Iran protests ‘pose new test’ for failed regime
At least 31 civilians have been killed in an Iranian security forces crackdown on protests that erupted over the death of Mahsa Amini after her arrest by the morality police,… Read more »
Category: Middle East/North Africa
Afghan fragility under Taliban rule makes solidarity imperative
The Taliban’s centralization of power is alienating those who were key to the movement’s success — similar to how President Ghani’s exclusionary politics alienated the republic’s natural allies, argues Sayed… Read more »
How Albania opened its doors to Afghan evacuees
Afghanistan was not Albania’s war, and Albania was not an obvious destination for fleeing Afghans, The Washington Post’s Abigail Hauslohner writes: Yet Albania was one of the first nations to… Read more »
How to reverse Tunisia’s troubling trajectory?
A U.S. Congressional delegation has reaffirmed a pledge to support democracy in Tunisia, while expressing concern over the government’s authoritarian drift, the Washington-based Arab Center reports. Senators Chris Coons (D-Delaware)… Read more »
Could a Marshall Plan have saved Tunisia’s transition?
Tunisia was heralded as the beacon of democracy in the Arab world, yet it was never offered the financial and diplomatic support that other young democracies have enjoyed, argues Sarah E…. Read more »
A year on, Afghans are paying the price of Taliban takeover
One year ago, the fall of Kabul to the Taliban stunned the world, The Washington Post reports. Afghans fled to the airport in droves. A suicide bombing killed nearly 200… Read more »
Sportswashing: a winning bet for autocrats?
For many of the world’s autocrats, the power of sportswashing lies in information manipulation—in the bankability of sports content to discredit, displace, and debase other kinds of content reaching audiences,… Read more »
Tunisia’s ‘dream of self-government’ in danger
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that Tunisia’s “dream of self-government” was in danger, adding to U.S. criticism of the president’s expansion of powers that has already prompted… Read more »
Bleak outlook for Afghanistan’s women, civil society
Nearly a year since the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan, the humanitarian crisis and human rights record under the Taliban remains dire, CBS News reports. Despite the demands of the U.S…. Read more »
Arabs losing faith in democracy to deliver
Arabs are losing faith in democracy to deliver economic stability across the Middle East and North Africa, according to a major new survey. Nearly 23,000 people were interviewed across nine… Read more »