AQ supporters assert that HTS’ leaders disobeyed Zawahiri and undertook steps without appropriate consultation. For example, prior to the formation of HTS in January 2017, Jabhat al-Nusra had rebranded itself as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham in July 2016, which was presented to the media as some kind of breaks with AQ.

The use of cybersurveillance systems is believed to have resulted in the disappearance of many human right campaigners. However, The race to purchase spyware in Gulf states severely concerns rights groups and some western governments.

The Israeli-Iranian conflict visibly is no longer ‘cold’, with the two countries exchanging direct blows over Iran’s efforts to establish a permanent military presence in Syria. The recent exchange of fire reflects a signalling of seriousness by both Israel and Iran. Israel signals that it would remain assertive even after the withdrawal announcement. Iran signals that it will not tolerate Israeli strikes within Syria and that it will fire at Israel in such cases.

Yet as interesting as these debates are, their impact on the day-to-day functioning of IS is questionable. While arrests reportedly occur at higher levels in the organization, it may be that many or most of the current rank and file are simply unaware of the finer details of the doctrinal disputes.

As Italy pressures Tripoli to address the latter’s interests, France is coveting Haftar. The ambitions of both European countries have effectively undermined UN Special Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame’s action plan for the country. The plan was designed to amend the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) as well as hold a national conference to bring together all of Libya’s key stakeholders. The next steps were supposed to include a constitutional draft and referendum, paving the way for parliamentary and presidential elections.

In sum, it is obvious that the course of these developments urgently require an up­date of the Western approach towards the Kurdish Question in order to cope with the evolving regional and geopolitical chal­lenges in the Middle East. Correspondingly, both the internal and external dynamics of the Kurdish Question are also evolving. It is unrealistic to try to turn back the clock in the Middle East.

She used her international profile to found Nadia’s Initiative, an organization that campaigns for and provides assistance to victims of sexual violence. She promised in her first press conference after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize to use all of her prize money to support the organization and use her voice to defend the rights of persecuted people around the world.

while some Islamic scholars claim that jihad against an open enemy is only legitimate when fought against non-Muslims who initiate aggression, others teachings still attribute aggression and violence to the word. However, the term remains as hotly debated today as it was in the past.

Positioning himself like a backer of democratic change more than an opposition figure, Aboud was nevertheless targeted as a threat by the Assad regime.

As a study conducted at the University of Vienna in 2017 confirmed, media coverage that does not explicitly distinguish between Muslims and Islamist terrorists fuels hostile attitudes toward the general Muslim population. With growing awareness of the impact of this kind of reporting, some media outlets like CNN have tried to distinguish between “moderate Islam” and “radical Islam”, “Islam” and “Islamic extremism”.