Is Russia behind the sudden dissent of Assad's tycoon cousin?

Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad’s maternal cousin Rami Makhlouf released videos last week voicing his open criticisms aimed at some of the regime’s actions. Makhlouf, who, based on his tone and context of speech, was obviously unable to directly re... more

How a slap with a fly swatter led France to invade Algeria

Exactly 193 years ago, on April 29, 1827, Algerian ruler Hussein Dey, who was a subject of the Ottoman Empire but was largely autonomous, hosted the French Consul-General Pierre Deval. A very tense meeting between the two ensued. The matter at hand w... more

The Qatar blockade: A sibling's quarrel

On Monday evening, our Qatar Airlines flight, which departed from Doha, the capital of Qatar, bound to the Omani capital of Muscat, first proceeded headed north and then entered Iranian airspace. Later, after flying for a while parallel to Iranian te... more

Why did Egypt issue a fatwa forbidding Arabs to watch Turkish TV series?

Egypt’s High Fatwa Council (Dâru’l-İftâ) recently issued a fatwa, stating that under no circumstances should Turkish TV series be watched.It warned the Arab public that Turkey was in pursuit of regional hegemony through its dramas and that they shoul... more

Hamas takes refuge in Tehran once again

A noteworthy development from last week was the visit by a high-level delegation from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to Iranian capital Tehran. The delegation led by Saleh El-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau, held meetings... more

Moon sightings ahead of Eid in the Muslim world influenced by politics

As Muslims, we ask the same question before every Eid celebration: “Are Islamic countries going to be able to celebrate Eid on the same day this year?” Every Eid, there are some sort of disputes, disagreements concerning the sighting of the moon due ... more

Post- Camp David Peace and the occupied Golan Heights

On March 26, 1979, U.S. capital Washington hosted a signing ceremony that was very closely followed by the world press. Behind a long table placed in the White House garden were Israeli, Egyptian and U.S. flags. The three people at the table were Egy... more

The Durand Line: The borders the British drew up between Pakistan and Afghanistan

Amir Sher Ali Khan, who ruled Afghanistan between 1863 and 1879, had made numerous breakthroughs. The restructuring of the state administration, using modern methods, was first done during his term. The first military school, the first official maili... more

Down the alleys of Lahore

The destiny of Ayaz, who was brought to the politically chaotic country of Afghanistan as a slave after being born in today’s Georgia, took a drastic turn when Sultan Mahmood Ghaznawi noticed him. Sultan Mahmood who greatly admired the talents of Aya... more

The Egyptian state’s stern cold face

This moment was first announced two months ago with the note, "for the first time." Egypt's first toppled leader Mohammed Hosni Mubarak finally appeared in court last Wednesday, with his two sons Gamal and Ala'a by his side - this time as witnesses. ... more

The Red Prince of Saudi Arabia

Last Sunday, there was a crowded funeral prayer in Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh’s Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque with attendees of the highest level. King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s chief Mufti Abdulaziz Al... more

The eternal flame

The Kashgar city of East Turkestan hosted a historic meeting on Nov. 12, 1933. Notable Uyghurs finally agreed on the declaration of independence after a long and arduous process. The state, which was known by the three different names “Islamic Republ... more

From bar guard to Israeli defense minister

There is a Jewish settlement in the southwest of the Bethlehem city in the Israeli occupied West Bank: Nokdim. Nokdim, which is home to about 2,000 people and is 408 acres in size, was founded after the occupation of two Palestinian villages in 1982.... more