sectarianism

READING LIST | 10 books to help you understand Yemen

Yemen: The poorest country in the Middle East; The corner of the Arabian Peninsula widely ignored as the oil monarchies of the Gulf rose to riches and global prominence; And now, embroiled in a deadly civil war protracted by the interference of external powers, further destabilising an already war-torn region. Yemeni politics can be highly confusing for outsiders. These 10 books will help you understand this complex country and the ongoing conflict.

Uprising in Lebanon – what’s happening and why is it important?

Protests erupted in Lebanon last Thursday in response to a government announcement of austerity measures, including a tax on WhatsApp calls. While the WhatsApp tax has made headlines worldwide and is being widely reported as the cause of the uprising, public anger actually runs much deeper, and the current demonstrations are in fact the eruption of years of frustration with a corrupt and ineffective political elite. These protests – which have brought people together across class, regional and sectarian divides – could mark a new era in Lebanese, and perhaps regional politics.

‘Dancing on the heads of snakes’: Yemen after Ali Abdullah Saleh

Ali Abdullah Saleh craftily played Yemen’s tribes, Islamist groups and foreign governments off against one another throughout his 33-year rule and he continued to do so after he was ousted from power in 2011. But his most recent power-play, an alliance with the northern Houthi insurgent group, which he previously fought six wars against, turned out to be too much of a gamble.

5 things you need to know to understand the Kurdish independence referendum

Today, millions of Iraqi Kurds will go to the polls to vote on whether they…

Saudi Arabia, sectarianism and the battle for the Twittersphere

Two people have been killed in the Shia-majority Eastern province of Saudi Arabia, sparking violence…

Pulling out the pin: Drawing Hezbollah out of Syria

January, 2014. Assad’s fall from power is inevitable. His army is haemorrhaging combat power through defections,…