Category Archives: Middle East

Qatar- Where God Favours the Rich

The only people who will be able to drink in stadiums will be those in corporate hospitality. (MATCH Hospitality) Can you afford paying $3000? If so, then you are one of few who can enjoy high-end alcoholic drinks in Qatar. The … Continue reading

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Time for Arabs to stand with Ukraine

More than 50 days have passed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the attitude in the Middle East towards the war is ambiguous at best. Apart from formal statements from various governments in the region that claim “neutrality,” public … Continue reading

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Podcast: Political Islam lost opportunity for Turkey to coexist with West

In my latest podcast for Ahval’s Turkish Trends series, I spoke to Turkish political scientist Cengiz Aktar about his latest essay ” The Turkish Malaise – A Critical Essay,” in which he explains how Turkey was in a counter-process in … Continue reading

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Turkey and Nato are no longer aligned, even if they won’t admit it.

Last month, I wrote this opinion piece for The National on Turkey and NATO, and I would like to repost here for my blog followers. Enjoy … Following the accession of Turkey to Nato in 1952, the newly elected Turkish … Continue reading

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Podcast: Turkey and proxies will try to stop Libya’s upcoming elections

Here is my latest podcast Ahval’s Turkish Trends discussing Libya with Aya Burweila, a senior adviser at the Research Institute for European and American Studies and a BBC Expert Woman in Terrorism and Radicalisation. Burweila said that Turkey and its … Continue reading

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Podcast: Turkey and Egypt- A discussion with Steven Cook

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu announced the beginning of a new era in the relations between Egypt and Turkey this week. Egypt’s lukewarm response to apparent olive branches from Turkey, on the other hand, has raised questions on the success … Continue reading

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This Week in Egypt: Week 11-2021 (March 15-21)

Top Headlines Acclaimed Egyptian feminist Nawal Saadawi dies at age 89 Turkey asks Egyptian media to limit criticism of Egypt’s Sisi  Erdoğan says Egyptian people do not conflict with Turkey Egyptian president and Greek PM discuss regional issues, bilateral relations … Continue reading

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Reblog: Can Palestinians be wrong? Hussain Abdul-Hussain

This superb piece by Hussain Abdul-Hussain ( originally published here) highlights important flaws of Khalidi’s book, The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine, and how it suffers logical fallacies, absence of key events, and inadequate understanding of global affairs. Enjoy… I … Continue reading

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Clubhouse and the Middle East

Echo chambers, trolling, attempts to hijack conversations, and coordinated efforts to de-platform certain people have all been part of my journey since I joined the invitation-only social networking app, Clubhouse. However, in spite of these strange experiences, I have been thrilled to … Continue reading

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Khamenei: Biden’s Preferred Dictator?

Within less than a month of his inauguration, the new American president Joe Biden has taken several actions with one theme in common____ they all, directly or indirectly, serve the interests of the Iranian regime.  First, it was the appointment of Robert … Continue reading

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