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Mission Statement Editorial Board Editors in Chief Zeynep Karadeniz 22 Laila Shadid 23 Managing Editor Ali Osman 22 Media Editors Blake Kernen 22 Iman Syed 23 Copy Editors Marissa Ephron 22 Anika Prakash 23 Advisory Board C Brian Rose James B Pritchard Professor of Archaeology Editors Maryanne Koussa 21 Nadia Mokhallalati 23 Alex Norris 22 Ben Winer 23 Ece Yildirim 23 Donya Zarrinnegar 22 John Ghazvinian Interim Director of the Middle East Center at Penn Feride Hatiboglu Lecturer of Turkish Language Turkish Program Coordinator Founded in 2020 Fenjan is the Design Team University of Pennsylvania s premiere journal on the Middle East Through non partisan quarterly issues Fenjan is dedicated to increasing empathy for and understanding of the Middle East among the Penn Community Our written and visual work covers countries commonly recognized as part of the MENA region We welcome people of every cultural identifier and background Abdel Hubbi 23 Yasmine Mezoury 23 Reading Committee Farah Abdelrahim 21 Zaid Tabaza 24 Robert Vitalis Professor of Political Science Former Director of the Middle East Brittany Shore 21 Center Thanks Special thanks to the Middle East Center at Penn for making this publication possible with their funding and support Contact Us upennfenjan gmail com Discover More www fenjanupenn com upennfenjan Fenjan The Middle East Journal upennfenjan Cover design by Abdel Hubbi Cover photo courtesy of Nada Bakri Shadid The views expressed in each individual piece are independent of Fenjan and do not necessarily represent the views of the editorial board or the University of Pennsylvania 2 P C Annie Spratt via Unsplash 3

Letter from the Editors Table of Contents 06 Middle Eastern Women Writing Past Western Stereotypes We were humbled and amazed by your response to the first issue of Fenjan and hope that our second issue exceeds your expectations Thank you to all the readers who have stayed with us since our first issue and to our new readers we welcome you 08 The Abraham Accords Israeli Palestinian and Gulf Responses While the first issue of Fenjan focused on the current events of summer 2020 the second issue of Fenjan opened up to academic papers personal essays and a team of contributing writers We are growing as a publication and as a community 12 The Role of Social Media in an Evolving Middle East 14 Kosovo Saudi Arabia and the Long History of Illiberal Globalization 16 Dubai s Plastic Surgery Market Its Growing Threat to Young Girls 18 Iran China Alliance A Force for Good 20 Repression on the Rise The Aftermath of Algeria s Mass Protest Movement 22 We Failed al Rukban Let s Not Do It Again 24 How Parts Unknown Challenged the American Narrative 26 Works Cited Dear Reader This issue highlights the voices of marginalized communities especially women In Middle Eastern Women Writing Past Western Stereotypes pp 6 7 contributing writer Saskia Wright spoke with Lebanese Journalists Nada Bakri and Zahra Hankir about the book Our Women on the Ground Essays by Arab Women Reporting from the Arab World Hankir edited and Bakri contributed to this collection of essays which Saskia used as an example of women writers defying expectations of the Middle Eastern genre Tara Yazdan Panah looked at similar themes in How Parts Unknown Challenged the American Narrative pp 24 25 To Tara Anthony Bourdain s food series more accurately portrayed the Middle East than any American media she had seen before specifically her homeland of Iran To this day Tara wrote I rewatch that episode whenever I m homesick In We Failed al Rukban Let s Not Do It Again pp 22 23 editors Alexander Norris and Nadia Mokhallalati told the story of tens of thousands of Syrian refugees stuck in the al Rukban IDP camp located in a no man s land on the Jordan Syria border With a US airbase merely ten miles away Alex and Nadia argue that it is the United States responsibility to provide aid and assistance However they refuse These are just a few examples of our team s work We could not be more proud of our editors writers and staff members for their dedication to this publication On behalf of the entire Fenjan community thank you for your readership Your Co Founders and Editors in Chief Zeynep Karadeniz 22 and Laila Shadid 23 4 5 P C Cole Keister via Unsplash P C Annie Spratt via Unsplash

Middle Eastern Women Writing Past Western Stereotypes By Saskia Wright As a middle school student in Bogota Colombia Saudi writer Rajaa al Sanea s Girls of Riyadh gave me my first glimpse of Middle Eastern literature Structured as a series of emails from an unidentified narrator the novel tells the story of four women in their twenties as they fall in and out of love in the Saudi capital The story is both witty and poignant and I was immediately hooked by the characters vibrant personalities While I was intrigued by the differences between their lives and mine it was easy for my teenage self to empathize with them through their highs and lows Literature is important to weaken the barriers we build around each other Whenever we engage with somebody else s story we develop our capacity for empathy It becomes easier to understand and appreciate those who are different from us Reading al Sanea s novel brought me closer to the women in Saudi Arabia just like it brought me closer to the women in my immediate surroundings However what I read as a story about human relationships has become a political statement in the eyes of many others Within Saudi Arabia Girls of Riyadh was deemed inflammatory and controversial and the government immediately banned the book after its release At the same time Western critics such as The Guardian s Rachel Aspden have criticized Girls of Riyadh for being more a love letter to America than a poison pen to the Saudi establishment implying that the novel wasn t critical enough of life in the Kingdom 1 In both contexts al Sanea s story has been politicized based on others preconceived notions of women authors from the Middle East In the west it is often assumed that Middle Eastern women authors always write about male oppression This prejudice affects the way their work is read reviewed and critiqued Woman writers who stray from stereotypes are often at a disadvantage and are less likely to be acknowledged for their literary talent Turkish author Elif Shafak spoke about this experience in a TED talk As a Muslim woman from the Middle East you are expected to write the stories of Muslim women preferably the unhappy stories she said Leave the experimental and Avant Garde to our Western colleagues 2 Non Western writers are perceived as representatives of their respective cultures rather than creative individuals Shafak says This inhibits their imagination and silences their voices 2 On a mission to demonstrate that Middle Eastern women are incredibly diverse Lebanese journalist and writer Zahra Hankir consolidated 19 nonfiction essays on a range of topics by Arab and Arab American journalists in Our Women on the Ground Essays by Arab Women Reporting from the Arab World 3 In an interview with The Atlantic Hankir said None of them were striving to dispel stereotypes about who they are Instead they were focused on the task at hand their jobs and oftentimes survival 4 There is no one Arab woman there is no one way to be an Arab woman and there is no one Arab woman experience she continued By telling their stories these women without intending to do so and without a Western audi 56 ence in mind have punctured prevalent narratives rooted in flawed post colonial discourse 4 The essays are powerful because they reveal the individuality of their authors Each woman has chosen to write about a topic she deems important None of the works focus directly on the issues of Arab women yet through their writing these journalists are sharing the experiences of Arab women in their own way Hankir selected the work of Lebanese journalist Nada Bakri who said that Middle Eastern people specifically Arabs have been unfairly represented in the media for decades 4 I wanted through my work the reporting the stories the people that I interviewed to change these misconceptions about us as much as possible Bakri said People will try to put you in a mold when and if they can especially considering that there is already this widespread narrative about what an Arab woman is like and people believe it and they find it hard to reject What I could do instead of letting them tell me who I am and what I did is let the work itself poke holes in that narrative 4 In an interview with Penguin Ran dom House Rajaa al Sanea explained that she never intended for Girls of Riyadh to be published for Western audiences She believes this makes the novel more authentic 5 My Western readers will look at Saudi through a keyhole and they will be able to connect with those who live in a totally different society and yet have the same dreams emotions and goals 5 When I first read Girls of Riyadh I held no preexisting views or judgments about the Middle East Thus reading the novel felt exactly as al Sanea had intended as if I were looking through a keyhole and discovering a new society One of my English professors taught me that there are three steps I should follow when reading any text First read it to the end and stop myself from formulating any premature opinions Second fully consider and absorb the argument laid out by the text Only after completing these two steps should I challenge the author s argument Like I read Girls of Riyadh this approach can help us leave our preconceived notions and stereotypes behind and appreciate an author s work for what it is not what we think it should be 7

On September 15 U S President Donald Trump hosted the foreign ministers from the United Arab Emirates UAE and Bahrain as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House to sign the Abraham Accords the Treaty of Peace Diplomatic Relations and Full Normalization Between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel Four versions of the Abraham Accords were signed for each signatory state in their respective languages English Arabic and Hebrew This treaty marks the UAE and Bahrain s official recognition of the State of Israel These Gulf states are now the third and fourth Arab States to normalize ties with Israel following Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994 The treaty creates a framework for participants to pursue diplomatic exchanges of ambassadors economic cooperation and coordination and a joint strategy to peace building and peacekeeping in the Middle East with a collective effort to resolve the Israeli Palestinian conflict 1 The Abraham Accords Israeli Palestinian and Gulf Responses By Olivia Babski Palestinian Response Domestic Responses in Signatory It is hard to see the benefits of this treaty on States furthering a cooperative deal between Israelis and UAE Even though the state supported nor malization as a signatory to the normalization treaty the UAE has faced criticism at home In response a group of six Emirati academics founded an alliance named the UAE Resistance Union Against Normalization and created a Charter against the Bahrain UAE Israel normalization deal 4 The Charter is spreading across social media platforms particularly Twitter and has reached nearly two million signatures 5 Bahrain Although the kingdom officially endorses normalization many of its citizens oppose normalization and have expressed their dissent both through Twitter with the hashtag Bahrain_against_normalization and on the streets On Twitter over 15 political and non political Bahraini associations have P C Tia Dufour via Flickr Palestinians While the treaty prevents Israel from immediately annexing the West Bank it does not prevent annexation from taking place in the future Ammar Hijazi assistant minister of multilateral affairs for the Palestinian Authority PA called the signing ceremony a sad day 2 But sad may not capture the sense of betrayal and rage that Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank have expressed 3 In response to the deal and to defend Palestinian self determination PA President Mahmoud Abbas along with other heads of Palestinian leadership groups gathered in Ramallah to form a joint Palestinian coalition 2 The group wishes to separate themselves from Israel and become an independent state based on the de facto borders prior to the Six Day War P C Tia Dufour via Flickr 88 99

issued statements against normalization how trality in the region The Sultanate is currently ever out of fear of government crackdown undergoing government change its long serving street demonstrations have remained small 6 minister of foreign affairs Yusu bin Alawi will be replaced by Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi Despite Israel While many officials have applauded Net the change bin Hamada who is well respected anyahu on the deal a few including head of Jordan by Western nations such as the U S is expected 11 Valley Regional Council David Elhayani have criti to continue Oman s neutrality in foreign policy cized Netanyahu for deceiv ing half a million residents of the area and hundreds of thousands of vot Qatar Among the most vocal regional opers by pausing annexation plans in the West Bank 7 ponents to the treaty is Qatar who views nor Although annexation plans have not pro malization as an effort to undermine the Palceeded a plan for 3 122 settler homes is underway estinian struggle for statehood While Qatar despite UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East engaged in commercial ties with Israel in the Process Nickolay Mladenov s call to immediately past both the government and Qatari civilians cease all settlement activity 8 While Israeli civilian have expressed strong opposition to the deal views on normalization remain unclear the deal Normalization can t be the answer has not won back the hearts of voters half of whom Qatar s foreign minister spokesperson Lolcontinue to demand for Netanyahu s resignation 7 wah al Khater stated in an interview with Bloomberg 12 Consequently the state has bolGulf Regional Responses stered its efforts to support the PA through Saudi Arabia Israel the U S and the Arab increased political and financial support 13 signatories of the treaty are waiting for the approval signature of the Big Boss of the re Kuwait Kuwait is perhaps the only Gulf gion Saudi Arabia however their position as state that has taken an official stance against the bastion of Arab identity does not fare well the normalization deal and has never enwith talks of normalization 9 While the country gaged in any formal or informal ties with Israel supports the idea of a Palestinian state and has Kuwait maintains its position and not officially responded to the deal the King will be the last country to normalize with Isdom has tacitly approved of normalization rael Kuwaiti newspaper Al Qabas report The Kingdom s Foreign Minister Prince ed on the Kuwaiti government s stance 14 Faisal declared during a news conference in Ber On a domestic level Kuwaiti civilians have lin Any efforts that could promote peace in the mirrored their government s response expressing region and that result in holding back the threat their strong opposition to the deal and emphasizof annexation could be viewed as a positive 10 ing their support for Palestinian independence Ku Faisal noted that a peace settlement between wait s semi democratic government large Palestinthe Palestinians and the Israelis remains crucial ian community and long held Pan Arab solidarity Once that is achieved then all things are possible 10 makes the country a strong voice for Palestinians 15 The country has also allowed flights between the UAE and Kuwait to cut across Saudi airspace The Abraham Accords have triggered a wide10 vastly reducing travel time Thus it appears that spread response not only within the signatories Saudi Arabia welcomes normalization but does states but across the Middle East and the globe Its not want to commit to signing a treaty at least significance within the Gulf and the MENA region not until Israelis and Palestinians have reached a remains contentious It will only be with time if deal which remains uncertain in the near future other Arab states continue normalizing ties with Israel that we can determine the extent of its impact Oman Despite rumors of Oman being the next in line to establish normalization with Israel it appears that Oman will continue its policy of neu 10 The Abraham Accords have triggered a widespread response not only within the signatories states but across the Middle East and the globe P C Andrea Hanks via Flickr 11

By Zaid Tabaza In a region with a legacy of government regulated speech social media has emerged as a user driven force and means for self expression Through widespread growth and use social media has become a key player in revolutions journalism and misinformation in the Middle East and North Africa MENA During the Arab Spring social media played an instrumental role in facilitating communication amongst protesters and centralizing important issues Screens became a sphere to voice opinions and organize demonstrations Guardian journalist Peter Beaumont who covered the uprisings argued that social media served as a channel of solidarity between nations allowing people to see their struggles paralleled in neighboring countries He suggests that the medium of any revolution is intrinsically weaved into its progression the Arab Spring s quick rise echoed social media s rapid diffusion and ubiquity 1 Rim Nour was among the protestors in Tunisia s Jasmine Revolution an uprising of civil resistance that started in 2010 and culminated in regime change 2 Nour s account as a protester reveals how social media inspired participation in civil resistance movements across the Middle East Nour credits her involvement in the revolution to a video she encountered online that ignited a deep emotional response 3 Social media also played a crucial role in the recent Lebanese revolution by allowing the country s youth to articulate their views on corrupt government practices By voicing their dissent the younger generation inspired action on the ground manifesting in the organization of widespread protests calling for change 4 Meanwhile limited press freedom has forced journalists to adopt pro government biases by restricting the media s ability to report on injustice corruption and human rights violations Social media however fills this gap by acting as an avenue for expression that is not exclusive to reporters providing marginalized populations with a platform to voice their dissent and facilitate necessary conversation 1 Social media has helped liberate journalists from constrained press freedom specifically through the creation of digital journalism While this has not eliminated censorship 12 Unknown author Public domain via Wikimedia Commons The Role of Social Media in an Evolving Middle East and threats journalists face it has provided more opportunities to challenge MENA status quo through internet based initiatives that are not subject to government licenses This has contributed to paradigm shifts in the perception of journalism in the region with steady growth in the use of digital media outlets 5 Prominent examples of such initiatives are Mada Masr and Raseef22 Mada Masr is an independent liberal news outlet that produces engaging free and critical journalism in Egypt 6 Raseef22 is a Pan Arab media platform based in Beirut Lebanon that supports a variety of progressive social justice causes Founded in the wake of the Arab Spring Raseef22 has cultivated a significant readership and has a team of staff located in ten different countries 7 Despite social media s prominent role in Middle East uprisings users are not treading a trouble free path Authorities use social media as a surveillance method to track and prosecute activists The same regimes infiltrate media channels and impose harsh restrictions and regulations on content silencing the critical voices of those fighting for change Both Raseef22 and Mada Masr have faced censorship in recent years joining nearly 500 other blocked websites in Egypt 8 Even in the face of these obstacles activists continue to resist oppression and address social issues Media sources are battling blockages by filing lawsuits issuing complaints and finding other avenues to reach their audiences Mada Masr has found a way to overcome censorship by creating a mirror website through the Tor network which allows for anonymous and secure delivery Users across the region also use VPNs to bypass government censorship 8 9 Yet the digitization of social discourse has produced another challenge misinformation Social media allows misinformation and news hoaxes to spread rapidly worldwide through many platforms In the Middle East reliance on Wi Fi messaging apps such as WhatsApp enables users to easily share and forward posts con taining false information The dissemination of fake news through social media has been exceptionally high in the past few months due to the exchange of misinformation about COVID 19 10 The rise of digital journalism also raises concerns about misinformed news articles and numerous initiatives have emerged to counteract this phenomenon In December 2018 with support from the Facebook Journalism Project the International Center for Journalists ICFJ launched a program focused on addressing news misinformation that involved workshops administered across multiple MENA countries The program emphasizes individual training to help users determine the legitimacy of their news and avoid spreading misconceptions 11 Social media has created new realities for users in the MENA region Individuals are challenging oppressive regimes and violations of their fundamental rights but they also face obstacles such as misinformation and government censorship Social media is both a tool for change and cause for caution 13

Kosovo Saudi Arabia and the Long History of Illiberal Globalization By Victor Swezey In October 1999 Islamic fundamentalists entered a Muslim graveyard in northern Kosovo with an order for the villagers demolish their ancestors centuries old graves Special attention was paid to obliterating any shrines belonging to the saints of Sufism a mystical Islamic tradition dominant in the Balkans that emphasizes tolerance and respect for other religions In their place a mosque would be constructed that was twice as big and twice as Muslim as any that had existed in the village before These intruders were NGO workers from the Saudi Joint Relief Committee SJRC an umbrella group of Saudi and Gulf State charities that has since been linked to jihadi terrorist activities across the Middle East 1 Since communism s decline in the early 1990s NGOs and other political and financial tools of globalization have proven to be innovations with tremendous potential to either strengthen or undermine democracy and human rights around the world Long before Xi Jinping launched his Belt P C Jerzy Andrzej Kucia via Unsplash and Road Initiative or Putin began interfering in elections around the world the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was using these tools to promote illiberalism and leverage their agendas Saudi Arabia was able to turn NATO s bombing of former Yugoslavia considered a proof of concept for Western liberal interventionism at the time into a prime opportunity for religious radicalization On March 24 1999 President Bill Clinton led the NATO alliance in a 78 day bombing campaign against Serbia s nationalist government which had attempted to subjugate Kosovo s majority Albanian population through a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing The U S intervention was regarded as a victory for democracy and human rights with Clinton even triumphantly declaring in a speech to troops at the airport in Skopje Macedonia We can do it now We can do it tomorrow if it is necessary somewhere else 2 Yet the short war left Kosovo s economy in tatters and created a power vacuum that institutions established by the United Nations and 14 15

Dubai s Plastic Surgery Market Its Growing Threat to Young Girls By Hannah Erdogan From makeup to snapchat filters women are eager to achieve perfection in today s high standards of beauty and some seek vanity through plastic surgery While destinations such as Beverly Hills Brazil and Beirut used to be the most popular destinations for plastic surgery Dubai has recently taken the lead in the industry With 50 surgeons to every one million residents Dubai has had the highest ratio of plastic surgeons per capita in the world since 2015 according to the Dubai Health Authority As Dubai has grown in popularity as a destination for vacation and business trips the city has capitalized on its ability to offer aesthetic treatments But what message does this send to young women Dubai is ranked seventh in the world for cosmetic expenditures 1 Although beauty trends have changed significantly over time in Dubai the pressure for women to be beautiful seems constant as idealized beauty is equated with success in life 2 University of Arizona graduate student Sarah Trainer said in her dissertation 16 Obesity is another reason why people choose plastic surgery In 2015 the obesity rate in Dubai was double the world average and considered a national crisis by Abu Dhabi newspaper The National According to Dubai based plastic surgeon Dr Luiz Toledo liposuction is one of the most popular forms of plastic surgery in Dubai Image conscious Dubai residents are choosing to lie down on a table and get their fat sucked out of them Dr Toledo said adding that 87 percent of his plastic surgery patients are female 3 Dubai currently has a significant population of overweight girls and teenagers who are living in a culture obsessed with the ideal female figure Female college students at Zayed University in Dubai and the UAE University said that weight is a common topic in conversations with family and friends They all want to talk about dieting even when they re thin 1 one female student said This overwhelming focus on weight has led many women in Dubai to choose plastic surgery to resolve their body image insecurities Girls as young as 13 are seeking plas plastic surgery is due to body image anxitic surgery at alarming rates In 2018 ap ety or body dysmorphic disorder BDD 9 proximately 15 percent of the plastic surgery BDD is a mental health disorder characterpatients in Dubai were under the age of 23 4 ized by the idea that one s body is severely Social media plays a major role in influencing flawed and warrants corrective surgery 10 this younger demographic In fact the UAE Among this very young group rhinoplasties ranks second in the world for highest internet surgical reshaping of the nose otoplaspenetration and is one of the world s leading ties surgical reshaping of the outer ear nations in social media growth and usage 5 and minor body contouring procedures With the overwhelming celebrity are especially popular These young girls presence on social media the perception of turn to plastic surgery as an immediate the ideal female body in Dubai relies heavily solution to achieving outward perfection on images from the United States Common Trends reveal that after one cosmetic cosmetic surgery treatments among ado procedure a woman is over 50 percent more lescent females in likely to schedule at Dubai include breast least one more procedure 11 Adolescent and buttock augmentation liposucfemales are already tion ear correction clinically more susWith 50 surgeons rhinoplasty and faceptible to depression to every one million cial fillers however and body image reresidents Dubai has these procedures are lated mental illness 2 subject to change to Recent subhad the highest ratio follow trends teens stantial growth in of plastic surgeons per observe in American the plastic surgery capita in the world 6 celebrities Teens in market has earned since 2015 according Dubai the title of the Dubai are requesting world s plastic survarious procedures to the Dubai Health gery hub 4 Due to to resemble Kim KarAuthority dashian Beyonc idolization of WestNicki Minaj Jennifer ern celebrities social media addictions Lopez Angelina Jolie and Miley Cyrus and unrealistically Plastic surgeons have high cultural beaureceived so many requests for enhanced but ty expectations plastic surgery in Dubai tocks and breasts implants from teens that has gained popularity among the youngthey have named the powerful trend the er generation of women This surprising Kardashian effect 7 With the generation of yet dangerous trend creates an unhealthy Instagram and Snapchat users plastic sur environment for girls growing up in the geons have observed that selfies are driving city s appearance focused society If nothmillennials to plastic surgery in an attempt ing changes Dubai s infatuation with body to boost their image on social media sites 8 image and cosmetic surgery threatens to Consequently girls are develop inflict severe long term emotional damage ing serious body image issues One of the upon the young women who call it home reasons why teens as young as 13 seek out 17

Iran China Alliance A Force for Good Not only do the two countries share a comparable placed on Iran were relieved in exchange for the outlook on Western liberalism but they are also nation s compliance with the suspension of its nu revisionist 5 nations that challenge the current in clear programs 11 Calling it quits on the JCPOA ternational order and notions of statehood Since US President Donald Trump instead opted for the nascent years of the Islamic Republic of Iran a maximum pressure 12 campaign of sweeping the two countries have also engaged in considerable sanctions including the new blacklist of 18 major trade activity The relationship brought increasing Iranian banks in October 2020 13 These measures ly significant benefits following the end of the Iran have stagnated Iran s domestic development and Iraq War in 1988 as Iran focused on post War re international reception moreover they further construction and saw China as a fast growing and provoke an already agitated country In Iraq atwilling export partner The alliance between the tacks on US troops instigated by the Iran spontwo states was defined by healthy trade relations sored Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces have intensified since last December in the late 20th century most and prompted the high profile prominent in the energy sector but developed in areas such as drone strike on Iranian major chemical research and small general Qasem Soleimani 14 6 commodities as well After In contrast the BRI s priIn the regional poMahmoud Ahmad assumed the mary objective establishing Presidency in 2005 he introa connected Silk Road Ecolitical arena an duced a new priority in Iranian nomic Belt15 implies that Iran China partnerit would be in China s best foreign policy to Look East 7 ship can open doors With a history of cooperation interests to help Iran forge China and Iran continue to profpositive relations with othfor Iran where the it from Iran s current approach er BRI partners in the region United States medto the East By 2010 China had China s closest partner in dling has failed to become the dominant player the region aside from Iran is in Iran s economy as its largest Saudi Arabia China is already promote unity 8 a top Saudi trading partner 16 trade partner and oil purchaser For Iran this deal and negotiations are underwill add a degree of stabiliway for a similar partnership ty to the country s economy agreement between these two Bearing twhe weight of a new round of US sanc countries 17 Pakistan is another Chinese ally the tions the country s GDP has considerably con China Pakistan Economic Corridor CPEC is tracted over the last two years 9 The renewed BRI s signature venture The strengthened ties Chinese commitment to purchase oil will ensure between Iran and China will place Iran in a rea steady appetite for Iranian natural resources gional network defined by trade and developamid their struggle to find international buyers ment rather than sectarian and political disputes Iran s desire to win allies in the East meets Additionally an Iran China partnership can open doors for Iranin a geopolitical arena where the China s ambitions to expand its global footprint US meddling has failed to promote unity or peace in this new agreement that is sure to be the subOver the years US foreign policy in the Middle East ject of international speculation in the coming has been characterized by direct military interven months Though only time will reveal the deal s tion as well as alliances with countries with which true impact China has succeeded thus far in cultiit has strong economic or ideological connections 10 vating a friendly relationship with Iran in a manThe US strategies for so called rogue states such as ner that runs counter to US strongman policies Iran are motivated by an objective of isolating them Washington s anxiety over this allifrom their region and the international community ance suggests that it may be concerned with In 2018 the US withdrew from the Joint Compre its declining power and influence in the rehensive Plan of Action JCPOA the agreement had gion perhaps it is also an indirect acknowledgcreated a temporary equilibrium in which sanctions ment of its policy missteps in the Middle East By Serena Liu A prospective 25 year strategic partnership between Iran and China is a natural step for two countries that have enjoyed a history of strong diplomatic ties It is also timely given Iran s dire need for an economic lifeline and China s race to bolster its alliances Politicians and policy analysts in Washington have expressed concern over the implications of a deal that unites two of their adversaries Yet the real threat of this partnership to the US is a result of its own doing the partnership could be a catalyst to improving regional relations for Iran a sharp contrast to the US foreign policy strategies that have only escalated tensions A China Iran partnership has been years in the making with initial discussions tracing back as early as 2016 It made US headlines in July of this year when The New York Times published details from a leaked final draft of the deal 1 The agreement will foster a robust economic relationship between the two countries China plans to inject sizable capital into Iranian energy infrastructure telecommunications and technology sectors which have been long suffocated by US sanctions 18 and international constraints In turn Iran will offer China the largest importer of Iranian oil a discounted rate on the nation s energy resources Iranian officials will also facilitate joint military exercises and greenlight Chinese development projects in strategic zones just east of the Strait of Hormuz 2 Washington is particularly on edge by Chinese presence in sensitive locations in the Middle East and by Chinese Iranian military cooperation Under the Belt and Road Initiative BRI China has proactively sought to influence global infrastructure investment As tensions between the US and China reach extremes China s soft power endeavors are further scrutinized A quarter century partnership between China and Iran the impediment to US hegemony and a dangerous regime 3 in the eyes of the Department of State respectively has alarmed certain political communities US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that the deal would destabilize the Middle East 4 This deal should not come as a surprise to Washington as it is a culmination of many years of cordiality between Chinese and Iranian officials Official website of Ali Khamenei Supreme leader of Iran CC BY 4 0 via Wikimedia Commons 19

P C Ryad Kramdi via Getty Images Repression on the Rise The Aftermath of Algeria s Mass Protest Movement By Marissa Ephron According to popular Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni and his lawyers he was arrested convicted and imprisoned for simply doing his job 1 On September 15 Drareni was sentenced to two years in prison for inciting an unarmed gathering and endangering national unity for his reporting on anti government demonstrations Drareni has become a symbol for freedom of the press in Algeria3 as his detention coincides with a rise in human rights violations and increasing repression of media and anti government protesters 2 For much of the last two years millions of Algerians have taken to the streets calling for change democracy and respect for the rule of law in the country 2 This protest movement known as the Hirak is the largest the country has seen in decades 4 Drareni was arrested on March 7 while covering a Hirak protest 5 He first stood trial on August 10 and was sentenced to three years in prison Although the appeal granted Drareni a lesser sentence prominent human rights NGO Amnesty International called the verdict outrageous and the trial a sham 2 The Algerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Khaled Drareni and others who are being detained for daring to document police violence and arbitrary arrests during protests 2 said Amnesty s Director of the Middle East and North Africa MENA region Heba Morayef Drareni s coverage was instrumental in providing Algerians and the rest of the world with crucial information about the movement 6 Drareni launched an independent news website in 2017 named the Casbah Tribune Madjeda Zouine a journalist for the publication admired Drareni s work Ever since the start of the Hirak Khaled was like a compass guiding us to the truth she said He photographed and reported everything that was happening both the Hirak protests and the pro government demonstrations 3 Through his reporting Drareni exposed the government s cruel crackdown on Algerians fundamental human rights such as freedom of speech and assembly 6 To disperse demonstrations police fired rubber bullets and tear gas a chemical weapon banned in war under international law at peaceful protesters 7 They used water cannons and electrical weapons for crowd control Authorities also arbitrarily arrested hundreds of protesters some of whom were later prosecuted and convicted under vague penal code provisions 8 Drareni was brave enough to reveal these abuses and criticize the government for its handling of the protests 6 20 His courage led to incarceration countries much lower than just a few years ago 3 The Hirak movement began when former Democracy and human rights in Algeria president Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his has also weakened because of the global COVID 19 run for a fifth consecutive term in early February pandemic 4 This forced the Hirak movement to 2019 Not only had then 81 year old Bouteflika pivot from large demonstrations their primary been in power for 20 years but he also suffered method of organizing for change 14 The government a stroke in 2013 which left him in poor health 8 9 banned protests in March which they claimed was Algerians demanded an end to Boutef to curb the spread of the virus Since then howlika s reign and demonstrations that lasted several ever authorities have ramped up censorship of months Yet the movement continued long after anti government websites and arrests of peaceful Bouteflika finally resigned on April 28 2019 For protesters Hirak leaders and journalists who covprotesters the president had been one of many ob ered the demonstrations journalists like Drareni 4 stacles in an undemocratic regime primarily con On April 22 the Algerian Parliatrolled by the military which remained in power 8 10 ment proposed criminalizing reporting After Bouteflika s resignation Algerian au that threatened public order and state sethorities scheduled a presidential election for De curity essentially prohibiting Drareni and cember 2019 however the public knew the mil other journalists from doing their job itary establishment s favored candidate former After hearing the verdict of the appeal court prime minister Abdelmadjid on September 15 Amnesty s DepTebboune was certain to win uty MENA Director Amna GuelAs a result they boycotted the lali said Today s prison sentence election voicing their dissent in for prominent journalist Khaled the streets instead of voting ReDrareni is a mockery of justice in His courage led gardless Tebboune won though a country supposedly undergoing to incarceration turnout was extremely low 11 political change and transforma The election brings tion following mass protests 2 nothing concrete to what the In September the Algerian people s movement wants Parliament proposed revisions said Secretary general of to the constitution that intendthe Algerian Human Rights League Abdoul ed to create a constitutional court strengthen moumene Khelil Maybe it resolves an inter political freedoms and better balance the pownal problem in the system but it doesn t re ers between the president and prime minissolve the demands of the Algerian people 11 ter Tebboune who spearheaded the revisions The Hirak s demands are nothing less than claims they will address the movement s dea complete transformation of their political sys mands however Hirak activists do not betem and the removal of every member of the coun lieve the revisions will bring about real change try s heavily entrenched military political elite 12 In response to an economic crisis and After his election Tebboune announced that the the recent government crackdowns the Higovernment would consolidate democracy rule rak is making a comeback after operating in the of law and respect for human rights and that he shadows for several months 14 Despite the ban was open to starting a dialogue with the Hirak 13 on protests hundreds of demonstrators took to Despite the new president s promises hu the streets on October 5 calling for the release man rights abuses in Algeria have not improved of the dozens of imprisoned Hirak members 15 Tebboune has pardoned thousands of prisoners Though the fates of Drareni and othbut excluded Hirak detainees 4 In March Human er political prisoners remain unclear millions Rights Watch reported that Algerian authorities of Algerians and human rights organizations have failed to reform laws on association and as across the globe continue to fight for their resembly that are often used to repress rights 1 In lease Drareni is safe from Algerian democracy Reporters without Borders 2020 World Press and human rights depend on Hirak s success Freedom Index Algeria was ranked 146 out of 180 21

By Alexander Norris and Nadia Mokhallalati On November 1 2018 the United States Central Command delivered an announcement that reaffirmed the worst fears of tens of thousands of Syrians trapped near the Syria Jordan border the US would not provide life saving humanitarian assistance to the men women and children of the al Rukban camp 1 The announcement implicitly denied American responsibility for the well being of Syrian internally displaced persons IDPs while criticizing the Assad regime for blocking humanitarian aid into the camp however in doing so the US disregarded the simple fact that American soldiers at the al Tanf airbase were best situated to help these IDPs As politicians turned a blind eye tens of thousands of innocent Syrians starved fled or died in a camp merely ten miles from an American airbase This disregard for human life evident in America s policy toward the al Rukban IDP camp reflects the broader failures of America s relationship with the Middle East The United States last major outpost in Syria the al Tanf airbase controls the strategically vital Syria Jordan Iraq border region in southeast Syria Once established to combat the Islamic State through train and equip operations with Syrian rebel groups the airbase remains operational to curb Iranian influence in Syria Since 2017 a 55 kilometer deconfliction zone around the airbase has afforded the United States a sphere of de facto control with regime backed forces surrounding the sphere and American forces maintaining security within Despite the Assad regime s demand that all foreign militaries leave Syria the United States has stated its intentions to stay at the al Tanf base for an unspecified period of time 2 Within the al Tanf deconfliction zone is al Rukban an IDP camp nestled along the Jor 22 23 Anobel Odisho CC BY SA 3 0 via Wikimedia Commons We Failed al Rukban Let s Not Do It Again dan Syria border in a region known as the Berm 3 civilians in areas under its control Doing the Since 2016 when a terrorist attack on Jordani right thing even when it means putting aside an border guards led to a full border closure the trivial political rivalries or compromising on population of al Rukban has grown to as many as unilateral national security objectives should 60 000 people Seventy to 80 percent are women always lead America s policy making decisions and children living in substandard conditions 4 regarding non combatants and civilians As the Since 2017 the Assad regime has main richest and most powerful nation in the world tained a total blockade on all goods in and out the United States should set an example by of the al Tanf region exacerbating shortages of upholding human rights and basic decency in food potable water blankets and basic med its foreign policy agendas By refusing to offer ical supplies as the situation deteriorated into aid or assistance to the citizens of al Rukban an acute humanitarian disaster Although exact the United States committed an inexcusable statistics are rare Middle East Eye has report and unjustifiable wrong Such behavior activeed that eight children in al Rukban died of cold ly undermines its reputation as the leader of and malnutrition in January of 2019 alone peace loving nations and substantively erodes Despite this since its emerits credibility as a force for good gence as a major IDP camp Although anecdotal the the American contingent at case of the al Rukban camp al Tanf has refused to provide sadly reflects America s broadaid or assistance to the camp er policies toward the Middle This disregard for The US has long justiEast Whether it be unnechuman life evident in fied this stance by arguing that essary sanctions that disproAmerica s policy tothe Syrian regime alone is reportionately harm civilians ward the al Rukban sponsible for its citizens health drone strikes with collateral IDP camp reflects the and well being As IDPs withdamage or proxy wars that broader failures of in the territory of their home displace harm and kill thouAmerica s relationship state the residents of al Ruksands of civilians the time for with the Middle East ban do not qualify as refugees military adventurism with little under international law conseregard for human life must end quently the US has deferred all Many strategic adversarresponsibility for al Rukban to ies including Russia Iran and the Syrian state the Assad regime have already This narrow minded approach ignores used America s inaction towards al Rukban as several obvious contradictions Customary and effective propaganda against American prescodified international humanitarian law states ence in the region By engaging responsibly that occupying powers possess a duty of care with the region and placing humanitarian conto people living in regions under their control 6 cerns over unilateral national security benefits The United States continued presence at al however the United States can begin to repair Tanf despite repeated and explicit requests its damaged reputation foster goodwill among by the Assad regime to withdraw from Syri former adversaries and promote sustainable an territory has the dual effect of supporting and healthy development in regions ravished America s status as an occupying power and by years of warfare and economic hardship invalidates its purported neutrality in the con Although it may be too late for the thouflict In addition the presence of rebel groups sands of Syrians in the al Tanf region it is not too within the al Tanf zone explains why the As late for the next al Rukban Moving forward sad regime would not allow aid or assistance the United States must commit to upholding bainto what it considers to be a rebel stronghold sic principles of human rights and morality in its Irrespective of any legal obligations how foreign policy decisions and actively work to reever the US possesses a clear moral duty to help define its image as a force for good in the world

Don t get me wrong I don t the purview of Western societies think a few travel documentaries I m grateful for a high quality proare going to save the Middle East duction that portrayed humanifrom western villainization Lin ty in the Middle East But really I guist political theorist and Penn shouldn t be grateful at all such alumnus Noam Chomsky has said portrayals should be the standard that any dictator would admire the across all media and they shouldn t uniformity and obedience of the be limited to foodie audiences U S media 2 Our mainstream me Plenty of Penn students dia outlets much like the rest of will come to hold significant posithe population buy into the idea tions of power and many will find that America s actions toward the themselves as executives in merest of the world are often justified dia conglomerates and production The media will tell viewers what companies It s our duty to use our they want to hear education to proand the average mote perspectives American viewand concerns er probably does that are voiced Far too often I ve not want to hear by affected comclarified that Iran about the many munities rathis not a country of atrocities their er than uphold America hating bigots tax dollars fund an agenda that i e Yemen Iraq pumps out the but rather a country of Afghanistan most profit and people who rightfully and that s just in downplays the reject the U S governthe Middle East harms of Westment s interference in W h e n ern imperialism their domestic affairs journalists and and capitalism celebrities expose Unfortunateviewers to anothly many Penn er country s culstudents gradture it does have a real material uate with the harmful mindset of effect on people s lives It s tiring to profit over people and President hear the same questions rooted in Trump s mishandling of COVID 19 stereotypes and ignorance If Amer and his increasing militaristic policans only hear the limited perspec icies globally are prime examples tives that typically come from MSN of that Nevertheless when I see BC CNN and The New York Times my peers fighting for social justhey limit their own understanding tice and educating others on their of different cultures people and backgrounds it gives me hope that places Looking past superficial Penn students will challenge narreporting can hold significant val row mindedness about other culue in strengthening your relation tures in their future careers and ships with people of other cultures amplify marginalized voices from The problem is that many communities around the world Americans don t put in effort to Until then I ll summon learn outside of the mainstream Anthony Bourdain s legacy share and our Eurocentric education sys a traditional Persian meal with tem is no help Shows like Parts friends and explain all the inUnknown brought an inkling of re tricacies of my culture and peoality into American homes beyond ple to those willing to listen How Parts Unknown Challenged the American Narrative By Tara Yazdan Panah Celebrity chef and documentarian Anthony Bourdain s passing in 2018 troubled me and many other Iranians To many of us he was an ally of misrepresented peoples His travel show Parts Unknown was one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon Each episode centered around a city or country where Bourdain sat down with locals shared meals with them and learned about their personal and political struggles I was first introduced to Bourdain in 2014 when my sister showed me an episode of Parts Unknown in which Bourdain traveled to Iran An American traveling with a CNN documentary crew in Iran I was extremely curious to find out how my family s homeland would be portrayed Knowing how Western media typically depicts the Middle East I wasn t expecting much It didn t take long for me to breathe a sigh of relief I am so confused It wasn t supposed to be like this Bourdain said in the first minute of the episode Of all the places of all the countries of all the years of traveling it is here in Iran I am greeted most warmly by total strangers Bourdain spends the next 40 minutes eating kabobs and stews bowling with young Iranians speaking with journalists and street racing with locals To this day I rewatch that episode whenever I m homesick Hearing someone dispel common misconceptions about Iran in front of their large American audience was an empowering experience for me I ve lost track of the number of times I ve had to explain to my peers that I feel perfectly safe whenever I visit Iran in many cases safer than I have felt in the United States Far too often I ve clarified that Iran is not a country of America hating bigots but rather a country of people who rightfully reject the U S government s interference in their domestic affairs My freshman year I even had to explain to someone in my hall that Iran and Iraq are not the same country That being said Parts Unknown wasn t a perfect depiction of any country and their struggles against American influence and intervention After all CNN isn t known for its progressive foreign policy positions At the very least however it gave many Americans their first taste of what life is like in non Western countries And it didn t speak of communities stories in isolation it dealt with hard to swallow pills about American imperialism Bourdain famously said in one episode Once you ve been to Cambodia you ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands 1 You seldom see this type of criticism in American media and so called liberal outlets don t challenge pro American narratives either 24 P C Annie Spratt via Unsplash 25

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momrsf org en media detail outlet mada masr 7 Hodali Diana Discovering Initiatives and Projects from Lebanon s Digital Ecosystem DW COM Deutsche Welle 5 May 2019 www dw com en discovering initiatives and projects from lebanons digital ecosystem a 47981879 8 Independent Lebanese Website Raseef22 Joins Hundreds of Blocked Websites in Egypt Mada Masr Mada Maar 6 Sept 2018 www madamasr com en 2018 09 06 news u independent lebanese website raseef22 joins hundreds of blocked websites in egypt 9 Tita Mohamed Beating the Block Mada Masr Launches Tor Mirror Mada Masr Mada Masr 25 Dec 2019 www madamasr com en 2019 12 25 feature politics beating the blockmada masr launches tor mirror 10 Tal Bayan In Crisis Jordan Battles COVID 19 and Misinformation Wilson Center 20 Apr 2020 www wilsoncenter org blog post crisis jordan battles covid 19 and misinformation 11 Granger Jacob Social Media Solutions Programme Helps Arabic Journalists Improve Online Content and Cybersecurity Journalism co uk Journalism 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Ranks Seventh in per Capita Beauty Product Consumption in the World ZAWYA MENA Edition 19 Apr 2017 www zawya com mena en business story UAE_ranks_seventh_in_per_capita_beauty_product_consumption_in_the_world GN_19042017_200408 2 Trainer Sarah Local Interpretations of Global Trends Body Concerns and Self Projects Enacted by Young Emirati Women UA Campus Repository The University of Arizona The University of Arizona 2013 repository arizona edu bitstream handle 10150 293452 azu_etd_12684_sip1_m pdf sequence 1 3 Fly by Lipo Chubsters Jet in for Surgery in Dubai Al Bawaba 5 Dec 2012 www albawaba com editorchoice liposuction dubai 454514 4 Carrington Daisy Dubai the World s Plastic Surgery Hub CNN Cable News Network 8 Sept 2014 www cnn com 2014 09 05 world meast dubai theworlds plastic surgery hub index html 5 Radcliffe Damian What s Driving Middle East s Rush to Social Media ZDNet ZDNet 25 May 2018 www zdnet com article whats driving middle easts rush tosocial media 6 Teens Drive Plastic Surgery Growth In The UAE Emirates Woman Emirates Woman 1 May 2016 emirateswoman com teens drive plastic surgery growthuae 7 Overman Debbie Instagram Peer Pressure and Addiction Dubai s Cosmetic Surgery Plastic Surgery Practice 1 Mar 2018 www plasticsurgerypractice com client objectives aesthetics body makeover instagram peer pressure and addiction dubais cosmetic surgery boom shows no sign of slowing the national 8 Bell Jennifer Social Media Leading UAE Teens to Get Surgical Enhancements The National The National 6 Sept 2016 www thenationalnews com uae health social media leading uae teens to get surgical enhancements 1 231058 video Id 5771275459001 9 Bell Jennifer Girls as Young as 13 Requesting Plastic Surgery in UAE The National The National 6 Apr 2015 www thenational ae uae health girls as youngas 13 requesting plastic surgery in uae 1 56072 videoId 5771275459001 10 Veale D Body dysmorphic disorder Postgraduate Medical Journal vol 80 940 2004 67 71 doi 10 1136 pmj 2003 015289 26 11 A Point of View Does Cosmetic Surgery Really Make People Feel Better about Their Bodies BBC News BBC 22 Jan 2016 www bbc com news magazine 35380469 Iran China Alliance A Force for Good 1 Fassihi Farnaz and Steven Lee Myers Defying U S China and Iran Near Trade and Military Partnership The New York Times The New York Times 11July 2020 www nytimes com 2020 07 11 world asia china iran trade military deal html 2 Payne Jeffrey A China Iran Bilateral Deal Costs All Around The Interpreter The Interpreter 2 Sept 2020 www lowyinstitute org the interpreter china iranbilateral deal costs all around 3 Iran U S Department of State U S Department of State www state gov countries areas iran 4 StateDept SecPompeo China s entry into Iran will destabilize the Middle East Iran remains the world s largest state sponsorof terror and to have access to weapons systems and commerce and money flowing from the Chinese Communist Party only compounds that risk for that region Twitter 9 Aug 2020 8 40 a m https 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strategymiddle east there one 11 Laub Zachary and Kali Robinson What Is the Status of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations 7 Jan 2020 www cfr org backgrounder what status iran nuclear agreement 12 Slavin Barbara Five Reasons Why U S Maximum Pressure on Iran Has Backfired Atlantic Council 14 May 2020 https www atlanticcouncil org blogs iransource five reasons why us maximum pressure on iran has backfired 13 US Sanctions Iran s Entire Financial Sector Al Jazeera 8 Oct 2020 https www aljazeera com economy 2020 10 8 us sanctions irans entire financial sector 14 Cordesman Anthony H America s Failed Strategy in the Middle East Losing Iraq and the Gulf Center for Strategic and International Studies 2 Jan 2020 https www csis org analysis americas failed strategy middle east losing iraqand gulf 15 Belt and Road Basics Hong Kong Trade Development Council https beltandroad hktdc com en belt and road basics 16 Riedel Bruce Saudi Arabia s Relations with China Functional but Not Strategic Brookings 20 July2020 https www brookings edu articles saudi arabias relations with china functional but not strategic 17 Fulton Jonathan Iran Isn t the Only Middle Eastern Country in a Unique Partnership with China Atlantic Council 15 July2020 https www atlanticcouncil org blogs menasource iran isnt the only middle eastern country in a uniquepartnership with china Repression on the Rise The Aftermath of Algeria s Mass Protest Movement 1 Nossiter Adam Algerian Journalist Sentenced to 3 Years for Reporting on Protests The New York Times The New York Times 10 Aug 2020 www nytimes com 2020 08 10 world africa Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni convicted html 2 Algeria Court Issues Two Year Prison Sentence against Journalist Khaled Drareni Amnesty International 15 Sept 2020 www amnesty org en latest news 2020 09 algeria appeal court issues outrageous two year prison sentenceagainst journalist khaled drareni 3 Who Is Khaled Drareni Symbol of Press Freedom in Algeria Reporters without Borders RSF 14 Sept 2020 rsf org en news who khaled drareni symbolpress freedom algeria 4 Goldstein Eric During Pandemic Algeria Tightens Vise on Protest Movement Human Rights Watch 29 Apr 2020 www hrw org news 2020 04 29 during pandemic algeria tightens vise protest movement 5 Algeria Release Journalist Khaled Drareni End Targeted Harassment of Media Amnesty International 30 Apr 2020 www amnesty org en latest news 2020 04 algeria release journalist khaled drareni and end targeted harassment of independent media 6 Algeria Prominent Journalist Facing Charges Human Rights Watch 17 Mar 2020 www hrw org news 2020 03 17 algeria prominent journalist facing charges 7 Sadeghi McKenzie Fact Check It s True Tear Gas Is a Chemical Weapon Banned in War USA Today Gannett Satellite Information Network 6 June 2020 www usatoday com story news factcheck 2020 06 06 fact check its true teargas chemical weapon banned war 3156448001 8 Kacha Yasmine Live from Algiers The State Must Lift All Restrictions on the Right to Freedom of Expression Amnesty International 5 Apr 2019 https www amnesty org en latest campaigns 2019 04 live from algeria the statemust lift all restrictions on the right to freedom of expression 9 Raghavan Sudarsan Algeria s Abdelaziz Bouteflika Resign Ending His Rule after Two Decades The Washington Post WP Company 2 Apr 2019 www washingtonpost com world africa algerias abdelaziz bouteflika submits resignationending two decade rule 2019 04 02 11d9680a 557b 11e9 814f e2f46684196e_ story html 10 Nossiter Adam Algerian Leader Bouteflika Resigns Under Pressure From Army The New York Times The New York Times 2 Apr 2019 www nytimes com 2019 04 02 world africa Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigns html searchResultPosition 6 11 Nossiter Adam Military s Preferred Candidate Named Winner in Algeria Election The New York Times The New York Times 13 Dec 2019 www nytimes com 2019 12 13 world africa algeria election protest html 12 Nossiter Adam Hopes Fade for New Political Course in Algeria a Year After Popular Uprising The New York Times The New York Times 4 Oct 2020 www nytimes com 2020 10 04 world africa algeria protests politics html 13 Algeria One Year On Activists Languish in Jail Human Rights Watch 24 Feb 2020 www hrw org news 2020 02 24 algeria one year activists languish jail 14 Bajec Alessandra Algeria s Hirak Protest Movement Is Gearing up for a Comeback Alaraby The New Arab 17 Sept 2020 english alaraby co uk english indepth 2020 9 17 the return of algerias hirak protest movement 15 Hundreds Take to Algiers Streets despite Ban on Protests Algeria Al Jazeera Al Jazeera 5 Oct 2020 www aljazeera com news 2020 10 5 hundredsprotest in algiers despite ban on gatherings We Failed al Rukban Let s Not Do It Again 1 Urban Bill U S Central Command Statement on Delay of Humanitarian Aid to Rukban IDP Camp U S Central Command Accessed October 15 2020 https www centcom mil MEDIA PRESS RELEASES Press Release View Article 1679743 us central command statement on delay of humanitarian aidto rukban idp camp 2 Heller Sam What an Unfolding Humanitarian Disaster in a U S Protected Enclave Tells Us About American Strategy in Syria War on the Rocks November 20 2017 https warontherocks com 2017 11 16162 3 Edwards Madeline and Omar al Homsi Jordan Deports Syrians to Border Settlement The New Humanitarian September 16 2020 https www thenewhumanitarian org news feature 2020 09 16 Jordan expels syrians rukban refugee camp 4 Sennett Ellie Most Aid to Syria s Rukban Camp Has Been Blocked for More than a Year Here s Why PBS Public Broadcasting Service March 14 2020 https www pbs org newshour world most aid to syrias rukban camp hasbeen blocked for more than a year heres why 5 Ahmed Kaamil She Should Have Been Warm Refugees Mourn Children Killed by Cold in Syria Camp Middle East Eye January 28 2019 https www middleeasteye net news she should have been warm refugees mourn childrenkilled cold syria camp 6 Ford Robert and Carolyn O Connor The U S Has Legal and Moral Responsibility to Protect Civilians at Rukban in Syria Just Security October 29 2019 https www justsecurity org 65773 u s has legal and moral responsibility toprotect civilians at rukban in syria How Parts Unknown Challenged the American Narrative 1 Underwood Alexia 5 Anthony Bourdain Quotes That Show Why He Was Beloved around the World Vox Vox Media LLC June 8 2018 https www vox com 2018 6 8 17442194 anthony bourdain ally marginalized voices 2 Chomsky Noam Turning the Tide U S Intervention in Central America and the Struggle for Peace Chicago IL Haymarket Books 2015 27

If you are creative you must be dissident Nawal El Saadawi Egyptian writer feminist and physician P C Annie Spratt via Unsplash