While 2017 saw military power finally overwhelm the territorial ambitions of so-called Islamic State, the lasting effects of conflict, continuing struggles between regional powers, and increasingly forceful policies being pursued by some mean that this is set to be another challenging year for the region. Iran made headlines at the turn of the year in a way that no-one had […]
A US announcement this month brought a decades-long conflict to the fore, even as peace appeared on the horizon in Iraq with victory over Islamic State. Meanwhile, hopeful signs of religious tolerance emerged elsewhere in the region. The status of Jerusalem became a focus of anger this month. Since a 1995 vote by Congress, four US presidents have promised to […]
Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon: Why a month is a long time in the Middle East Massive political shifts and out-of-the-blue developments have made this month a remarkable one even by the normally volatile standards of the Middle East. The aftershocks of the Kurdish independence referendum in Iraq continued, as a strengthened central Iraqi government in Baghdad relentlessly pushed forward, […]
The deep conflicts and crises of the region continue, even as the region is poised for an historic new development in northern Iraq. In Syria, so-called Islamic State (IS) continued to relinquish control of more of its territory, including parts of its self-declared capital of Raqqa. IS forces in Deir El-Zour are now under severe pressure from two sides, from […]
After three years of waiting and nine months of relentless conflict, the fight against so-called Islamic State (IS) has seen two major breakthroughs in the last couple of weeks. News from the Church in the region, meanwhile, revealed differing pressures and examples of believers showing great perseverance and responding to adversity with compassion and careful reflection. Iraq’s second city […]
Just when we might have thought the Middle East had seen it all in terms of possible crises, a move by several members of the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) to bring the small but ambitious country of Qatar into line has triggered another. After last month’s visit to Saudi Arabia by President Trump of the USA, and his apparent support […]
Another month, another surprise twist in world affairs. This month the election of Donald Trump as the next US President sent shock waves across the world, including the Middle East. Meanwhile, the long-heralded operation to liberate Mosul from so-called Islamic State gave new hope to displaced Iraqi people. The details of President Elect Trump’s policies for the Middle East are […]
The effects of unrelenting warfare on civilian populations continue to be felt from Syria to the Yemen. Only in Iraq does the fighting raise brighter hopes as so-called Islamic State are pushed out. Syria’s relentless war continues. A French draft resolution to the UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire in Aleppo and a no-fly zone to end the […]
Terror in Ramadan A spate of deadly bombings by so-called Islamic State sent shockwaves as Muslims marked Ramadan, the month of fasting. Meanwhile, in the UK the 6 July publication of the Chilcot report was a timely reminder of how the West is no distant spectator of events unfolding in the Middle East. Actions taken or avoided in the UK […]
Shadia and her sisters long to follow Jesus… but fear he won’t hear their prayer in a country without churches Ever since the development of satellite television in the Middle East in the 1990s, viewers have had access to information they would never have heard otherwise. From 1996, when SAT-7 began broadcasting, its goal has been to “Make God’s love […]
