Can Hizbullah reinvent itself?
As Hizbullah sides with its brutal backers in Damascus, are the Shi'ite movement's days numbered or can it regain its popularity and credibility?
View ArticleThe ‘non-state solution’ to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
With the two-state solution relegated to the dustbin of history, the time has arrived to consider equal citizenship for Palestinians and Israelis.
View ArticleReading between the lines of the Middle Eastern media
Despite its bottom ranking in the Press Freedom Index, the Middle Eastern media is freer than it appears at first sight.
View ArticleSyria’s Sunni v Shi’a myth
Insisting falsely that the Syrian conflict is sectarian will tear the country apart once Assad is gone and place the Alawite minority in grave danger.
View ArticleEgypt’s clash of freedoms
Events in Egypt are not just a conflict between Islamists, secularists and the military. It is a fundamental clash over conflicting ideas of “freedom”.
View ArticleIsrael, the puppet master with no strings
Why is Israel, despite being a minor player, is seen by so many Egyptians and others in the region as the master puppeteer behind the crisis in Egypt?
View ArticleSyria needs joint Arab action to end violence
It is up to the Arab world to stop the bloodshed in Syria – unlikely as this may sound, and despite Arab League failure so far.
View ArticleEgypt’s revolution in the breaking
Although Egypt has been eclipsed on the Western media radar, it remains caught in a deadly bind between popular jingoism and religious demagoguery.
View ArticleCan Egypt start a new chapter of Middle Eastern history?
The new constitution says Egypt is a "gift" that will "write a new history for humanity”. Should neighbours welcome or fear greater Egyptian influence?
View ArticleGunship diplomacy, rockets and Gaza’s forgotten tragedy
The other tragedies make it is easy to forget Gaza. But with a humanitarian crisis and rising tensions, it's time to end the Israeli-Egyptian blockade.
View ArticleThe death throes of Arab thuggery
Arab civilisation has not collapsed but the thuggish political, economic and religious mafias dominating the region are dying violently.
View ArticleThe real battle against ISIS
If ISIS is a virus, then fighting it with the antibiotic of ill-conceived deadly force and repression could create ever-more deadly strains.
View ArticleSpring of hope amid winter of despair
For Palestinians in Israel, the recent race for the Knesset was both the worst of elections and the best.
View ArticleNetanyahu and the Middle East: The risky business of “business as usual”
Netanyahu's re-election promises "business as usual". But this is an extremely risky venture on the Iranian-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian fronts.
View ArticleThe self-fulfilling prophecy of the Sunni v Shia myth
Like in Syria and Iraq, the conflict in Yemen is not sectarian. But political profiteers and jihadists are turning it into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
View ArticleMaking halal sexy
Though halal sex may sound as logical as kosher bacon, it does make its own sense. Some Muslims are utilising the concept to break the taboo around sex.
View ArticleThe empire must not strike back
Nostalgia for empire in the Middle East misses two points: we're not witnessing the "final end of imperialism" and imperialism did not bring order.
View ArticleRefugees who just want to dance
An Iranian engineer who is seeking asylum in Europe because he wants to pursue his passion, dancing, would probably be rejected. Should he be?
View ArticleSaddam Hussein: Laughing in the face of tyranny
In light of the continuing legacy of Saddam Hussein's rule and the US invasion of Iraq, is it appropriate to stage a comedy about the former despot?
View ArticleThe UN’s Insecurity Council
The UN Security Council has a long track record of failing to resolve conflicts. Now it is also in danger of bringing the major powers to blows.
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