Essays
Moscow’s Asian Aggressions
Today, Tehran, Pyongyang and Beijing are providing critical support for the Kremlin’s latest war of expansion, while Russia claims its foreign policy rests on a history of opposition to imperialism — but under the tsars, Iran, China and Korea themselves fell prey to its ambitions.
A Century of the Kurdish Question
Since the end of the Ottoman era a century ago, the question of the Kurds’ place in Syria has been shaped by a complex history of integration, separatism, oppression and struggle. It suggests that the recent deal between the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces and Damascus may prove to be fragile.
Vietnam’s Village of Moroccan Defectors
Hundreds of conscripted Moroccan soldiers defected to join the Viet Minh during the French Indochina War, then stayed in Vietnam to build their lives — until the Americans came, and they were forced to flee to a home they hadn’t seen in decades.
Spiritual Women of the Wilderness
The Desert Mothers of early Christianity were as determined as male mystics to live solitary lives in the most testing of conditions. While their characters and lives are less well documented, what we do have gives intriguing glimpses into what it was like for a woman to be a recluse in a milieu dominated by men.
Truth, Lies and DNA Testing
The news in March that 23andMe had filed for bankruptcy sent customers scrambling to delete their DNA data. Having written about true crime, I already understood that DNA reveals much more than just our genetic material. But I never envisioned it upending my own family’s story.
The Untold Story of Polish Refugees in Uganda
During World War II, thousands of Polish refugees, mostly women and children, were displaced by Soviet and Nazi aggression. Many ended up in British territories, including Uganda, where they settled in remote camps, facing hardship but also benefiting from racial hierarchy.
The Long Shadow of the Debate Between Edward Said and Michael Walzer
Revisiting the intellectual confrontation between the literary theorist Edward Said and the political philosopher Michael Walzer today illuminates the ways liberal Zionism both invests in, and disavows, its ethno-religious fantasies.