Middle East

Human Rights Watch | – – Parliament Candidates Should Commit to Reforms (Beirut) – Candidates running in Lebanon’s May 6, 2018 parliamentary elections should commit to five key steps to improve women’s rights, Human Rights Watch said today, on International Women’s Day. Political parties should also ensure greater participation of women in parliament by including […]

Bashar al-Assad

Surprise withdrawal of Syrian guerrillas from East Ghouta as Regime advances

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Syrian War is largely over, but the regime of Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian backers appear determined to mop up the remaining enclaves of rebel opposition, despite sweet talk of de-confliction zones and of negotiations in Sochi or Astana. It would be better […]

Iran

Muslim Women at forefront of Science: 70% of Iranian Women Graduates come out with Science Degrees

contributors

Middle Eastern Women Leading World’s Science, Tech Fields | TeleSur | – – Over half of STEM jobs in several middle eastern countries are held by female professionals. “In wealthy nations, they believe that they have the freedom to pursue those alternatives and not worry so much that they pay less,” said one professional. Iranian […]

Saudi Arabia

Battle of the billboards as Controversial Saudi crown prince arrives in London

contributors

By Brian Whitaker | ( Al-Bab.com) | – – The roadside signs show a bearded man in Arab head-dress with the words “He is bringing change to Saudi Arabia”. Passing drivers, unless they are followers of Middle Eastern politics, may wonder who “he” is, but that doesn’t really matter. The adverts seem to have been […]

Featured

Saudi Prince: Turkey, Iran & Extremists are ME “Triangle of Evil”

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Egypt’s al-Shuruq newspaper, which tilts liberal and secular, reports on the press conference in Cairo conducted by neophyte crown prince Muhammad Bin Salman, 32 on Wednesday. Bin Salman said that the current “Triangle of Evil” [paraphrasing George W. Bush’s speechwriter David Frum] was Iran, Turkey and […]

Israel/ Palestine

Israel passes law to strip residency of Jerusalem’s Palestinians

contributors

MWC News | – – Palestinians slam new ‘breach of loyalty’ legislation as ‘extremely racist’ and a violation of international law. Israel’s Interior Minister Aryeh Deri will now have the power to revoke residency of Palestinians in Jerusalem [Reuters] The Israeli parliament has passed a law that allows the minister of interior to revoke the […]

BDS Occupied Territories

ACLU: US Congress ban on Boycotting Israel is Unconstitutional

contributors

TeleSur | – – The bipartisan bill was rewritten after criticism by civil rights advocates but it remains challenged by the ACLU. The legal advocacy group American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced Tuesday their opposition to a revised draft of a legislation targeting the growing pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The ACLU criticized […]

Islam

What is Missing in our Sunni-Shi’a Conflict Narrative?

Juan Cole

Ali R. Abootalebi | (Informed Comment) | – – The Sunni-Shi’a schism provides for different narrative and prescriptions for arriving at the ‘utopian Islamic society’ and the incoming of the Messiah, al-Mahdi. The theological, doctrinal and jurisprudential differences between the two main branches of Islam has translated into two different visions on the role of […]

Syria

Syria’s war at home is giving way to dangerous proxy conflicts

contributors

By Moritz Pieper | (The Conversation) | – – As Syrian government forces crush the country’s largest remaining rebel strongholds and with Bashar al-Assad apparently here to stay, Syria is turning into an arena for three new proxy conflicts. In the south, Israel is facing off against Iran; in the northern region of Afrin, Turkey […]