More from MEF
Flags of the Maghreb (“the West”) countries: Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Libya, Tunisia.
Middle East Forum Online
The Maghreb’s American Moment: Peace Through Strength Beats European Stagnation
For Thirty Years, the Relationship Between Europe and North Africa Has Been a Polite Fiction
December 20, 2025
 · 
Amine Ayoub
The al-Barq al-Khatif battalion has participated in most of the battles after the general commander issued the call for the mobilization of the armed forces.
Middle East Forum Online
Armed Groups in Sudan’s War: Interview with the Leader of ‘al-Barq al-Khatif’
Established at the End of 1998, the Group Is Affiliated with the Reserve Forces in the Sudanese Armed Forces
December 20, 2025
 · 
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Middle East Forum Observer
Will India’s Ties with Moscow Damage Its Relations with Israel?
Putin Sees the Turmoil in the Middle East and the Rise of Anti-American Sentiment as an Advantage for Moscow
December 20, 2025
 · 
Abhinav Pandya
Middle East Forum Online
The Alawite Insurgency in Syria: Interview with a Figure in ‘Coastal Shield’
A Former Regime Officer Speaks on the Fall of Assad’s Forces, Alawite Resistance, and the Aftermath of the Coastal Massacres
December 19, 2025
 · 
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
The “Blue Homeland” (Mavi Vatan) doctrine espoused by Ankara is revisionist at its core. It seeks to overturn the Treaty of Lausanne and re-establish Turkish hegemony over the seas of the former Ottoman Empire.
Middle East Forum Online
Erdoğan’s ‘Blue Homeland’ and the Illegal Occupation of Libya
It Is the Cementing of a Neo-Ottoman Outpost Designed to Project Power, Empower Islamist Proxies, and Hold European Energy Security Hostage
December 19, 2025
 · 
Amine Ayoub
German officials canceled a Christmas festival in Magdeburg in the face of Islamist hostility. Experts warn such closures accord Islamists victories in their campaign to bully Christians into submission.
FWI News
ISIS Condemnation of Christmas Threatens Celebrations in Europe
Islamists Seek to Push Western Christians into Dhimmitude, Scholar Warns
December 19, 2025
 · 
Jules Gomes
Broadly speaking, the Islamic State denounces the protests in the West over Gaza as ineffective and criticizes them and most other supporters of the Palestinian cause as one of “national liberation” for failing to recognize that the real war is a religious one of Muslims vs. Jews.
Middle East Forum Online
Islamic State Editorial on the Sydney Attack Against Jews
It Quickly Became Apparent That the Attack Had an Islamic State-Link
December 19, 2025
 · 
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
A restricted military zone along the border between Israel and Egypt in a remote part of the Negev and the Sinai deserts.
Middle East Forum Observer
Egypt and the Erosion of Camp David
The Treaty Remains Intact on Paper, but Its Deterrent Logic Has Weakened in Practice
December 19, 2025
 · 
Aaron Shuster
Northwestern University in Qatar
Reports
How the Qatari Royals and Elite Conquered Northwestern University’s Qatar Campus in Doha
Northwestern/Qatar Operates as a Selective Training Ground for the Same Families Who Finance and Control the Campus
December 19, 2025
In posts shared on X in November Shirin Saeidi praised Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, offering prayers for his protection and noting that he is “the leader who kept Iran intact during the Israeli attack, May god protect you.”
Middle East Forum Online
‘Pro-Iran Regime’ University of Arkansas Prof. Now Under Investigation over Academic Fraud: Publisher
Shirin Saeidi Was Removed as Director of the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies Last Week
December 18, 2025
 · 
Benjamin Weinthal