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This paper uses Iraq as a case study to answer the research question, how do consociational settlements impact the state? Firstly, the paper argues that consociationalism, at best, has an under-theorized conception of the state, implicitly defaulting to an unexamined neoWeberian model. The paper then surveys state theory and finds that key works on the state in the Middle East are vulnerable to the postcolonial critique of Eurocentrism. To overcome this, the paper deploys the works of Mann, Jessop, and Bourdieu to develop a universal model of the state, disaggregating the state, conceiving of it as a series of competitive fields, bureaucratic, political, coercive, and economic. The paper then uses this model to assess how a consociational political settlement impacts upon the state. Deploying a disaggregated model of the state, the paper argues that Iraq’s consociational settlement shifted the balance of power in the bureaucratic field away from any autonomous power or centralized coherence that the institutions and the civil service possessed toward the political parties empowered by the consociational system. After being empowered by the informal consociational settlement, it is the political parties who now dominate the system for their own ends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial discusses the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and the ethical and practical challenges they present for social welfare. It explores the question of how to apply ethics and values in situations of ideological, religious, and political differences that can lead to oppression and violence. The journal also examines the extent to which social professions' values reflect a Western perspective and may neglect the values and interests of under-resourced areas and indigenous peoples. The issue includes papers on trauma-informed social work, the inclusion of diverse religious communities in youth work training, negative attitudes towards LGBTQ individuals in healthcare, and post-traumatic growth among survivors of mass violence. The journal also features two papers in the Ethics in Practice section, one reflecting on the experience of asking for help as a mental health patient and the other discussing ethical issues in researching migrant street children in Delhi. [Extracted from the article]

The field of human–computer interaction (HCI) is a growing area of research. However, its ascendancy and evolution is not understood in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which is knocking on the doors of innovation and technological advancements. In our analysis, we present a bibliometric and socioeconomic overview of the progress of HCI research in the MENA region. Using a pool of 10 premier venues in the discipline, we extracted 549 papers. We show that authors from high-income MENA countries are the most prolific in terms of both research output and first authorship and that authors from upper-middle-income countries are more likely to publish their work in journals. The topical focus of conducted research was also observed to vary as per the socioeconomic category to which a country belonged to. The USA emerged as the standout collaborative partner of the MENA region, and there was an observed lack of intra-MENA associations. We conclude with the assertion that additional efforts are warranted to promote collaborations amongst the region. Our work is one of the first attempts to quantitatively chart the development of HCI in the MENA region using the socioeconomic level of a country as an important predictor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reconsiders Ezekiel's alleged anti-imperial attitude toward the Babylonian empire. It nuances the alleged attitude with Frantz Fanon's theory of colonized subjects' desire to be like their colonizer. Looking at Ezekiel's privileged social location, I argue that the book exhibits a desire to be like the Babylonian empire. Ezekiel intertwines Babylonian's "anti-Egyptian" propaganda with Yahweh's interest in maintaining loyalty toward the empire. To support this argument, the paper first surveys the Babylonian and Egyptian conflict over the Levant. It then reconsiders the situation of Ezekiel and his community in exile. Further, it discusses Fanon's theory of colonized subjects' desires and how Ezekiel operates within it. It concludes by looking at what Ezekiel might gain through this maneuver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary conflicts are becoming increasingly transnational in nature. In particular, individuals are leaving their homelands to participate in foreign conflicts at an unprecedented rate. This paper analyzes the foreign fighter phenomenon in the context of the Islamic State. Using primary source data on individual ISIS members from the Middle East, this paper contributes to the literature with two key findings. The first affirms previous work on terrorist participants and finds that those who join the Islamic State are more educated and younger than others from the same country. Second, other characteristics that are thought to correlate with joining a terrorist organization, such as prior occupation and marital status, have an inconsistent association and vary by country. Specifically, individuals with a university education and who also hold an unskilled job have the highest likelihood of joining ISIS. Overall, the results suggest that relative deprivation drives participation in foreign fighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the debate on how harmful online content translates into violent offline actions continues in the Global North, this debate should be enriched by data from the Global South. In Libya, the kidnapping of a female politician (Seham Sergiwa) in 2019 was arguably foreshadowed on social media, with some analysts warning of an imminent danger to her life when tracking social media discourse in June/July 2019. Following her abduction, the outcry was loud and reverberated outside of Libya. However, this was short lived and similar occurrences happen in Libya still. This paper contributes a systematic analysis of Facebook content in the months leading up to and after Sergiwa's disappearance. Using thematic content analysis to explore 259 posts and 4,367 comments – between January and December 2019 – this paper outlines three dominant themes: Contempt, ridicule and indifference. This study presents a refocus on the dangers of online speech while acknowledging complexities around categorising the former. The study adds nuanced understandings on online discussions in Libya and gendered dynamics in a violent, post-revolutionary environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arab world faces serious challenges in the protection of human rights. Merely criticising government policies towards human rights has long meant risking one's freedom, if not life. Yet despite the myriad threats, there is a long and powerful history of efforts to address human rights from multiple perspectives that has largely been ignored outside the region (and even by many human rights scholars and practitioners within it), in good measure because most of it occurs in Arabic, which most international human rights scholars do not read. This paper critically reviews Arab human rights publications written in Arabic as a first attempt towards elucidating the diversity and depth of human rights literature in the Arab world for the broader field of human rights studies. Bringing this knowledge to the international human rights community is crucial to helping develop a human rights discourse in and for the Arab world that can positively impact research, advocacy and governance despite the broad environment of authoritarian retrenchment across the region. In so doing, our research offers new knowledge for developing human rights studies in trajectories that can have more direct impact on human rights struggles on the ground globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As President of the United States, Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel served to heighten tensions in the Middle East and instantly undermined his stated goal of bringing peace to the troubled region. This paper will argue that there are important lessons to be gained from the political process in Northern Ireland to help bolster a peace process in the Middle East. Through an analysis of Unionist politics pre- and post- the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the paper will argue that there is a need to not only encourage militants to make peace, but also to incentivise regional hegemons into meaningful negotiations. The paper will highlight the important role played by international hegemonic powers as they seek to create a Strategically Benefical Moment for all sides in the conflict as they seek to 'ripen' the conditions for peace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 2011 Arab Spring revolutions many scholars of the Middle East have built and analyzed locally-sourced protest event datasets, which have been hailed for providing superior coverage to various off-the-shelf datasets that rely primarily on English-language sources. This paper assesses the extent of these coverage improvements. It shows that across five different MENA countries, locally-sourced datasets identify considerably more events than most off-the-shelf datasets. It then compares one locally-sourced dataset of protests in Egypt from January 2012 to July 2013 to two prominent off-the-shelf datasets: ACLED and SCAD. These comparisons reveal that both ACLED and SCAD significantly overcount large, urban, violent, and political events. Next the paper compares the Egypt dataset to data compiled by two Egyptian activist groups, and finds that the locally-sourced dataset is also biased in key respects, undercounting small labor events outside the capital. Finally, the paper demonstrates the implications of these biases by showing how statistical models of protest repression differ when using the locally-sourced dataset versus SCAD. Scholars of Mediterranean politics analyzing within-case and sub-national mobilization dynamics should use locally-sourced datasets whenever possible, but should also be aware that using local sources does not entirely eliminate certain forms of bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being often recognized as a middle power, Erdoğan and his aides have firmly believed that Turkey was not a real 'subject' in international relations and could only become one under Erdoğan's rule. This paper examines Turkey's claims to institute itself as a 'subject' in regional politics through the concept of 'actorness'. The article details the two major policy choices that represent Ankara's emergence as a subject, evaluates them with respect to the key attributes of actorness in international politics and discusses the implications of Turkey's militarised and assertive policies for its status in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The paper argues that while Turkey's quest for 'subjectness' has provided the country with some hard power capability and autonomy, it has not produced consistent and coherent policies, damaging its credibility and attractiveness in the eyes of the countries in the MENA region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long considered a cultural contact zone, the Mediterranean has become a weaponised border zone keeping refugees from Africa and the Middle East away from 'Fortress Europe'. The Mediterranean has become excessively dangerous to cross, leading many commentators to call this maritime space a 'massive graveyard'. The widespread indifference and enmity towards migrants in Europe is, amongst other things, countered by documentary and commemorative projects by artists drawing attention to the suffering of drowned refugees. In this paper, I zoom in on documentary and memorial artistic projects by Mimmo Paladino, Jason deCaires Taylor, Christoph Büchel, Ai Weiwei and Đỉnh Q. Lê. In the frequent absence of dead bodies and specific grave sites on the 'high seas', they make claims regarding the humanity, singularity and memorability of the human lives of refugees drowned at sea. Based on a description of the artworks and their public, I make two interlinked theoretical arguments. First, the commemorative materialisations by contemporary artists are temporal claims to constitute the cultural heritage of the future. Second, given the sea's aquatic materiality, the commemorative claims of these art projects require that commemorative materialisations must spatially move from the flux of the sea to the fixity of the land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The twenty-first century has seen near constant crises and conflicts across the Middle East, many of which have had a devastating impact on the region's rich cultural heritage. Confronted by this reality, UNESCO – the world's foremost body designed to promote the protection of heritage – has struggled to meaningfully address site destruction and has been hamstrung by its own institutional inertia. The vacuum created by UNESCO's failures has given rise to a hybrid heritage landscape of multilateral agencies, INGOs, state bodies and local organisations which seek to emulate, improve on or radically re-imagine the work that UNESCO was designed to lead. In turn, this has created burgeoning business opportunities and a thriving consultancy culture for INGOs, often with little public oversight, accountability or effective monitoring. This paper critically examines the rise of these heritage INGOs and their efforts in the Middle East, bringing into question their efficacy and legitimacy by drawing on results from original surveys conducted in both Mosul and Aleppo. The results indicate that these heritage INGOs largely fail to adequately engage locals in their programmes to protect and restore heritage and that respondents would prefer to see domestic control over the future of their past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article announces a call for papers for a special issue of the periodical concerning "Human Resource Management (HRM) in the Middle East: toward a greater understanding." Topics include the scarcity of HRM literature in the Middle East, and a request for papers addressing such topics as cross-cultural comparisons of HRM systems in the Middle East region, research investigating the impact of government intervention on staffing strategies, and diversity policies in the Middle East. Additional information about the periodical's paper review process is mentioned along with the submission deadline and notification dates.

As one of the most ancient and attractive tourism destinations in the Middle East and South Asia, Iran seeks to maximize its competitive identity to compete more effectively at international level. This study examines the major factors influencing Iran's competitive identity as a tourism destination from a supply-side perspective. The paper is divided into two phases using qualitative and quantitative techniques. First, we determined Iran's major competitiveness factors using thematic content analysis. Second, we examined the relationships between the identified factors, Iran's competitive identity, and its international tourism market development. The findings of this study suggest that factors including information technology, politics, products and services, spatial and infrastructure, structure and organization, economic and sociocultural factors significantly impact the destination's competitive identity. This paper also outlines the key theoretical and practical implications of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the fight against ideological warfare of the Islamic State (ISIS) would not be possible without an effective counter ground operation led by the Kurds, these unique players in regional stability have contributed to the mitigation, and in some cases the elimination of Islamist extremist ideology, conducing to the human security of the region. Viewing these actions within a pro-democracy approach, this paper will demonstrate why the international community, led by the United States and EU, needs to, indeed ought to consider the Kurdish de facto autonomous region model as an element for stability. The resulting outcome could help contribute to the regional security of the Middle East, and also prevent the perpetration of any future atrocities against the Kurds and other minorities. Through a collective case study and a qualitative set of data, this paper will evaluate the de facto autonomous governance experience of the Kurds, its impact, and its potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of International Political Economy (IPE) has changed considerably since the inception of the Review of International Political Economy (RIPE). This 30th anniversary editorial reflects on how these changes have impacted the journal's publications over the past ten years. Some trends are promising. RIPE has become more gender inclusive, as the share of women authors in submissions and publications has risen. RIPE has also resisted the 'quantitative' focus inherent within other political science/international relations journals, continuing to publish articles that demonstrate diverse qualitative methodologies (particularly case studies). Some trends are less encouraging. RIPE has struggled to move beyond its Anglo-American base, resulting in a paucity of published authors from institutions within the Global South, and limited articles that exclusively focus on IPE phenomena in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America (although Global South countries feature more heavily within trans-regional studies published by the journal, and have similar levels of coverage as the Global North). We conclude by introducing the RIPE 30th Anniversary Special Feature, a series of contributions by early career and emerging researchers reflecting on the history and future directions of the field of IPE. In commemorating RIPE's 30th anniversary by opening - and continuing to open – its pages to new authors we seek to continue a long tradition and reaffirm the journal's commitment to heterodoxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bibliography on the subject of Middle East is presented which includes the books "The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global," 2nd ed. by Fawaz A. Gerges, "The Making of Jordan: Tribes, Colonialism and the Modern State," by Yoav Alon, and "Histories of the City and State in the Persian Gulf: Manama Since 1800," by Nelida Fuccaro.

Respiratory tract infections are a common cause of morbidity and mortality globally. The current paper aims to treat this respiratory disorder. Therefore, we elucidated the phytochemical profile of Euphorbia milii flowers and isolated chlorogenic acid (CGA) for the first time. The electrospraying technique was utilized to prepare CGA nanoparticles in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/PLGA polymeric matrix. Complete in vitro characterizations were performed to determine particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, loading efficiency (LE), scanning electron microscopy and in vitro release study. The optimum formula (F2) with a particle size (454.36 ± 36.74nm), a surface charge (-4.56 ± 0.84 mV), % of LE (80.23 ± 5.74), an initial burst (29.46 ± 4.79) and % cumulative release (97.42 ± 4.72) were chosen for further activities. In the murine lung infection model, PVA/PLGA NPs loaded with CGA (F2) demonstrated in vivo antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Using a plaque assay, the in vitro antiviral activity was investigated. The F2 exhibited antiviral activity against coronavirus (HCoV-229E) and (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), NRCEHKU270). The IC50 of F2 against HCoV-229E and MERS-CoV was 170 ± 1.1 and 223 ± 0.88 μg/mL, respectively. The values of IC50 of F2 were significantly lower (p<.05) than that of free CGA. Therefore, the encapsulation of CGA into electrospray PVA/PLGA NPs would be a promising tool as an antimicrobial agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how oil price (OP) influences the prospects of green bonds by utilising the quantile-onquantile (QQ) method and researching the interactions between OP and green bond index (GBI) from 2011:M1 to 2021:M11. We find that impacts from OP on the GBI are positive in the short run. The positive effects indicate that high OP can promote the development of the green bond market, indicating that green bonds can be considered an asset to avoid OP shocks. However, in the medium and long term, there is a negative impact due to the oversupply of the oil market and the increase in green energy industry profits. These results are identical to the supply and demand-based correlation model of green bonds and oil price, which underlines a specific effect of OP on GBI. The GBI effect on OP is consistently positive across all quantiles. It indicates that green bonds cannot be considered efficient measures to alleviate the oil crisis due to the instability of the Middle East COVID-19 and the small scale of green bonds. The issuers of green bonds can make decisions based on OP. Understanding the relationship between OP and GBI is also beneficial for investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses discourses and policies of citizenship and immigration in Croatia, with a special focus on marketization and culturalisation of citizenship. Along with many other Central and Eastern European states, Croatia is commonly studied as a model case of ethnonationalism. This study seeks to warn that in an ethnocentric state, there can also be other important notions of deservingness that structure one's route to membership today, showing us that we need to move beyond an exclusive focus on ethnonationalism. The paper explores how socioeconomic status and (ethno)cultural origin impact the ability of non-ethnics to claim and receive citizenship rights. The research focuses on two cultural groups: traditional immigrant populations coming from post-Yugoslav states and the new immigrant groups coming from countries in the Middle East. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockchain Technology has disrupted our social, business, and technical domains and will continue to do so in the next coming years. As technology is still in its early stages, with several countries investigating ways of utilizing it and incorporating their systems and frameworks' capabilities. The Blockchain community is now recognizing some significant limitations, such as the absence of regulatory frameworks, collaborative leadership, a relatively small number of use cases, the challenge of cross country collaboration, and the limited availability of a skilled, educated workforce. The need for awareness and increased adoption in both developed and developing countries is of paramount importance, and this paper aims to contribute to this area. The paper seeks to shade light regarding the use of blockchain technology in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connell's 'Southern Theory' calls for intellectuals in the 'Global North' 'to start learning in new ways, and in new relationships' with and from scholars in the 'Global South' in order to better understand the subjects of our research. This, exactly, is the motivation of this paper. In working with, and drawing, on a large, comparative research programme about young people and youth policy in some of the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries (the POWER2YOUTH research project), we explore what can be learned for sociologically-oriented Youth Studies in the 'Global North' through collaborative research in the 'Global South'. The paper brings together research and theory from different disciplines/fields as well as from different regions/states so as to consider how we might better research and theorize about 'youth' (as a socially constructed life-phase) and about the empirical realities of young people's lives (as they play out in social, political, cultural and economic contexts). Consequently, the paper discusses five themes or issues that we see as important for Youth Studies in the 'Global North': the variation in dominant state/social constructions of 'youth'; the plurality of social divisions amongst youth; the different meanings of insecurity for young people; the flaws in human capital-based youth policies; and the significance of informal and non-standard work for young people. In conclusion, we summarize our arguments and underscore the value of a political economy perspective in Youth Studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qatar has experienced rapid economic development in recent decades and has made large investments in the education sector to improve learning outcomes. The Qatar National Vision of 2030 also aspires to encourage life-long learning, one enabler of which is fostering a reading culture. This paper assesses one program that has aimed to enable this change and the modalities it employs, thereby contributing evidence regarding this under-studied country within rapid transition. The evidence suggests that the majority of children who participate in the program significantly improve their attitude toward reading without any gendered differences. The findings also show that compared to before joining the program, the majority of participating children spend more time reading, and the majority of parents spend more time reading with/to their children. However, these positive behavioral changes are not experienced by all children or parents. We also explore key barriers to change, relating to time limitations, challenges related to technology, and individual difficulties. Based on this case study assessment, recommendations are offered to enhance the activities of the program, particularly regarding barriers as well as for expanding the coverage of the program and broadening inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, overseas labour migration has become a lifeline for many households in Nepal. Using survey data from 465 randomly selected households and 227 overseas labour migrants, this paper examines the factors influencing overseas labour migration and migration intensity in farming households by employing a generalised two-part fractional regression model, and migrants’ destination choice by using the probit model. We find that a higher proportion of educated members in the household, along with household’s credit access, indebtedness, and contacts with manpower agencies significantly increase the likelihood of overseas labour migration and migration intensity in the households, whereas the presence of employed members in the household, larger farms, irrigation access, and higher asset index significantly lower such likelihood. We find a lower likelihood of migration to Malaysia and the Middle East countries among individuals with employed household members and a higher asset index, while those connected to manpower agencies are more likely to choose these countries as destinations. Our findings emphasise the significance of creating and providing decent economic opportunities, including strengthening the agriculture sector, to address the existing surge in overseas labour migration from farming households in Nepal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bio-medical model of 'mental health' and 'mental illness' that relates to the relationship between wellbeing and distress informs psychopathology and dominates conceptualisation in many Western Educated Industrialised Rich Democratic (WEIRD) populations. This paper aims to critique the model, questioning the appropriateness of psychopathology as a conceptual framework when working as a Western trained clinician with populations such as in China, Japan, Asia, the Middle-East and Africa. The paper also considers the cultural appropriateness of western notions of psychopathology when working inter-culturally in relation to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, and the Review of the Implementation of the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of massive hydraulic infrastructures such as large-scale dams, huge hydropower plants, and broad irrigation networks has increased to an unprecedented level during the twentieth century. While the trend has recently slowed, building giant water infrastructures is still an utmost priority in many parts of the world across state elites. Informed by insights from major transboundary waterscapes – the river basins of the Euphrates-Tigris and the Nile – this paper analyses how states´ elites justify their hydraulic mission, finding that four distinctive discursive practices are efficiently used in the case studies: securitization, opportunization, de-politicization, and framing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates secular bio-icons' political revitalization, illustrating their application as critical interventions into contemporary political struggles in the Middle East. To elucidate this phenomenon, we introduce the concept politics of revitalization to address how memory entrepreneurs can manage the past in ways that legitimize their involvement in particular visions of the future, thereby holding the potential to consolidate the position of political elites in power. Based on an analysis of three secular bio-icons: Jamila Bouhired, Leila Khaled and Hilarion Capucci, we argue that the mobilizing, resistive and aspirational potential of secular bio-icons can be utilized strategically by political actors to boost and legitimize existing (and widely contested) regimes or ideological beliefs by anchoring them in mediated renditions of historical narratives. We hold that secular bio-icons' political application constitutes a distinct social technique applied by Iran, Syria and Hizbollah to (re)activate nostalgic collective memories, pointing towards particular futures in which they entrench their political status and undermine opposing actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the Southwest Asia North Africa region often focuses on turbulent upheaval and landscape change in urban areas, and less on the rural and agrarian spaces left behind. In this paper, we look at the varying trajectory of landscape change in two neighboring villages in Mount Lebanon with similar geophysical characteristics but very different ecologies and economies. We show how these paths were mediated by capital flows and the changing modes of production and livelihoods. Looking through the lens of the Agrarian Question, we argue for its continued importance in understanding rural landscapes and their place in capitalist development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the progress made by the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in terms of gender equality and social and, above all, educational emancipation, today there are still disparities in terms of the participation of women in the labour market. This paper proposes a descriptive and qualitative analysis of the situation of women in two MENA countries, which are Algeria and Morocco, and of the socioeconomic factors that hinder their autonomy in the field of work. As a result, the role of the family and the social environment on women is emphasised so that they could be active members of society and consequently become an additional labour force trained for the growth of the region, is emphasised, but it is condemned for the achievement of this triple challenge: education, professional integration, and economic empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper captures the labor market consequences of the Gaza Blockade (2007–), a politically motivated and unanticipated event that provides a rare opportunity for a natural experiment. I am aided by the fact that the West Bank is a natural comparison group for examining the Gaza Blockade. Using a difference-in-difference framework, I find that, relative to domestic workers in the West Bank, those in Gaza experienced an additional 11% point increase in the unemployment rate and an additional 13–20% reduction in real wages. The long-term effect (3 years later), on real wages was at least 1.5 times larger. Rising wage inequality was another consequence of the Blockade, which manifested itself in an upsurge in industry wage differentials and to a lesser extent, the skill premium. This paper also discusses the impact of the crisis on the sectoral composition of the Gazan economy, particularly as a result of the severe contraction of non-service industries in the private sector. While the Gaza Blockade constitutes an extreme case of a massive economic shock and a radical departure from the close economic integration experienced in earlier decades, the results of this study can nevertheless serve to shed light on how other open economies are likely to respond to the increasingly common imposition of restrictions on trade and factor mobility such as economic sanctions, visa restrictions, and trade wars. The effects of such barriers to trade and labor mobility are particularly dire in the absence of labor reforms designed to mitigate their adverse effects. KEYWORDS: Middle East; conflict; economic development; labour; wages; trade [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid increasing terrorist violence in and beyond European countries, concerns have been raised about connections between illegal migration and terrorism. Regional armed conflicts in the Middle East have led to the massive migration of people in search of safe heavens and better livelihoods, pressing upon frontline countries in the Mediterranean and throughout the EU. Multiple government and intelligence agencies report that human smuggling networks have been identified as providing a readily available conduit through which terrorist groups such as the Islamic State and Al-Qaida can enter Europe and the U.S. These criminal travel networks are said to rely on highly effective transnational alliances involving service providers within source, transit and destination countries. There is also widespread consensus in the intelligence circles that terrorist groups rely on the practice of smuggling for financing of terrorist activity. Nonetheless, despite the region's geopolitical significance and its demonstrated potential for spillover effects, scant systematic field research has been conducted by independent researchers to understand the purported nexus between terrorism and human smugglers within the Middle East into the Mediterranean. This constitutes a severe gap in knowledge which our study will address. In this paper, we debunk the nexus human smuggling-terrorism by comparing the Islamic State's logistics with human smuggling networks' modus operandi and organizational structures. Based on a mixed research approach that combines the analysis of a unique date-set (U.S. Special Forces) and an empirical research carried out among smugglers and migrants in the Middle East and across the Eastern Mediterranean route over the past two years, this paper will tackle the alleged connection between human smuggling and terrorist groups. What will be argued is that smuggling networks and terrorist networks have fundamental operational and structural differences. These operational and structural differences need to be taken into account in order to deconstruct harmful stereotypes on irregular migration and, consequently, develop adequate responses to analytically distinct phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through qualitative analysis of a dozen semi-structured interviews, this study identifies the issues that limit the ability of accounting education programmes to prepare students for the workplace in Libya, a country in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Factors include: faculty's lack of practical experience; weak links with the profession; a traditional curriculum; teacher-centred pedagogy; traditional forms of assessment; the number and quality of students; limited or outdated resources; and poor physical infrastructure. As a study of the preparation of students for the workplace in a developing country, which takes account of both faculty and practitioner views, this paper also contributes to the limited literature on accounting education in Libya. Considering the findings through the lens of institutional theory concepts leads to recommendations for options that are likely to be relevant not only to Libya but also to the wider MENA region and other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a conclusion to a special issue of Mediterranean Politics that has sought to promote critical approaches for a better understanding of spatial process in some of the Middle East region's most prominent in-between spaces. Following recent efforts to observe bordering processes in and around the region, this collection develops the possibility that a subtly different process of territorialization is taking place in those spaces where state power is most challenged, compromised, and uncertain – frontierization. In assessing its possibilities, this paper highlights the significant record of past geographical approaches to borderlands but also selectively explores the established phenomenon of in-betweenness in the evolution of the regional territorial framework. It concludes by suggesting that any fresh consideration of contemporary spatial process should engage with geography's long tradition of studying borderlands as cooperative features and more recent multidisciplinary coverage that tends to view them today as spaces of insecurity in state margins beyond the reach of state authority. Any reinvigorated borderland studies – to which the idea of frontierization might well have something to say – needs to be multidisciplinary but also would do well to further develop agendas for exploring these regions that have been around for some time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main argument of this paper is that Turkey had close relations with Middle Eastern states during the Atatürk period, which is contrary to the literature that claims the opposite because of Turkey's Western-oriented ideology. The article asks why Turkey as a Western-oriented state sought to have close relations with Middle Eastern states. To answer this question, the article uses discourse analysis focusing on Middle Eastern leaders' visits as represented in Turkish public discourse. Accordingly, it proposes two main answers. Firstly, the paper argues that the new state's relations with Middle Eastern countries played an important role in legitimation of its Westernization projects in the eyes of its citizens. Secondly, the Turkish state marginalized rival political discourses, mainly Islamism, by proving that even Muslim majority countries wanted to imitate modern Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to examine residents' attitudes and perceptions of the social and cultural impacts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and to understand the legacy dimensions of this sport event in Qatar. Drawing on social exchange theory, this paper reports results from survey data comprising 1018 nationals and 1014 expatriates who participated in the Survey of Perceptions and Attitudes towards the 2022 FIFA World Cup conducted in 2019 in Qatar. An impact scale comprising 21 social and cultural impact items was used to elicit participants' responses. Results from ANOVA indicated that nationality matters with respect to perceived significant predictors of the World Cup. Results revealed that residents, national and expatriates, were supportive of hosting the event in Qatar but were concerned over traffic, pollution, price increases, and the potential rise in the overall cost of living. The paper concludes with implications for mega-sports events and future research are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental microwear (DMA) is a tool used for the palaeodiet reconstruction of animals in Archaeology. The use of this proxy on domestic ungulates provides valuable information to reconstruct livestock strategies, yet it presents several methodological limitations. Most studies have been carried out using low-magnification DMA and the interpretations often relied on comparisons with databases of extant wild ungulates. In addition, several studies have highlighted challenges in discerning diets in extant domestic caprines. In parallel, dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) – a quantitative methodology based on 3D micro-texture height maps – has shown better discrimination. In this paper, we explore the capacity to distinguish four different management strategies of domestic goats (Capra hircus) and three species of wild ibexes (Capra nubiana, C. pyrenaica and C. ibex) using DMTA. Results revealed good discrimination among extant domestic goat populations and between wild and domestic goats. This new dataset was subsequently used to characterise the palaeodiet of archaeological goats from two Pre-Pottery Neolithic B sites in the southern Levant. Preliminary findings suggest evidence of human intervention in goats at least during the early 8th millennium BCE. In addition, incorporating various current management strategies has enhanced our understanding of early goat domestication in southern Levant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poland was the second-to-last country in the Soviet bloc to establish official relations with the PLO – only doing this in March 1976. However, mutual contacts date back to the late 1960s, when Polish military intelligence forged a top-secret relationship with the PLO based around the arms trade. Using a variety of archival sources, this paper seeks to re-assess the relationship between Warsaw and the PLO within the broader framework of Polish policy towards the Middle East from the time of the Six-Day War to the time of opening of the PLO Office in Warsaw in 1976. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of lean management has been of interest to researchers and practitioners in the construction industry and is implemented in most countries. While achieving waste mitigation in developed countries, lean is still in its elementary stages in the Middle East. Moreover, the implementation in the Middle East poses more challenges than benefit when choosing the right lean tools and techniques for projects. This study will critically investigate the factors affecting the process of adopting lean tools and techniques, which are directed towards technology, artificial intelligence and IoT in the construction industry in the public sector in the four governates of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Thereafter, the investigation will determine the level of lean construction management implementation and consequently its effect on sustainability using a quantitative method. The result from the questionnaire is hoped to shed a light on the poorly researched topic in Bahrain and benefit academics and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite from the genus Leishmania, imposing a significant burden on underdeveloped countries especially those located in the Middle East. Four electronic databases were searched to evaluate the prevalence of CL in the Middle East. The random effects model (95% confidence intervals (CI)) were applied to determine the overall and subgroup pooled prevalence. Heterogeneity was assessed by Cochran's Q test and I2 statistics. Among 2424 peer-reviewed papers, 37 datasets from 34 studies were included in the current meta-analysis. 285560 individuals were assessed across 9 Middle Eastern countries. The pooled prevalence of CL was estimated at 12% (95% CI 9-15 %; 10718/285560). The highest prevalence rate was observed in Syria (39%, 37-42%), and the lowest one was found in Iraq and Lebanon (0%, 0-1%). The prevalence of CL in studies that applied LST assays had the highest rate (48%, 17-80%). The infection rate in males was similar to females (7%, 4-10%). The prevalence of infection in individuals living in urban areas was higher than in rural areas (14%, 10-19%). The prevalence of CL in the age group 0-15 years was higher than in individuals 16-40 and >40 years (9%, 6-13%). Most of the lesions were found on the face, and single lesions were more prevalent than two and three ones. In conclusion, the occurrence of CL was considerable in Middle Eastern countries. Therefore, more efforts should be made to precisely report the CL in this region for developing appropriate preventive and controlling strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years it has become apparent that mace, one of the most important weapons and ceremonial artefacts in the Ancient Near East, first appeared in the tenth millennium BCE, during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A. Given the considerable importance of this new evidence for understanding the role and status of mace in the Ancient Near East, it is timely to present the state of the research that has recently emerged from sites in Anatolia, Mesopotamia and Jordan. This paper has three aims: 1) to chart the chronological and geographical distribution of mace-heads in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic; 2) to define as far as possible the typological characteristics of mace-heads, taking into account their morphology, raw materials, measurements and weight; and 3) to understand the intended function of mace-heads in light of the archaeological contexts in which they were discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sand and dust storms are a common natural hazard in arid and dry areas of the Middle East and North Africa severely affecting human life and economic sectors, including agriculture production. In this paper, I explore the potential impact of sand and dust storms (SDS) on agricultural sub-sectors in Iraq by combining the household-level production and socioeconomic data with the climate dataset to allow the empirical assessment of agricultural impacts due to dust storms. I find compelling evidence that exposure of crops and livestock to dust storms significantly diminish agricultural productivity, vegetation cover and have significant bearings on the household welfare. Our analysis reveals a 1.1% reduction in the value of crop production as a result of an additional SDS event. This corresponds to about 0.045% losses in the GDP of Iraq, an amount equivalent to about $0.1 billion. Crop yields are reduced significantly ranging from 0.9% to 3% for an additional day of sand and dust storms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship between gender and corruption in thirteen Middle East and North African (MENA) countries during 2006–2020. We find a poor performance in terms of both corruption and the lack of involvement of women in public life, with a correlation between these two phenomena in the region. Due to the presence of cross-sectional dependence and heterogeneity in the panel, we employed second-generation econometric panel unit root and cointegration tests. Using the ARDL-PMG approach, which is categorised as an error-corrected model, we demonstrate that greater involvement of women in the economic and political sphere is associated with lower levels of corruption. The results also indicate that the link between corruption and gender is dependent on the context and institutional factors. The role of democracy and political stability in explaining this interaction is particularly important, especially when women are well-represented in decision-making positions. Finally, we provide evidence that improved gender equality can strengthen the connection between greater involvement of women in public life, and more success in tackling corruption. Greater gender egalitarianism can break down the male-dominated network of corruption that is widespread in MENA countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Biblical trope of a 'land of milk and honey, abounding in corn, wine and oil and all material goods' is found in medieval works describing the Holy Land and is common in crusading rhetoric. Do these statements, idyllic as they are, reflect the fact that agricultural production rates in the Levant were higher than those in contemporary Europe – and more specifically France, the original homeland of the majority of the European settlers? The article aims to cast a fresh look upon the detailed thirteenth-century account by the Venetian Marsilio Zorzi, to estimate whether crop yields achieved by local peasants were indeed higher than those attained in France, and comparable with other Mediterranean regions, around the same time. Rereading and analysing this account, together with other textual sources, as well as archaeological and palaeoclimatic data, reveals not only that thirteenth-century yields were just on a par with those attained in France, and lower compared with other Mediterranean regions around the same time, but also lower than in preceding centuries in the Levant. This was connected to larger eco-climatic changes in the region on the one hand, and to cultural and institutional factors on the other. Taken together, this paper's analysis offers new insights into the motives that guided European immigrants settling in the Levant, the nature of their society and economy, and wider environmental changes in that region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the possibility of the translator's ideological impact on the reproduction of the text superstructure in translating argumentative political newspaper articles. The superstructure of the source argumentative newspaper articles and their translations are compared and interpreted following the problem-solution model and the notion of ideology. The research data consists of 16 source articles and their 15 translations. The data was collected from five leading media outlets that report mainly about Middle East affairs. The language pair of this study is Arabic and English. The paper investigates whether or not the translator's ideological stance contributes to the alteration of the source problem-solution pattern through a partial reconstruction of the superstructure in the target texts. Based on this data, it was found that the translator's ideology significantly affects the reproduction of the text superstructure. The examined translations show empirical evidence of the role played by the translator's ideological position in shifting signals of the source texts and offering different value-driven problems and solutions from those offered in the original articles. Addition, omission, and re-organizing of materials are among the textual devices used by the translators in altering the source patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently there has been a rise in state surveillance of racialized persons, immigrants, and religious minorities. While there is abundant literature that discusses the discourses of security and concerns over international terrorism, as well as acculturation and accommodation, little is known about how some of these public policies and practices intersect with human rights, health, and wellbeing. This paper seeks to illuminate the health and human rights consequences of policies about the hijab and niqab, including bans on religious symbols in public workplaces. This work is guided by interdisciplinary health, social justice, and anti-racism frameworks, and it explores the human rights concerns of policies that may be used to justify surveillance and control over racialized people, migrants, and their cultural practices. Various countries have increasingly expanded their surveillance of immigrant people from South Asia and the Middle East, especially Arabs, Central and South Asians, Africans, and Muslims. These groups have been experiencing racism at their places of worship, borders, ports of entry, and at airports.1 Many governments, including the provincial government of Quebec from within Canada, have introduced policy interventions aimed at persons displaying religious symbols, which I argue have undermined the human rights and well-being of affected groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(SARS-CoV-2), was first identified in December 2019 as the cause of a respiratory illness designated coronavirus disease 2019, or Covid-19. Several therapeutic agents have been evaluated for the treatment of Covid-19, but none have yet been shown to be efficacious. Remdesivir (GS-5734), an inhibitor of the viral RNA-dependent, RNA polymerase with inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV), was identified early as a promising therapeutic candidate for Covid-19 because of its ability to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. Besides, in nonhuman primate studies, remdesivir initiated 12 hours after inoculation with MERS-CoV9,10 reduced lung virus levels and lung damage. In the field of Medical Science, concerning the definition of the topological index on the molecular structure and corresponding medical, biological, chemical, pharmaceutical properties of drugs can be studied by the topological index calculation. In this paper, we compute some of the general temperature topological properties of remdesivir that the results in this paper may be useful in finding new drug and vaccine for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discussions on daily life in Early Bronze Age society in the southern Levant often focus on subsistence or ritual phenomena, while aspects relating to entertainment and leisure are rarely discussed. This paper presents evidence for gaming behaviour, in the form of game boards and game pieces, that were recovered in the excavations of the Early Bronze Age (early to mid-3rd millennium bce) residential neighbourhood at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel. All the objects discussed are considered to be part of games (playing pieces, casting pieces, and boards) based on their resemblance to game boards and pieces published from various Early Bronze sites in the southern Levant (e.g., Arad, Megiddo, and Bab edh-Dhra), serve as the backdrop for: 1) a perspective on the social and cultural relationships reflected in these games; 2) an examination of the origins of the 'Senet/30 Houses' game; and 3) the appropriation of foreign cultural facets in Early Bronze Age Canaan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Bronze Age (3500–2000 bce) of the southern Levant experienced the development of bronze metal technology, but the rate and nature of its dissemination beyond the elite are unclear. In the southern Levant and elsewhere, based upon the microscopic analysis of butchering marks, it has been proposed that bronze slicing tools only begin to be used in quantities in the Middle Bronze. However, previous analyses have always lacked data sets from the Early Bronze IV/Middle Bronze I period (c. 2500–2000 bce). In this paper, we present the butchered animal bone data from the site of Tall Zirā´a (in the NW corner of Jordan) where there is a fuller chronological sequence for the Early and Middle Bronze Ages. These data provide a unique opportunity to investigate long-term changes in butchering practices in the southern Levant. The analysis demonstrates that the new (bronze) technology does not seem to be integrated into quotidian activities, such as the processing of animal carcasses, until well into the Middle Bronze Age (MB IIB). Until then, and in subsequent phases of the MB, the majority of butchering marks are made by stone implements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodborne illnesses result from inadequate food handling practices, but prevention is possible through implementing food safety principles by handlers and consumers. This paper presents an overview of food safety knowledge and practices among food handlers and consumers in the Gulf countries, identifies factors affecting knowledge and practice, and offers recommendations for promoting food safety among handlers and consumers. A literature search was conducted using an integrative review method. Various combinations of the following descriptors were used: (food safety, food hygiene), (knowledge, practice), and (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait). Out of 164 studies screened, 37 met the eligibility criteria. Food handler studies reported insufficient food safety knowledge, with poor translation of existing knowledge into practice. Consumer studies showed varying levels of food safety knowledge, and the translation of existing knowledge into practice was also found to be inconsistent. Training and educational level were the primary factors positively affecting food safety knowledge and practices. Overall, significant gaps in knowledge and practices were identified among food handlers and consumers in the Gulf. These gaps require urgent attention from the Gulf regulatory bodies to develop targeted food safety training and education programs to enhance awareness and implementation of food safety principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid (1974) and Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998) recognise apartheid as a crime against humanity, characterised by a practice of systematic oppression and violations of human rights with the intent of one racial group to maintain domination over another. The term 'medical apartheid', although without a formal definition in international human rights law, has been used similarly to refer to situations of pervasive segregation and discrimination in health care, based upon race, and characterised by stark inequality in health care accessibility, availability, acceptability, and quality. This paper, using a combination of literature review; data on attacks on Palestinian health facilities, workers, and transport; and information from Palestinian and Israeli government authorities on referrals to specialised health care services, examines the ways in which Israeli policies and practices can be understood to constitute a form of 'medical apartheid' that deprives Arab residents of the Palestinian territories the full realisation of their right to health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]