Big tech is trying to deplatform Palestinians. But we shall not be silenced “Comment: Palestinians aren’t just resisting expulsion, but an aggressive campaign to silence them online, and a longstanding media effort to distort the reality of the occupation, writes Laura Albast.” On May 6, Palestinian activists woke up to a warning from Instagram: they had violated the platform’s community standards by sharing…

Is a Barghouti presidency the best hope for a free Palestine? “Comment: For the disillusioned and the frustrated, Barghouti’s presidency seems like an attractive option. But the staying power of his revolutionary rhetoric is far from guaranteed, writes Emad Moussa.” According to opinion polls, Marwan Barghouti is set to win the Palestinian presidential elections in July against octogenarian Abbas who’s been…

The eternal promise of the Arab Spring “Comment: The ideals of the Arab Spring remain out of reach for many. But the quest for freedom, though long and uneven, is inevitable and unstoppable, writes Mohamed ElBaradei.” Editor’s note: This article is part of our special series on the Arab Spring 10th anniversary. The rest of the series…

Social media fuelled the Arab Spring, then helped dictators quash it “Comment: Social media played an important role in the Arab uprisings, but over the last decade, authoritarian regimes have embraced this technology for their repressive agendas, writes Marc Owen Jones.” A decade ago, online videos and images of the early martyrs of the Arab revolutions humanised them, evoking empathy while…

How the EU’s inhumane border ‘pushbacks’ are keeping refugees in Africa “Comment: Europe’s ‘externalisation’ policies have essentially pushed its borders deep into Africa, write Tara Ansari Esfahani and Mohammed Harun Arsalai.” As the death toll from shipwrecks in the Mediterranean continues climbing, in the Horn of Africa Ethopia’s Tigray region is unraveling into deadly violence between the central government and the…

Pakistan has a problem with rape, but castration is not the answer “Comment: Calls for castration and hanging as punishment for rape have been growing, but such draconian measures fail to tackle the root cause of gender-based violence, writes Zahra Khozema.” When I turned around to see what was pressing from behind in the food queue at a wedding in Karachi three…

As a scientist, woman, Arab American, I’m voting for a president who respects all three “Comment: I’m proud to be voting for a president who will restore the rights of women and BIPOC, and respect the science surrounding Covid-19 and climate change, writes Sarafina Nance.” On 5 November 2016, the day after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, I stayed home from…

A national identity born of protest and anger brews in Iraq and Lebanon “Comment: A year after mass protests reignited the Arab region, Rami Khouri explores how the struggle against corruption and poverty became the rallying call for a new generation.” Much has changed and nothing has changed in Iraq and Lebanon, as both countries this month mark one year of non-stop mass…

The UN’s existential crisis “Comment: Covid-19 was an opportunity for UN multilateralism to shine. Instead it reveled the disturbing fragility of the UN’s founding principle, writes Shashi Tharoor.” On 24 October, the United Nations will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding in 1945, when the historic UN Charter entered into force. …