A New Cold War?
The struggle for dominance between Saudi Arabia and Iran – one the leader of the Sunni Muslim world, the other of the Shi’ite – is being conducted up and down…
Did They or Didn’t They? The Battle for Control of Brussels’ Grand Mosque
It’s hard to prove beyond doubt a direct causal link between militancy and Saudi-inspired ultra-conservative forms of Sunni Muslim Islam. That hasn’t stopped Belgium’s parliament from attempting to wrest control…
10 Things Saudi Women Still Can’t Do
In truly historic news, Saudi Arabia has decided to let women drive. The royal decree marks significant progress in the rights of women in the kingdom, which was the only…
American Presence in Post-ISIS Syria Remains Unlikely and Here Is Why
According to media reports, the Trump Administration is exploring options to maintain an American military presence on the ground in northern Syria after the expulsion of the Islamic State in…
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…
Syria and Iraq: Cultural Heritage Also Dies
The wealth of cultural sites strewn throughout present day Syria and Iraq bear ample witness to the fact that this area was once revered as the cradle of civilisation –…
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…
Arguing that Africa’s Pyramids Built by Aliens Is Rooted in Racism
Some of the most impressive buildings and cities ever made by humans can be found in Africa: the ruined city of Great Zimbabwe, Mapungubwe in South Africa, Kenya’s Gedi Ruins…
Aggressive Foreign Policy of the Islamic State
The ideology of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) that conquered substantial parts of Syria and Iraq has been described as based on Salafi-jihadism. The group…
War-Torn Syria – Can Saudi Arabia Broker Peace?
Devastated after years of conflict, Syria remains a huge battlefield, the scene of at least six separate military clashes.