Recent developments in Syria have placed the country at a pivotal juncture, carrying profound implications for its future, for regional stability, and for the broader international order. The fall of the Assad regime, after 54 years power, between Hafez and Bashar al-Assad, marks a seismic shift in the Middle East.

Efforts to amend the 1959 Personal Status Law are another attempt to create a parallel authority to that of the state.

For the Iraqi government to address skeptics’ views about the Development Road, it will need to focus on several key institutional reforms.

Is the community a purveyor of revolutionary change, a defender of the status quo, or a combination of both?

Join us on Thursday, June 23 from 16:00 till 17:30 Beirut time for a panel discussion on the topic with Akeel Abbas, Marsin Al Shamary, Mohanad Hage Ali, Harith Hassan and Zeinab Shuker.

Muqtada al-Sadr’s decision to order his parliamentary bloc members to resign could have serious ramifications, effectively ending any chance of a political settlement through the country’s established institutions and allowing the conflict to escalate to more dangerous levels.

Also, Iran-allied factions criticized the foreign policy of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who enjoyed al-Sadr’s support, especially in opening Iraq up to the Arab world and improving relations with Jordan, Egypt, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

In Iraq’s Eastern Basra region, regional conflicts and illicit activity have contributed to environmental decay, which in turn furthers instability. Unless these problems are addressed, there will be long-term consequences for Iraq and the Middle East.

Iraq’s parliamentary elections show a shift in the balance of power in favor of Moqtada al-Sadr and Nouri al-Maliki.

Iraqis will vote on October 10 in the first early elections since the creation of the country’s current political system following the American-led invasion of 2003