Middle East

By Nehal Amer Over the past year Egypt has undergone harsh reforms in a narrowing sociopolitical environment. New legislation is rapidly being produced in the absence of an elected parliament—from the repressive protest law to the draft NGO law, and now to the draft labor law. This past August, the Ministry of Manpower and Migration […]

Apartheid

“More Collective Punishment of Gaza”: Norwegian Dr. Denied Entrance to Gaza by Israelis

contributors

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Norwegian physician who has volunteered in the medical field in the Gaza Strip repeatedly in recent years has been banned by Israel from ever returning. Dr. Mads Gilbert, who most recently spent time working in Gaza during Israel’s massive summer assault that left nearly 2,200 dead, has revealed that he was […]

History

Turkish President Alleges Muslims ‘discovered’ America before Columbus

contributors

Ruptly TV | — [ What follows is some crackpot theory completely divorced from reality… for another attempt at mystifying the Ottomans in the New World see this earlier blog post about the map of Piri Reis– Juan] RUPTLY TV TRANSCRIPT: “Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish President (Turkish): ”Two Ottoman ships left Istanbul port to Basra […]

Iraq

Yazidi Women Victimized by Daesh/ ISIL tell of Rape, Slavery, & their Resistance

contributors

By Khales Joumah | Mosul | via Niqash.org | — Three months ago, the extremist group known as the Islamic State kidnapped hundreds of women from the Yazidi sect. Since then there have been many stories about what has happened to the women, including physical and sexual abuse, slavery and forced marriage. NIQASH spoke to […]

Counter-Terrorism

Top 5 Ways Daesh/ ISIL is Losing, as it lashes out like a Cornered Rat

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole Daesh is what ISIL is called in the Middle East by the vast majority that doesn’t like it. It has not had a good month, suffering substantial setbacks in Iraq and watching with concern as the Damascus regime of Bashar al-Assad looks set to retake the major northern city of Aleppo, to […]

Apartheid

Thousands march in Bethlehem to mark Palestine Independence Day

contributors

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Thousands marched in the streets of Bethlehem on Saturday to mark Palestinian Independence Day and the 10th anniversary of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s death. Palestinians marched through the main streets of the holy city waving Palestinian and Fatah flags. The march went from the governmental compound near Duheisha refugee camp past the […]

Apartheid

Israel’s Ban on Norwegian Humanitarian Dr. in Gaza spells ‘trouble for gov’t’

contributors

RT | — “Israel has permanently banned Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert from entering Gaza. He told RT that he has become “a great problem for the Israeli government” because he documents the atrocities he sees in Palestine.” RT: “Norwegian doc’s Gaza ban: Spells ‘trouble for Israeli govt’”

Economy

Saudi Arabia at the G20: Is it waging Econ War on Iran, Russia and N. Dakota?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole The G20 is a conference of the world’s top 20 economies as measured by Gross Domestic Product. Some observers have slammed it as an unelected and arbitrary body that is doing some of the work the United Nations was intended to do– only in a much less egalitarian way. The official web […]

BDS Occupied Territories

UCLA Mideast Center fights Smears by off-campus Israel-Lobby Extremists

contributors

By James Gelvin | — Response to criticisms of the G.E. von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies The G.E. von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies (hereafter CNES) of UCLA is one of the oldest such centers in the United States. It is also one of the largest, currently including seventy-six affiliated faculty (among […]