Showing results for "Tag: Religion"

Eid al-Fitr: Middle Eastern Calendars and Tradition

Eid al-Fitr, beginning with the sighting of the crescent moon, embodies the cultural diversity of the Middle East

Tags: Religion - March 30, 2025

Quranists, Islam’s Outcasts

Quranists are a small group of Muslims who regard the Koran as the only valid source of religious belief, guidance and law in Islam. They call …

Tags: Religion - January 30, 2025

Christian and Muslim Zionism: Unlikely allies

Prior to the formation of organized Zionism, there were a number of initiatives that sought to bring Jews from Europe to Palestine. As early as the …

Tags: Religion - October 23, 2024

Syria’s Assyrians: Grave Reality and Uncertain Future

Syria’s Assyrians face a looming threat of fading from the Syrian landscape as a significant number have migrated to Europe and Australia.

Tags: Minority Rights - Population - Religion - January 16, 2024

Syria’s Murshidis: Fair Treatment and Accusations of Heresy

Over time, the Murshidis developed unique religious practices, rituals and holidays that contributed to the religious diversity of Syrian society. …

Tags: Minority Rights - Religion - September 18, 2023

Arab Alawites in Turkey: History, Traditions and Dependency

The Arab Alawites within Turkey can be considered an extension of the Alawite community in Syria. They share familial ties with the sect's members in …

Tags: Minority Rights - Population - Religion - August 15, 2023

Khaznawi-Naqshbandi Sufism in Syria: Between Rejection and Growth

The Khaznawi-Naqshbandi is considered one of the most significant Sufi orders in Syria and Syrian Upper Mesopotamia in particular. Despite the many …

Tags: Population - Religion - August 11, 2023

Tribalism in Iraqi Politics: Between Nationalism and the Sect

According to writer Ghani Nasir al-Quraishi's book Social Control, the tribe serves as a social control mechanism, ensuring its members' internal …

Tags: Religion - August 7, 2023

Oil, Religion, and Leadership Struggle in Saudi Arabia 1964-1979

Saudi Arabia's religious ideology provided a striking alternative to secular nationalism prevailing in other countries at the time. Inside the …

Tags: International Affairs - Religion - Wars and Conflicts - July 20, 2023

Rise of the Hashemites under Ottoman Protection

After shifting from Shia Islam to Sunni Islam, Ottoman protection allowed the Hashemites to extend their territory and take over much of the Nejd in …

Tags: Religion - July 20, 2023

Ancient Arabia and the Coming of Islam

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Tags: Religion - July 16, 2023

History of Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has its roots in the desert centre of the Arabian Peninsula. In this environment, the Prophet Muhammad began spreading the …

Tags: International Affairs - Population - Religion - USA - July 13, 2023

The Wahhabis and the rise of the Saudi state

In the middle of the eighteenth century, a religious scholar named Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab began preaching reform of Islam in the Nejd, the central …

Tags: Religion - July 10, 2023

Eid Al-Adha: Special Rituals and Traditions

Each Arab country has infused the celebration of Eid al-Adha with its own special touch, drawing inspiration from its societal and historical …

Tags: Religion - June 27, 2023

Confronting problematic tenets of religious law: Judaism could follow Islam

The religious Zionist approach to a one-state solution brings into sharp relief problematic tenets of Jewish religious law, the Halakha.

Tags: Religion - May 5, 2023

Jordan’s Christians: Small in Number, Big in Faith

Jordan is mentioned several times in the Bible, and Christian relics from the early centuries have been found all across the country, making …

Tags: Religion - February 8, 2023

Coptic Christmas Celebrations | Photo Essay

The Coptic Orthodox Church is a church that services Africa and the Middle East. The head of the church is the Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the …

Tags: Religion - January 8, 2023

Palestinians Observe Christmas in Joy and Grief

Christians are a minority in Palestine; their presence and culture is severely threatened by Israeli occupation and apartheid. In Jerusalem, the …

Tags: Minority Rights - Religion - December 22, 2022

Saint Barbara for Christians of the Levant: Preservation and Tradition

There are numerous tellings of Saint Barbara's story, and most of them vary in small specifics. Barbara's father, Dioscuros, was a well-known pagan …

Tags: Religion - December 5, 2022

Kakaism in Iraq: Long History and Ongoing Persecution

The Kakaism minority lives as a non-missionary religious group in Iraq, a country known for its rich ethnicities and multiple religions. Kakaism is …

Tags: Religion - December 1, 2022