A Blog of the UCLA Center for Middle East Development
A blog of the UCLA Center for Middle East Development (CMED).
These articles represent the views of the authors only, and do not constitute the positions of UCLA, the International Institute, or the Center for Middle East Development. Articles are primarily written by UCLA undergraduate students.
Since the end of the government shutdown, the big discussion in Washington surrounds the issue of United States sanctions against Iran — specifically, whether another tougher round should be enacted while the P5+1 countries are in the midst of negotiations with the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program. (Photo: varleriy osipov/Flickr)
Read MoreSaudi Arabia is often criticized for its restrictions on women's rights, including a de facto ban on women from driving within the country. On October 26, 2013, in protest of this policy, many Saudi women are staging a day of action to change this red light to green. (Photo: Oct26driving.com)
Read MoreAbout 2 million Muslims are traveling all over the world to Mecca, Saudi Arabia for the hajj to fulfill one of the five pillars of Islam. Not sure what's going on? Read an overview of the rituals and practices performed on the holy Hajj.
(Photo: Al Jazeera English)
Read Moreby Cody Saleh and Amanda Sass
Meaning to “set out for a place,” the hajj is one of the largest annual human gatherings on the planet. Each year, between two and three million Muslims from around the world travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia for this purpose. As one of the five pillars of Islam, the Hajj is a religious pilgrimage and an obligation that must be observed by every healthy and financially able Muslim at least once.
For some, it is a strenuous physical ordeal in sweltering heat, while others enjoy the ease of air travel and luxury hotels. Regardless of one's accommodations, the Hajj serves as an immensely spiritual journey. It is often deemed to be the most significant manifestation of Islamic faith and unity, founded in a rich history and tradition. Eid Mubarak to all our Muslim readers!
The Abraj al Bait, the largest clocktower in the world, is part of the KSA's efforts to modernize the holy city for pilgrims.
A familiar luxury hotel chain claims a prime location next to the Masjid al Haram (the mosque housing the Kabba, Islam's most sacred site) and the Mecca Clock Royal Tower.
(Photo: Miriam_ybs/Instagram)
Muslims all over the world pray in the direction of the Kabbah. (Photo: Bilal301/Instagram)
"If you want to make it to any of the 5 daily prayers in the haram close to the kaaba. You have to make your way there at least an hour before. Otherwise you'll have to pray your jama3a outside. This is the view of those praying outside from a window inside the haram." (Comments + Photo: Nasserkat/Instagram)
"The tents at Arafah, Mecca. At 11 am I'm guessing it's 38 degrees. The heat is superb."
(Comments + Photo: Nasserkat/Instagram)
Roughly 2 million of the devout will make the pilgrimage in the next few days. It would've been more, if not for construction and fears over the Coranovirus going around. (Photo: Nasserkat/Instagtram)
"The courtyard of the prophet's mosque. The haziness is due to the massive fans pumping water breeze onto the worshipers to cool them down."
(Photo: Nasserkat/Instagram)
In the Peanuts cartoon analogy, Charlie Brown (Obama) always falls for Lucy's (Iran's) promise to hold the football in place (sincerely negotiate a nuclear deal) but is duped each time. But in this round, there's a third party that changes the game.
Read MoreLast week, Google launched what might be its most ambitious and far-reaching service in years. The tech giant whose servers and engineers help us navigate the internet (Google Search), manage email (Gmail), engage in social media (Google +), and whose mobile operating system (Android) powers most of the world's smartphones has decided to tackle, of all things, constitution writing.
Read MoreLooking at the situation from today’s vantage point, where Israeli and Palestinian officials cooperate daily, it’s easy to forget that when the Israelis and the Palestine Liberation Organization signed the Oslo Accords they were recognizing each other for the first time, and abandoning their relationship as the bitterest of enemies.
(Photo: IDF/Flickr)
Read MorePresident Obama's phone call to Iran's President Rouhani took place in lieu of a face-to-face exchange at the UN, which was allegedly scrapped at the last minute by the Iranians. This made the subsequent phone conversation bigger news than it otherwise would have been, but it's significance is, in large part, symbolic. Nevertheless, it is a new dialogue that opens doors for other opportunities—something that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu should keep in mind.
Read MoreAt CMED, we want to encourage everyone to take a greater interest in the Middle East since it plays such a major role in US foreign policy. Luckily for students at UCLA, there are opportunities to get first-hand experience with various aspects of policy-making, and one of the best programs is the UCLA Center for American Politics and Public Policy (CAPPP).
Read MoreAs more of the world’s diplomats and leaders head to New York City for the United Nation’s 68th General Assembly that opened on September 17th, there is a glimmer of hope that this meeting will yield crucial progress in three major MENA conflicts. Occupying center-stage this week are Iranian-American relations, Syrian-American-Russian negotiations, and Israeli-Palestinian peace-talk developments.
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