Christopher Phillips

1 month ago | middleeasteye.net | Christopher Phillips |John Rees

It is commonly and correctly understood that the populist right are not traditional fascists. US President Donald Trump, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and their ilk might be ideologically adjacent to fascist ideology, and their prominence is certainly an encouragement to outright fascists. But there are also some crucial differences between the populist right and traditional fascist organisations, whether the 1930s originals or later inheritors, such as the British National Party.

2 months ago | middleeasteye.net | Mitchell Plitnick |Christopher Phillips

In the aftermath of Israel's war on Gaza, many commentators have asserted that the Middle East regional order is undergoing a profound change. Various developments are used to justify these arguments, including Israel’s claims of crushing of Hamas and Hezbollah; its occupation of new Lebanese and Syrian territory; Iran’s relative retreat from these arenas; and the fall of Assad in Syria, along with the accompanying improvement in Turkey’s position.

Jan 13, 2025 | arabnews.jp | Christopher Phillips

The sudden fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria last month has inevitably prompted speculation about the impact on the wider Middle East. Many have, understandably, concluded that this is a major loss for Iran. Chatham House’s Lina Khatib, for example, writing in Foreign Policy, suggested Assad’s fall marks the “end of the Iran-dominated regional order,” ushering in a new one dominated by Israel.

Jan 13, 2025 | arabnews.com | Christopher Phillips

Has Assad’s fall transformed regional geopolitics? Short Urlhttps://arab.news/wqrmx The sudden fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria last month has inevitably prompted speculation about the impact on the wider Middle East. Many have, understandably, concluded that this is a major loss for Iran.

Jan 7, 2025 | middleeasteye.net | Yasmine El-Sabawi |Christopher Phillips

Human rights organisations are urging Lebanon to cancel the imminent deportation of Abdul Rahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi to the United Arab Emirates, a staunch ally of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, where they fear he may face politically motivated legal proceedings and even torture. But who is Abdul Rahman and why is he being sought by multiple Arab governments? The 55-year-old dual Egyptian-Turkish national is a poet and political activist working and living in Turkey.