Tarek Osman
Tarek
Osman is a political economist focused on the Arab World and is the author of
Egypt on the Brink. He was the writer and presenter of the BBC’s 2013 radio series
“The Making of the Modern Arab World” and the 2015 radio series “Saudi Arabia:
Sands of Time.” He is the political counselor for the Arab World at the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. On Twitter: @TarekmOsman.
Iran’s Post-Deal DilemmaA major success in Tehran's foreign policy, the nuclear deal imposes an acute dilemma on the regime at home. So far, its leaders seem neither willing nor able to resolve the challenges facing them. Read More
Gulf Countries Shape a New Political OrderWith its financial leverage and soft power, the Gulf has become an important orchestrator of the pace and direction of change in the Arab world. Read More
A Struggle for the Soul of IslamIn the post-revolution MidEast, Islam isn't only a refuge in a world in which all ideologies and systems have been crumbling, it's also a powerful cause to be defended. Read More
World OrderCircling the globe with Henry Kissinger Read More
How to Innovate Islamic ThinkingThe solution is for religious institutions to widen their scope of research, limit their scope of social supervision, and open their doors. Read More
The Charlie Hebdo Dilemma and Islamic Institutions In the vagueness of their response, Islamic leaders are missing an opportunity to lead the global conversation. Read More
Imagining a New Arab OrderThe Arab World is witnessing ideological, sectarian, and ethnic conflicts. A new Arab order will emerge out of these ruins, but it will take time. Read More
The Mideast: More Explosive than EverThe Middle East’s strategic landscape has been changing at a rapid pace. Two recent events are noteworthy. Read More
Maher-Affleck Debate: An Islamic ViewBill Maher’s assertion that Islam inspires conflict is wrong. But Ben Affleck’s impassioned defense—that most Muslims just want to live peaceful lives—also ignores the fact that today the Islamic world is extremely violent. Read More
An Arab Revolution, Born from RuinsAt a private gathering last week, the Middle East editor at one of the world’s leading newspapers described the Arab world as “a comprehensive mess.” Is it? Read More
How to Defeat ISISThe Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, is the first jihadist group to control a major area at the heart of the Islamic and Arab world. But the group’s real novelty and peril lie elsewhere: in the sophistication of its operations. Read More
Turks and ArabsThe eastern Mediterranean, the region that separates Turkey from North Africa and the Gulf, is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. Read More
Mubarak’s Last WordThe real value of Mubarak's trial lies in the debate it has unleashed among Egyptians—especially young Egyptians—concerning their attitude toward authority. Read More
Letter from El-SahelSince the mid-1990s, El-Sahel’s 250-kilometer strip has become the prime summer destination of Egypt’s upper classes. Read More
Egyptian DreamsThe 2013 uprising against Muslim Brotherhood rule signaled a resounding defeat for political Islam and victory for the entrenched pillars of the republic. Yet, if the socioeconomic demands of the people remain unmet, protesters will fill the streets again. Read More
Contested Syrian IdentitiesSyria’s future will not depend on the actors that will dominate specific parts of the country in the medium term. Two other factors are more crucial: how the largest segments of the society will define Syria; and how that social view would affect sectarianism in the country. Read More
The Islamic State in ContextOver the past 1,352 years, since the death of Imam Ali (Prophet Mohammed’s cousin and the fourth “Rightly Guided Caliph”), not a single state that emerged in the Arab World has been Islamic. Read More
Salafism’s March through North Africa“This is not the Tunisia we know,” the head of a respected Tunisian think tank told me as thousands of Salafists marched through the heart of Tunis’s old Medina, steps from one of its most exclusive restaurants, one that serves premium French wine under the watchful eye of a stern sommelier. Read More
Out of Egypt Egypt’s 2011 uprising has triggered an emigration wave, which could have perilous social and economic outcomes. Read More
Mubarak’s Retrial and ErrorThe decision by a court this week to overturn President Mubarak’s—and former Interior Minister Habib El-Adly’s—life sentences and retry them will stir up new confrontations. Mubarak’s fate will be the finale of the dramatic story of the first Egyptian Republic. Read More
Five Dichotomies of the Egyptian PsycheThere is near consensus that because Egypt has enormous cultural influence on the Arab world, the direction the country takes after the 2011 revolution will be an indication of the direction of Arab politics in general. To understand the dynamics shaping Egyptian socio-politics, observers need to reflect on five dichotomies that mould Egyptian psyche. Read More
The Case for EgyptianismThe rising sectarianism, violence, and the conspicuous presence of many religious groups bent on Islamizing the society in Egypt in the past three months since the forced removal of President Mubarak raised the prospect of the establishment of an Islamic state in the country. To assess whether or not that prospect will transpire, five factors need to be understood. Read More
The Second Egyptian RepublicThe January 25 revolution brought down the first, military-dominated Egyptian republic established after the 1952 officers’ coup. A new era of youth-driven dynamism has begun, pointing to a more open, efficient, and civic political system that should foster vigorous, healthy debate in the governing of the country. Read More
The Fall of Hosni MubarakHow a Failure to Lead Brought Down the Leader
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