Sam Hamad

A US-Iran war would not benefit Syrians

US-Iran tensions have led some to speculate that a weakened Iran could mean good news for those who want Iran out of Syria but the fact is that every stakeholder is a counter-revolutionary force.

Morsi wasn't perfect but he was Egypt's best bet against tyranny

Mohamed Morsi embodied the Egyptian establishment's worst fears: a democratic path for the country. He could not be openly executed and was instead ushered to a slow death.

The 'Arab Spring' is still alive

Most world powers have aided or stood by silently as revolutions have been crushed across the Middle East and North Africa but the people's desire to rid themselves of tyranny is still alive.

Sisi's crimes in the Sinai Peninsula

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi's brand of rule thrives on chaos and perceived threats.

The world should be lining up to protest what is happening in Syria today

The fate of Idlib ought to be the major concern of the free world, yet all it garners, at best, is a few words of concern and condemnation.

The Khashoggi murder hasn't moderated Saudi Arabia's behaviour

The CIA has alerted Norway that an activist living there is under threat from Saudi Arabia, bringing back memories of the grisly murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the grim reality that no one has been held accountable.

Designating the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorists only strengthens autocrats

The Trump administration's move towards labelling the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation is a culmination of the marriage of counter-revolutionaries in the Middle East and the far-right in the West.

Egypt is now a Russian doll regime with a new coup hidden under every layer

The recent referendum in Egypt extends President Abdel Fattah el Sisi's tenure - but more importantly, it is a complete capture of Egypt's institutions.

'Reforms' in Saudi Arabia exist only as a tool to appease Western allies

The continued imprisonment of women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia is a clear sign that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's vision for reform is about optics, not change.

The war in Yemen is just one phase of a wider assault on democracy

The US is supporting a joint Saudi-UAE effort to stamp out democratic movements in the region.

The global ties that bind Islamophobia

The terrorist attack in Christchurch did not take place in a vacuum and is a reflection of decades of the othering and dehumanisation of Muslims.

The authoritarianism the Arab Spring fought has been rooted and normalised

It's been eight years since the revolt in Egypt and the irony is that the country is more authoritarian now then it's ever been - and so are its backers.