The Houthi uprising in Yemen has evolved into a complex, protracted conflict marked by deep political, sectarian, and regional tensions. This paper provides an analytical overview of the political and regional dynamics that have shaped the conflict, tracing its roots to internal power struggles, economic grievances, and external influences. It examines the role of regional actors, including Saudi Arabia and Iran, whose geopolitical interests have exacerbated the conflict, transforming it into a proxy war. Additionally, the study explores the impact of the uprising on Yemen’s internal politics, humanitarian crisis, and regional stability. By unpacking the interplay between local factions and international interventions, this analysis offers a comprehensive understanding of the underlying causes and consequences of the Houthi uprising and its broader implications for the Middle East.
This article elaborates on the classical Islamic discourse about epidemics in the medieval Near East, with special attention to the crucial question: How were faith and reason presented in the medieval Islamic theological discourse on epidemics? To best address this question, we have chosen an analytical framework for studying how values, beliefs, and scientific assumptions are expressed in theological and medical discourses by various prominent Muslim scholars from different Islamic schools of thought. These scholars appear to have overcome the seeming contradiction between reason (al-akhdh bi'alasbab) and belief (tawakkul) by discovering a "complementarity theory" that allowed for a more flexible approach to epidemics, particularly the Black Death, and the application of certain medical and scientific practices without challenging or negating fundamental belief principles. The main conclusion of this study is that Muslim scholars and physicians acknowledged prophetic medicine and the need to take all necessary precautions to prevent and fight epidemics.
The Abraham Accords signed in 2020, which provided for the establishment of diplomatic ties and normalization of relations between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, were of great importance in the peaceful settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The signing of the agreements not only established diplomatic relations between Israel and those Arab countries but also opened new opportunities for broad cooperation in various economic spheres. The Gaza-Israel conflict that began in October 2023 has intensified anti-Israel sentiment in Arab public circles and hindered the establishment of relations between Arab countries and Israel as envisioned by the Abraham Accords. Nevertheless, there have been no significant changes in political decision-making, and no agreements have been suspended or revoked. The article discusses the normalization process between Arab countries and Israel, as well as the impact of the outbreak and expansion of the Gaza-Israel conflict in 2023 on this normalization. The author argues that despite the rising tension and strong Arab resentments regarding Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, the normalization process is likely to survive. Some economic deals have been delayed, but all parties have confirmed their commitment to upholding the agreements.
The present paper addresses identity struggles and exile in three novels by the Iraqi- French female writer Inaam Kachachi (b. 1952): Sawaqi al-qulub (2005), Al-Hafidah al- Amirkiyya (2008), and Tashari (2013). The main argument is that literature is not written in a void and that the characters’ inner conflicts – whether focused on gender, nationality, language, or the generation gap – reflect a broader conflict related not only to specific individuals but to a nation’s identity. The prism through which this issue will be explored is a literary-linguistic analysis, against the backdrop of the history of modern Iraq and the American invasion in 2003, that will shed light on this prominent novelist’s works and add to the body of knowledge on exile literature.1
In 2019, BBC Persian released a documentary about the 40 best films made and screened legally in Iran after the 1979 Revolution. These films were chosen based on the votes of experts and individuals involved with Iranian cinema. The present study analyzes the three best movies on the list and argues that post-revolutionary Iranian cinema demonstrates some resistance and opposition to the ideology of the Islamic Republic and the government’s official narrative. The three movies investigated in this paper – Bashu, the Little Stranger; The Tenants; and The Runner – each show a unique account of resistance through alternative meaning-making, symbolism, and escapism. Bashu, the Little Stranger presents an alternative account of the Iran-Iraq war, a message of love and unity in an era of conflict and violence. The Tenants criticizes the status quo through symbolism and allusion. The Runner shows a different perspective on war, focusing on the plight of civilians while the government was engrossed in war and mobilization. These forms of resistance in Iranian cinema show the persistence of negotiation and opposition to the dominant culture in a restrictive political system. Despite pessimistic predictions, Iranian cinema under the Islamic Republic has been far from a simple ideological tool of the government.
