Author: Faraj Alasha

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Map of Libya (source: DW)

Gaddafi's legacy

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Libya – failed state par excellence

Faraj Alasha asks whether, in the event of General Haftarʹs forces taking control of the Libyan capital Tripoli, its population will embrace and support him? Or will his forces be worn down by attacks inside the city, thus ushering in a new chapter of bloodletting?More

Civil war in Libya: U.S. undermining "any hope for a successful political process"Resolving the crisis in Libya: Another fine messLibya′s domestic crisis: On the road to nowhereMilitary dictatorships in the Middle East: The real enemies of the Arab Spring
Anti-Assad protests in Syria, 2012 (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/K. Elfiqi)

Assad & Baʹath party rule

About Syria, which is no more

Negotiations on the future of Syria are a far cry from the bitter reality: the Syria we all knew no longer exists after eight years of war, the slaughter of hundreds of thousands, the displacement of millions and the destruction of most of its cities. Writer and political analyst Faraj Alasha offers his analysis for QantaraMore

Assad and the rise of IS: My enemy's enemyCivil wars in the Middle East: The Arab issue of kith and kinEnding the civil war: For a different Syria
Supporters of General Khalifa Haftar in Benghazi (photo: Reuters)

Khalifa Haftar's role in the Libyan civil war

The fight against political Islam

The news that General Khalifa Haftar had been rushed to the military hospital in Paris on 5 April 2018 for the treatment of a serious health problem caused a variety of reactions in Libya: shock and anxiety on one side; jubilance and rejoicing on the other. To his supporters, he is the "Saviour of Libya"; to his adversaries, the "new Gaddafi". Farag Al Esha provides a portrait of this controversial figureMore

The Gulf States′ proxy war: Baiting at a distanceResolving the crisis in Libya: Another fine messLibya′s domestic crisis: On the road to nowhereLibya: Facing hell in Sirte
Great guys, one and all? Front row, from left to right, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali next to Ali Abdullah Saleh, Muammar Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak (photo: dpa)

Tyranny in the Islamic world

Keeping the tribe alive

In this essay, Libyan author Faraj Alasha explains how Arab autocrats use tribal logic to run institutions of state, turning political parties into family clubs and loyalty to the country into loyalty to the head of the ruling clanMore

Social unrest in the Arab world: Guilty of gross negligenceViolence in the Arab world: Born of a barbaric statePolitical rule before and after the ″Arabellion″: Internal colonialism and counter-revolutionArab identity crisis: What is left of the Arabs?

In brief

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Most Recent Photo Essay

Beauty Craze

Iranian painter Homa Arkani: Beautycraze

In spite of strict moral regulations, plastic surgery is allowed in Iran. More than 60,000 Iranian women per year get nose surgery. Such contradictions have informed Tehran-born artist Homa Arkani's work since 1983.