Iranian hair is everywhere: from 26 kilograms of illegally seized hair at the Armenia-Iran border to an unusual influx of Iranian hair in North American salons. Why would this raise an eyebrow? Non-synthetic hair typically comes from South Asia (Indonesia … Continue reading
Category: Middle East
New Taliban Law Legalizes Child Marriage and Worsens Women’s Oppression in Afghanistan
On May 14 2026, the Taliban formally enacted Decree No. 18, a new law which formally eliminated the previous minimum age for marriage and made it more difficult for women and girls to seek divorce. The decree directly affirmed that … Continue reading
Middle East Wars: We Are an Audience, Remember to Humanise
War does not just unfold on the battlefield. It is produced through media, discourse, and writing.
In recent years, people have grown accustomed to consuming war and human suffering through their phones, as spectators. But spectators are not neutral. In … Continue reading
The War on Iran: All Quiet on the Chinese Front?
In late February, Israel and its superpower ally, the United States, launched a series of coordinated attacks against Iran, marking the beginning of a long anticipated war on Iran and inciting a series of regional retaliations. While many are unsurprised … Continue reading
Reflection on the Role of the Western Observer of Crises Abroad: the Case of Hind Rajab
Does the story of Hind Rajab sound familiar? The six-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by the Israeli army in January 2024 became the symbol of the struggle against the Palestinian genocide, especially across universities in North America. A little … Continue reading
Gaza, and the Generation That Was Told ‘Never Again’
The Board of Peace, a Trump-led initiative focused on Middle East peace, held its initial signing ceremony on January 22, 2026. American elites believe to have found a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, which has escalated into a UN recognized … Continue reading
A Democracy Must Protect Its Own: The Story Within Israel That the World Ignores
Over the past several weeks, Israel’s Arab citizens have begun protesting to voice their frustration and dissatisfaction with how the Israeli government has been handling the increasing violence within their communities. However, this story is often ignored by the media. … Continue reading
There Is a Woman in Afghanistan
Tourism in Afghanistan was not conceivable nor commercialized during the 20-year US military occupation, nor at its end in 2021, when American forces dramatically pulled out from Kabul. The international community expected the Taliban to swiftly regain control and implement … Continue reading
The Muslim Brotherhood: Trump’s Promise to the Emirates?
This past January, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) began ‘boycotting’ UK universities, taking action against the state government’s failure to designate the Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood, as a terrorist organization. On January 9, the UAE cut scholarship funding for … Continue reading
Yemen’s Hidden Proxy Cauldron
Amidst the various staggering developments that have dominated the news cycle in just the first month of the new year, a quiet storm has been brewing right under the noses of the world’s great powers. Although the conflict in which … Continue reading