Shah Cheragh is a funerary monument and mosque in Shiraz, Iran. It translates to “King of the Light” and it’s easy to understand why. The jaw-dropping interior of this structure…

One of the most common questions asked by learners of Arabic is ‘should I learn Modern Standard Arabic or a dialect first’? Dialect of course refers to any of the many…

This article first published by GR in November 2006 is of particular relevance  to an understanding of the ongoing process of destabilization and political fragmentation of Iraq, Syria and Yemen.…

Libyan forces with US air support are driving out Islamic State fighters in Libya. Still the oil-rich nation is deeply divided by rival factions and armed militias.

It should now be beyond dispute that gender-based violence is a critical human rights issue– possibly the most important human rights challenge of our time. There is a great deal of…

Nearly 52 years ago, a Syrian political leader hiding in exile was killed in the heart of Brazil. As Syria watchers continue to monitor and understand the country’s grinding civil…

On September 10, 2016, after mammoth negotiating sessions held in Geneva, the USA and Russia announced that agreement had been reached on a cease-fire in the Syrian civil war, to…

Violation of Academic Freedom: Israel denies entry to SOAS scholar, which triggered a protest by Birzeit University  Birzeit University condemns in the strongest possible terms the denial of entry to Dr.…

The grandiose dreams of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the founder of Islamic State (IS) who envisioned a jihadist caliphate encompassing the entire globe under his leadership, appear to be crumbling. In…

In Yemen – as in much of the Middle East – Islam is at war with itself. As Saudi Arabia’s Sunni fundamentalist ruling family and Iran’s equally uncompromising Shia-based Islamic…