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  • Syria

Iraqi-American musician and researcher Mark Gergis, who co-founded Syrian Cassette Archives, began collecting cassette tapes during visits to Syria in the 1990s. Syrian Cassette Archive

How cassette tapes preserved Syria's unofficial soundtrack

For nearly three decades, these recordings carried voices ignored by official media across the country's streets, taxis and nightclubs. Now, they are being digitised into a comprehensive archive.

Khalil Sweileh 27 March 2026
A girl shows a peace sign, as Syrians gather to mark the anniversary of the 2011 uprising against the ousted President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria, on 15 March 2026. REUTERS / Yamam Al Shaar

One year on, Syria's National Dialogue promises fall flat

The rushed 2025 rollout raised questions about the government's seriousness. Since then, no meaningful record has been published, fuelling fears that it was just a show.

Haid Haid 17 March 2026
A boy plays with his sheep next to an unexploded missile that landed in an open field on the outskirts of Qamishli, eastern Syria, on 5 March 2026. DELIL SOULEIMAN / AFP

Syria may escape war but not its economic fallout

Even if it stays on the sidelines of the US-Iran war, the country is fragile. Unlike larger economies that can absorb shocks in global markets, it has little room to cushion the impact.

Haid Haid 09 March 2026
Axel Rangel Garcia

Alternative security models for Syria amid US pullout

The announcement last week that the US was pulling its 1,000 troops there has sparked worry, as American presence is seen as crucial for integrating the Kurds and fighting IS

James Jeffrey 07 March 2026
People wave independence-era Syrian flags as they gather at Saadallah al-Jabiri Square after the Friday noon prayer in Aleppo on 13 December 2024. Ozan KOSE / AFP

Syria's civic space opens...but not for everyone

Forms of civic engagement unimaginable under the previous regime are now unfolding. But authorities have also been accused of arbitrary restrictions, selective enforcement, and sudden reversals.

Haid Haid 20 February 2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi @USAMBTurkiye via X

SDF presence in Munich raises eyebrows in Ankara

Despite having signed an agreement to integrate into the Syrian state, its leaders attended a key security conference in Germany as a separate delegation from Damascus, in a move that unnerves Türkiye

Omer Onhon 18 February 2026
Burkina Faso's Capt. Ibrahim Traore, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands before an official ceremony to welcome the leaders of delegations to the Russia Africa Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, July 27, 2023

Why the ‘unreliable allies’ narrative doesn't track in Africa

A growing 'unreliable allies' narrative claims Russia and China are abandoning their African partners. The evidence suggests otherwise

Sergey Eledinov 08 February 2026
People and rescuers inspect the damage at the site of a reported suicide attack at the Saint Elias church in Damascus' Dwelaa area on 22 June 2025. LOUAI BESHARA / AFP

Ansar al-Sunna: the murky new jihadist group in Syria

A faceless new group that seeks to provoke sectarian violence is claiming responsibility for attacks that later transpire to be the work of others. Who are they, and do they matter?

Abdelrahman Al-Hajj 07 February 2026
Eduardo Ramon

The return of Al-Jazira and the question of Syria’s economic renewal

As Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Al-Hasakah return to state authority, this resource-rich region re-emerges as a cornerstone of economic recovery

Hussein al-Sharaa 06 February 2026
Eduardo Ramon

How the US got the SDF to capitulate to Damascus

Al Majalla publishes a full account of what transpired during negotiations, the draft integration framework, and proposed constitutional amendments

Ibrahim Hamidi 03 February 2026
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Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Army Chief and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir pose with US President Donald Trump (C) at the White House in Washington, DC on 26 September 2025. AFP
Politics

Why Pakistan is well-placed to host US-Iran talks

24 March 2026

Islamabad is uniquely positioned to mediate between the warring parties. It also has more than enough reasons to want this war to end.

Kamal Alam
Axel Rangel Garcia
Business & Economy

Foreign workers in the Gulf pay the price of war

24 March 2026

Millions working in the Gulf are worried about their livelihoods and the impact on their families, while their employers are worried that they will leave

Amer Ziab Al-Tamimi
President of the European Council Charles Michel at the EU headquarters in Brussels on 28 June 2024. JOHN THYS / AFP
Politics

Former European Council president gets candid on US-Iran war

27 March 2026

In an interview with Al Majalla, Charles Michel explains how Trump didn't consult with allies before attacking Iran in a war that benefits Russia at Europe's expense

Ahmed Maher
Spanish writer Javier Cercas poses for a photo session during the 27th "Les Correspondances" literature festival in Manosque, southeastern France, on 27 September 2025. JOEL SAGET / AFP
Culture & Social Affairs

Javier Cercas on why novels thrive on ambiguity

26 March 2026

The Spanish novelist and professor shares his musings on memory, moral courage, deception and faith

Nesrein El-Bakhshawangy
Al Majalla
Politics

Sipan Hamo on integrating Kurdish units into the army

26 March 2026

In Part 2 of a two-part interview, the newly appointed deputy defence minister outlines the mistakes made by the SDF and gives his outlook on Syria's future.

Ibrahim Hamidi

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OPINIONS

Lebanon's meditation window is firmly shut...for now

Elie Kossaifi

The non-existant US-Iran talks

Fares Garabet
Fares Garabet

Javier Cercas on why novels thrive on ambiguity

Nesrein El-Bakhshawangy

Syria and the Iran war: opportunities and risks

Ibrahim Hamidi
Ibrahim Hamidi
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