The battle against religious extremism should be waged in the classroom, not just the battlefield. By Osama Al Sharif Our war on violent religious extremism became even more essential after the horrific execution of air force pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh by…
If social media is any gauge of attitudes towards the brutal Charlie Hebdo attack, then most Jordanians appear to believe free speech should have its limits. By Osama Al Sharif Last month’s deadly attack by Islamist terrorists on the French…
The Syrian civil war, coupled with the spread of ISIS, has so far cost countries in the region over $33 billion, according to a World Bank report. The policy research working paper quantifies the direct and indirect economic impact of…
No matter how intelligent or sophisticated the latest crop of US drama series might be, they too often rehash tired Muslim stereotypes. By Osama Al Sharif Ever since US TV producers lost the Soviet Union as an archenemy, they’ve shifted…
The Events that Shaped 2014 From the rise of ISIS and the triple airline catastrophes of Malaysian airlines, to Africa’s deadly Ebola outbreak and Israel’s war on Gaza, it often seemed like 2014 was overburdened with horrific events. But even…
This feature is part of a series highlighting the most prominent engineering and design consultancy firms with headquarters in Jordan or that have a significant presence in the Kingdom. Consolidated Consultants Group (CC) Founded: 1993 CEO: Said Abujaber Employees: 650…
David Ignatius, the celebrated associate editor and columnist at the Washington Post, visited the Columbia Global Centers, Middle East in Amman last month to speak about US foreign policy and the crisis in the region. Ignatius has spent around 35…
Tumbling oil prices might be a double-edged sword for Jordan. By Yusuf Mansur Jordan, which imports 97 percent of its energy, and the wider Middle East are bound to feel the impact of falling oil prices soon. The price of…
IS is expertly using social media to fulfill its objectives. This makes it even harder to stop. By Osama Al Sharif The main objective of propaganda is to sway, influence, and manipulate public opinion. In today’s information age, it’s becoming…
It’s tempting to try to ignore the regional turmoil that’s fast becoming an existential threat to Jordan. But we have to face up to it. Postscript- Osama Al-Sharif We’re hosting over a million Syrians who fled the brutal civil war…