Syria
All countries-
The Syrian uprising five years on
Alive and kicking
After five years of war, violence and endless suffering, Syrian civil society is sending a clear message to Geneva: "We will not stop until Assad is gone." Assad, however, has no intention of relinquishing power, invoking of all things the wishes of the Syrian people. Kristin Helberg analyses the situation
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The crisis of the Arab nation state
Reconstructed reality
A world war turned the Ottoman Arab provinces into modern nation states a century ago, but today they are being unravelled by many, highly localised wars that have yet to run their course. Their causes long predate the Arab Spring, asserts Yezid Sayigh
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BBC Radio 4: "The Returnees", Tuesday 22 March, 8.00 - 8.40 p.m.
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Turkey′s media crackdown
No freedom. No press.
The crackdown on media critical of the Turkish president and his government continues unabated with the official seizure of the country′s bestselling ″Zaman″ newspaper. With international criticism muted, many government critics fear the lights are about to finally go out for independent media. By Dorian Jones in Istanbul
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The refugees at Idomeni
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Interview with radical Islam expert Peter Neumann
Islamic State′s looting economy
The political scientist and Islamism researcher Peter Neumann sees the so-called "Islamic State" as a "hybrid of insurgency group and state", the success of which is based on constant expansion and a looting-based economy. Interview by Michael Erhardt
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House of healing
Doctors Without Borders' (MSF) hospital for reconstructive surgery in Amman is the final hope for many of those injured in conflicts in the Middle East. Tania Kramer reports from Jordan
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BBC RADIO 4 Syrian Voices, 14 - 18 March
Lyse Doucet talks to the people who have survived – or are surviving – the conflict in Syria
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Saudi Arabia and Iran
Defeat Islamic State - or become it
The dawn of 2016 has brought a new round of doomsday predictions that Saudi Arabia’s ruling Al Saud family cannot sustain its autocratic grip on power. The kingdom, pessimists argue, is caught in a perfect storm with economic problems, social challenges and foreign policy crises all converging at the same time. By James M. Dorsey
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Trauma therapy in Iraqi Kurdistan
″It is possible to build a peaceful society″
Iraq′s autonomous region of Kurdistan is home to approximately 2 million refugees from various backgrounds and religions. Since 2005, the Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights has been providing medical, psychotherapeutic and social support to survivors of torture, persecution and violence. Katja Dombrowski discussed matters with Salah Ahmad, the Foundation′s founder and president
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Syria: human rights violations and torture
The toll of the missing
Since war broke out, the Assad regime has caused hundreds of thousands of people to disappear. Such abductions are a useful means of intimidating the opposition. A German of Syrian origin is searching for his missing father. By Hasan Hussain
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Between Tigris and Euphrates
Mesopotamia: the cradle of civilisation
The Middle East is not only the scene of terrible violence, but also the birthplace of modern civilisation. It is high time we recalled the historical significance of ancient Mesopotamian culture, realising that current events in the Middle East are also a threat to our own identity. By Melanie Christina Mohr