Syria

Talahons on Trial
Germany’s word of the year is “talahon.” It emerged from hip-hop as a meme characterizing Arab-German youth, morphed into a cultural phenomenon and was ultimately weaponized by the far right to gain unprecedented support in the recent federal elections.

Camp Islamic State
The al-Hawl and Roj camps in northeastern Syria house the remnants of the Islamic State group, including many foreign nationals, women and children. Amid uncertainty over U.S. funding for the camps and political change within Syria, fears are growing of some form of resurgence from among the radicalized detainees.

The Fragile Foundations of Arab-Kurdish Coexistence
A journey from Damascus into eastern Syria — along a busy smuggling route — shows that the desire for a united country remains strong, despite the efforts of factions and external actors to sow discord and fuel sectarian fears.

Massacres on the Syrian Coast
Firsthand accounts of the recent massacres on Syria’s coast reveal lingering sectarianism and a post-Assad regime that has not yet come to terms with its role as a government for all Syrians.

How Desperation Sowed the Seeds of Rebellion in Syria’s Latakia Province
In Syria’s Latakia province, a stronghold of the former Assad regime, the loss of jobs and opportunities and a feeling of being marginalized by the state are leading Alawites to rebel against the new administration.

How a Line on a Map Fanned the Flames of a Middle Eastern Conflict
For centuries, Ghajar was a poor, remote village in the Ottoman Empire. But after World War I, French colonial cartographers drew a line on a map that had long-term implications for the villagers. Today, they live in political limbo, their village claimed by Syria and divided between Lebanon and Israel.

Islamism Is Still Thriving in Idlib
As she prepared to return to Idlib province after several years in exile, the author was hopeful that the Islamist rule over her hometown might have been relaxed — but what she found made her question if she would return again.