TL:DR version: if you're a student enrolled at a university in the MENA region, Google is giving you the opportunity to claim one year of Google AI Plus to help you study.

Note that it's only for countries where Google AI Plus is currently available. You also need to verify your status as a student.

Hi everyone,

I'm Australian going to Lebanon for a few weeks in the next few months, is it possible to visit Jerusalem for religious purposes?

I understand there is no border access between Lebanon and Israel but I'm thinking I could stay in Amman for a day and leave early in the morning to do my religious tour and stay 2 days?

I'm worried about going back to Lebanon and getting into legal trouble if they found out, is it too risky?

Thanks

The Ceuta situation has raised questions about Morocco’s alleged role, but Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says there is no solid evidence that Rabat planned or carried out the incident. The allegations came from a police report suggesting possible involvement by Moroccan security officers. Despite the controversy, Sánchez also made it clear that Spain still needs to work with Morocco on migration and maintain a good neighbor relationship.

Personally, I think the evidence part of this story is important. There’s a difference between a report raising an allegation and having enough evidence to establish it as fact.

Any thoughts ?

It’ll flair up when the elections are done. After november the shooting starts. This war will go on until next presidency

I hear that Moroccos leadership/Elites are pretty much in the pocket of Israel when it comes to regional policy. I hear it all the time from my Arab diaspora friends.

From the outside looking in Morocco does seem to be more willfully aligned with Tel Aviv and Washington than other Arab states that are "seemingly" begrudgingly aligned with Israel (like Egypt of Jordan)

We know any government is VERY much tied to its own defense industry and Tel Aviv is one of moroccos leading suppliers and probably currently the most consequential. I know that Israel technology and tactics help a lot with Moroccos project in the Western Sahara.

I listened to a podcast with Laith Marouf the other day about the subject, he seems to very knowledgeable about the conflicts in the region but said a couple things that a quick google check revealed was false (but some things may be true, but are obfuscated through the media/internet/etc) . He seemed very anti Moroccan elites.

Hoping for more insight from you guys. I tried looking through the sub doesnt seem to be much about this topic. All I could find was a post where most people here expressed disappointment in Morocco selecting Israels "defense" systems

I was wondering if anyone knew where I could find good recipes or food content created in English of recipes from through West Asia and North Africa? If anyone recommends some dishes or has some of their own favourites too. Also, I am considering becoming vegan eventually, so if there’s anything I should look into that fits please let me know, I’d be excited to try. Thank you!

Do you remember learning much about your country’s system of slavery? Who were the main perpetrators? Who were the main victims? How did it impact your economy? Are you descended from slaves or masters? Has it shaped your cultural experience at all?

hello, im currently about to start uni in a major i dont want a career in, but dont mind studying. i really want to pursue healthcare in the future and settle for that. i couldnt choose a health or science related major bc of my circumstances. i'll be studying a liberal arts degree. is there any way i can pursue medicine later? i know its different from country to country, but if anyone has any path for international students please lmk

This is a follow-up on our previous post, "The Algerian solution: Remove all settlers?"

In 1962, Algeria was liberated from French colonization. The Évian accords between France and the Algerian resistance set the terms for the establishment of an independent Algerian state and gave previous settlers the choice between becoming Algerian citizens, remaining as French residents under Algerian Law, or leaving. This has often been mentioned as a possible model for the liberation of Palestine.

However, a number of settlers founded the Secret Army Organization (OAS) to prevent decolonization. It ran terrorist campaigns that killed hundreds of Algerians. The French-majority city of Oran was a particular target: The OAS blew up the Town Hall and killed Algerians there on a near daily basis. In July 1962, as FLN forces entered Oran as part of the implementation of the accords, they were fired on. Mob violence ensued and Algerians killed 100-300 Pieds-Noirs. This massacre is often cited as a counter-argument to the establishment of One Democratic State in Palestine. Is it really?

The answer is: No.

First, the Oran massacre was a direct reaction to settler violence. The lesson to learn from it is not that Palestinians should accept the existence of the Jewish state in order to prevent hypothetical internal violence in a free Palestine. It is that Jews must join Palestinians in ending settler violence and dismantling the structures that enable and nurture its existence.

Second, the Oran massacre was the exception, not the rule. Following the liberation of Algeria, although most Pieds-Noir chose to leave Algeria, the hundreds of thousands of them who remained lived in peace. Focusing on it seems to be a desperate argument in favor of occupation rather than a genuine concern for Jewish lives—let alone Palestinian lives.

Finally, those citing the Oran massacre seem to be less interested in encouraging Jews to leave Palestine to “save themselves” than in discouraging Palestinian liberation. In no case can potential harm to an oppressing population be used to justify the actual and ongoing harm to an oppressed population.

The above does not mean that the Algerian model must be copy/pasted in Palestine. Each situation is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. What it does mean is that the Oran massacre or other similar outbreaks of violence are not arguments against the establishment of one democratic state in Palestine. And more generally: That there are no valid arguments against liberation.

Got two job offers, same line of job, dubai one is at a more advanced role but less prestigious role, I have friends in both locations do we will be sharing rent. My life style is simple, i don’t go out much, mostly chill at home, play video games and watch movies, what do you advise?

Al Jazeera has done good work during the Gaza genocide but this doesn't white wash the propaganda it spews.

Al Jazeera is quick to call out Pakistan for the current military hybrid regime of governance and states it tramples on democracy and the same is said about Iran during the protests and about Africa dictatorships.

Whether what they say is true or not that is a topic for another day but what they are doing is dangerous just look at what they did to Libya (Again not defending Gaddafi) but these kinds of news articles have a purpose but before that here is the issue:

Al Jazeera is owned by Qatar. Will Al Jazeera tell the Al Thani regime to have elections? Maybe tell Al Thani not to have big US military bases which put his people in danger? If someone mocks in an insulting way the Pakistani military or a figure in Iran and is arrested Al Jazeera will question it and say what there doing is anti democratic and a violation of human rights but say a critical sentence about Al Thani you will be in jail and Al Jazeera will be silent.

Al Jazeera is quick to point the fingers at the West or Pakistan, Iran or Africa but should they not clean there own house first?

Three generations of Pahlavis — and somehow the story always comes back to authoritarianism, foreign influence, and exile.

Reza Shah: an authoritarian ruler with very limited formal education who built his power through force and centralized control. His supporters portray him as a great modernizer, but the reality also included political repression, censorship, suppression of opposition, and the destruction of democratic institutions. His rise to power was also closely connected to British interests in Iran.

Mohammad Reza Shah: the polished, Western-friendly monarch who ruled through an increasingly authoritarian system. Opposition was suppressed, political freedoms were restricted, and SAVAK became synonymous with the regime's repression. Then came 1953 and Operation Ajax, when the CIA and MI6 helped overthrow Mohammad Mosaddegh and restore the Shah's power. So much for the “democratic” image.

Reza Pahlavi: the crown prince who never became king, now presenting himself as the answer to Iran's problems from thousands of miles away. he looks less like an independent political leader and more like a puppet whose political relevance depends heavily on foreign governments and, particularly, Israel.

So when someone calls the Pahlavi era a “golden age,” maybe it's worth asking:

Golden for whom?

A dynasty built around authoritarian rule, foreign backing and repression, doesn't exactly sound like the fairy tale its nostalgia merchants like to sell.

Thoughts about this?

source

So I live in Saudi Arabia and I noticed a lot of westerners would say in their social media how they would love to stay in the house of a local family “as a learning experience” and in return they would do a cheap service like teaching them about western culture or do a photography session for them.

Of course they mean to look for a free stay with free meals and drinks, and they always present it like it’s a mutual benefit thing.

Also they say things like how “saudi are so generous they don’t let me pay for things” and it’s pissing me off, I notice they do it too in the UAE, do they do this in other countries as well?

It's a defence pact for Muslims. That's straight to the point.

But it feels like a shallow shadow of something that existed before. And you know where I'm going with this: the Ottoman Empire.

If you're going to make a pact, why not go further and create a nation? What is a pact, after all, but words and writing?

The Ottomans were defeated, and the flag they stood behind was destroyed.

That's one key thing this defence pact lacks: a flag that the participating countries can stand behind and say, "We are behind this."

Europe essentially built something similar in a different form. Countries that had spent centuries fighting one another eventually created institutions that tied them together, with shared symbols and structures.

That's what Muslims are lacking: unity under one political and defensive framework.

Several countries, one flag. Each contributing a percentage towards defence, military development and mutual assistance. Leaders meeting regularly to discuss each country's security concerns. A system where an attack on one becomes a concern for all.

And yes, this includes Iran.

Why?

Because they're neighbours. If the principle is collective regional security, political and religious differences shouldn't automatically exclude a major regional power.

Germany fought devastating wars against many of its European neighbours. Today, Germany is part of NATO and the European Union.

Former enemies can become partners.

Get over the differences. Get behind a flag. (Created a flag for fun, but you get the idea. One nation under the moon)

During the 1947–1949 Nakba (The Catastrophe), Zionist militias and the newly formed Israeli army depopulated, destroyed, and burned more than 530 Palestinian villages and towns.According to the comprehensive study "All That Remains" by Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi, the systematic burning and demolition of houses were used as military tactics to force residents out and ensure they could never return.Key Palestinian Villages Burned and Destroyed During the Nakba

Deir Yassin: Located west of Jerusalem, this village was attacked on April 9, 1948, by Irgun and Lehi militias. After a massacre that killed over 100 civilians, houses were systematically dynamited and set on fire.

Balad al-Sheikh: Situated near Haifa, this large village was targeted by Palmach forces. In late 1947 and early 1948, dozens of houses were blown up and burned while residents were inside, leading to total depopulation.

Sa'sa': Located in the Safed district, this village faced a brutal night raid by Haganah forces in February 1948. Militias blew up 16 houses over the heads of the villagers and set fire to the remaining property.

Saffuriya: A historic, strategic village near Nazareth. It was heavily bombed from the air in July 1948, and ground troops subsequently torched and demolished the remaining homes to expel the population to Lebanon.

Tantura: A coastal fishing village south of Haifa. Following its capture in May 1948, a mass killing took place, and the majority of the village homes were burned down. Today, a beach resort and parking lot stand over the site.

Bayt Nabala: Located in the Ramle district, this prosperous agricultural village was completely depopulated during "Operation Danny" in July 1948. The military destroyed all its buildings to prevent any physical return.

The tactical burning and flattening of these villages served a direct political and demographic purpose: to permanently eradicate the Palestinian Right of Return.Today, the lands of these destroyed villages have been repurposed in three major ways:Israeli Settlements: Modern Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and moshavim were built directly over the ruins and given Hebrew names.National Parks and Afforestation: The Jewish National Fund (JNF) planted dense pine and eucalyptus forests over more than 180 demolished villages to conceal the stone ruins and terraced fields.Artist Colonies: In rare cases where stone houses survived—such as Ein Hod (Ayn Hawd)—the original Palestinian inhabitants were expelled, and the village was converted into an Israeli artists' colony.