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TWI Arabic: اللغة العربية Fikra Forum

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Arab & Islamic Politics

Policy Analysis on Arab & Islamic Politics

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Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Surging Violence: Hamas Attempts to Reshape the West Bank’s Political Landscape
With an opportunity to subtly expand its influence in the West Bank, Hamas is less likely to risk an all-out war with Israel from Gaza as they did in 2021.
Apr 5, 2023
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  • Nasser Khdour
Articles & Testimony
The Rise and Fall of Kurdish Power in Iraq
Despite thirty years of landmark achievements, the KRG’s endless quest for economic independence has only entrenched its internal divisions and kleptocracy while shifting its dependency—from Iraq to Turkey, and from foreign aid to oil revenues.
Spring 2023
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  • Bilal Wahab
UAE President Muhammad bin Zayed - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
UAE President Appoints Son as Crown Prince
A series of rapid announcements has indicated the Emirati leader’s vision for the future of Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE.
Mar 31, 2023
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  • Simon Henderson
Clerics gather in a bi-annual meeting of Iran's Assembly of Experts - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Inside Iran’s Regime (Part 2): The Clerical Crisis
In a climate where many clerics are unhappy about their situation and some are losing faith in the Islamic Republic, the purported minutes of a recent regime meeting show how the problem may evolve as domestic unrest continues.
Mar 29, 2023
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  • Mehdi Khalaji
Fires burn after the August 2020 port explosion in Beirut - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
The Lebanon Human Rights Report: Punting on Accountability?
The country can’t escape its downward spiral without full accountability, so pulling punches in annual U.S. reports serves neither Washington nor the Lebanese people.
Mar 28, 2023
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  • David Schenker
A page from a supposedly leaked Iranian document
Brief Analysis
Inside Iran’s Regime (Part 1): Growing Fissures and Poor Morale in the IRGC?
A recently leaked document—if genuine—may indicate substantial internal skepticism toward the regime’s handling of the current domestic crisis, and perhaps even pressure for limited reforms.
Mar 28, 2023
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  • Patrick Clawson
Brief Analysis
Planning Beyond a Baghdad-Kurdistan Budget Deal
Iraq’s bloated 2023 budget has created space for the Kurds to get a share of the wealth this year, but preparing for the next leap to permanent solutions is more important.
Mar 24, 2023
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  • Michael Knights
A man watches Russian president Vladimir Putin speak on television in the Crimean city of Simferopol - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Russia’s Disinformation Machine Has a Middle East Advantage
The region has been most receptive to Moscow’s war narrative, which Russian state-run media outlets have been permitted to spread far and wide with no Ukrainian or Western counter-narrative.
Mar 23, 2023
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  • Anna Borshchevskaya
Screenshot of The Washington Institute's Islamic State interactive map
Maps & Graphics
Articles & Testimony
Introducing the Islamic State Select Worldwide Activity Map
This multimedia tool—easily the most comprehensive of its kind—provides a novel, accessible way to understand the Islamic State’s global reach and activities. Beyond a traditional focus on attacks, find content from Islamic State media, designations, and legal cases.
Mar 21, 2023
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  • Aaron Y. Zelin
Lebanon Flag
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Can Federalism Work in Lebanon?
For those promoting federalism in Lebanon, a historical analysis of the country's geographic and ethnosectarian divisions demonstrates the necessity of inclusive discussion and collective engagement.
Mar 20, 2023
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  • Robert Rabil
Syrian refugees leaving Turkey after earthquake
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
Turkish Backlash:
How Street Interviews Spread Anti–Syrian Refugee Sentiment
A narrowing space for reliable media has encouraged alternative platforms that promote hateful language, bigotry, and racism directed toward Syrians.
Mar 20, 2023
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  • Sude Akgundogdu
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
How Iraqis View Life after the Fall of Saddam—Twenty Years Ago and Today
Two decades after the fall of Saddam Hussein, widespread frustration with the current state of Iraq is leading increasing numbers to express a negative view of life in the post-Saddam era.
Mar 19, 2023
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  • Munqith Dagher
Articles & Testimony
Neglect for Human Rights Helped Produce the Crisis in Tunisia
Rampant corruption and economic instability facilitated Saied’s takeover, but Western governments need to recognize that these ills stem from deeper human rights problems such as unchecked police brutality, erosion of freedoms, and lack of respect for due process.
Mar 17, 2023
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  • Sabina Henneberg
Articles & Testimony
Four Possible Scenarios for Tunisia’s Political Crisis
As waves of protest rock the country following mass arrests of political opponents, what will happen next?
Mar 14, 2023
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  • Karim Mezran
  • Sabina Henneberg
Lebanese protesters hold signs reading "Fearless" in Arabic in response to the assassination of Lokman Slim - source: Reuters
Video
Articles & Testimony
Middle East Matters, Episode One: The Murder of Lokman Slim: Justice Delayed in Lebanon
Watch a special conversation about the murder of Lebanese activist and writer Lokman Slim between veteran Lebanese journalist Hanin Ghaddar and Slim's widow and colleague, Monika Borgmann.
Mar 14, 2023
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  • Hanin Ghaddar
◆ Middle East Matters
Articles & Testimony
It Is Time for a New Hezbollah Policy
Growing domestic blowback presents a strategic opportunity to alter the balance of power in Lebanon, shrink Iran’s long-range influence, and promote true political diversity within the Shia community.
Mar 7, 2023
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  • Hanin Ghaddar
The Taliban flag on display in Kabul, Afghanistan
Brief Analysis
Iran Formalizes Ties with the Taliban
The two governments have been engaging for months on standard diplomatic issues, but the new embassy handover may prove more worrisome given that they are both rogue regimes capable of coordinating against U.S. interests in the region.
Mar 3, 2023
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  • Aaron Y. Zelin
UAE aid in Jableh, Syria, following February 6, 2023, earthquake
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
Disaster Dynamics:
Assessing Middle East Responses to the Turkey-Syria Earthquake and Other Destructive Events
Regional generosity was on display after the February 6 temblor, but aid decisions do appear to be driven by political considerations.
Mar 3, 2023
◆
  • Sarah Cahn
  • Erik Yavorsky
New Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani attends the first regular session of the Council of Ministers in Baghdad in November 2022 - source: Reuters
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Iraq’s Endless Electoral Law Debate
The Coordination Framework is poised to yet again change Iraq's electoral law, continuing a history of such changes that have destabilized and delegitimized the political system.
Mar 2, 2023
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  • Feyzullah Tuna Aygün
هيئة تحرير الشام
Articles & Testimony
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Imagined Communities in Its Proto-State
The jihadist group has been releasing upbeat online briefs about various locales under its control, seemingly aiming to unite residents in northwest Syria and soften its image abroad.
Mar 1, 2023
◆
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
  • Sarah Cahn

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Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

The Washington Institute's Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics focuses on social, political, and economic developments in the Arab world, with an emphasis on the Arab countries of the Levant.

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Featured experts

David Schenker
David Schenker
David Schenker is the Taube Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics. He is the former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.
Ghaith al-Omari
Ghaith al-Omari
Ghaith al-Omari is the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Senior Fellow in The Washington Institute's Irwin Levy Family Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship.
Hanin Ghaddar
Hanin Ghaddar
Hanin Ghaddar is the Friedmann Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute's Rubin Family Arab Politics Program, where she focuses on Shia politics throughout the Levant.
Bilal Wahab
Bilal Wahab
Bilal Wahab was the Nathan and Esther K. Wagner Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.
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