Eid Mubarak! My First Ramadan
Moving to a new country is tough. Now, imagine that, when you touch down after more than 13 hours in transit, it’s 10 pm at night. The meal you’re about to ravenously eat is the last one you’ll have...
View ArticleReflections on Three Months in Bahrain
“Where are you moving to?” “Bahrain.” “Where??” (Emphasis). Trying to tell people where I was moving to was futile. No one had ever heard of a country called Bahrain. I would usually tell them it’s a...
View ArticleGuess Who’s Back: Egyptian Revolution, 7 Years Later
He’s back. If it had previously seemed as though the January 25th Revolution had come full circle the past few years, what with the “election” of yet another military man and an all-around death to...
View ArticleThe Prince’s Publicity Tour
Has there been anything like it in modern-day diplomacy? Perhaps not. Perhaps because world leaders are not given the luxury of time to spend on what has been an elaborate PR campaign of both man and...
View ArticleThe US Embassy in Jerusalem: For What Purpose?
An American embassy hasn’t been the source of this much ire since 1979. While the opening of an embassy is usually a stolid diplomatic occasion, filled with polite goodwill and handshakes between...
View ArticleWhy Were the Women Jailed?
On June 24th, the women of Saudi Arabia woke up and did something radical: they got behind the wheel of their family car and drove. This was radical, of course, because up until that day women in Saudi...
View Article#10YearChallenge: Middle East Version
The #10YearChallenge has blown up on social media, with people either gloatingly posting photos that show how they haven’t aged (or better yet, how much better they look now!) or (a select few)...
View ArticleCovid-19: The Rise of Authoritarian Measures
Lockdowns, quarantine, curfews, social distancing: practically every country around the world has issued laws in order to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. From the autocracies of the East to...
View ArticleHow Face Masks Poke Holes in the Burqa Bans
Thanks to Covid-19, covering one’s face has now become a de facto fashion requirement. With many countries enforcing face masks/coverings in order to prevent the spread of the virus also known as the...
View ArticleUS-Arab Relations: The Role Reversal
Charity did not end when the Coronavirus pandemic began. As countries poor and wealthy alike dug in their heals to fight the virus, they were not left alone in the crisis. One country in particular...
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