Latest
A Groundswell for Gaza
Midwestern states have become a proving ground for the Democratic Party. In cities and smaller towns in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio, a growing Palestinian rights movement is pushing Democratic candidates to challenge their party’s position on Israel, and the movement’s successes are inspiring activists elsewhere in the country.
Baloch Women on the Road in Protest
The recent protest march, led by women, against enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan province in Pakistan was unprecedented, not only in its size but also because it is rare for Baloch grievances to gain national limelight.
In Saudi Arabia, Ancient Desert Walls Are Rewriting the Stone Age
Humans in Stone Age Arabia left monumental structures behind to honor their deities and their dead, along with abundant rock art. The extent and regularity of their art and architectural styles show that this was no isolated society, but a shared culture that spanned an improbable 116,000 square miles, unheard of in any other archaeological site of the same period, and long before any of the societies that gave rise to the Abrahamic faiths. Result after result from the Saudi deserts is transforming how we think about our prehistoric ancestors.
Bosnia’s Dark Past and Murky Present, and a Vision for the Future — With Jasmin Mujanović
Faisal Al Yafai sits down with Jasmin Mujanović for a discussion on nationhood after genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, its current political challenges, and Mujanović’s argument for a liberal democratic future in Bosnia. Mujanović dissects his new book, “The Bosniaks, Nationhood After Genocide,” which explores the evolution of Bosniak identity after the Bosnian War, and why the country’s postwar settlement needs to change.
A Historical Novel Charts the Inner Life of the Philosopher al-Ghazali
Ahmed Vall Dine’s novel “Danishmand” (“The Wise Master”) is not simply a work of historical fiction. By imaginatively documenting the life story of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, one of the most prominent figures in the Islamic intellectual tradition, it allows us to join him on his spiritual quest.
Kazakhstan’s Growing Role in the Global Energy Transition May Come at a Cost to Local Communities
Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a key player in the global green energy transition, thanks to its abundance of minerals. Yet for residents of the town of Zhezkazgan, shaped by copper mining for over a century, that might not mean improvements in well-being or the local environment.
An Indian Singer Stirs Mubarak Nostalgia for Egyptians
As Egypt deals with an oppressive regime, economic hardship and loss of prestige in the region, the popular Indian singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya’s striking resemblance to the late Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has become a viral sensation, spotlighting some Egyptians’ nostalgia for the supposedly good old days.