International Political Forum

Do Egyptians Know or Care who Bassem Youssef is?

What are the chances that an average Egyptian watches Bassem Youssef’s show? Considering digital-television penetration in Egypt is less than 58%, slim to none. Bassem Youssef’s arrest has garnered international media atten...
by Yara Al Wazir
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Lebanon & Syria. Or a Tale Of Two Warring Siblings

Whenever it rains in Syria, the saying goes, the Lebanese have to get out their umbrellas too. Unfortunately for the Lebanese, they can expect anything but rain to fall right now. Early into the Syrian Civil War, analysts and...
by Timothy Poirson
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International Political Forum

The Turkish Culture of Dissatisfaction

The “Riots” It has been more than three months since the Turkish protests that started as an environmental campaign to stop the Taksim Gezi Park in Istanbul from changing into anything other than a protected green area. It ...
by Ozlem Unat
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International Political Forum

Keffah Ali Deeb: A Symbol of Syria’s Non-Violent Resistance Movement

When the Arab Spring revolutions first broke out, artist Keffah Ali Deeb was one of the first people in Syria to protest outside the Tunisian, Egyptian and Libyan embassies. She joined other activists in standing up against S...
by Syria Untold
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Iran’s New Age

24 November 2014 marks the day on which the 12-year impasse regarding trade sanctions imposed to restrain Iran’s nuclear programme is to end. In 2002, the country’s opposition group revealed secret government activity inclu...
by Siobhan Fraile Ordonez
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International Political Forum

Why Do We Call It Middle East?

Without realizing it, you are accustomed to the Eurocentric view of the world map: Europe is in the middle of the atlas and all other continents are gathered around. You don’t even question it, because this is how we were tau...
by Paula Munteanu
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WATCH: Syrian Pianist Malek Jandali – “We Need Freedom for True Art”

When Syrians took to the streets in March 2011, they rebelled not only against the ruling Assad family, but also against the obscurantism that had been imposed on them for decades. Art as a whole, and music in particular, have ...
by Syria Untold
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What Will Happen if Aid Stops Flooding to Gaza?

Gaza will crack, creating 500,000-750,000 new refugees in Sinai as well as dispersion of Palestinian leadership and Egypt will be forced into crisis containment status. The Gaza Strip is one of the largest recipients of interna...
by Ahmed Alqarout
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Confessing The Sins Of Consociationalism: Democracy in Lebanon

Lebanon has been debating the creation of a new electoral system since the end of its civil war in 1990, but with new elections scheduled for 2014, the country needs to reach a decision on how it plans to reform group represent...
by Hugh Oberlander
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