iraq - The Chronikler

Khaled Diab October 27, 2022October 28, 2022 0 Comments abbasid, africa, ancestry, andalusia, arab, britain, charlemagne, christianity, colonialism, constantinople, democracy, england, eu, harun al-rashid, india, inferiority complex, iran, iraq, islam, middle east, multiculturalism, pakistan, partition, racism, religion, saudi arabia, spain, uk

The queen, the princess and the prophet

Although it is improbable that Elizabeth II is a descendant of Muhammad, one of the British queen’s ancestors was likely a refugee Muslim princess. However, the enduring popularity of this theory speaks some harsh truths about post-colonial reality and sheds light on the intertwined history of Islam and Christendom.

Europe Ukraine

Boštjan Videmšek March 3, 2022June 18, 2023 0 Comments afghanistan, bosnia, conflict, conspiracy theories, democratic republic of congo, disinformation, fake news, iraq, journalism, kurdistan, media, russia, social media, society, somalia, Ukraine, united states, vladimir putin, war, World War II, yugoslavia

“Never again or forever more?” asks veteran war reporter

I was almost certain that the Russian invasion of Ukraine would not take place. I was at an utter loss as to what the Kremlin could hope to achieve with such a clearly insane military venture. Staring at the endlessly scrolling explosions of narcissistic hatred on social media, I wonder what I, who once believed in the ‘never again’ mantra, still have to offer in this post-fact age of sabotaged attention spans.

Arab atheists: A demonised minority

Atheists are widely misunderstood by many Arabs and Muslims. There are those who believe us to be Satanists or that

Remembering Jewish Arabists and Arab Jews

In these polarised times, the social, political and cultural influence and fluid identities of Arab Jews and Jewish Arabists is largely forgotten when it should be commemorated and celebrated.

Trump is terrible but Europe and the Middle East have racism too

Rather than humans becoming enslaved by robots, machines have become the new slave or serf class, with devastating consequences for society and the environment. We desperately need a more humane and sustainable approach to automation.

The mediocrity of evil

Many of the leaders held up as representing the epitome of evil were extraordinarily and spectacularly untalented, incapable and incompetent. With this mediocrity of evil, it is almost a wonder that they managed to rise to the top at all.

Beyond belief: Arab atheists and their quest for acceptance amid intolerance

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 understanding and tolerance.

After ISIS, former Yazidi sex slaves are caught between trauma and taboo

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 taboo, shame and her forced separation from her daughter.

The clash between realpolitik and principled politics

The contrast between the red card from protesters and the red carpet from officials that greeted Mohammed bin Salman on his world tour highlights the growing global battle between a principled grassroots and a ‘pragmatic’ political leadership.

Island of refugee despair

While the outrage of Europeans has been turned to Donald Trump’s wall and the handling of migrants at the border with Mexico, they ignore a humanitarian disaster closer to home. The EU has left Greece to handle the influx of refugees on its own and those stuck on Lesbos are living in abysmal conditions.

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