By Khaled Diab Atheists are amongst the most marginalised and persecuted minorities in the Arab world. Despite the risks atheists face from the state and vigilantes, atheism has become more visible and vocal in recent years, leading to greater public…
Tag: islamic state
After ISIS, former Yazidi sex slaves are caught between trauma and taboo
By Boštjan Videmšek Safia, a Yazidi teenager from Iraq, was captured by the Islamic State, sold into sexual slavery, raped, tortured and made pregnant, leaving deep psychological scars. Her ability to come to terms with the trauma are thwarted by…
Racists exploit BDS and Israel to advance their agendas of hatred
As recent motions in the German Bundestag and US Congress reveal, both the BDS and pro-Israel movements are exploited by racists as fig leafs to further their agendas. These racists must be exposed and challenged.
The shocking similarities between white supremacy and Islamist extremism
Despite their conviction that they are polar opposites, white supremacists and Islamist extremists share much in common, including a hatred for minorities and the enemies within, a persecution complex, and nostalgia for past glories.
Citizenship is a universal right, even for ISIS members
The death of Shamima Begum’s infant son underscores the injustice of depriving alleged terrorists and jihadis of their citizenship. It also sets a dangerous precedent that can come back to haunt and hurt everyone in society.
The unlikely demonisation of Salman Rushdie
By Khaled Diab Salman Rushdie made a very unlikely target for the fury of conservative Muslims, which is why the opportunistic fatwa issued by a Khomeini in serious decline took the novelist and the world by surprise. Thursday 21 February…
Egypt’s 21st-century plagues
By Khaled Diab While the Egyptian regime battles for its survival, Egypt itself may not survive as a viable state, as it faces a ‘plague’ of potentially crippling environmental, economic and social challenges. Monday 12 February 2018 For those of…
Post-ISIS Mosul, pt 2: Home is where the hurt is
Despite the destruction, pain, trauma and dread for the future, Mosul’s tough and long-suffering are returning to the ruins of their devastated city.
Post-ISIS Mosul, pt 1: The final death of a city?
Its building turned to dust, its citizens traumatised and impoverished, Mosul may have been ‘liberated’ from ISIS but it has become a graveyard. Can this razed and devastated city ever be free again?
Greek island teaches Europe how to welcome refugees
The Greek island of Tilos has hosted more than seven times its population in refugees… and has done so with dignity, respect and with almost no external assistance.