Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Nasim Ahmed
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Is the Muslim vote a growing factor in British politics?
Britain’s Muslim community is sufficient in number to have a significant impact in the coming general election. Muslim voters are an “untapped resource” with the potential to seal the outcome of at least 32 constituencies; that would be more seats than the Liberal Democrats, UKIP and Green Party combined,...
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The heart of the Arab world is in need of a transplant
What better way to begin a series of articles on Egypt than to start by examining the country’s composition to explore why it’s teetering on the brink of being a failed state. The descent of Egypt and the region as a whole into what is increasingly looking like the Middle...
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It's time for liberal Jews to admit that liberal Zionism is bankrupt
To be a freier is anathema to Israelis. The Yiddish word is translated loosely as “sucker”, which doesn’t really do justice to its broader and more significant connotations. “Don’t be a freier” is practically the 11th commandment in Israel and the fear of actually being one plays into every...
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If Cameron Stout was Kareem Salah everyone would know of the plot to assassinate Obama
What would the reaction be if a Muslim was known to have plotted to assassinate the president of the United States? How could we even approximate of the level of outrage and hysteria that would follow if, God forbid, some lunatic from the Muslim fringe was indeed attempting to...
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If I were a Palestinian I'd be pleased with Netanyahu's victory
Benjamin Netanyahu has won a resounding electoral victory despite the fact that he has become a caricature of Israeli rejectionists and the best efforts of “anyone but Bibi” political campaign, which reportedly received $350,000 from the US State Department to unseat him. But is this really a disaster for...
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Sabotaging Washington's foreign policy on Iran isn't the only way that Israel harms US interests
Whether it’s with friend or foe, Israel bears no cost for its extreme political brazenness. Such chutzpah is normally the privilege of superpowers, which are able to pursue national interests with bare-faced conceit. Though it’s usually not the most effective way to wield power and influence, superpower status grants...
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Will exploitation of fear and vilification of Europe be the winning formula in the Israeli elections?
We all remember the infamous comical moment when Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN back in 2012 and made his fabricated case for striking Iran. In his desperation to convince the international community, he even drew the famous red line and warned of a ticking nuclear time bomb. It turns out...
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Freedom of speech is too valuable to be lost through pro-Israel legislation
With the appalling rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes across Europe, arguably as a consequence of political decisions being implemented elsewhere, there is an urgent need to separate Jews and Judaism from the colonial policies of Israel. This is evident by the growing numbers of Jews who are distancing themselves...
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The rise of 'pro-Israelism' in American politics
The US-Israel special relationship is acknowledged universally as the unswayable force of politics in the Middle East. The theme is confessed ritually by every US president and Israeli prime minister, who have all claimed, more or less, that “the bond between Israel and the United States is rooted in...
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Can Egypt escape the grip of its authoritarian past?
When Egypt’s 25 January Revolution began in 2011 calling for the removal of the regime, few anticipated the speedy dismissal of the man who had held the reins of power for four decades. Fewer still would have predicted that in the space of two years the Egyptian military would...
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BDS is gaining traction in Britain
The academic boycott of Israel was the theme of a discussion at London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) this week. An event organised by the student union and hosted by SOAS Palestine Society attracted a large audience as part of the campaign to secure a yes...
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What does the deepest level of political hypocrisy look like?
One could be forgiven for thinking that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is God’s unique way of revealing the depth of human hypocrisy. It’s not just that the US State Department has threatened to withhold its annual $400 million economic aid to the Palestinians in response to the PA’s bid to...
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2014 will be remembered as the year that Israel revealed itself to be an apartheid state
There is no doubt that 2014 will be remembered as one of the most tragic in Palestinian history. There are reasons to believe, though, that the year was also a game changer, not least because the international campaign for recognition of a Palestinian state and the simultaneous de-legitimisation of...
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The interest of the 'only democracy in the Middle East' is to block democracy in the Middle East
The so-called ‘Arab Spring’ has certainly reinforced the perception that the Middle East is a hotbed of intractable conflicts. Israel has never ceased to use this stereotype to its advantage, reminding the world that it is a beacon of democracy surrounded by hostile countries. The truth, however, is far...
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Why did the Arab dream turn into an Arab nightmare?
Almost four years into the so-called Arab Spring one could be forgiven for thinking that it hasn’t been worth it, judging by the death and destruction that has taken place. Moreover, one can argue quite convincingly that democracy is an alien concept to the region and thus provide a...
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Does the EU really want a two state solution?
The global campaign for recognition of Palestinian statehood is a desperate measure to resuscitate the two-state solution, which is in terminal decline. If, as many believe, such a solution is already drawing its last breath, why does the European Union keep dithering in its recognition of a Palestinian state?...
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UAE's assertive stance will not result in greater stability and prosperity
Watching political opportunism at its crudest is an ugly thing. The most audacious attempts usually generate sarcastic laughter just as easily as disbelief and anger. What is interesting about its most naked form in the latest example is the way that it unites countries and regimes that only recently...
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World War One and Palestine: does the connection still matter?
World War One was never a war to end all wars. It ended, however, with a peace to end all peace, at least for the Middle East. Every political project born out of the peace has failed to emerge into a stable country defending the rights and freedoms of...
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Campaign against UAE human rights violations gathers momentum
The early signs of a public campaign against human rights violations by the United Arab Emirates (UEA) looked to be taking shape in London yesterday evening. A public seminar organised by the Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR) attracted a wide audience of people, many with...
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UAE's crackdown on democracy short-sighted
The Arab Spring appeared at first like a political contagion spreading throughout the Arab world. A fault-line between vibrant generations of youth and ossified ruling elites, as a result of underlying socio-economic discontent and pent-up feelings of deep political frustration, signalled dramatic change for the region. From the very onset,...
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To defeat ISIS we need to stop shooting in the dark and understand political Islam
This article is the fourth and final of our series on The Brotherhood vs. ISIS: MEMO reopens debate on contemporary political Islam. Read the first one here , the second one here, and third one here. The realisation that no single generation can solve a major global problem is unnerving. ISIS,...
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Demonising the Brotherhood will not help in the fight against ISIS
This article is the first of our series on The Brotherhood vs. ISIS: MEMO reopens debate on contemporary political Islam David Cameron launched his investigation into the Muslim Brotherhood by saying, ” It is an important piece of work… we will only get our policy right if we fully understand...
