Middle East

Syria’s New Fundamentalist Government: Women “biologically” Unsuited to Politics, Universities to be Segregated

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Obeida Arnaout, the spokesman for the Sunni fundamentalist Levant Liberation Council (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham or HTS) gave an interview on Wednesday with the Lebanese Al-Jadid channel that provoked a firestorm of protest among Syrian women and, well, non-fundamentalists. He pledged, “There will be no imposition of the hijab on the […]

Syria

The Takedown of Bashar Assad has an Impact on Many in the U.S. Here’s how

Ibrahim Al-Marashi

( San Diego Union Tribune ) – Syrian refugees in El Cajon danced in the streets upon hearing about the Dec. 7 collapse of the Assad dynasty, which hailed from the Shi’a Alawite minority and ruled the majority Arab Sunni population of Syria for more than 50 years. Nevertheless, there are also Syrians who stayed […]

Democratic Party

Palestinians file Landmark Lawsuit against Blinken over Israel military Aid

Middle East Monitor

( Middle East Monitor ) – A groundbreaking federal lawsuit has been filed against US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accusing him of systematically failing to implement US law that prohibits military assistance to foreign security forces involved in gross human rights violations, according to legal documents seen by Middle East Monitor (MEMO). The lawsuit, […]

Syria

Why Syria’s Reconstruction may Depend on the Fate of its Minorities

The Conversation

By Ramazan Kılınç, Kennesaw State University (The Conversation) – Tens of thousands of minorities fearing persecution have fled Syria since its takeover by the Sunni Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham on Dec. 8, 2024. While the group has promised to respect all ethnic and religious minorities under its rule, human rights advocates have urged caution. […]

Featured

Closing Israeli Embassy does not Deter Ireland from Recognizing Palestine, Joining Genocide Case against Netanyahu Gov’t

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The current Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, is likely a war criminal by virtue of serving in the cabinet of a government pursuing a genocide. He nevertheless had the gall to accuse the Prime Minister of Ireland of being a bigot, closing the Israeli embassy in Dublin on the grounds […]

Israel/ Palestine

Is Israel about to Annex the Palestinian West Bank? Why Now?

Ramzy Baroud

( Middle East Monitor ) – Israel is getting ready to annex the occupied Palestinian West Bank. The annexation will be a major step backwards on the road to Palestinian freedom and will likely serve as a catalyst for a new Palestinian uprising. Although annexation has been on the Israeli agenda for years, this time […]

Donald Trump

Trump: Turkey’s Erdogan staged “Hostile Takeover” of Syria using HTS Proxies, and is the “Victor”

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Donald J. Trump held an impromptu press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Monday. In the course of his remarks, he said a couple of things about the Middle East, Informed Comment’s beat. Since he’ll be back in the White House in about a month, these observations give some clue as to […]

Dissent

Protesting New York University’s Arbitrary Repressive Actions toward Faculty and Students Protest Gaza War

Committee on Academic Freedom

Committee on Academic Freedom | Middle East Studies Association | – Linda G. Mills President, New York University linda.mills@nyu.edu Georgina Dopico Provost, New York University georgina.dopico@nyu.edu Dear President Mills and Provost Dopico: We write on behalf of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) and its Committee on Academic Freedom to express […]

Bashar al-Assad

What the Fall of Assad says about Putin’s Ambitions for Russia’s Great-Power Status

The Conversation

By Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham (The Conversation) – The lightning-fast collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has sent shock waves across the Middle East. The disposal of the dictator whose family had ruled the country with an iron fist for more than half a century has triggered a potentially seismic shift in the […]