Semitic falls short of the mark. But extremist interpretations need to be condemned – on both the Israeli and the Palestinian side
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Parliamentary elections in Iran
Tehran's election fiasco
Regime and society in Iran remain on a collision course with the actual turnout in the second round of Iran's parliamentary election last week estimated to have fallen below 40 per cent.
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Desert X AlUla 2024
"The desert is demanding new ways of seeing"
Over the past three years, there has been a shift in perception around the Saudi Arabian art scene, and at this year's DesertX, artists benefitted from freer expression
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Protests at US universities
"What's needed now is dialogue"
The impact of the protests and police crackdowns at US universities goes far beyond the campuses where they are taking place and is likely to affect the outcome of this year's presidential election
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Palestinian-Chilean singer
Elyanna poised to take Arabic pop global
Singing in Arabic wasn't part of Elyanna's original plan. Yet it's helping the 22-year-old Palestinian-Chilean singer make history, even as she walks a fine line against the backdrop of current events
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Middle East conflict
Two peoples' experience of displacement
The Israel-Palestine conflict is multilayered and very complex. The greatest problem is that both sides have reason to believe the other wants to destroy them
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Iranian protest literature
Ehtesham-Zadeh and the inner revolution
"Zan", Suzi Ehtesham-Zadeh's short story collection, tells of Iranian women during the uprising in Iran, and of women in exile grappling in diverse ways with their identity and roots. A book about women, life and freedom that has arrived at exactly the right moment
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Middle East conflict
Qatar won't be pressured by the West
Criticism by U.S. politicians of the emirate's role in the Middle East conflict have ruffled feathers in Doha. Rulers now say they'll reassess their mediator role between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas – thereby sending a warning to Washington
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Germany and the Netanyahu government
Death zone Gaza: Germany is complicit
For years, Germany has been Israel's second most important supplier of arms. As a result, German weapons have ended up being used in the Gaza war. As evidence piles up of serious legal violations by Israel, the question of whether the German government is complicit in this catastrophic situation must be asked
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Medical tourism trend
Turkey's plastic surgery boom
Ever more people are visiting Turkey from abroad for nose jobs, hair transplants and similar procedures. Prices are low, but what are the risks?
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Iran drone attacks
Why did some Arab countries help Israel?
Some analysts saw the fact that Arab nations helped Israel and the U.S. repel a major Iranian attack as cause for celebration. Countries like Jordan have, however, more complicated motivations for coming to Israel's aid