Analysis
Our contributors are experts in Arab societies who provide nuanced analysis on latest regional developments.
The Syrian artist who paints on death
Akram Abo Alfoz, an artist living under siege in Ghouta, creates inspiration as he transforms the medium destroying his city into a vehicle of hope. His work speaks optimism in a language that transcends speech.
Western colonialism’s continued compromise of Arab democracy
The British made promises to the Arabs but, after the fall of the Ottomans, European promises vanished like a mirage. Instead, they filled the Ottoman power vacuum with the British mandate. There would be no democracy in the Middle East.
Israel: an illegitimate, Middle Eastern democracy
Other than the fact that Israel is not the only example of democracy in the Middle East: is a democratically elected government legitimate if they are elected to pursue systematic colonialism?
Iran: politics of pragmatism & Arab parallels
Since the existence of independent nation states in the Middle East and North Africa, Iran has been one of the …
On France’s “Arab problem”
A recurring theme throughout Arab literature is exile. Being far from home, far from one’s family, one’s land, or one’s …
Tunisia’s economy before and after the Arab Spring
The 2011 Jasmine Revolution ousted Ben Ali’s autocracy and introduced full democratic rule in Tunisia but, since then, it’s been …
Brexit Britain and Egyptian nationalism: a comparative analysis
There are a lot of things in the world today that seem utterly upside down: right-wing nationalists claim the mantle …
Gulf wealth does not address deeper social divides
A podcast version of this story is available on Soundcloud, Itunes, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spreaker, Pocket Casts, Tumblr, Patreon, Podbean …
Putin, clumsily, seeks to exploit mounting Gulf tensions
*** A podcast version of this story is available on Soundcloud, Itunes, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spreaker, Pocket Casts, Tumblr, Patreon, …
Qatar’s turbulent response to China’s clampdown on Islam
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What Erdogan’s nuclear ambitions mean for Arab politics
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Saudi Arabia and press censorship in Pakistan
*** This is an edited article that can be found in its original format on Ayesha Siddiqa’s website *** Was …