What’s behind the Saudi-Qatar standoff?
Political tensions in the Middle East have risen yet again after Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed diplomatic sanctions and a harsh economic siege on Qatar. While the Saudis claim that the trigger was Qatari support for terrorism, the move reflects a series of strategic disputes produced...CONTINUE READING
Every response to terrorism is political
Dozens of people have died as a result of the horrific bombing in Manchester this week. This is not the first time that civilians in the West have suffered from a large-scale terrorist attack in recent years, and likely won’t be the last. There are obvious questions to ask: what is behind...CONTINUE READING
New Hamas charter codifies a dead-end strategy
Hamas has offered significant concessions to Israel and the collaborationist Palestinian Authority in the long-awaited update to its political charter. Released on 1 May after months of speculation, the charter cements the increasing moderation of the party under the leadership of Khalid M...CONTINUE READING
What’s wrong with Tim Anderson?
The weird and wacky world of the far right blogosphere has had a busy fortnight. They pulled out all stops: shocking headlines, capital letters, even the classic homoerotic picture of a topless Putin on a horse. The point of all this frantic activity? To cast as much doubt as possible on t...CONTINUE READING
Trump’s month of bloodshed in the Middle East
There has been a staggering rise in the number of civilian victims of US bombings in Iraq and Syria in the last month. It started with a strike on a mosque in the rebel-held town of al-Jinnah in Syria, where 42 people were killed while praying. As activists and media monitors posted videos...CONTINUE READING
The roots of sectarianism in the Middle East
It is nearly impossible to find a mainstream news report about the Middle East that doesn’t refer to the religious affiliation of the protagonists. Sunnis hate Shi’ites, Shi’ites hate Sunnis, all Muslims hate Christians, and, of course, every Arab has a profound and irrational hatred of Je...CONTINUE READING
Saudi Arabia, with Western backing, inflicts horror in Yemen
The death toll from the US-backed Saudi assault on Yemen has skyrocketed in recent weeks. The most recent atrocity was the bombing of a funeral, at which hundreds had gathered to mourn victims of previous Saudi air strikes. It was a “double-tap” strike, in which two bombs drop on the same...CONTINUE READING
‘Pauline Hanson don’t you dare, Muslims welcome everywhere!’
The chants of anti-racist protesters rang through the streets of Sydney on 18 July, as activists gathered to protest Pauline Hanson, who was appearing on the ABC’s Q&A . The action was called in response to the network’s decision to invite her onto prime time television to spread her bigot...CONTINUE READING
Vic ‘anti-radicalisation’ plans are Big Brother on steroids
The Victorian government is currently considering a raft of measures that purportedly aim to stop young people becoming terrorists. Compiled and proposed by the Victorian police commissioner, they would subject “radicalised” individuals to forced curfews, internet bans and restrictions on...CONTINUE READING