Middle East

Peace Process Unleashes Violence  by Yaffa Shira Fredrick, Israel

President George W. Bush will need more than a magic wand to create peace in the Middle East. His trip to the region earlier this month seems to have ignited a new spate of violence between Israel and Palestinian forces. Having...

Home – Bitter Sweet Home  by Sheinei Saleem, Kurdistan

Sheinei Saleem left Kurdistan 10 years ago to escape the horrors of war. Yearning to return to the country she loved, Saleem traveled back to her home town of Slemani after graduating from university. What she discovered was...

Israelis Want Peaceful Coexistence  by Yaffa Shira Fredrick

Despite the terror and fear that describes much of the daily life in the Middle East, most Israelis yearn for the days when harmony between two groups can exist, when the land that is rich in religious history can be shared.

Islam Under Fire  by Falastine Dwikat, Palestine

Racial profiling on the basis of one’s religion is wrong but it is happening in many airports and other checkpoint areas around the world because people are very afraid of the followers of Islam. Islam is in a deep crisis....

Life of Terror  by G.S. Petit and N. Belabdelouahab, Nablus, Palestine

More than 20,000 people live in the Balata refugee camp on the West Bank where poverty is rampant and unemployment is over 60%. Out of desperate circumstances like Balata, many feel resistance is the only option. Two...

Reconciling Religious Divisions  by Tahir Aziz. Kashmir

While religion appears to be driving many of the most violent conflicts around the world including terrorism, it is through faith based reconciliation and Divine intervention - the missing dimension of statecraft - that the...

Finding Faith  by Janani Ganesh

The apocalyptic vision of fighting in God's name is the bread and butter of many terrorist groups and militants. Indeed, the moral vision of these groups is incredibly powerful even as it justifies the killing of innocent...

Forgiveness Stops the Cycle of Violence  by Bashir Ahmad Mir, Kashmir

Forgiving the murderers of family members seems unimaginable until you come to the realization that very often the hatred fueling crimes against humanity are not one sided and are almost always driven by broken hearts. "It is...

Syria’s Dance To Democracy: One Step at a Time  by Matthew Bowlby, Sudan

A trip to Syria produced many surprises for this Voices reporter. Syrians are not shy to voice their opinions about America's policies. Sometimes, behind closed doors and windows shut tight some might even discuss their own...

Besieged By Sectarian Violence   by Sarine Sabounjian, Lebanon

The campus of the Arab University of Beirut was the scene for the latest violent confrontation between pro-government and opposition forces.