A Blog about Middle Eastern & North African Politics, Society and Culture
To The Mountains: My Life in Jihad from Algeria to Afghanistan (Hurst) has so far received critical acclaim from a wide variety of people from Lawrence Wright to Yusuf Qaradawi.… Continue reading "The Meaning of Jihad at the Frontline Club"
By Valentina Viene In a world of opposing ideologies and intense scrutiny, critically thinking individuals must often migrate to an imaginary world to express their ideas. For writers with a… Continue reading "Asia Alfasi’ ‘Extraordinary Tales’: Bringing Together Libya, Scotland, and Manga"
The recent push by Nusra Front into Idlib and the defeat of Jamal Marouf’s Syrian Revolutionary Front (SRF) has brought a little known group, Jund al-Aqsa, into prominence in the… Continue reading "Why Did Jund Al-Aqsa Join Nusra Front in Taking Out ‘Moderate’ Rebels in Idlib?"
Islamist brigades have grown exponentially in Syria’s rebel ranks over the past three years, partly due to the decline of the mainstream groups fighting under the banner of the Free… Continue reading "The Ansar al-Sham Battalions"
In Syria, Al-Qaeda and affiliated groups have gradually emerged as one of the main threats to the survival of the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad. Ironically, however, the presence of… Continue reading "A Brotherhood Vision for Syria"
‘Free to live it all’ says the advert by the Tunisian tourist board on a London black cab. I used to think that, after the Jasmine revolution, this was more… Continue reading "Why I Became Persona Non Grata in Tunisia"
In her words, Palestinian artist and academic Samia Halaby has the defiance of the Palestinian writers Ghassan Kanafani and Mahmud Darwish and the activism of 1970s New York. She is… Continue reading "No Time for the Olive Branch"
It is easy for security analysts, former Islamist penitents and politicians to rely on ready made narratives on why the UK is still producing Jihadists. Terms like self-radicalization, alienation, terrorism… Continue reading "Understanding British Jihadis"
Following the assassination of Chokri Belaid, many opponents criticized Ennahda, the ruling Islamist party, with either direct involvement in his killing or helping to create an atmosphere where such… Continue reading "A Deep State of Mind: Tunisia’s Deep State Could be Combatted by Democratic and Social Reforms"
In the past two years, Western media coverage has focused on the growing popularity of Salafist jihadi groups like the Nusra Front (Jabhat Al-Nusra) in Syria. These groups have… Continue reading "Blowing up the Nusra Front"