With mosques under surveillance, IS turns to soccer for recruitment
Abu Otaiba, the nom du guerre of a self-taught imam and Islamic State (IS)…
Author James M. Dorsey
Is Saudi Arabia Zion?
Kamal Salibi, one of the Arab world’s foremost contemporary historians, kicked up a storm when…
Sports: A barometer of Saudi reform
Mohammed Simsim, the president of the Saudi Arabian Weightlifting Federation, embodies existential dilemmas involved…
Jihad v. Soccer: The Islamic State’s convoluted love-hate relationship
If the Islamic State (IS) was serious about attacking Euro 2016, its plans clearly never…
Men’s hair takes centre stage in battle over legitimacy of political Islam
The Muslim world’s battle over the legitimacy of political Islam has expanded to the…
Turkish soccer brawls: The battle for the future of the Kemalist state
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dresses up his increasing authoritarianism with nationalist and religious overtones,…
Turkish stadiums: A contested political battleground
Last month’s opening of storied Istanbul soccer club Besiktas JK’s renovated Vodafone Arena stadium was…
Women: A Benchmark of Saudi and Iranian Reform
With Saudi Arabia announcing plans for a major restructuring of the kingdom’s economy and Iran…
Turkish soccer pitches tell the story of hardening fault lines
Turkish soccer pitches tell the story of the country’s multiple sharpening fault lines that are…
Subtle policy changes could reinforce Qatari focus on sports
Subtle changes in the way Qatar projects itself on the international stage symbolized by a…
Saudi Arabia uses soccer to isolate Iran
Saudi Arabia is using soccer and its influence in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to…
Soccer highlights domestic drivers in Saudi-Iranian dispute
Saudi Arabia and Iran, highlighting the domestic drivers of mounting tension that threatens to deepen…
Soccer: Iranian moderates and hardliner lock horns on the pitch
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani suffered in the run-up to crucial elections in early 2016 what…
Staunch Sisi supporter calls for opening of stadia and dialogue with ultras
A staunch supporter of general-turned-president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, has called on…
Saudi Arabia and Iran: Volatile Political Geography of Oil and Minorities
Synopsis The political geography of oil and minorities in Saudi Arabia and Iran highlights a…
Yemen Conflict and Arab Uprising: Regional Fissures and Repercussions
Synopsis The Saudi military intervention in Yemen against Houthi rebels has repercussions in the kingdom…
Druze Mount next flashpoint in Syrian conflict: Implications for Israel
Synopsis This month’s killing of 23 Druze clan members by Jabhat Al Nusra jihadists has…
Ethnic tensions spill onto Iranian soccer pitches
Iranian Azeri Soccer Fans Burn the Iranian Flag Against a backdrop of the violent…