By Khaled Diab The migratory history of foodstuffs and cuisines reveals that our dinner tables, like our societies, are both melting pots and salad bowls of ingredients from many different civilisations. Wednesday 8 December 2021 Arabs are convinced they speak…
Tag: ottoman empire
How not to make Europe great again
By Khaled Diab A new alliance of Italian, Polish and Hungarian far-right parties promises a renaissance that will make Europe great and Christian again. The trouble is the original Renaissance was not Christian, and Europe has never been better. Thursday…
Bernard Lewis and the non-existent clash of civilisations
Bernard Lewis was the orientalist scholar of choice for American neo-conservatives. His dangerous ‘clash of civilisations’ theory was not only wrong but caused enormous damage in the Middle East.
Dreaming of a vanished Syria
“A lot of Syrians are indulging in a nostalgia that requires a lot of denial,” says Syrian-American author Alia Malek. “This is why I’m a student of history, not to live in a fantasy but to learn why and how we are where we are today.”
Millet in the Middle East: Disunity in diversity
The Middle Eastern practice of assigning a faith to every citizen and a separate court system for each religion promotes division and sectarianism.
Beyond the Arab winter
As the Middle East stumbles perilously close to its own “world war”, seeds of change are already sprouting hopes of a better century ahead.
The Middle Eastern century that wasn’t
As the post-Ottoman order crumbles around us, would the Middle East would have been better or worse off had Turkey remained neutral during World War I?
Taxing questions about democracy in the Middle East
In the Middle East, there appears to be a link between autocracy and low taxes. Would higher taxation lead to greater representation or repression?
The empire must not strike back
Nostalgia for empire in the Middle East misses two points: we’re not witnessing the “final end of imperialism” and imperialism did not bring order.
War and peace in the Middle East and Europe
Europe’s history of total war and mass displacement can help create more sympathy for today’s refugees and keep hope alive in the Middle East.
