Ban Ki-Moon's second term as the Secretary General of the United Nations is ending this December. He was the most ideal man for the job as far as the United States and its allies are concerned. Of course, there will always be other Ban Ki-Moons. In fact, the man...
Honoring Aylan Kurdi by Ending the War in Syria
“A photograph, no matter how emotionally wrenching, can only do so much,” wrote Paul Slovic and Nicole Smith Dahmen in QZ.com. The photograph referenced in their comment was that of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, whose body was washed ashore on some Turkish...
Is Israel Pushing for a Palestinian Civil War?
Division within Palestinian society has reached unprecedented levels, becoming a major hurdle on the path of any unified strategy to end Israel’s violent occupation or to rally Palestinians behind a single objective. Newly-appointed Israeli ultra-nationalist Defense...
Activism’ and Its Consequences: Syrian Refugees Are Not Subjects for a Social Media Gallery
The Italian “activist” was keen on that photo, as if her social media activism career was dependent on it. As if the misery of the poor Syrian child was not palpable enough in his dejected face and his rash-infested skin, she wanted to define a point of absolute...
Punishing the Messenger: Israel’s War on NGOs Takes a Worrying Turn
“You deserve to see your loved ones suffer and die. But, maybe, you would be hurt before them,” was part of a threatening message received by a staff member at “Al-Mezan”, a Gaza-based human rights group. The photo attached to the email was of the exterior of the...
War To ‘Stop’ War: Libya’s ‘Operation Odyssey Lightning’
Everyone seems to have a theory on how to obliterate ISIS, or “Daesh”. However, two points are rarely raised: one, concerning the origins of the group and the second, on whether there are genuine intentions to defeat it, in the first place. We must boldly address the...
Of Hajah Zainab – Is Palestine Still the Central Issue for Arabs?
Palestine is increasingly absent from Arab consciousness, at least at the official and media levels. For years, the discussion has veered elsewhere, to other regions and various other concerns, as Arab regional alliances are no longer driven by the “question of...
Divide and Rule: How Factionalism in Palestine Is Killing Prospects for Freedom
As Palestinians in the Occupied Territories begin preparations for local elections which are scheduled for October, division and factionalism are rearing their ugly head. Palestinian political platforms and social media are abuzz with self-defeating propaganda: Fatah...
To Bill Clinton: On (My) Liberty and (Your) America
Donald Trump wants to keep us out of the country altogether. But Bill Clinton, former president and husband of a Democratic presidential nominee, does not mind us staying, as long as we, Muslims, behave ourselves. Welcome to America where racial profiling is the...
Farewell to Yarmouk: A Palestinian Refugee’s Journey from Izmir to Greece
Based on interviews with Palestinian refugees from Syria. The refugee camp of Yarmouk was ever present in his being, pulling him in and out of an abyss of persistent fears that urged him to never return. But what was this refugee without Yarmouk, his first haven, his...