Commentary
As talks begin between Washington and Tehran, Beirut has an opening to advance a regional plan for the party’s disarmament.
Michael Young
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Ancestral Homelands Under Attack?
Abductions and killings by Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq threaten ancient minorities.
Published on Feb 25, 2015
Source: Al Jazeera Inside Story
Last July, ISIL issued a decree to the dwindling population of Christians in eastern Syria and northern Iraq, ordering them to convert to Islam or pay a special religious levy.
And if they did not, “there is nothing to give them but the sword,” the group said.
Since then, ISIL has released a trademark video showing the apparent beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya.
At least 70 Christians have also been reported abducted in northeastern Syria. And they are not alone.
The unfolding conflict in the region is forcing thousands of Christians and other minority groups to leave their ancestral homelands, where they had co-existed with other religious communities for nearly 2,000 years.
It has moved one commentator to observe that “we are watching a living history and all that comprises disappear.”
Inside Story asks: Is a rich tapestry of history at risk of being lost in the cradle of civilization?
This interview was originally broadcast on Al Jazeera Inside Story.
About the Authors
Renad Mansour
Former El-Erian Fellow, Middle East Center
Mansour was an El-Erian fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center, where his research focuses on Iraq, Iran, and Kurdish affairs.
Gerard Russell
Philip Luther
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
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In an interview, Elizabeth Thompson recalls how the country formulated a liberal constitution in 1920, before being denied by France and Britain.
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This will be the region’s most representative tournament, amid broad changes in its footballing landscape.
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As negotiations with Iran and Lebanon continue, chaos is at the heart of the Netanyahu government’s calculations.
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- Syria and Jordan by the NumbersCommentary
Trade statistics show why Amman has more reason than Damascus to welcome the improvement in bilateral commerce.
Armenak Tokmajyan
