Appropriating Apartheid is Social Injustice
“Israel’s Apartheid against Palestinians: a cruel system of domination,” reads Amnesty International’s recent report. With their statement, Amnesty International joined forces with Human Rights Watch, which claimed last year that Israel is guilty of the “Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution.” Make no mistake, there is certainly discrimination in Israel, as there is in every country […]
Overgeneralizations and Mischaracterizations: How Campus Activists Slander the Zionist Movement
Northeastern’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter routinely spreads deeply flawed and distorted characterizations of Zionism and Israel. One post alleges that Zionism has a “fundamental reliance on the subjugation and regular massacring of the Palestinian people.” Another claims that, “while Israel may have elected government for its Jewish citizens, it has no such […]
What is Happening in Israel
On May 10, 2021, in the final days of Ramadan, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stormed the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque with tear gas and stun grenades. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam, but is part of a larger complex called the Temple Mount, which is the holiest site in Judaism. Though Israel […]
The Kurdish Question: In Context
The recent withdrawal of United States military forces from Syria has thrust the Kurds—an ethnic group inhabiting the south of Turkey, Syria, northern Iraq, and Iran—into the international spotlight. In recent years, Kurds predominantly located in Syria and southern Turkey have fought successfully with US forces against the regional strongholds of the Islamic State and […]
The Battle of Hodeidah and the World’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis
The prominent theme of the Yemeni Civil War has unfortunately been extreme famine. It is another example of a poor, vulnerable population caught in the middle of a deadly clash. In fact, Yemen is the poorest country in the Middle East, with a per capita GDP of just $1,300, according to 2017 estimates. Syria’s GDP […]
A Look Back at Kurdistan’s Tumultuous September
On June 7th, 2017, a certain political leader shook the world with a tweet. No, not Donald Trump, but Masoud Barzani, President of the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government. His tweet proclaimed, “I am pleased to announce that the date for the independence referendum has been set for Monday, September 25th, 2017,” thereby launching a bid […]
Tech and Entrepreneurship: New Avenues for Female Leadership in Saudi Arabia
As falling oil prices continue to plague the Saudi Arabian economy, efforts to develop a system that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship are being put to the test. As a result, women are taking household roles that are less traditional, starting businesses, and working in industries from which they were banned not long ago. Gender inequality […]
App-tivism For Syria
We are in the depths of one of history’s largest human rights crises. Syria is hemorrhaging refugees, and its citizens inside and out are being deprived of basic living, educational, and health resources. Humanitarian assistance organizations are overloaded with need, and strong Western governments need to step up to bridge the gap. Instead of focusing […]
With Nationalism Comes Responsibility
Alexander Carlin is a participant in the Qatar Fellowship sponsored by the National Council on US Arab Relations, and recently completed a study visit to Qatar in conjunction with their US Embassy, in order to meet civil society leaders and members of the Qatari government. From King Louis XIV of France’s bid to solidify power, […]
Counterbalance: To War or Not To War
The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) or the Islamic State, the terrorist organization that has seized parts of both countries, has one overarching goal in mind- the creation of an Islamic caliphate. The breadth of this goal alludes to one of the largest dangers […]