Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Omar Ahmed
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Saudi Arabia meeting with Houthi officials in Yemen will legitimise their government
In a surprising turn of events, Saudi Arabia held a meeting with AnsarAllah (“Houthi”) officials in Sana’a on Sunday, marking a potential shift in the dynamics of the long-standing conflict in Yemen. This comes on the heels of Saudi Arabia’s normalisation of ties with Iran, a regional rival, indicating...
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Euronews confuses US scholar Hamza Yusuf with new SNP leader
The Arabic language edition of France-based Euronews has drawn ridicule on social media after a post on the news network’s Facebook account mistakenly used an image of US Islamic scholar Hamza Yusuf to announce the historic election of Scotland’s Humza Yousaf as the new leader of the Scottish National...
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Post-Abraham Accords, Israel’s foes are reconciling with their rivals
The Middle East has been in turmoil for decades, with conflicts often fuelled by historic rivalries, sectarianism and geopolitical interests. However, in recent months, there have been some significant developments that have the potential to shift the regional dynamics. The China-brokered Saudi-Iran normalisation agreement, Syria’s reconciliation with neighbouring states...
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Empty shelves expose Britain’s reliance on North Africa for food security
North Africa was once known as the “breadbasket” due to its favourable climate and significant arable land along the Mediterranean coast. This was especially true at the time of the Roman Empire, when it was Rome’s primary source of food. Yet in the modern era, North Africa has experienced...
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Muslims react to plans for ‘new Kaaba’ development in Saudi capital
Social media reactions to unveiled plans to build a large cube-shaped structure as part of a re-development project in the capital, Riyadh’s city centre...
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A pro-Israel Iran would be the result of overthrowing the Islamic Republic
Iran celebrated the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution on Saturday, with mass rallies held in towns and cities across the country, including the capital Tehran, where participants converged at the iconic Azadi Square. According to state media, millions of Iranians nationwide took part in the state-sponsored commemoration. Yet...
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International perspectives on apartheid and decolonization in Palestine
Experts and activists from across the world addressed digital censorship the origins of Zionism and how Israel enforces apartheid ...
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TikTok: China’s modern-day application of ‘The Art of War’
Written over 2,000 years ago, Chinese general and strategist Sun Tzu stated in The Art of War that “Subjugating the enemy’s army without fighting is the true pinnacle of excellence.” This ancient maxim still rings true today and is arguably being put into practise by present-day China. Beijing has...
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The Persian Gulf row exposes the nationalistic rift between Iran and its Iraq ‘backyard’
Last week, the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup kicked off in Iraq for the first time in 44 years, with Basra serving as the host city for the regional biennial football tournament. Hosting the “Gulf Cup” as it is also known, was significant for the country, given the decades-long FIFA...
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The JNF/KKL: A Charity Complicit with Ethnic Cleansing
The JNF/KKL: A Charity Complicit with Ethnic Cleansing by academic and civil rights activist Dr Uri Davis is the latest offering by MEMO Publishers and brings to light the on-going “greenwashing” policies of the Apartheid State of Israel, which has been facilitated with the collusion of the Jewish National...
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Qatar delivered the best World Cup in living memory
Despite facing an unprecedented scale of criticism and calls for boycotts, months before a ball had been kicked, the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar has been a success. The month-long tournament ended yesterday in a dramatic final, widely lauded as the best one many pundits and commentators had...
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Remembering Crusader cannibalism in Syria
12 December 1098 the Crusader siege of Ma'arrat Al-Numan came to a gruesome end. A European army led by a knight named Raymond Pilet D'Ales entered the city after its surrender and a massacre ensued...
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US Soccer deletes post omitting ‘Allah’ emblem from Iran flag ahead of World Cup clash
Tensions are set to rise between the US and Iran, not only in the political realm but also on the football pitch ahead of tomorrow’s much-anticipated encounter at the World Cup in Qatar. The only time the two countries have met was once, at France 98, where Team Melli...
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Iran is emerging as a drone superpower
The advent of Turkiye’s Bayraktar TB2 combat drone has undeniably propelled the country to superpower status, at least when it comes to the manufacture and supply of unmanned aerial vehicles. The prevalence of Turkish drones in various conflicts from North Africa to the Caucasus has certainly helped to boost...
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The Huthi Movement in Yemen: Ideology, Ambition, and Security in the Arab Gulf
The devastating war in Yemen has been raging for eight years, and with the recent expiry of a UN-brokered truce, conflict between the warring parties remains unlikely to end any time soon. This is all to the detriment of the Yemeni people. The belligerents at the centre of this...
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Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine
Sharing a very personal account of his own incarceration at the hands of the Israeli occupation authorities, MEMO’s Palestinian political cartoonist, Mohammad Sabaaneh, offers us a glimpse into this harrowing and dehumanising experience in his graphic novel published last year, Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine. Exploring...
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Algeria takes ‘French is a waste of time’ to heart with a shift towards English
Since July 2022 after President Abelmadijd Tebboune told reporters French was a 'war booty' language while English was an international one educational authorities scrambled to change the curriculum...
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Is the South Caucasus a new battleground for India and Pakistan?
The South Caucasus is no stranger to outside powers competing for influence and advancing their own interests. During the Cold War, for example, the region was on the front line of the ideological conflict between the West and the former Soviet Union. Due to the region’s close proximity to...
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The Palestinian National Movement in Lebanon: A Political History of the ‘Ayn Al-Hilwe Camp
Of the 12 official Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, Ain El-Hilweh (‘Ayn Al-Hilwe) is the largest in both area and population and is known among its 33,000 or so inhabitants as the “Capital of the Diaspora”. This title is fitting considering the unmatched degree of political and territorial autonomy...
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Jinns and glass palaces: how Saudi’s dystopian desert city borders on the occult
Saudi Arabia’s The Line has been lauded as the world’s most futuristic city plan, and for good reason. The vertical, walled smart city will run entirely on renewable energy and aims to revolutionise urban planning, putting humans first. Catering for some nine million residents, the mirrored twin-skyscraper city will...
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Lebanon is very close to its own ‘Bouazizi’ moment
The situation in Lebanon contains the main ingredients for another popular uprising: the dire economic and financial crisis; worsening food and fuel shortages; rampant corruption; and growing public disdain of the political elites. Put together, these grievances can be a potent mix leading to social unrest, as was seen...
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Israel targeted Palestinian Islamic Jihad due to its closeness to Iran
It is common knowledge that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) resistance movement maintains the strongest links with Iran and is ideologically closer to the Islamic Republic compared with the Gaza-based Hamas, although both receive funding and arms from Tehran. Of the two, the PIJ is also the more militant...
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The Making of Martyrdom in Modern Twelver Shi’ism: From Protesters and Revolutionaries to Shrine Defenders
The concept of martyrdom is one that is shared by all three Abrahamic faiths and one which, by the time of the advent of Islam, was understood firmly by Christians and Jews of the era. Yet what sets Islam apart from the others, argues Adel Hashemi in The Making...
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Before Turkey can normalise with Syria, it must agree with Iran and Russia who the ‘terrorists’ are
Despite being at the forefront of states determined to see the overthrow of the Syrian government by throwing its weight behind armed opposition factions over a decade ago, Turkey has hinted that it could follow other countries in the region in normalising relations with Damascus. As it stands, Ankara...
