CULF 3331: "Middle Eastern Revolutions"

Territorial control in Syria has changed many times since the country's uprising began more than three years ago and the current conflict is characterised by fluctuating frontlines. In particular, over the last few months, fighters from Islamic State (IS) - the extremist group that grew out of al-Qaeda in Iraq - have been battling regime forces in new areas, clashing with other armed groups close to Damascus as well as invading Kurdish regions.

(CNN) -- He's enemy No. 1 in the fight against ISIS. But after waves of airstrikes by both Iraq and U.S.-led coalition forces, questions abound over whether the terror group's leader was hit. Iraq's Ministry of Interior said the Iraqi air force wounded ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and killed a number of his senior leaders in an airstrike on the Iraqi town of Al-Qaem on Saturday.

Britain has launched its first drone strike against Islamic State (Isis) fighters in Iraq. An RAF Reaper drone fired a Hellfire missile at Isis forces laying improvised explosive devices near Bayji, the site of Iraq's biggest oil refinery, north of Baghdad, over the weekend, the Ministry of Defence said on Monday.

Voting was extended from two days to three in Egypt's presidential election on Tuesday, apparently because of an unexpectedly low turnout. The contest pits Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, until recently minister of defense and a high-ranking general, against leftist warhorse Hamdeen Sabahi, a fixed election all on its own.

Britain will make "a significant contribution" to equip and train the moderate Syrian opposition to defeat both Islamic State extremists and the Damascus regime of President Bashar al-Assad, its foreign secretary said on Monday. Secretary of Foreign Affairs made a statement,"The UK is helping the opposition establish security and governance, and to deliver essential services. This includes life-saving search and rescue training, helping Syrians whose homes have been reduced to rubble by the regime's bombs."

The article states that ISIS, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood are all "terrorist organizations"  that are being ignored and should be recognized as a threat. The article does not state what the intentions of the Muslim Brotherhood are, but does state the objectives "ISIS to create a caliphate empire, and Hamas to eliminate the State of Israel."  The article also mentions the images that have been given to portray the situations in Gaza. 

The article mentions the statements made by the Ministry of Religious Endowments. The statements made clear that both ISIS and the Muslim Brotherhood are organizations meant to destroy and spread terror throughout their regions. The article concludes with: "The United States Congress said that Isis has ambitions and capabilities greater than Al-Qaida."

The Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) expressed its concern over a proposed law that would criminalise graffiti. ANHRI said on Wednesday that the law, announced by interim Minister of Local Development Adel Labib, would seek to punish those "writing abusive language on the walls of government and private buildings."

Proposed law would ban 'abusive' graffiti on the streets of the country.

Egyptian security forces briefly detained three artists hanging posters in Cairo today ahead of major protests tomorrow - a "second revolution" in the words of activists, who are impatient with the pace of reform under Egypt's interim military rule. One of most famous street artist that was arrested was Ganzeer

In May this year, a renegade general said that the best way to combat the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups is through eradication. According to general Khalifa Haftar, these groups are to blame for the destruction in Libya. This article claims that many Libyans are on Hafter's side and would like to see this plan come to fruition.

This exhibition at the Printing Museum in Houston, Texas, examines the development and impact of Arabic graffiti over the past decade through 30 contemporary photographs and accompanying didactic panels.

This article looks at the possible scenarios that Egypt might see itself in after the revolution. One interesting scenario that this article proposes is that the Brotherhood will split into two main groups, with one group being more lax about policies than the other. This article also discusses the challenges that the Brotherhood will face as a result of a Brother being elected

This article discusses the way in which the media frames the revolutions in Egypt. Its discusses the framing of the secularist vs. the Islamist, and what these terms actually mean through the lens of the media. According to this article, television channels in the Middle East have the power to define terms and names however they please.

On August 26th, a "symposium on culture and the arts in Muslim Brotherhood thought" was held. The individuals that attended discussed different views. Some argued that the brotherhood had not reviewed or made a statement in over 70 years. Others believed that the stance regarding art was clear. "Asem Shalaby said... its (The Muslim Brotherhood's) refusal of any prior censorship on creativity, and suggested that the idea be integrated into the country's constitution as a fundamental principle."

This article shows the different history of the Kurds and important historical events that shaped Kurdish history.

The article mentions the refusal of an opera production to go on as a way of making a statement against Morsi and the brotherhood. The Orchestra conductor named Nayer Nagui addressed the audience and said "We have decided to abstain from putting  on tonight's performance of Aida...until the Minister of Culture is removed." The newly appointed Minister of Culture was given by Morsi to Alaa Abdel Aziz who was altering the message and production of the show. The show according to Aziz was not following appropriate or respectful interpretations of Islam. 

Muftah was first launched in May of 2010 as a way of push back against the Western media potrayl of the Middle East. According to the Muftah mission statement, the West has failed to provide diverse viewpoints, and it is things like Muftah that can really make a difference. According to the mission, Muftah focuses on original content by using diverse individuals to tell the story.

As part of a 2013 agreement signed in the Saudi Arabian capitol of Riyadh, Qatar has agreed to expel exiled leaders of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood that have taken up residence in the country that has traditionally supported them. The Muslim Brotherhood is seen as an extremist organization by many Arab states and the West but Qatar and Turkey are still supporters of them however pressures from the threat of ISIS finally coerced Qatar to honor the 2013 agreement. The exiled leaders have already been welcomed into Turkey however.

This article discusses Qatar's agreement to expel any exiled leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood. This is just one of the many agreements that Qatar is forced to abide by under Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This decision was made as a way of shifting political alignments.

This article discuses Egypt's attempt to combat the Muslim Brotherhood by shutting down the violent protests at Al Azhar University. Azhar University is one of the world's last remaining centers for Islamic learning. Ever since the freely elected president Mursi was elected, Al Azhar has become an emerging hotspot for the battle against him.

This illustrated history of the Muslim Brotherhood was created by Andy Warner. In this article Warner takes the reader back to the genesis of the Brotherhood in 1928. Although the British granted Egypt nominal self-governance, they remained in power for many years.