Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Hana Hussain
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In bombing Idlib, the US is trying to pull together its Syria policy
August was yet another bloody month for Syrians in the opposition-controlled province of Idlib, with some 200 people estimated to have been killed in heavy bombardments by the Syrian regime and its Russian allies. Yet, on 31 August, news broke that a further 40 Syrian anti-government fighters had been...
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Jaffa activist: A Jewish and democratic state is an oxymoron
Palestinian citizens of Israel – who were displaced in the Nakba of 1948 but were incorporated into the nascent Jewish state – are often written out of the region’s seven-decade long conflict. Yet for Sami Abu Shehadeh, the CEO of the Yaffa (Jaffa) Youth Movement, the struggles faced by...
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Netanyahu’s son mocked after claiming Palestine never existed
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son Yair has been criticised after publishing several tweets denying the existence of Palestine because there is no “P” in the Arabic language. Yair, who is known to be active on Twitter, initiated the discussion after sharing pictures from a Palestinian village that was...
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After Bouteflika, Algeria’s economy needs revival
Protests that gripped Algeria for nearly two months finally came to fruition this month, after long-ruling, ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced that he would be stepping down. His resignation was hailed as the end of an era in a country where 70 per cent of people have known no...
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‘We can and must push back against the tide of fascism,’ says Arab-Israeli MK Tibi
Ahmad Tibi is, in many ways, the face of Palestinian politics within Israel. Boasting 20 years’ service as a Knesset Member (MK), he sees no reason why he shouldn’t one day become Israel’s Prime Minister. Yet with only days to go until the General Election, Tibi must battle anti-Palestinian...
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Syria’s challenges in the post-Daesh era
After four and a half years, the physical existence of the so-called Islamic State, also known by its Arabic acronym of Daesh, came to an end last month. The US-led international coalition claimed victory after a six month campaign on the last Daesh stronghold east of the Euphrates, ending...
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Remembering the Egypt-Israel peace treaty
In the aftermath of the Camp David accords in 1979, Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty on the White House lawn, marking an end to decades of hostility between the two neighbours since Israel’s establishment in 1948. Forty years later, the treaty is still considered integral to Israel’s...
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Jewish MK: Israel’s left has failed to provide an alternative on the Palestinian conflict
Israeli Knesset Member (MK) Dov Khenin boasts a long record of public service; he has been active in Israeli politics for some 29 years and served four Knesset terms. But perhaps most notably, he is the only Jewish member of the Arab-Israeli party Hadash (Al-Jabha), and so his decision...
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Remembering the start of the Syrian Revolution
In March 2011, as anti-government protests swept the Middle East, Syrians called peacefully for political change after decades of autocratic rule. Initially, the demonstrations in Syria were modest, but after 15 boys were kidnapped and tortured by security forces in Daraa for writing graffiti on some walls, they swelled,...
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‘I don’t care about your ID’: US student assaulted by Israel soldiers at Al-Aqsa
Three American women were violently assaulted by Israeli occupation forces as they attempted to help a disabled woman at Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday, despite showing soldiers their passports. Virginia nursing student Nour Hawash, who is in Jerusalem on vacation, was taking photos with her mother and sister after midday...
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Jabareen: Arab representation in Israel politics is crucial for the Palestinian struggle
On the final day for Israeli political parties to list their electoral slate, Arab parties, still reeling from the decision of Arab Movement for Renewal (Ta’al) head Ahmad Tibi to split from the Joint List, announced another surprise move. Ta’al had now joined Ayman Odeh’s party Al-Jabha (Hadash), with...
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Family of Egypt prisoner plead for imminent execution to be halted
The family of Abdelrahman Attia have appealed for his death sentence to be suspended after the court issued a final verdict ordering his execution alongside five other Egyptian men, allegedly responsible for killing a policeman in 2014. “Our loved ones are waiting their turn to be executed anytime, for...
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Algeria protesters share hope and humour on Twitter
Tens of thousands of Algerians have taken to the streets over the past week, protesting Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s plan to extend his 20-year rule by seeking a fifth term. As well as the rallies held across the country, Algerians have also taken to social media to amass support...
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The effects of Syria’s war on health could last for generations
As the Syrian war approaches its eighth anniversary next month, the reality of the nation’s revolution-gone-wrong could not be starker. Millions have been displaced inside and outside the country, and upwards of 560,000 have been killed. With President Bashar Al-Assad increasingly seen as the victor of the war, the...
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UK band boycotts Eurovision to be held in Israel
An upcoming British band has refused to enter the Eurovision Song Contest due to it being hosted in Israel this year. Confirming their decision on Twitter, the three-girl band The Tuts, prompted a backlash from supporters of Israel. So, we got asked to enter EUROVISION 2019 to represent the...
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Will the US actually withdraw from Syria?
President Donald Trump added another entry to his record of surprise foreign policy moves last month when he announced that the US would be withdrawing its forces from Syria. Claiming that Daesh had been defeated, the proposed exit sent shockwaves among fellow members of the international coalition and stunned...
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Towards a Westphalia for the Middle East
At first glance, “Towards a Westphalia for the Middle East” seems to the reader to mirror countless other books on the region’s history. By comparing current conflicts to wars of a bygone era, it risks falling into the traps of eurocentrism and orientalism, damning the region as trapped in...
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Remembering Mohamed Bouazizi and the start of the Arab Spring
On 17 December 2010, Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire outside the governor’s office, despondent at being unable to earn money and provide for his family. His cries echoed around the Arab world, sparking protests against poor economic management and political autocracy. In Tunisia, popular demonstrations...
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Layla Shweikani and the Syrian women the world ignores
A Syrian family gathered in a mosque in the Illinois suburb of Willowbrook two weeks ago today. Supported by their friends and community members they mourned the loss of their daughter, Layla Shweikani, two years after her death. Days before, the Syrian government had confirmed that Layla, a Syrian-American...
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‘Untold stories’: London gallery showcases contemporary Syria art
Nestled among the boutiques and cafes of London’s Mayfair, the newly launched Stories Art Gallery offers art lovers, old and new, the opportunity to explore the work of contemporary Syrian artists. As Syria’s civil war drags on towards its eighth year, curator Manas Ghanem decided to present a different...
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Right of return? The fate of Syrians returning to regime-held territory
The wave of Syrian regime “victories” this year has prompted a narrative change among many politicians and media outlets over the past few months. The government of President Bashar Al-Assad is largely considered to have won the seven-year civil war, with many believing his victory to be the lesser...
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Enclosure: Palestinian Landscapes in a Historical Mirror
Gary Fields’ Enclosure: Palestinian Landscapes in a Historical Mirror is a unique exploration of the development of the Israeli culture of land grabs and the historical legal framework and precedents that have allowed Zionist policies to continue unimpeded. Inspired by the author’s own trip to the occupied West Bank...
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Remembering Algeria’s Black October
On this day in 1988, young people in the Algerian capital of Algiers took to the streets to protest high unemployment, rising prices and political autocracy. In the days that followed, the protests spread to several cities across the country and within the week some 500 people had been...
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Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance
As the Gaza Strip hurtles towards becoming one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with the image of ruling party Hamas wholly demonised in the West, Tareq Baconi’s book, Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance, is a timely read that takes a refreshingly objective look at...