The Controversial Mohammed Dahlan
For years rumors of plots and counterplots have eddied around the controversial figure of Mohammed Dahlan, the charismatic Palestinian politician whom PA President Mahmoud Abbas regards as his greatest enemy,…
The Qatar Phenomenon
It is not easy to pigeon-hole Qatar, a stand-alone Middle Eastern state in more ways than one, geographically, politically, economically, influentially. That Qatar aspires to become a major player in the…
Clear the Skies For the Sake of Children
I am an American surgeon who recently spent two weeks working in an underground hospital in eastern Aleppo, Syria. I have been there a few times, and each time I…
Men Wear Headscarf in Iran in Solidarity With Women
Men in Iran are wearing hijabs in solidarity with their wives who are forced to cover their hair The campaign against enforced hijab in Iran has seen women defying morality…
Can Lebanon Ever Rid Itself of Hezbollah?
In about 1980 – the exact date is disputed – Hezbollah descended like an incubus on Lebanon’s body politic, fastening itself onto a sleeping victim. Subsequently, while it has been…
Al-Sisi Seizes the Lead in the Peace Process
President Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt is a man of vision. In addition to his ambitions for his own country, there is mounting evidence that he aims to build a positive…
Jordan Removes Religion From New ID Cards
Jordan’s new smart IDs will no longer indicate the cardholder’s religion. Smart IDs that don’t indicate the holder’s religion are now replacing traditional IDs in Jordan as part of the…
Syria in Pictures Before & After War
20 photos of the same places, before and after the Syrian war of the city of Aleppo. One of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. In 19 July 2012…
Saudi Cleric Reveals the Treatment of Love
A Saudi Cleric says on the Islamic TV Iqraa (lit. recite) that the treatment of love comes in six potions: Praying, averting one’s glance, keeping distance from the beloved, thinking about…
Syria’s Refugee Children Have Lost All Hope
Young Syrians living in Lebanon are attempting suicide in ever greater numbers TRIPOLI, Lebanon — At a makeshift refugee camp just south of this northern city, a 12-year-old Syrian girl named Khowla…