Tag / middle east
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The New Ottoman Empire
Since the end of World War II, Turkey has been a strong U.S. ally. It was one of the targets of the Marshall Plan and was a crucial part of our pre-1991 fight against communism. It joined NATO in 1952, sent troops to Korea, harbored U.S. missiles, cooperated with pro-U.S. Middle Eastern states, hosted American…
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How to Debate Non-Interventionists
I can’t count how many times I’ve heard people say “the U.S. should mind its own business” or “we should leave the Middle East alone” or “alliances with none, trade with all.” Every time I do, I cringe a bit; not only because I disagree, but also because points like that are quite difficult to…
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From Ben-Gurion to Bethlehem: Borders, Identity, and Doing Better
She stares at me one last time before stamping my visa, a flimsy piece of paper separate from my passport, and signals me to move ahead. I let go of a breath I had not realized I was holding. I’m greeted with smiles from my peers, and then look around and realize – we were…
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Israel, Where Has Your Zionism Gone?
It is difficult to be considered a true patriot in modern Israel. Zionism, a belief in building a Jewish nation-state in the Land of Israel, was used as a basis for the state’s establishment. While that may have been the purpose of the word in the past, many conversations with young Israelis have led me…
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When “Women’s Rights” Justify Racism: Collective Punishment after Cologne
Women’s bodies should not be loci of political and moral debate and, yet, here we are. The recent string of sexual assaults in Cologne have understandably triggered backlash – but not against patriarchy or even sexual assault, mind you, but against refugees and non-white foreigners in general. Sexual assault is, without question, disgusting and reprehensible…
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Entropy in Egypt
As usual, the Middle East is dominating headlines. The bloody war in Syria drags on with no signs of slowing, Saudi Arabia is launching airstrikes at Yemen’s Houthis, ISIS continues its rampage into Iraq and Syria, and the U.S. is watching carefully to ensure Iran implements its part of the nuclear deal signed over the…
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An Interview With Carla Power
Junior Rachel Sumption sat down with Carla Power, the final speaker in the Washington University 2014-2015 Assembly Series, to chat about her book, her perceptions of Islam, and her experience as a journalist writing about the Middle East. Carla Power is the author of the new book If The Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and…
