What citizens of other countries are reading about the Middle East.
By COMPILEDTHE MEDIA LINERebel fighters and civilians wait near damaged buildings to be evacuated from a rebel-held sector of eastern Aleppo, this week(photo credit: REUTERS)What’s in store next for Iraq? Al-Araby al-Jadid, London, December 13As the battle for Mosul enters its 35th day, it is clear that Islamic State forces will not be able to maintain their hold over the city for much longer. It is only a matter of time until Iraq’s second largest city will be finally freed from ISIS. What remains much less certain is what will become of Mosul the day after.The offensive to free the city came two and half years after it was first captured by Islamist forces. This time frame allowed Islamic State to truly embed its forces within the city and recruit local civilians to its lines. To make things worse, the different groups fighting together to liberate the city – Kurdish forces, Iraqi military, Shi’ite militias, and other groups – are now beginning to demonstrate deep rifts among them, as the fall of the city becomes apparent. The Kurds, for instance, are already beginning to build fortifications in the area in order to set facts and establish their presence on the ground. Peshmerga forces are trying to draw the new borders of the region.The Popular Mobilization Units, associated with Iran and Hezbollah, have launched their own offensive to take over the city of Tal Afar, located some 60 kilometers away. And all forces, regardless of their affiliation, are setting their eyes on the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, still controlled by Islamic State.In face of these growing rifts, it is unclear how united the city will remain once it is freed. Normally, the United States could intervene to ensure the successful liberation of the city. But with a new administration in Washington looming, it is still unclear what’s in store next for Iraq.– Eyaad al-Dalimi All fingers point at IranAl-Dostour, Jordan, December 13In the last few days we have witnessed more terrorist attacks than ever before: in Turkey, Yemen, Egypt, Nigeria, and Somalia. All of these attacks were carried out by Islamist militants claiming to act on behalf of Sunni Muslims across the world.Interestingly, jihadist attacks of this sort were not common before 2010. With the obvious exception of al-Qaida, rogue militant groups began carrying out such attacks only after the rise of Islamic State in 2014.Once the movement rose to fame, it began gathering supporters around the region. All of a sudden we witnessed ISIS affiliates in Libya, Yemen, Sinai and Tunisia.Yet this was not always the case.The Arab Spring brought about genuine hopes for the Arab people. Sunni Muslims, encouraged by the prospect for a better future, rejected violence and terrorism and chose to take part in the political process instead. Militant groups faced an all-time plunge in support, and some were even on the verge of collapse.Sadly, this all changed. We can point out many reasons for this, but the main one is undoubtedly Iran.Fueling sectarian tensions, backing and arming militants throughout the region, and sending covert forces to fight abroad, Iran made Sunnis feel unsafe again.There was no longer hope for a better future; no longer a belief in non-violence. Newly elected regimes collapsed.Rogue militant groups rose to power. Organizations like Islamic State made despairing citizens feel protected, and with despair came support. Therefore, this wave of violence spreading throughout our region will not end until Iran ends its aggression in the Middle East.Terrorism begins in the hearts and minds of ordinary citizens, and the reality they witness around them. Sadly, Iran’s aggression is not only splitting and dividing the Arab world, but also strengthening its one common enemy – the Zionists.– Yasser ZaatriPalestine in 2030 Arab 48, Ramallah, December 12An interesting study has been published this week, although, sadly, not many people paid attention to it. Compiled by the United Nations Population Fund, the report lays out Palestine’s future population in the years 2030 and 2050.One of the main takeaways from this report is the fact that the Palestinian population in the West Bank will reach roughly seven million by 2030, and almost 10 million by 2050. More importantly, the population of the Gaza Strip is expected to reach, and even exceed, that of the West Bank by the same year.This study raises many hopes, but also several fears.Perhaps the most encouraging one is that fact that the Palestinian people are here to stay. No matter how hard the Israeli occupation tries to cleanse the Palestinian people and steal their land, the Palestinian population, both inside and outside the 1948 lines, is growing ever stronger. Eventually, Israel will have no choice but to grant citizenship to everyone between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.What is more concerning, however, is how this growth in population can be turned into growth in human capital. Development would be impossible unless we make significant investments in education, healthcare and the economy. These are all difficult feats to accomplish under the brutal hands of the occupation, but they are crucial nonetheless. Providing younger generations with jobs and incorporating women into the workforce is our No. 1 priority. Ensuring that every young adult can attend university is the next one.With such a growth in numbers comes a growth in power. This power can bring about a promising future for the Palestinian people. But, if left unmet, it could also turn into a disaster. We must plan ahead and prepare for our future. We must make infrastructure investments in education and healthcare. We must abandon the mind-set that pushes us to look ahead only a few months at a time, instead of a few decades.Palestine has a promising future, and we must build and ensure it today. – Mustafa Barghouti The world HAS lost its humanity Al-Okaz, Saudi Arabia, December 18The world has lost its humanity. The gruesome atrocities taking place in Aleppo have left thousands of innocent civilians dead, injured, and homeless. The brutal hands of Bashar Assad, together with Hezbollah and Iran, have been systematically slaughtering Syrian civilians on a daily basis: men, women, children, and the elderly.These images, sadly, remind us of dark times in history.The massacres that we are witnessing today are no different to the ones committed by Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin. The genocide in Syria is no different than the ones in Rwanda, Armenia or Cambodia. Has anything really changed? Are we not, as witnesses, accomplices in these crimes? Today, social media make the world more connected than ever before. We really don’t have the privilege of claiming, “We did not know.” We are sitting in the comfort of our living rooms, staring at mass killings throughout phone and television screens, and, yet, we fail to act.The International Community turned its back to the Syrian people, and the United Nations has long rendered itself useless. The UN envoy to Syria himself acknowledged the fact that 4,000 years of history have been destroyed in Syria in less than four years, yet refused to explain how the UN would act. What is happening in Syria today is shameful to all of us. It is shameful to humanity. Unless we take immediate action to help the people of Syria, we will never be able to look back at history and say we weren’t part of the crime.We are, no matter how much we deny this sad truth.– Turki al-Dakheel
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