Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Dr Daud Abdullah
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Africa women contribute to successful 15th Israel Apartheid Week
As the Secretary-General of the Pan African Women’s Organisation (PAWO) and the International Relations Secretary of the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) I am humbled and commend the thousands of African women who mobilised in support of last week’s successful 15th Israeli Apartheid Week which ran from 1-7 April. PAWO...
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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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UNESCO should cry no tears over Israel’s departure
There will be no tears now Israel and the US have withdrawn from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Both countries have undermined the organisation’s credibility and brought it into disrepute – UNESCO will be better off without them. UNESCO is governed by several international accords,...
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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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In Palestine, it’s freedom for all or freedom for none
The Trump administration’s failure to secure a UN resolution condemning Hamas and other resistance factions was welcomed by Palestinians as a moral and political victory. They should not, however, be carried away by euphoria because the resolution received a high level of support. Eighty-seven countries voted in favour of...
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Political sins that have destroyed Saudi Arabia’s image
The widespread rejection of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman’s visit to their countries by some Arab political and cultural elites indicates the great damage done to the image of the Kingdom across the region in recent years. This is due to the major mistakes made by the...
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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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After Khashoggi, what next for the Middle East?
The search for Jamal Khashoggi’s body is over. After one month of extensive investigations, Turkey’s attorney general has finally concluded that the body was dissolved in acid and disposed of in a well. Forensic samples from a well in the Counsel’s residence and nearby sewage drains confirm this. None of...
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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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As Jamal Khashoggi’s friend and one of the last people to see him before he disappeared, these are my thoughts
When we shook hands and bade farewell in front of the Ambassadors Hotel on Saturday 29 September, never in my wildest dreams did it occur to me that I would never see Jamal Khashoggi again. We had just finished dinner at a Turkish restaurant in Bloomsbury, London, with colleagues...