Nèdeem Elmahjoub's blog

 History of Women’s Movements in Asia and the Middle East

“Islamising stones is easier than Islamising souls”

Gaddafi’s prophecy comes true as foreign powers battle for Libya’s oil

“Analysts have thus far tended to ignore those Arabs who support the political project in north and east Syria. Several observers have amplified the voices of those Arabs who are critical of it, perhaps because that narrative fits more easily into the simple trope of sectarianism.” Arabs Across Syria Join the Kurdish-Led Syrian Democratic Forces

Time is not on our side

NATO returns to Libya to challenge Russia

Americans, coronavirus and conspiracy theories Turks and conspiracy theories Myths and lies in the Middle East

Rise in domestic violence Related UK domestic abuse Drop in crimes—a report

The arguments make sense, but I think it is a silly headline Syria's revenge? What is Syria since 2011, the regimes, the warring factions, the internally displaced, the millions of refugees, the a hundred thousand plus in jails ...? "   In a normal world, great powers would marshal the resources necessary to meet the challenge, leading a global effort of expertise, technology, money, and materiel to save lives everywhere, including in Syria."  When was that "normal time"? Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Myanmar, Ruwanda...? It's some people, some NGOS, local organisations mobilising their resources to help and save lives. Local and global powers have been waging proxy-wars and fuelling conflicts directly and indirectly, with geopolitical calculations of who is an ally and who is not, who serves their interests and who might jeopardise them. "Syria's revenge on the world" will be a second wave of coronavirus

The Plight of Syrian Refugees in Turkey

"These brave women fighting for freedom, equality and justice face increasing challenges, amidst a violent, Islamic fundamentalist backlash. After 30 years in power, Al-Bashir and his regime have powerful socio-economic, religious and militarised allies throughout the region – and now these forces are working together to fight back against change in Sudan." "Sudan's women face backlash from Islamic fundamentalists"

Abortion As Alabama, US, is passing a bill to ban abortion , it it useful to compare the US with other countries, especially "Muslim" countries. Bahrain, Tunisia and Turkey vs.  Latin American countries (except Mexico and Cuba), Poland and even the United Kingdom.

Who did what to defeat the Islamic State group

Tureky's position on Venezuela I wouldn't describe the current Brazilian regime as fascist though. It is a racist, far right regime with fascistic tendencies, but it is not fascist .

“Turkey’s authoritarian turn is often portrayed as a by-product of President Erdoğan’s vainglorious personality or as the inherent telos of political Islam. But rather than signifying a stock competition between religion and secularism or between Islam and the West, the current fault lines in Turkey, as in much of the world, are emblematic of a slow-moving structural breakdown and reordering of the global capitalist system and the resurgence of nationalist, nativist and authoritarian politics in response to this." Middle East Report (288) editorial

Complicity in crimes University of Cambridge,  BAE System and others

"Worst of all, there is a  growing international consensus  that the regime is the best solution for the devastation it has wrought. The international community is now shifting its focus toward reconstruction, rehabilitating the regime through rewarding those responsible for the country’s devastation, and pressuring refugees to return to a country where their safety is far from assured." Is impossible that one day, we see that "secular", unveiled wife of Al-Assad in London or Washington, prepraring teh ground for full rehabilitaion of the regime? The coming assault on Idlib

Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries: is it safe to return?

Foreign Powers and the Syrian Calculus

A new global credit crunch to come?