Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Diana Alghoul
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Currency, petrol and the corruption behind the ISIS enigma
In recent days, ISIS social media has been showing off its long-anticipated currency. Rumours have been circulating for many months, but they were embellished in November 2014, highlighting not only the group’s geopolitical expansion, but also its infiltration into the societies it invades. Pictures of the coins have been...
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The illusion behind the Yemen peace talks
After three months of bloodshed, Yemen’s conflicting parties have finally agreed to sit at the negotiation table at UN-backed peace talks in Geneva. The process so far has been as anticipated; messy. Despite the violence looking to spiral out of control, so far it doesn’t seem like there is...
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Russia's Middle East conundrum
Recognising that it may soon be holding its lasts thread of dignity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Russia has reportedly been taking appropriate action. According to a report by Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, senior Western diplomats have said that in a secret meeting held to discuss security...
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Is Al-Sisi a diplomat extraordinaire or a puppet?
On 3 June, German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to Berlin. In typical Western fashion she met a military dictator who carries out and justifies executions under a corrupt judiciary as a matter of routine by condemning him half-heartedly for PR’s sake before granting him...
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What’s happening with the US-Houthi talks?
On Sunday, the spokesperson for the Yemeni government-in-exile, Rajeh Badi, told Reuters that it had been told that Houthi representatives had flown to Muscat on a private jet at America’s request for private talks. So far, the details of the talks are unconfirmed, but there has been speculation that...
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Beyond its neutrality: Oman’s unique role in Yemen
The best way to explain Oman, both historically and in the midst of the current crisis facing the Gulf, is to say it puts its long term security first. For the past few decades, Sultan Qaboos’ policy of not being too close or being too far from the states...
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Saudi-Muslim Brotherhood relations create a sense of déjà vu, nostalgia or…
The past two years have been very difficult for the Muslim Brotherhood. Being declared a terrorist group by regional powers backed by media outlets worldwide was a political, military and diplomatic setback for the movement. The late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia fuelled much of this opposition, mainly because...
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Fuel, blockades and the last thread of Yemen’s lifeline
Yemen’s humanitarian situation has been deteriorating since the beginning of the airstrikes. The conflicts that have pelted Yemen over the past few decades have put the country in a vulnerable position before the dramatic escalation of violence caused by the airstrike. Already, over half of Yemenis lived below the...
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Beyond the Sunni-Shia narrative in Yemen
Over the past few weeks, much of the coverage on the Yemeni conflict has reduced it to a simple case of sectarianism. Sunni and Shia are words plastered over most coverage on Yemen, which gives an inaccurate picture of the complex network of arms and social relations that criss-cross...
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Israel's neo-slavery in the Jordan Valley
The decline of Liberal Zionism has shown a disturbing level of hostility towards Palestinians, much of which is justified by fascist pro-Israel NGOs and lobby groups. They defend crimes against the Palestinian population and propagate their message by denying that the oppression of the Palestinians even exists. One of...
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Yemen's unnoticed but crucial province
Rich in history, culture and resources, Hadramawt in Yemen is one of the most beautiful areas in a country that defines the essence of one of the ethnic groups of the 21 other countries around it. It’s famous for its ancient mud brick houses that give the landscapes of...
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Hijabs, hyper-machoism and hypocrisy: Egypt’s story
On 6 April, a Facebook post by a self-proclaimed women’s rights activist demanded that women all over Egypt should march to Tahrir Square in Cairo to take off their hijabs to show that they are in control of their bodies. This post ensured that all women in the protest...
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What’s really behind Morsi’s guilty verdict?
Ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was sentenced to 20 years in jail today. Taking his age into consideration, he’s 63, and the fact that the average life expectance in Egypt is 71, this sentence is not only a covert life sentence, but also a slower and more painful alternative...
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Saudi miscalculated, so what now?
Civilian casualties in Yemen are increasing daily; the entire population is at risk of starvation; and internal displacement is at a very high level. Some lucky ones have managed to cross over to Africa, but by doing so they risk the one precious thing that they’re trying to save...
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While the grown-ups play their war games, the children of Yemen suffer the most
According to UNICEF, it is estimated that one third of children in Yemen have been recruited as child fighters since the beginning of the coalition air strikes targeted ostensibly against Houthi rebels. It’s no doubt that as Yemen draws itself further into this dangerous cross between a civil and...
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Yemen, the next strategic blooded quagmire
The latest statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that for the period from 19 March to 6 April there were 643 deaths in Yemen. Some 334,093 people have been displaced and there are now a total of 254,413 Yemeni refugees. Those stuck inside Yemen are forced to...
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The MCS scandal and Egypt’s mass surveillance project
For Egypt, cyber security and intelligence aren’t imperatives for national security; they are the cement holding together the state institutions that the Egyptian people rebelled against in 2011. The 26 January Revolution relied heavily on social media to topple the Mubarak regime, so it is no wonder that the...
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Is Israel's right wing waging a war against Africans?
As the Israeli government announced its mass deportation plan for African immigrants last week, many listened in dismay and anger. An anti-African position in Israel isn’t a recent phenomenon, though, and it has been getting stronger, often silently, over the past few years; Africans, both Jewish and non-Jewish, have...
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Racial supremacy in anti-racist movements
“Okay then, so where exactly are you from originally?” From my accent, it’s obvious that I’m born and bred in Britain. People can also tell just by looking at me that I haven’t lived anywhere outside my home city that is my beautiful London. To some, my Semitic features stand...
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The contextual waves behind the Iranian nuclear deal: why is progress minimal?
On Tuesday night, the international community anxiously waited for the outcome of talks between the P5+1 and Iran on the Iranian nuclear deal. As many anticipated, the parties were unable to reach a deal and the talks were extended to 30 June 2015. This sparked many global reactions, including...
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Saudi airstrikes on Yemen: a strategy set for failure?
On Monday, the Saudi ambassador to Washington Adel al-Jubeir told reporters that a 10-country coalition had joined a military campaign launching airstrikes over Yemen to fight the Houthi rebels. Saudi and allied warplanes struck rebels in Yemen on Thursday; a death toll of 39 was reported. This abrupt decision...
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The students juggling drugs, books and resistance in Gaza
No matter how pessimistic the prospects may seem to Palestinians, parents in Palestine refuse to give up on educating their children. Education is valued as a step to resisting Israel’s brutal occupation, in addition to being an important tradition for generations. In Gaza, 93% of children are in primary...