Tahrir Forum

Gulf States Face Their Biggest Challenge

December 30, 2015

The GCC states are now entering into the early stages of reconfigured citizen-state relations similar to what most other non-energy-rich Arab countries experienced from 1986 to 1995.

Making War vs. Hearing Citizens in the Arab World

By Rami G. Khouri

December 24, 2015

People who seek real insights into Arabs’ views and values, rather than the fantasy and racism that dominate much of the public discussion, would do well to read the extensive poll findings of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies.

Five Years Ago, 100 Years Ago

By Rami G. Khouri

December 22, 2015

We should honor the millions who have participated in the latest noble quest for dignity and democracy, and enhance their ability to succeed by better understanding why success has been so rare in the past century of stubborn Arab paternalism.

Indeed, When You Listen, You Learn

By Rami G. Khouri

December 16, 2015

Arab public sentiments often go against the perceived realities about our region among both Arab governments and Western elites, both of whom would benefit from listening to ordinary Arab men and women more regularly.

New Cold War Comes to Syria

By Nabeel Khoury

December 16, 2015

Russia’s intervention has intensified the Syrian civil war, drawing both Western and regional powers deeper into a seemingly intractable conflict.

Changes in Syria’s Armed Opposition

By Salam Al-Saadi

December 15, 2015

The promise of Western military support and a shared opposition to Russia’s intervention are driving Syrian opposition forces to unite and—for many of them—move away from extremist rhetoric.

What Can We Learn from the Trump and ISIS Eras?

By Rami G. Khouri

December 13, 2015

Donald Trump and Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi peddle similar fantasies to ordinary people living in diminished and stressed conditions.

Turkey’s Kurds Split by AKP Policies

By Gönül Tol

December 10, 2015

President Erdogan’s scare tactics may have pushed the country further towards a conflict neither Kurdish rebels nor the Turkish army can win.

The Leadership Crisis of Nidaa Tounes

December 9, 2015

The Nidaa Tounes party’s internal divide and public rift are discrediting it with the Tunisian public.

Three Points That Capture the Arab World’s Problems

By Rami G. Khouri

December 9, 2015

“The Arab region has for the most part not created stable, productive, and equitable civil states defined by modernity’s benefits because for decades it has functioned under three simultaneous dominant contexts: neo-patrimonial states, neo-patriarchal societies, and neo-liberal peripheral economies.”

Saudi Arabia Is Not “Sunni Central”

By Tarek Osman

December 6, 2015

Unlike what many Western pundits think, Saudi Arabia does not represent the “true” Sunni Islam. Even within the country, there are older traditions of Islam that are far more open and tolerant than the Kingdom’s official Wahhabist sect.

More Evidence on How Not to Fight ISIS

By Rami G. Khouri

December 5, 2015

A typical week in the confounding “global war on terror,” in which terrorists perform their evil deeds across many countries while governments keep looking for the appropriate strategy to defeat them.

Listen Carefully to Pope Francis’ ‘Colonialism’ Warnings

By Rami G. Khouri

December 2, 2015

Those around the world who wonder why domestic and international terrorism, corruption, and illegal migration are on the rise everywhere ought listen to Pope Francis’ message about “new forms of colonialism.”

Israel-Palestine Peace Is a Priority, Not a Sideshow

By Rami G. Khouri

November 29, 2015

Resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the wider Arab-Israeli conflict, should be seriously grasped as a global priority.

How Should We Respond to the Threat of ISIS?

By Rami G. Khouri

November 26, 2015

We will get nowhere other than where we are today if we all refuse to analyze the deeper drivers of radicalism that feed tens of thousands of recruits to these killer organizations.

Desconstructing the ISIS Crisis

By Jonathan Randal

November 25, 2015

ISIS has carried out attacks in Turkey, Egypt, and France over the past month. In response, international leaders have declared “war” on the terrorist organization. It remains far from clear whether further military intervention will harm, or benefit, the so-called “Islamic State”.

Abadi’s Failed Reforms

By Kirk H. Sowell

November 19, 2015

Abadi’s reforms have been mischaracterized both in terms of their content and the reasons driving opposition to them.

Syria Peace Process Is a Marvelous Play Without Actors

By Rami G. Khouri

November 18, 2015

The Vienna talks on Syria have produced an important agreement that clearly signals one thing and one thing only: The fighting in Syria is no longer to anyone’s advantage and must be brought to an end soon.

From Beirut to Paris, the Same Right to Live

By Chloé Benoist

November 18, 2015

The terrorist attacks in Paris have unleashed a wave of international solidarity. But what about when a bomb goes off in Beirut, Baghdad, or Ankara? Shouldn’t we mourn those victims, too?

Hollande’s War

By Akram Belkaïd

November 17, 2015

President Hollande has called for a “merciless struggle” against ISIS. But France’s “war” with the terrorist group began well before Friday’s attacks.