Middle East & North Africa

Millions of people in many places across the world celebrated Newroz (the Kurdish and Persian New Year) on March 19-23 with their families and loved ones. Kurds across Turkey also organized mass celebrations, but that came with a heavy price.

The Negev Summit puts a question mark on Iran’s plan to use its navy for anti-access, area-denial (A2/AD) warfare against its adversaries.

On March 29 right outside Imam Reza Stadium, the Islamic regime pepper-sprayed women who bought game tickets to watch the World Cup qualifying match between Iran and Lebanon. Such stirringly poignant treatment of women in Iran is not unprecedented.

In this episode, Mariam Wahba and Adela Cojab talk about their new show “American-ish: Daughters of Diaspora”, which covers the topics of faith, culture, religion, and more.

The crime of cultural heritage destruction has been committed against the same victims by the same perpetrators again and again—in Turkey, Cyprus, the South Caucuses, and the Middle East.

The “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” (CSP) signed between Iran and China will have profound domestic, regional, and international implications. The more immediate effect of the partnership will be a further decline in human rights and freedom in Iran.

“We have lost everything; our homes have been stolen, looted, destroyed, and burned. There is nothing left for us there, to return for,” said an Iraqi Christian who fled to Jordan.

The Christmas story suggests that we can somehow try to be loyal members of our nations, our families, our tribes—and to reach out to the broader human community of which we are also a part.

And human nature is such that great generosity often fuels greed, especially when unchecked by viable law and social expectations.