Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Diana Alghoul
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The UN still refuses to address the core of the Yemen conflict
Thus far, the Kuwait-sponsored UN peace talks for Yemen have been fruitless, although earlier this week UN Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed announced a “comprehensive peace plan” to end the war, leaving some hope that hostilities could soon be over. The plan has three key points: Dissolving...
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Sufis, Salafis and Islamists: The contested ground of British Islamic activism
Muslims and non-Muslims alike have discussed the concept of being British and Muslim widely across a range of public forums. In most cases, the discussion focuses on Muslim assimilation or integration into British society. The tabloid media’s contribution to the debate is generally limited to scare-mongering about the “Islamic...
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Is it time to destigmatise talks with Hamas?
For many years, negotiating with Hamas was seen as a taboo concept within the Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative. Just over ten years ago, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections in Gaza and since then, civilians have been suffering as a result of a blockade and wars that have led to...
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Life is on hold for Yemeni refugees
Yemenis are continuing to flee their war torn country. According to UNHCR statistics, just fewer than 180,000 Yemenis have been regionally displaced as a direct result of the conflict. Most of them escape to Saudi Arabia, whereas others flee to East African countries making the dangerous journey across the...
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Why the progress of the peace talks are the least of Yemen’s worries
With much of the attention on Yemen focused on the Kuwait peace talks, there seems to be an illusion that much of the fate of Yemen’s future is currently in the hands of Kuwait and the delegates in the Gulf state. So far, no tangible progress has been made...
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Book Launch & Seminar: ‘Mapping My Return: A Palestinian Memoir’
The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) and Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) collaborated in organising a launch event for Dr. Salman Abu Sitta’s latest book, Mapping My Return: A Palestinian Memoir. During the event, the audience were given an introduction to the life of the author, commemorating his contribution to the Palestinian...
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Anxiety of Erasure: Trauma, Authorship and the Diaspora in Arab Women’s Writings
Patriarchy is one of the main themes that comes to mind for those thinking about the Arab world. Arab women are usually seen through the stereotypical lens of oppression and subject to the demands of their male relatives. However, when it comes to texts written about Arab women, be...
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A bird’s-eye view – Abdelwahab Elmessiri’s views on secularism
Middle East Monitor hosted the third annual lecture to honour the memory, scholarship and achievement of Abdelwahab Elmessiri, the late Egyptian thinker, yesterday. The event highlighted how Elmessiri went through political and religious journeys throughout his life, but mainly his journey to applying secularism and secular political movements to Islam. Chaired...
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Is Britain’s part in the Saudi campaign in Yemen clouded by a ‘white saviour’ complex?
Since the start of the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen, there has been much attention in the British media about the UK’s arms deals with Riyadh. After the United States, Britain is the second largest supplier of weapons to Saudi Arabia, making it a matter of grave concern to...
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International incompetence has helped Daesh to survive and overcome its weaknesses
Up until last year, Daesh was experiencing significant growth. The group was growing in terms of its local economy, supporters, recruits and territory; it seemed to be unstoppable. It perplexed terrorism experts and the foreign and security policies of nation states began to revolve around what seemed to be...
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Why did the Saudis make Obama feel unwelcome?
When US President Barack Obama arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday on an official visit to Saudi, he stepped out of his plane and on to the red carpet most likely expecting to be greeted by King Salman, or high ranking royals; instead he was greeted by the governor of...
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Chaos and Caliphate by Patrick Cockburn
The Arab Spring marked a change for the Middle East and North Africa and the many ethnicities found within the region. What started off in hope, led to a spread of ethno-centric conflicts, leaders seeking revenge and, of course, the rise of extremism. In 2011, many analysts feared the...
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The Yemen ceasefire and international delusion about the realities of the war
Another ceasefire was officially implemented in Yemen on 10 April at 9pm GMT, in the run-up to the Kuwait peace talks due on 18 April. There are sporadic pockets of hope for a political solution to the conflict, but those are generally in conjunction with the military situation on...
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Boris has basically reduced the Syrian conflict into a war about archaeology
One of the many disturbing sentences written by Boris Johnson in his column for Britain’s Telegraph newspaper is this: “The victory of Assad is a victory for archaeology, a victory for all those who care about the ancient monuments of one of the most amazing cultural sites on Earth.”...
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Preserving Jewish Yemeni culture with fewer than 50 Jews left in the country
In a secret operation on Sunday evening, Israel evacuated 19 Yemeni Jews, leaving only 50 behind fearing that this precious minority which has contributed immensely to Yemen’s history may soon be no more. The video of the Jews arriving in Israel showed them wearing traditional Yemeni clothing, greeting friends...
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Omissions in BBC coverage portray ‘misleading’ perception of Yemen conflict
A simple statement in a BBC Arabic documentary captured the whole nature of what was once the third largest city in Yemen: “Taiz is now shattered.” Seeing the devastating humanitarian situation was enough to make your blood run cold. The BBC visited Taiz city not only to show the...
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How has Daesh managed to advance into Baghdad?
The security situation in Iraq has been on the agenda of the international community since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Following the American-led invasion, stability in the fragile country has been an on-going objective of world powers, ironically by treating it as a political toy, with no...
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Will Saudi really send ground troops to Syria?
As the one year anniversary of the Saudi-led coalition’s intervention in Yemen draws nearer, Saudi Brigadier General Ahmed Asiri announced to Al-Arabiya TV that the Kingdom is likely to take part in deploying ground forces to Syria to fight Daesh if needed. The UAE later announced it would do...
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The flawed logic behind Israel’s counterterrorism policy
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin addressed the ninth annual conference of the Institute for National Security Studies in mid-January. “The Islamic State is already here,” he told delegates, “that is no longer a secret. I am not speaking about territories bordering the State of Israel, but within the state itself.”...
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Nuclear agreements and business deals with Iran, but what happens post-honeymoon period?
A fresh wave of energy has boosted Iranian foreign policy since Tehran has been freed of all economic sanctions as a result of its nuclear deal with the P5+1 group of world powers. The doors of Europe are now open to President Hassan Rouhani; he hasn’t hesitated to take...
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Russia’s role in the Yemen conflict
Russia’s presence in the Middle East has for long been viewed as a controversial matter. Its actions in Syria and Iraq, and facilitation of Iran’s expansionist policy, have become a favoured topic of discussion. Because of its support for dictatorial regimes and its openness about ensuring its sphere of...
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Key areas in the Yemen conflict
The whole of Yemen has been affected over the past nine months, either by war or natural disasters. What, though, are the key strategic areas of Yemen and why are they so significant? The following is a brief guide: Sana’a Previously the capital of North Yemen, after the unification of the...
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The power of tribal politics in Yemen should not be ignored
Last week, as Houthi, Saleh and Hadi representatives met in Geneva for UN-sponsored peace talks, there was a ceasefire on the ground. On the first day of the talks, the Houthi delegation admitted that it had not informed its fighters of the ceasefire, which led to the killing of...
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What are the challenges behind the Yemen peace talks?
With the approach of the Yemen peace talks, many are watching with anticipation and hope for an end to the conflict. In the country itself, though, lethargy fills the air as citizens grasp the rope of life with every ounce of resilience in their bodies. Around half-a-million children are...