Following the Trail of a Peacock, from Northern Iraq to Singapore and Beyond (part 5)

The Fate of Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi-Turkey Relations

MEI’s Research Fellow Serkan Yolacan says the disappearance of prominent critic Jamal Khashoggi marks a dramatic escalation in tensions between Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The incident also shows Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman will brook no dissent.

Palestine Declares (Legal) War on the United States of America

Writing for Haaretz, MEI’s Senior Research Fellow Victor Kattan discusses Palestine’s upcoming legal battle with the US over the relocation of the American embassy to Jerusalem and assesses their chances of success at the International Court of Justice.

Political symbolism and its effect on the debate between Islamic laws and women’s rights

Tunisia has moved recently to equalise its inheritance law, putting women on an equal footing with men. Research associate Muneerah Razak ties in history with the current debates on what the Islamic law reforms mean for Tunisia.

Art of War: State-sponsored Poetry in Iran

Our new intern Jin Yin uncovers the contemporary influences and impact of poetry in contemporary Iranian society, and explores how it is used as a tool by the state to co-opt favourable opinions on the regime.

Reported US move to close PLO office aimed at pressuring Palestinians

Reflections on the Partitions of India and Palestine after 70 years

On the 15th of August, the Middle East Institute (MEI) and the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) held a joint workshop to discuss the dynamics of ‘partition’ between India and Palestine after seventy years. Held in Singapore –...

Q&A: Informal Mediation and Diplomacy

On the 15th of August 2018, our MEI Research Fellow Serkan Yolacan gives an interview with the Conciliators Guild on informal mediation and diplomacy.

[Transsystemic Law] Reflections on the Partitions of India and Palestine after 70 years: Conference Summary

What is Partition? How do we trace the histories of partition between the Palestine and South Asia?

Following the Trail of a Peacock, from Northern Iraq to Singapore and Beyond (part 4)

In this blog series, MEI Visiting Research Fellow Martin van Bruinessen writes about the curious significance of the peacock across cultures from the Middle East to Southeast Asia. This fourth part delves into the cult of Murugan in Malaysia.