Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Diana Alghoul
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Why the landmine problem is far from over in the Middle East
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines-Cluster Munition Coalition (ICBL-CMC) has released a report highlighting the human cost of landmines last year. The ICBL-CMC is a global network of various non-governmental organisations which campaign for the eradication of mines and cluster munitions. In its report Landmine Monitor 2016, the coalition noted...
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Islam cannot be blamed for the Middle East women’s rights record
Women’s rights in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have been a long standing issue of debate. According to the latest global gender-gap report by the World Economic Forum, the majority of MENA countries rank amongst the worst place for women’s rights globally. The vast majority of...
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Prince Charles’ visit to the Gulf says ‘business as usual’ for Britain and the GCC
Western foreign policy towards the Gulf States has been much debated recently. Over the last few months of the Obama administration, American foreign policy has moved considerably further away from the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It was a huge surprise not only to Saudi Arabia...
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Explaining Hadi’s anxiety over the UN’s Yemen peace proposal
If fighting in Yemen continues, in four months’ time it would be two years since Saudi Arabia began its operation in its southern neighbour. After months of negotiations and ceasefires in the midst of violence and famine in a military stalemate, prospects of peace in the foreseeable future seem...
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I Remember My Name
“I Remember My Name” is an anthology of poems about Palestine. The editor, Vacy Vlazana, has collected poetry from three writers from the Palestinian diaspora whose roots are in Gaza. Though it is a short read, it is powerful. Despite the fact that all of the poets have something...
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In honour of Black History Month: the Black-Arab paradigm
“I am Palestinian. My blood is Palestine and Fatah walks through my veins,” said the first woman to organise a paramilitary operation in Israel at the start of her final media interview. Fatima Bernawi spoke passionately about how Palestinian nationalism had been in her blood since infancy and took...
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Why is Oman’s defence policy unique within the GCC?
In light of the recent developments in the Yemen conflict, many are beginning to question Oman’s position and its relationship with Iran and Saudi Arabia. There has been speculation in the media about whether Oman’s policy is shifting closer towards Iran and further away from the mainstream Gulf Cooperation...
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Yemen’s Al-Hudaydah: A child’s worst nightmare
The Yemeni coastal province of Al-Hudaydah is well known for its rich history and famous port that has seen many wars throughout its lifetime. It is unique in the sense that, compared to other Yemeni cities like Sana’a, during the latter half of the 20th century Al-Hudaydah wasn’t known...
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Imperial Perceptions of Palestine: British influence and power in late Ottoman times
Imperial Perceptions of Palestine is a historic account of the way Palestine has been viewed by imperial powers, with specific attention paid to European powers during the decline of the Ottoman Empire. It explores the origins of the mainstream perception of Palestine and the myths surrounding Palestine that followed,...
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PayPal allows Israelis in illegal settlements to open accounts so why not Palestinians?
PayPal has been condemned by pro-Palestine activists for refusing to allow Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip to open accounts. Though PayPal is refusing to take up Palestinian customers within the occupied Palestinian territories, Israelis living in illegal West Bank settlements have no problem about access...
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Personal Reflections on Palestinian Identity in the Diaspora
Being Palestinian is a compilation of short essays written by people from within the Palestinian diaspora. It contains personal stories of Palestinians from all walks of life talking about their experiences as Palestinians living abroad, their sense of belonging to a country that is not recognised and to a...
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Yemen’s Central Bank moves to Aden. So what’s next?
Just months after the 21 September 2014 coup, Houthi militias stormed the Central Bank of Yemen along with other government institutions and Yemen’s largest national newspaper, Al Thawra, in order to establish as much institutional control of Yemen as possible. President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi was later placed under...
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What does John Kerry’s leaked report say about US policy on Yemen?
Last week, BBC Arabic leaked a 12-point peace plan that was written by US Secretary of State John Kerry with regards to Yemen. The report caused much controversy in the Yemeni community; by Monday, the full plan was deleted from the internet. The points in the leaked plan were: President Hadi...
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Report: Cases of torture by Houthis in Ibb
A study by Mwatana confirmed 20 cases of torture so far. Most were in Ibb. Collating such information is becoming increasingly difficult in Yemen especially in mountainous regions...
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The psychological complex behind the Houthis’ pro-Palestine propaganda
As Gaza was being hit by Israeli air strikes last weekend, it garnered the attention of many political figures across the Middle East and North African region, including Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalem. In a Facebook post, he expressed the Houthi movement’s solidarity with Palestine and affirmed the position that...
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What does a diplomat’s pro Houthi stance say about Russia’s Yemen policy?
With the military crisis in Yemen showing no signs of de-escalation, the political situation is regressing rapidly. Just before the UN-sponsored peace talks faltered, Houthis and ex-President Saleh declared the formation of a “Supreme Council” that aims to run the affairs of the country instead of the Hadi government....
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Why Yemen is still in a mess despite months of peace talks
Last Saturday, the UN Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, announced an end to the peace talks in Kuwait, saying that there will be a one-month pause to “crystallise precise technical details” by working with each side of the conflict separately. The fact of the matter is that the...
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The absurd reaction to actor’s Palestine flag badge reflects a wider taboo in Britain
British actor John Altman was invited to appear on TV show “Loose Women” recently to discuss the release of his new book and his battle with alcoholism. Moments into his appearance on-screen, people took to social media to express outrage at what he was wearing in his lapel; a...
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Is Egypt’s counter-terrorist operation fuelling terrorism?
The latest terrorist attack in Egypt left one policeman dead after he was shot by a Daesh affiliated gunman in Al-Arish, northern Sinai, on Sunday evening. The threat of terrorism is not only costing lives, but has taken a toll on what was once a thriving tourism industry. The...
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Tribes and States in a Changing Middle East
The political climate in the Middle East has resulted in tensions that have turned into conundrums for academics and policy makers everywhere. So far, the international community has dealt with the diplomatic issues in the region by liaising with high-ranking state officials and high-profile opposition groups. Tribes are usually...
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We are all Osama - could Hamza Bin Laden revive Al-Qaeda?
In a statement released over the weekend, the son of Osama Bin Laden sent a hollowing threat to the United States through an audio message titled “We are all Osama”. Believed to be around the age of 24, many are speculating that Hamza Bin Laden may be the new force of revival for...
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‘The Struggle for Democracy, Human Rights and Rule of Law in today's Egypt’
In the run-up to the third anniversary of the military coup that ended the leadership of democratically-elected President Mohamed Morsi, the Egyptian Revolutionary Council has hosted two events intended to shed some light on the suffering of Egypt’s people since 2013. The linked programmes took the form of a...
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Activism in Jordan
Activism in Jordan is an interesting and informative read, offering a comprehensive analysis of the nature of political activism in the Hashemite Kingdom and the way that pluralism and political representation has evolved there. Jordan has enjoyed relative stability for a long time compared to its neighbours and has...
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Rape and sexual exploitation should not be the norm for female refugees
The refugee crisis has rightfully been receiving much attention over the past two years. The latest statistics from UNHCR show that the number of forcibly-displaced people is now 65.3 million, which means we have reached record levels. Among them, there are 21.3 million refugees, half of whom are children...