Stories about Middle East & North Africa
In Turkey, the state resorts to censorship majeure
Rocked by a devastating earthquake, citizens in Turkey now have to also deal with censorship measures imposed by the state amid an outcry of public criticism.
Harassment of woman referee at Rwandan football match highlights challenges for women officials
Women referees in football, who have been making history while officiating the biggest sport, have not had it easy in delivering their calls. Will they change the face of refereeing?
Queering the internet: anonymous online spaces for LGBTQ+ people
The threat of persecution, violence, and judgement is why many queer people turn to anonymous online spaces to build community and relationships, seek support, and share their experiences.
Turkey rocked by a series of devastating earthquakes
The aerial footage from the locations hit the hardest show destroyed residential buildings, hospitals, municipalities, and many other buildings, including Gaziantep Castle, which was more than 2000 years old.
Turkish mayor is likened to Game of Throne's Khaleesi, shaking social media
Rather than the mayor's visit, it was the town's acting Mayor Melek Mızrak Subaşı whose name has been trending on Twitter.
Azerbaijan evacuates its embassy staff after deadly attack in Tehran
A gunman stormed the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran, Iran's capital city. This is the latest attack on the country's diplomatic missions abroad.
‘This Arab Life': A personal excavation of the ‘silent’ Arab generation
In an interview, author Amal Ghandour discusses her latest book, This Arab Life, and provides a rich and illuminating examination of the Middle East's dynamic past and present.
Sweden and Turkey relations sour after far-right politician burns the Koran
Following the torching of a Koran, a series of protests were held outside the Swedish Consulate General in Istanbul where participants burned the Swedish flag and chanted slogans against Sweden.
May 14 will determine the future of Turkey
Pundits who have been watching the country's political turmoil brought by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) describe the upcoming May vote as crucial.
Saudi Arabia: Call for release of two Saudi Wikipedians
A request for the release of doctors Osama Khalid and Ziad Al-Sufyani, who contributed to Wikipedia Arabic and were jailed in Saudi Arabia for 32 and 8 years, respectively.
The Tanabra have made a comeback after 100 years. A decline in Sudanese taste in music?
Rural Tanabra music, fostered by the military after the military coup, has returned to Khartoum at a time when Sudanese desire for the revival of culture in their daily lives.
Saudi Arabia: Government agents infiltrate Wikipedia, sentence independent admins to prison
The Saudi government infiltrated Wikipedia by recruiting the organization’s highest-ranking administrators in the country to control information about the country and prosecute those who contributed critical information about political detainees.
The film ‘Burning Days’ is a grim reflection of Turkey's current political situation
Since then the film has collected a number of awards at various film festivals internationally and won stellar reviews but at home, its been subject to criticism.
Turkey’s state religious body says women cannot travel alone
This is not the first time Turkey's state religious body has explicitly gone after women and their freedoms, diminishing their place in society.
Mountain Jews: A glimpse into the life of one of Azerbaijan's minorities
A Berlin exhibition provides a glimpse into the life of Azerbaijan's Mountain Jews, a group originating from Persia that settled in the Caucasus and maintained its identity to this day.
European Parliament’s Report on Pegasus spyware indicates involvement of North Macedonia companies
Pegasus and Predator spyware can allegedly extract all communications records from mobile devices. A European Parliament report and journalist investigations suspect wide illegal use in and outside of the European Union.
Turkey's Saturday Mothers, 27 years on, are still searching for justice and closure
Throughout their existence, Saturday Mothers have faced police violence. Most recently in August, 2022, when police detained 14 members of the group.
How Morocco’s Atlas Lions made history at the 2022 World Cup
Morocco's national football team, the Atlas Lions, was the first African and Arab country ever to make it to the semi-finals of the World Cup.
Inside my bounty: Raghda's journey
Raghda shares with us her fascinating journey to recovery from depression brought on by social isolation as a result of her childhood fluency disorder.
Turkey, a year in review: Battling both at home and abroad
With just six months ahead of general election in June 2023, it remains to be seen whether the country and its people will witness change and better days ahead.
Governments are still free to use the Pegasus software without human rights safeguards in place
There is an urgent need to regulate the global trade in surveillance technology with the inclusion of human rights safeguards.
About our Middle East & North Africa coverage
Mariam Abuadas is the editor for the Middle East & North Africa. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
