Articles
Bringing much-needed context to ISIL’s extreme violence and inhumanity
A new book deftly explains how ISIL’s network gained from Saddam Hussein’s demise in Iraq and how Bashar Al Assad has nurtured it in Syria.
Yemen’s Houthis hold both the president and the entire country hostage
The Gulf cannot rely on America any more, writes Faisal Al Yafai. A new policy is needed to contain the Houthis and the deposed president Ali Abdullah Saleh
In Yemen, the Gulf faces a new threat: the Americans
Allowing the politics of Yemen to be decided in foreign capitals will exact a heavy price, writes Faisal Al Yafai
Europe’s ancient hatred cloaks itself in new colours
Pegida and other far-right parties have stolen the language of respectable politics – with serious consequences, writes Faisal Al Yafai
Warped view of Paris killers makes targets of us all
It is dangerous to see the attacks in Paris as a reaction to "provocation", writes Faisal Al Yafai.
The truths Muslims can speak are compromised by the West’s power
Free speech in Muslim communities is severely restricted by the political climate in western countries, writes Faisal Al Yafai
Mere borders will not contain Yemen’s wars
Analysts have underestimated the ambitions of the Houthis in Yemen, as they did that of ISIL in Syria. 2015 will be the year those ambitions become clear, writes Faisal Al Yafai
Year in review 2014: Fighting ISIL, an army without borders
How the Arab Spring brought about the rise of ISIL – and why the extremist group will reshape the Middle East, even after they are gone.
The legacy of Guantanamo will linger long after the prison is closed
Half a century ago, another empire brutally respond to a military situation. It took five decades for the truth to come out. Expect Guantanamo to take as long, writes Faisal Al Yafai
As the Sydney siege shows, jihadis flourish even without publicity
Denying extremists the oxygen of publicity has not choked off their appeal, writes Faisal Al Yafai. As the siege in Sydney shows, even a lone wolf can bring chaos to cities.
Extremists like the Reem Island ghost thrive in the shadows
Lone wolf attacks have not gone away. If we do not tackle the views of extremists like the Reem Island killer, we will be ceding the territory to the terrorists, writes Faisal Al Yafai
The Middle East faces a faceless threat, bigger and more challenging than ISIL
The Syrian refugee crisis is having a greater impact on the Middle East than even the refugees from Palestine, writes Faisal Al Yafai
Netanyahu’s law will end Israel’s already flawed democracy
By seeking to make Christians and Muslims second-class citizens, Israel's prime minister is aiming to destroy the one-state solution, writes Faisal Al Yafai
Iran will not become a threat if it acquires nuclear weapons. It is already a threat to the Gulf
For the past decade, Iran has steadily expanded its influence across the Arab world - a deal on its nuclear programme won't change that, writes Faisal Al Yafai
The comedian, the caliph and the thrill of revolution
The militants of ISIL have something that neither Russell Brand nor post-revolutionary Arab states have been able to discover, writes Faisal Al Yafai
