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
Tag: Middle East
International Legal Regulation in the Age of AI
The integration of artificial intelligence into modern society has become increasingly apparent as it transforms businesses, academia, and communities. The perpetual development of new machine-learning systems offers immense opportunities, but also comes with risks and unintended consequences. As the scope … 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
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
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
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
Israel’s PR Crisis: The Influencer Network Behind Israel’s Re-Branding
In 2024, Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, one of Israel’s top military lawyers, released footage of an alleged gang rape from the Sde Teiman detention center in August. The footage shows five soldiers using their shields to block their actions from … Continue reading
Western Recognition of Palestine: Statehood in the Midst of Rubble
In recent weeks, there has been a wave of Western leaders taking the step to formally recognize the state of Palestine. This comes in an effort to deal with the deadly situation in Gaza and the ongoing crisis and political … Continue reading
Justice in the Rubble: Can Post-Assad Syria Break the Cycle?
When Bashar al-Assad’s regime crumbled in December 2024, the world blinked—then hesitated. The Syrian war, long viewed as a tragic stalemate, had ended not with negotiated peace but with a military collapse. As dust settled over Damascus, one question thundered … Continue reading