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Hello, everyone.
In northwestern Syria, a crusader castle that was built in 1142 has survived one war after another. Most recently, as Oliver Marsden reports [ [link removed] ], the Krak des Chevaliers has endured the country’s nearly 14-year civil war — though it sustained scars throughout the conflict.
Meanwhile, the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has collapsed, and civilians are paying the price. As Ramadan was coming to an end, writes [ [link removed] ] Mohammed Ali*, a series of attacks killed scores of civilians as well as Palestinian medics.
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“A Crusader Castle in Syria Tells its Own War Stories [ [link removed] ]” by Oliver Chevaliers (April 7)
Often overlooked in Western history classes, the crusades remain embedded into the fabric of the Middle East and is regularly the prism through which the Levantine Arab world still views Europe. Today, the Krak des Chevaliers bears the scars of the region’s wars.
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“A Deep Look at Iraqi Kurdistan’s ‘Republic of Dreams’ [ [link removed] ]” by Winthrop Rodgers (April 8)
What stands out about Nicole F. Watts’s new book, Republic of Dreams, is its narrative nonfiction approach, a method that creates a vibrant and deeply engaging encounter with the everyday struggles of ordinary Kurds.
Bluesky this [ [link removed] ]. Link this [ [link removed] ].
“Assad is Gone, but Syrians Fear Ongoing Sectarian Violence [ [link removed] ]” by Hanna Davis (April 9)
Since Assad’s overthrow, Alawites around the country have faced a series of “revenge” killings, targeting individuals for acts they may have committed under the regime, but also hundreds of innocent Alawite civilians, who had no role in the regime’s perpetration of violence.
Bluesky this [ [link removed] ]. Link this [ [link removed] ].
“Gaza Mourns Amid Ceasefire Collapse and Paramedic Massacre [ [link removed] ]” by Mohammed Ali* (April 10)
Since the breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza on March 18, the embattled population has weathered renewed attacks on civilian populations and a massacre of humanitarian workers. In between the atrocities, Eid al-Fitr, the holy celebration at the end of Ramadan, brought mourning rather than festivities.
Bluesky this [ [link removed] ]. Link this [ [link removed] ].
“Deep Dive: The Rightwing Whitewash of American Libraries [ [link removed] ]” by Inkstick (April 11)
Book ban proponents routinely argue that they have targeted “obscene,” “anti-American,” or racially divisive literature. Now, a recent PEN America report found that schools around the nation banned more than 10,000 books and removed more than 4,200 unique titles from the shelves last school year.
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