Danny Stoker

who's gonna tell 'em
www.wrmea.org/congress-u.s...

Gaza is Breaking our Minds — Maghreb to Mashriq I left the government in 2020 for the cushy life of an academic and I had thought I had left the unpleasant images of my previous career behind. That is until 7 OCT 2023. The atrocities committed by H...

Some of my thoughts on the struggle of witnessing the atrocities in Gaza play out online. www.maghreb-mashriq.com/blog/gaza-is...

Making sense of Israel's involvement with the Syrian Druze — Maghreb to Mashriq Israel has a long and tangled history with the Druze in the region that explains its current actions in Syria and the potential repercussions.

Israel's gambit with the Druze in Syria is not new, but it isn't likely to improve the security of the Druze in Syria. www.maghreb-mashriq.com/blog/syria-t...

The best signal that US-Iran talks might actually be going somewhere is the utter freakout of the Iran Hawk crowd. That’s not much to go on since they tend to wet their pants over hilariously stupid things, but it’s something. What are they hearing and why are they wetting their beds?

Making sense of Israel's involvement with the Syrian Druze — Maghreb to Mashriq Israel has a long and tangled history with the Druze in the region that explains its current actions in Syria and the potential repercussions.

Israel's gambit with the Druze in Syria is not new, but it isn't likely to improve the security of the Druze in Syria. www.maghreb-mashriq.com/blog/syria-t...

There is a lot I admire about Pope Francis. I believe he was a force for good in this world and that he spoke out on behalf of the marginalized and needy. Thankful for that example.

This stock market crash thing is so confusing. On one hand you have every economist and bank in the free world freaking out. On the other, there are some blue check accounts on Twitter with ancient statues as their profile pics doing 20 part threads on why down is the new up. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Israel’s Syria Gambit Firsthand accounts from the Golan Heights point to more conflict ahead, even as residents long for a respite following Assad’s fall

Fantastic reporting from Syria
newlinesmag.com/spotlight/is...

This this this this THIS.

Why is that not a facemask?

The profound narcissism of Americans will never cease to amaze me. There were replies - deleted and blocked - mentioning how Arab Americans abandoned Harris, implying that this was deserved somehow?

Most Gazans aren't Americans. Most Arabs aren't Americans. Most humans on Earth aren't Americans.

Syria's new leaders turn to Islamic law in effort to rebuild Assad's police Syria's new authorities are using Islamic teachings to train a fledgling police force, a move officers say aims to instil a sense of morality as they race to fill a security vacuum after dismantling ousted president Bashar al-Assad's notoriously corrupt and brutal security forces.

The Qur’anic “commanding right & forbidding wrong” (3:104, 110) can be done, acc2 a famous hadith, w/ the heart, w/ the tongue, and/or w/ the hand. But in modern Muslim societies, should “w/ the hand (bi yad)” be taken to mean state enforcement of religious norms or for actual “morality police”? 1/

While I hope that I'm wrong and welcome the news of a ceasefire and hostage release, I'm skeptical of the long-term prospects of a ceasefire in Gaza www.maghreb-mashriq.com/blog/a-fragi...

On the Gaza ceasefire news, everyone is casting Trump as a lead character. Naw, the real news is how easily little *Qatar* manipulated Trump in order to pressure Netanyahu! The Palestinians benefit from it this time, but the results will be unpredictable.

Syria Faces Big Challenge in Seeking Justice for Assad Regime Crimes The rebel alliance that took power has vowed to prosecute senior figures from the ousted government, but accountability will be hard to achieve in a vulnerable, divided and battered country.

The transitional government can take basic yet vital steps such as helping refugees who left years ago obtain new identification, adjudicating what should happen to property that was stolen or occupied during the war, and providing stable electricity and running water www.nytimes.com/2025/01/12/w...

"The State of Israel, which has never been a moral beacon with regard to human rights, has loosened all restraints. The loosening... would not have been possible without a radical dehumanization of the residents of the Gaza Strip & all Palestinians."

gift link: www.haaretz.com/opinion/2025...

Dr. Sara Yael Hirschhorn @SaraHirschhorn1 · Jan 4 Never in my life will I be able to understand why the world has allowed 456 days of this: Quote Israeli Heart. 🇮🇱 @heart_israeli · Jan 4 LET THE BIBAS FAMILY GO. 🎗️💔 Alana Zeitchik @alanalindsayz Or why Bibi has allowed this for 456 days. I am tired of wasting breath on blaming the world. The Israeli govt is responsible for the Bibas family and my family and every single soul still held hostage. Those who support us should be the loudest critics. 7:10 PM · Jan 4, 2025 · 6,108 Views

To me, the difference in engagement between someone exploiting the hostages and someone who is an actual hostage family member responding to her exemplifies exactly what is happening in our larger discourse on the topic.

Residents of Syria's Quneitra are frustrated by lack of action to halt Israeli advance The presence of Israeli troops who entered a U.N. buffer zone on the border with Syria following the fall of President Bashar Assad is frustrating the local population.

Residents of Syria’s Quneitra are frustrated by lack of action to halt Israeli advance

@sewella.bsky.social
@apnews.com

apnews.com/article/syri...

My guess is that he wants the future OC to have a say so he's not going to overcommit, but I personally think bringing Geno back is the best policy.

Exclusive | U.S. to Ease Aid Restrictions for Syria in Limited Show of Support for New Government The move reflects Washington’s wariness about the U.S.-designated terror organization that leads the country.

To be clear, this isn't enough. Syria needs sanctions relief, I understand the apprehension but acting in good faith is a much better policy.
www.wsj.com/world/middle...

Syria

📷 Omar Haj Kadour
@afpnews.bsky.social

That's how I felt about Morocco until I made there last year. Damascus remains at the top of my bucket list (and probably will remain there for some time).

Muiz el-Din Street starting at Bab al-Fotouh to Bab Zuwaylah is among my favorite spots in the city. I also love Ibn Tulun. There has been a lot of renovations of mosques in Darb al-Ahmar

I completely relate to this sentiment.

Three Books I read in 2024 — Maghreb to Mashriq At the beginning of every year I typically set a goal to read a set number of books. While most of the books I read deal with the history of the Middle East, I try to read on a broad spectrum of topic...

Looking for something new to read this year? Here are three of the best books I read in 2024. www.maghreb-mashriq.com/blog/three-b...

Searching for an Iran that never was — Maghreb to Mashriq There is a prevailing view among many that the status of women in the Iran has regressed since the Islamic Revolution and while there is a portion of truth in this view, the historical reality is more...

www.maghreb-mashriq.com/blog/a-tale-...

Maghreb to Mashriq News, history, and culture of the Middle East and Arab World

I'm not sure where this will go, but I've started a blog, as a place to collect my thoughts and just get into the habit of writing again. Feel free to check it out. www.maghreb-mashriq.com

Opinion | With Syria’s upheaval, a pivotal moment of danger and opportunity for Israel Iran’s “Shia crescent” in the Middle East has collapsed. What comes next will affect the region for decades.

Former Israeli PM making the case for expanding Israel's war and maintaining its land grab in Syria. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...