Sunni vs. Shia sectarian tension and violence is raging, and ISIS — a Sunni terrorist group — is taking advantage of it. We cannot defeat ISIS unless parties on both sides — particularly Iran and Saudi Arabia — stop fueling sectarianism. A security-only minded strategy in tackling ISIS will likely fail. We need a more comprehensive solution that tackles incitement on television and social media as well as in educational curriculums. It is difficult to see how a solution to many of the region’s problems will be achieved as long as Iran and Saudi Arabia maintain a zero-sum game approach with each other.
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The Huffington Post
The Women Trailblazers of Gulf Arab Art
A mixture of native and expatriate women across the Arab Gulf States have also played a major role in nurturing the arts movement that is now flourishing and valued at over $100 million annually in Dubai alone according to one estimate. These pioneers have also spurred a generation of younger women from all walks of life that have contributed into making the art scene in the Gulf States what it is today. Read more »
Kuwait Art Museum Succeeds Where Others Have Failed
As the art world descends on the Gulf cities of Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Doha, each March visitors would well to keep in mind another Gulf city that was in every sense an art and culture pioneer. Read more »
How Urbanisation Is Changing Emirati Identity
On the one hand, urbanisation may turn out to be, as many fear, the fire that is slowly eating up Emirati culture, leaving many of us helpless to stop it and left wondering what will be left to salvage. On the other hand, it may be the Emirati culture’s best chance of survival in a globalized world. Read more »
A State of the Union Address for the UAE
In countries the world over, from the US to Russia, and from the Philippines to South Africa, citizens look forward to an annual statement that outlines the state of the nation in the past year and highlights plans for the coming 12 months. Read more »
To Gain a True Affinity for Arab Jerusalem, Visit It
Sultan challenges Arab readers to visit Jerusalem as a means of showing tangible solidarity with a city that mostly exists in people’s mythical imagination. Read more »