Civilisations Find Alliances

‘Tell Us About Jail – Just In Case’

By Pierre Klochendler
“Three interrogators questioned me for three hours. I was handcuffed. They beat me, slapped me, kicked me, boxed me, accused me of throwing stones; played a video of a demonstration. I denied I was there. So again, they beat me up,” recounts Zein Abu-Mariya, 17, seated on a sofa next to dad.

Kerry’s Mideast Trip Seen as “Going Through the Motions”

By Mitchell Plitnick
Despite repeated pledges of his determination and enthusiasm for resolving the long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian impasse, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent trip to the region has provoked more scepticism than hope among observers in Washington.

Palestinian Expulsions Mapped in Hebrew

By Jillian Kestler-D'Amours
Fireworks went off over the Tel Aviv skyline this week as thousands of flag-waving Israelis marked the 65th anniversary of their country’s founding. At the same time, a smaller group of Israeli activists explored the other, most often ignored, side to their country’s creation: the forced displaced of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

Where Skis Replace Bullets

By Karlos Zurutuza
When 37-year-old Igor Urizar first happened upon the isolated mountain village of Penjwin, 300 kilometres northeast of Baghdad, he had a vision of this border-town -- nestled in the pristine, snow-capped mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan -- transformed into a haven for skiers.

Missing Christian Girls Leave Trail of Tears

By Cam McGrath
When a young Christian girl goes missing in the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, her family will call on a certain Muslim sheikh in the nearby town of El-Ameriya.

Give a Teenager a Camera, Watch the World Change

By Joan Erakit
Today's youth are hardly passive consumers of content – they create it, endlessly updating via social media and spreading information faster than one can say “go".

Tents Take on Settlements

By Jillian Kestler-D'Amours
Tent cities are being set up by Palestinians all over the West Bank to protest against Israeli settlements, building on a protest during the visit of U.S. President Barack Obama last month.

High Stakes for Engaging Morsi’s Egypt

By Joe Hitchon
Women and minorities should be a top priority in U.S. policy toward Egypt and its Muslim Brotherhood government leaders, experts here said on Friday, despite increasingly unfavourable public views towards Egypt.

Urgent Need for Political Reform in Mali as French Depart: Report

By Jim Lobe
With France withdrawing troops after chasing Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) from towns in northern Mali, the central government in Bamako should urgently launch a serious process of national reconciliation, particularly with the Tuareg and Arab minorities, according to a new report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) released Thursday.

OP-ED: Azerbaijan and Iran: A Soft-Power Struggle?

By Eldar Mamedov
There's a coffee shop in an out-of-the-way part of Baku where the walls are covered with illustrations from an early 20th century satirical magazine called Molla Nasreddin. The magazine represents a bygone era, when Azerbaijan was a font of new cultural trends in the Muslim world, pioneering such issues as female emancipation, anti-clericalism, anti-colonialism and labour rights.

OP-ED: Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood and Democracy: A Sputtering Start

By Emile Nakhleh
The governing programme of Egyptian President Muhammad Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood has been disappointing. His commitment to genuine democracy has been faltering, and his efforts at inclusion and political tolerance have been wanting.

Daring Woman Enters the Contest

By Ashfaq Yusufzai
“My sole motive is to serve my people, especially women who have had no role in politics so far. I feel we can make progress only by bringing in women into mainstream politics.”

Free Ticket to ‘Apartheid’

By Mel Frykberg
“At least we are not treated like dogs and made to feel so uncomfortable,” Amjad Samara, 30, a labourer from Nablus in the northern West Bank told IPS as he and a group of Palestinians waited at the checkpoint near Qalqilia to cross into Israel for their day job.

Guarded Optimism Over Iran Nuclear Talks

By Paul Bartlett
With talks over Iran's nuclear ambitions set to resume Apr. 5 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, there is guarded optimism that negotiators can build on the moderate breakthroughs made in discussions held earlier this year.

Will PKK Ceasefire Change Turkey’s Regional Role?

By Dorian Jones
The Mar. 21 ceasefire in the battle between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Turkish state offers Turkey not only the hope of peace after decades of bloodshed, but poses profound implications for the region at large.

Report Calls to Engage Iran’s People While Preventing Nuke

By Jasmin Ramsey
The U.S. should not only focus on the short-term goal of “suspending or delaying” Iran’s alleged quest for a nuclear weapons capability, but also on “curtailing Iran’s other worrisome activities in the region while encouraging - or at least, not derailing - a better relationship with the citizens of the pivotal state,” according to a report released Thursday by the Washington-based Atlantic Council.

Chinese Investment Tests Limits of Georgian Hospitality

By Molly Corso
A 150-million-dollar-plus Chinese real estate and tourism deal that is slated for a suburb of Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, is creating a quandary for many Georgians.

Now for a Vacation in Gaza, Maybe

By Eva Bartlett
“We wanted to help foreigners in Gaza, so we created an English map of Gaza City,” says Amir Shurrab, one of the minds behind the foldable Gaza Tourist Map.

Yemen Struggles With Past Crimes

By Rebecca Murray
Yemen has launched its six-month National Dialogue but creating a just law is proving a formidable task.

Now Gaza’s Ark Prepares to Dare Israel

By Eva Bartlett
“An ark is literally a large floating vessel designed to keep its passengers and cargo safe,” say the group preparing ‘Gaza’s Ark’. But their ark, they say, is “a vessel that embodies hope that the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip can soon live in peace without the threat of the Israeli blockade.”

Obama Visit Settles It a Little for Israel

By Pierre Klochendler
On his visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories, U.S. President Barack Obama laid out his vision for a revival of the long-stalled peace talks. Yet, it was clear from his statements that a settlement freeze is no longer an immediate requirement. And, he carefully avoided mentioning the pre-1967 lines as the basis for a two-state solution, to the Israeli Prime Minister’s delight.
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