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Iraq

Iraq Reporting

A Jewish Shrine inside a Mosque: the History of Ezekiel’s Tomb in Iraq

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Alex Shams

Originally published by “Ajam Media Collective” Along either side of the Euphrates river as it passes through southern Iraq, a narrow band of fertile soil blossoms with verdant overgrowth, date

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Iraq Reporting

The Iraqi Soundtrack to the War Against ISIS

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Alex Shams

Originally published by “Ajam Media Collective” The Iraqi military has conquered the last urban stronghold of the Islamic State group in Iraq. Following victories in Ramadi, Fallujah, Mosul, and Tel

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Iran Iraq Opinion USA

The Weaponization of Nostalgia: How Afghan Miniskirts Became the Latest Salvo in the War on Terror

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Alex Shams

Originally published by “Ajam Media Collective” The debate over Afghan women’s miniskirts have become the latest salvo in the War on Terror. Last month, Donald Trump announced that the US

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Iraq Reporting

Add A Little Lemon: The Food Blog Bringing Iraqi Cuisine Straight To Your Table

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Alex Shams

Originally published by Ajam Media Collective on September 1, 2017. Iraqi cuisine is tremendously complex and varied. It reflects a culinary heritage that draws upon the influences of neighbors both

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Iraq Palestine Reporting

The Iraqi soldiers who sacrificed everything to defend Palestine in 1948

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Alex Shams

Originally published by Ajam Media Collective on May 15, 2017. The main road north from the West Bank city of Nablus winds between rolling hills covered in olive groves, abandoned

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Iraq Reporting

The Joys of Akitu, the Assyrian New Year

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Alex Shams

Originally published by Ajam Media Collective on April 5, 2017. Assyrians around the world marked the festival of Akitu this week, a spring holiday that commemorates the beginning of the

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Iraq Reporting

Iraq’s Turkmen mobilise for a post-ISIL future

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Alex Shams

Originally published by Aljazeera on February 13, 2017. The minority group has long been divided along sectarian lines – but recent events could bring greater unity.   When fighters from

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Iraq Reporting USA

Chicago’s Assyrians embrace new technology to save ancient language

Posted on June 8, 2016 by Alex Shams

Assyrians based in Chicago are united in keeping Syriac alive in the US while hoping to spark a revolution in language learning

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About me

Alex Shams is an Iranian-American writer and a PhD student of Anthropology at the University of Chicago.

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About

Alex Shams is an Iranian-American writer and a PhD student of Anthropology at the University of Chicago. He was based in Bethlehem, Palestine from 2013-2015, where he worked for Ma'an News Agency, the largest independent Palestinian news agency. He previously received his master's from Harvard University in Middle Eastern studies. His work focuses on the intersections of gender, religion, politics, and urban space in the modern Middle East. He is an editor-in-chief of Ajam Media Collective (AjamMC.com), a platform focused on culture and society throughout Iran as well as Central and South Asia.

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