Politics
Topics
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Germanyʹs involvement in the Middle East
Merkelʹs anti-IS mission to continue in Syria
Despite internal wrangling, Germanyʹs ruling coalition partners have decided – subject to parliamentary approval – to prolong its military deployment in the fight against Islamic State. Individual parts of the mandate may be extended by varying degrees, but the deployment of German Tornados should only last five months. By Seda Serdar
By Seda Serdar -
Sudan in transition
Darfur refugees dream of return
Military and pro-democracy leaders signed a power-sharing agreement in August paving the way for a promised democratic transition after 30 years of authoritarian rule in Sudan. But refugees who fled genocidal violence in Darfur are expressing their reservations about the deal. Marta Vidal met them in Amman, Jordan
By Marta Vidal -
Joey Lawrenceʹs "We came from fire"
A tribute to the Kurds
With its large landscape format and its glossy colour photos, "We Came From Fire" by American-based Canadian photo journalist Joey Lawrence may look like a coffee table book, yet from the sub-title, "Kurdistan's Armed Struggle Against ISIS", to its content, this book is unlike any other. By Richard Marcus
By Richard Marcus -
Democracy movements in the Arab world
Look to Sudan, Algeria!
A watershed moment in Sudan: after 30 years of repression, a civilian-led government looks set to co-determine the country’s future path. It's quite a different picture in Algeria: here, the people have been demonstrating against the military for months, to no avail. By Khaled Salameh
By Khaled Salameh -
Quebecʹs controversial Bill 21
Islamophobia festers in Canadaʹs Francophone heart
In June Canada's French-speaking province Quebec passed Bill 21, banning the wearing of religious symbols or garments by certain public servants in the workplace. Aside from the civil rights implications, the bill has also made visible minorities, specifically Muslims, the target of racist attacks. By Richard Marcus
By Richard Marcus -
Disenfranchised in the Gulf
The Bedoons – Kuwait's stateless minority
For more than 50 years, the Bedoons have been living in Kuwait without citizenship status. Now, it seems this problematic situation is finally being addressed. There may be light at the end of the tunnel. By Dina Elbasnaly
By Dina El Basnaly -
Israeli attacks on bases in Iraq
Is war with Iran on the horizon?
So far, Iraq has always been neutral in the face of a possible war between Iran and the USA. But recent Israeli air raids on Iranian bases in Iraq reveal a different reality: Tehran's rulers apparently can no longer count on the neutrality of its neighbouring country, writes Ali Sadrzadeh
By Ali Sadrzadeh -
Kashmir, Xinjiang and Arab land in the Middle East
Victims of the civilizational agenda
India's decision to deprive Kashmir of its autonomy, alongside a clampdown in the troubled north-western Chinese province of Xinjiang and US-backed Israeli annexation of Arab land, is the latest indication of what a new world order led by civilizational leaders may look like. By James M. Dorsey
By James M. Dorsey -
Gaddafi's legacy
Libya – failed state par excellence
Faraj Alasha asks whether, in the event of General Haftarʹs forces taking control of the Libyan capital Tripoli, its population will embrace and support him? Or will his forces be worn down by attacks inside the city, thus ushering in a new chapter of bloodletting?
By Faraj Alasha -
Pursuing prosecution in Germany
Justice for Yazidi survivors of Islamic State genocide
The extremist group "Islamic State" attempted to wipe out the Yazidis. Many thousands died, and survivors tell horrific tales of abuse and enslavement. Now, German investigators have taken up the fight for justice. By Matthias von Hein
By Matthias von Hein -
Reassessing the Islamic Republic
Did the Iranian revolution deliver?
According to the well-known Tehran political science professor, Sadegh Zibakalam, if Iran were to hold a referendum on the Islamic Republic today, over 70% would clearly oppose it. Forty years on from the foundation of the Islamic Republic, Ali Fathollah-Nejad revisits the promises of the revolution to explore why this is the case
By Ali Fathollah-Nejad -
Interview with Middle East expert Andre Bank
Syria: "Iran is not fighting in Idlib"
The Syrian war isn't over yet. Assad and Russia have been bombing Idlib for months. It is striking that Iran refuses to fight in the decisive battle for the last bastion of the insurgents, says Middle East expert Andre Bank in an interview with Diana Hodali
By Diana Hodali
Most read articles
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Samia Mehrez's "The Many Lives of Ibrahim Nagui"
Reframing a divided legacy
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The postwar that never was
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Climate change in MENA
Is the Middle East prepared for extreme heatwaves?
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"Carmen" on the Egyptian stage
Rewritten to fit the patriarchal script
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Morocco-Algeria arms race
"The solution requires political courage"
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German academia
When neutrality becomes complicity