What the Iran protests were not
Iran’s most significant protests in almost a decade may have calmed, but anger that fueled the nationwide demonstrations lingers and could erupt again at any time, according to experts. Siavush… Read more »
Category: Middle East/North Africa
Fighting to end Libya’s slave auctions
Since CNN’s International report exposed slave trading in Libya, Congresswoman Karen Bass and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) have been among the many groups joining forces to bring about freedom and justice for slave trade… Read more »
Tunisia protests highlight trade-off between democracy and strong economy?
One person has died, 50 policemen have been injured and more than 200 people arrested in two nights of widespread and violent protests across Tunisia, driven by anger over steep price… Read more »
Iran ‘outsmarted itself’ in silencing civil society?
Iran in large part considers peaceful activism a “threat to national security,” and those who warn about festering popular grievances and rampant corruption are treated as seditionists, notes Tara Sepehri… Read more »
Egyptian colonel jailed after announcing presidential bid
An Egyptian army officer was sentenced to six years in prison on Tuesday after announcing his intention last month to run in the country’s 2018 presidential election, his lawyer and… Read more »
Merits and limits to democracy promotion in the Middle East
To advocate true democracy in the Arab world is a tough sell at the best of times. In the wake of the “Arab Spring,” a half-decade that witnessed some of… Read more »
What is human is right for U.S.-Egyptian relations
Are Egypt and Russia entering an authoritarian pact? Relations between Russia and Egypt have rapidly grown over the past three years, with Presidents Vladimir Putin and Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi forging a… Read more »
‘Struggle Over Scripture’ Could new agency tackle ideological problem of jihadism?
Claims by groups such as ISIL and Al Qaeda to have theological backing for their brands of violent extremism are going virtually unchallenged by mainstream Islamic scholars, according to a… Read more »
Call for sanctions to end Libya slave trade
Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif. – right) has introduced a resolution that condemns the migrant slave auctions in Libya exposed in a recent CNN International report (above). The bill calls… Read more »
Egypt’s ‘classic authoritarian bargain’ proves to be the worst ever counterterrorism strategy
When it comes to the Middle East these days, the buzzword in the international community is “stabilization,” as opposed to “transition,” notes Asli Aydintasbas, a senior fellow at the European… Read more »