Since the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the United States and Saudi Arabia have engaged in a complicated relationship of protection, support, and need despite stark differences in cultural values and norms of behavior. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has presented its share of challenges for American leaders of both parties, from Nixon to Obama, … Continued
As thousands of children starve in Yemen, it seems as if the world has selected to ignore their suffering. (Photo credit: The Guardian) Visiting Yemen in late November, World Food Program’s Managing Director David Beasley came away with the following summary of what he saw: “Yemen is the stuff of nightmares, of horror, of deprivation, … Continued
These tombstone was desecrated with pro-Nazi graffiti outside of Eastern France . (Photo credit: Haaretz.com) After years in education without a specific path in mind, I found myself compelled to devote my life to the Holocaust and genocide studies in an effort to celebrate resistance over submission, courage over cowardice, and humanity over barbarity. … Continued
In the waning weeks of 2017 and into the first moments 2018, the world watched as Iranians took to the streets of their country, demanding an end to political corruption within the government and demands for broader democratic ideals. These events were also marked by celebratory references to Shah Reza Pahlavi, the secular leader of … Continued
If one expects President Donald J. Trump to work to alleviate global tensions, one will undoubtedly be routinely disappointed. Perhaps the largest international challenge facing the American leader and former reality star, outside of the Korean peninsula, is the tiny Gulf state of Qatar. In early summer, a collection of regional powers, spearheaded by Saudi … Continued
On May 11, 1943 Shmuel Zygelboym wrote his final letter and addressed the question of “the conscience of the world”, acknowledging that “I know how little human life is worth today”. (1) Zygelboym, a member of the Polish Bund exiled in London was addressing the Nazi atrocities transpiring without much resistance from the rest of … Continued
For those looking to study the impact and the challenges of revolution, one should perhaps begin to pay greater attention to Tunisia. The nation that spawned the Arab Awakening in 2011 has become a complex experiment about the expansion of liberty, highlighting the duality of personal autonomy and the risks associated with it. While the … Continued
Boston-born Seattle resident Sarah Glidden is celebrating the release of Rolling Blackouts, her most recent work in the bourgeoning field of cartoon journalism. The 2008 Ignatz Award winner for “Best New Talent”, Glidden travelled through Turkey, Iraq, and Syria with a pair of journalists and captured poignant, sometimes painful, moments with residents of these pivotal … Continued
The United States currently finds itself embroiled in one of the most ugly and derogatory campaigns in recent political history, and one again finds the Middle East at the centre of the most inflammatory rhetoric, particularly a fear of Islam. Tweets about political opponents’ wives, threats of massive border walls, and the dismantling of NATO … Continued
During this past summer of 2015, I, along with twenty-seven other colleagues in education from various locations around the United States, spent two weeks studying the legacy of the Holocaust by walking the grounds of seven concentration camps along with a multitude of museums and memorials. By doing so, I not only enhanced my understanding … Continued
As an American there are few ideals to which I cling more tightly than the right to freedom of speech. However, this ability to theoretically say whatever I may feel and believe has raised difficult questions in recent months, through the actions of groups organising events in Texas and Arizona at which participants drew cartoons … Continued
The Houthi takeover of Yemen and the ousting of elected president Abed Rabbu Mansour Hadi has done more than illuminate the fragile nature of Yemeni politics and the critical role that nation plays in the Gulf, but recent events also illuminate old regional conflicts, notably between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Saudi impressively pieced … Continued
As the Gulf region struggles to contain the growing ISIS (Da’esh) threat, discern the potential implications of the war in Gaza, and identify the geo-political shifts that may arise through the re-engagement of the United States in Iraq, one’s focus may meander away from the lack of legal protection granted to women in the Middle … Continued
When Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor who hoped to someday own a pickup truck, set himself on fire in rural Tunisia on 17th December 2010, following perceived harassment from a police officer, few imagined that his sacrifice would lead to a functioning constitution for the Tunisian people. As the world was riveted by the events … Continued
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