Cultural adornments: How clothes fashion identity and mask bigotry
By Khaled Diab The clothes we wear speak volumes about our individual and collective identities. However, the history of fashion
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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.
Read moreSpiritual oasis or consumer paradise?
Despite having acquired some 21st-century trappings, Eid al-Fitr’s mix of religion and revelry is centuries old.
Read moreMillet 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.
Read moreISIS and the mash of civilisations
Counterintuitive as it may sound, ISIS is proof that the clash of civilisations is a myth. The reality is that interests clash, while cultures mix.
Read moreInvading Europe without invaders
Any objective observer can see that the refugees of today are not the invaders of history. So why are so many Europeans afraid of refugees?
Read moreThe 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?
Read moreThe ghost of conflicts past, present and future
With all the wars and conflicts raging in the Middle East, collective trauma carries very serious consequences for the region.
Read moreCircassian beauties and the ugly face of race
The curious cases of Rachel Dolezal and the Circassian ladies show just how meaningless race is, while Dylann Roof underlines the dangers of racism.
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