Society
As the spread of COVID-19 pushes more and more people into self-isolation, those who are already locked up from North Africa to the Gulf face becoming a hotbed for the virus.
Religious beliefs play a fundamental role in the hygienic practices, from preparation of food to handwashing rituals. However, some claim that their faith alone is a strong enough disinfectant and thereby help to spread the virus in the Middle East.
Idlib has been on the Assad family’s hitlist for decades. The assault on the province may have come to a fragile halt, but history suggests that it is only a matter of time before the former ophthalmology graduate trains his eye on Idlib once again.
Afghanistan’s youngest mayor, Zarifa Ghafari, talks to zenith about the importance of cleaning up local politics and how the fear of the Taliban stalks Afghans’ day-to-day lives.
Human Rights Watch’s Omar Shakir speaks to zenith about what his recent deportation from Israel means for human rights defenders on the ground in the region, and why Israel’s human rights record is worse than ever.
The regimes of the Arab world are turning the thumbscrews on their citizens online. And yet social media continues to transform the region long after Arab Spring.
The raid on independent Egyptian new outlet, Mada Masr, has drawn worldwide attention. One of the last critics of the Egyptian government may be unsilenced for now, but freedom of press in the country remains at an all-time low.
Many of those who seek refuge in Europe find themselves stranded in a Libya at war with itself. Women and daughters await the results of the UN’s resettlement lottery on mattresses amid the bombs. While husbands and sons face forced conscription.