Category: The Middle East in Focus
Film as a Political Tool: Tracing the History of Cinema in Iran Artistic Production In Iran When Ayatollah Khomeini declared that his reservation was against promiscuity, not film, the ban on cinema eased. The movies produced after the revolution, however, were distinct from their pre-revolutionary counterparts. Today, many Iranian cinemas have been critically acclaimed and […]
Why Lebanon’s Food Prices Are Through The Roof An Overview This article will explore the context and impacts of food insecurity across Lebanon. Lebanon’s economic crisis is complex. Political instability obscures questions of accountability and who shapes future policy. Emerging black markets for cash and goods alike complicate an understanding of the economic lives of […]
After several years of advocacy from Moroccan representatives, UNESCO officially inscribed tbourida, a North African cavalry performance, on their Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021. Let’s take a look at the history and modern presence of this equestrian art. What is Tbourida? Tbourida, also known internationally as fantasia, is an […]
Saudi Investment in Sports On December 5, 2022, various European outlets rumored that Portuguese soccer player and global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo agreed to play for Saudi soccer club Al-Nassr. Though these reports have since been denied, Saudi’s willingness to spend almost 200 million euros per year on one player is apparent, yet not surprising. The […]
Women, Life, Freedom Protests in Artistic Spaces On September 16, 2022, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in Tehran after being arrested by police. Amini was detained by Iran’s ‘Guidance Patrol,’ the country’s religious morality police who arrested Amini for allegedly not wearing her hijab according to the country’s Islamic dress code. Amini’s death sparked protests in […]
As the world becomes more connected than ever through globalization and social media, security has become an increasingly important aspect of governance and regime survivability. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a small yet important global hub for innovation and business. The nature of the UAE’s demographic, which is composed of less than twelve percent […]
Turkey and its neighbors, Greece and Cyprus specifically, are engaged in ongoing disputes surrounding maritime borders, the delimitation of exclusive economic zones (EEZs), and the rights to energy resources found in these EEZs. These issues have caused fraught and sometimes violent relations, including military hostilities between Turkey and Greece in 1987 and 1996. In 2020, […]
As technology advances on a global scale, cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly pressing topic on both the domestic and international levels. The Center for Strategic and International Studies noted eleven significant cyber incidents in just the month of May in 2021. The incidents included ransomware attacks on the world’s largest meat processing company, JBS, and […]
This summer marked a historic transition in the Israeli government, as Benjamin Netanyahu was ousted from his position as prime minister after twelve years. Because Israel has no term limits, Netanayhu could have potentially maintained this position for much longer. On June 13, 2021, Israeli parliament, the Knesset, voted 60-59 in favor of enacting a […]
What is Sports Diplomacy? Is it the Sport of Diplomacy? Not entirely. As the world becomes more globalized through trade, travel, and media, new forms of diplomacy have emerged like digital, health, cultural, and most importantly, sports diplomacy. Unlike other forms of diplomacy, sports diplomacy has no barrier because sports are a universal phenomenon, transcending […]