Iraq: what was that all about?
Gridlock. Standstill. Impasse. Paralysis. Standoff. These sorts of words may describe Iraqi politics today. But it didn’t have to be so. After a tumultuous three months of high political drama in Baghdad, we can look back and conclude that the crisis was unnecessary, frivolous, and its hoped-for resolution, if Prime Minister Haidar Abadi has his way, will not lead to fundamental reform. And Iraq needs reform. This need has taken on an existential aspect for the survival of the state. Yet three months were wasted that would have been put to better use if the contours of this reform had been fleshed out. The principal culprit for this waste of time and energy has been the instigator of the crisis: Abadi. Unfortunately, what little space availed itself for a political resolution was choked off by the Obama administration’s insistence on keeping Abadi in place.
Continue reading on Talisman Gate, Again
Snapshot: Instagrabbing Palestinian landscapes
I run to the fields, walk amidst mountains, and breathe in the smell of leaves to escape the chaos, pollution, and claustrophobia of Ramallah. The lack of open space and adequate urban parks in the city leaves me constantly hungry for green fields and crisp fresh air. Green makes me happy, as it does many people. Nothing else alleviates the deep sadness that overcomes me with the awareness that we live in a large caged urban space, controlled on the outside by a ruthless occupier, and run on the inside by self interest and greed. My planning and architectural senses are constantly agitated by the lack of zoning laws, absence of mindful designs, and complete disregard for the landscape. As one hideous commercial building after another goes up, I yearn for a place that is in harmony with the land.
Continue reading on Jadaliyya
Latin America and the Middle East take one step closer to each other on the dance floor
Belly dancing has its roots in the Middle East, while salsa grew out of Latin American traditions. When you combine them, you get a high energy, hip-swaying fusion dance form that bridges the two regions of the world, separated by thousands of kilometers of land and sea.
Continue reading on Global Voices
