NEWS
Saudi-Led Coalition Blacklisted for Killing Children in Yemen
The UN has added the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen to its annual list of shame for killing hundreds of children in 2016. But the world body noted that the coalition had put in place some measures to protect kids.
ANALYSING THE MASHREQ
According to Numbers, Most Terrorism Is Not Islamic
Ask most people who has committed the worst terrorist attack in Europe in the past decade or two. They’ll probably say Muslims. They would be wrong.
LEVANT & MESOPOTAMIA
The Other Kurdish Poll
As far as Kurdish affairs are concerned, the world’s attention is currently focused on the independence referendum held on September 25, 2017 by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in north-eastern Iraq and that, despite considerable international pressure, there was a 92 percent vote in favour, on a 72 percent turnout. Little attention has been paid to the fact that just three days earlier, another historic Kurdish election took place in neighbouring Syria.
NORTH AFRICA
Sisi’s Efforts to Remain in Power
The Egyptian regime’s attempt to expand the presidential term to six years is another move to consolidate the power of the presidency.
ARABIAN PENINSULA
Women’s Driving: Saudi Prince Mohammed’s Litmus Test
Saudi Arabia’s long-awaited lifting of a ban on women’s driving, widely viewed as a symbol of Saudi misogyny, will likely serve as a litmus test for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ability to introduce economic and social reforms despite conservative opposition.
TURKEY & IRAN
Turkey’s New Curriculum: Less Evolution, More Erdoğan, More Islam
ISTANBUL — With President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s plans for greater powers firmly on track, Turkey’s government has set about shaping the country’s future outside the halls of parliament. Last month, as parliamentarians brawled over — and finally voted for — constitutional changes designed to establish Erdoğan’s long-awaited presidential system, the ministry of education published a draft curriculum for the new school year.
INTERCULTRAL
Why Religious People Cling to Contradictory Beliefs
Religious people “cling” to certain beliefs in the face of evidence because those views are closely tied to their moral compasses, new studies have suggested.
ATHEISTS AND MINORITIES
Tunisia Ends Forced Anal Examinations on People Suspected of Being Gay
Tunisia has promised to stop forcing people suspected of being gay to undergo anal examinations.
ORIENT-OCCIDENT RELATIONS
Rohingya Plight Feeds Muslim Assertiveness
The plight of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya minority is becoming the Muslim world’s latest rallying call emulating the emotional appeal of the Palestinians in the second half of the 20th century.
Monthly Issues
