Zainab Iqbal

2 months ago | ozarab.media | Zainab Iqbal

‘I could smell Syria’: Trauma lingers among diaspora but returning home means closureAssad’s collapse marked an abrupt end to a war frozen in time, and with it, a new path home for SyriansZainab IqbalFri, 01/24/2025 – 16:06 A defaced image of Syria’s former leader Bashar al-Assad is seen inside Marja police station after his removal, in Damascus, Syria, on 24 December (Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)There was a beautiful lemon tree in a small neighbourhood in Damascus in the backyard of an old house.

Jan 24, 2025 | middleeasteye.net | Zainab Iqbal

There was a beautiful lemon tree in a small neighbourhood in Damascus in the backyard of an old house. When Sally Shobut would open her window, bushes would hit the glass and eventually creep inside her room. She found the fragrance of fresh lemons intoxicating. Shobut grew up in Damascus as a supporter of Bashar al-Assad’s government. But in 2011, when she was 17 years old, all of that changed. Shobut’s daily commute to school across town involved taking a 45-minute bus ride.

May 26, 2024 | ozarab.media | Zainab Iqbal

‘I want to go back’: A New York nurse’s journey to Gaza and back Rohaan Gill knew he could get killed while volunteering in Gaza, but he wants nothing more than to return Zainab IqbalMon, 04/29/2024 – 20:15 Rohaan Gill smiles with children in Gaza during his medical mission there (Supplied by Rohaan Gill)Since the start of the Israeli war in Gaza on 7 October, Rohaan Gill has been part of several WhatsApp groups trying to find a way into the war zone, but it seemed impossible.

May 25, 2024 | middleeasteye.net | Zainab Iqbal

Since the start of the war in Gaza on 7 October, Rohaan Gill has been part of several WhatsApp groups trying to find a way into the warzone, but it seemed impossible. The 28-year-old registered nurse based in Brooklyn, New York, could not sit still while seeing the atrocities happening thousands of miles away. He said he felt ashamed, frustrated and guilty.

Mar 28, 2024 | middleeasteye.net | Zainab Iqbal |Peter Oborne

Rutgers University is the latest university under investigation for its handling of antisemitism and “failure to protect Jewish students” on campus, the US House Committee on Education and the Workforce announced on Wednesday. “The Committee on Education and the Workforce is investigating Rutgers University’s response to antisemitism and its failure to protect Jewish students.