By: Younes Zangiabadi 15 September 2016
I was walking through a graveyard reading the names of the martyrs that were laid to rest. Suddenly, I saw my full name carved on a tombstone with a religious woman whispering prayers and reading the Quran. Read More »
by:Siavosh Ghazi
Tehran (AFP) – Despite hopes of a new dawn for Iran’s economy after nuclear-related sanctions were lifted, major Western banks are reluctant to do business with the Islamic republic for fear of US retribution. Read More »
By Jay Solomon, Ambassador James Dobbins, and Dennis Ross
Three experts discuss whether the contentious history of U.S.-Iranian relations stems more from unrealistic American expectations and missed opportunities, or from the Islamic Republic’s strategic decision to oppose Washington’s interests. Read More »
On his latest trip, a former senior U.S. official finds a new attitude in Riyadh. But will it stick?
By Zalmay Khalilzad
On my most recent trip to Saudi Arabia, I was greeted with a startling confession. In the past, when we raised the issue of funding Islamic extremists with the Saudis, all we got were denials. This time, in the course of meetings with King Salman, Crown Prince Nayef, Deputy Crown Mohammad Bin Salman and several ministers, one top Saudi official admitted to me, “We misled you.” He explained that Saudi support for Islamic extremism started in the early 1960s as a counter to Nasserism—the socialist political ideology that came out of the thinking of Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser— which threatened Saudi Arabia and led to war between the two countries along the Yemen border. This tactic allowed them to successfully contain Nasserism, and the Saudis concluded that Islamism could be a powerful tool with broader utility. Read More »
Simon Collis pictured at the hajj in Mecca with his wife Huda Mujarkech (Twitter)
Simon Collis converted to Islam ‘after spending 30 years in Muslim societies’ as a UK diplomat
Britain’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia has become the first person in that role ever to complete the Islamic hajj. Read More »
by:Kate Briquelet
Authorities say an Iranian royal living in Ohio was spending big bucks while misusing food stamps and Medicaid—but the prince claims he’s name-rich and cash-poor.
The wealthy son of an Iranian prince is under investigation for food-stamp fraud in Ohio, authorities say.
But Ali Pascal Mahvi, a 65-year-old businessman who lives between St. Lucia and Geauga County, claims he’s innocent. Read More »
by:Mohamed Kawas
Indictment reveals that Lebanese politics is no longer politically suspect, as was the case in 2005 assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri.
BEIRUT – Lebanon’s political forces said they were not surprised by the indictment issued by the country’s judicial authorities over the bombings at Al-Taqwa and Al- Salam mosques in Tripoli in August 2013. Read More »
THE GUARDIAN
A humiliating experience opened my eyes to discrimination that has become common in post-9/11 America under the pretext of safety and security
by:Niala Mohammad
A recent news report documented the removal of two Muslim women working for the federal government from an American Airline flight. On its surface the airline staff appeared to be upholding safety regulations, but in reality they were engaging in discriminatory practices. I know this to be true because I was one of the two women. We were removed from the plane for doing nothing more than requesting water and asking why we were still aboard an idling plane for more than five hours. Read More »
A Brief History of Iran’s IRGC
By Afshon Ostovar
In August, news emerged that Russia had begun to use Iran’s Shahid Nojeh Air Base to stage bombing raids on northern Syria. For those familiar with the region, this was a shocking reversal of long-standing Iranian policy—signaling the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that foreign troops had been allowed to use Iranian bases. Read More »
By Dina Esfandiary and Ariane M. Tabatabai 7
Inline image 1Iranian Revolutionary Guard Commander Qassem Soleimani visits the frontline during an offensive against Islamic State militants in the town of Tal Ksaiba in Salahuddin province March 8, 2015
Islamic State remains strong. It may have lost ground in the Middle East this year, but it has upped its game beyond the territories it controls in Iraq and Syria, inspiring or conducting a terrorist attack every 84 hours since June. Read More »
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