A contentious cultural and political issue can often be oversimplified with crude arguments, but the question of languages and identities is much more nuanced.

A new book looks at the threats facing six small languages and the efforts to save them

The educational system in northeastern Syria is independent of other Syrian regions, which are controlled by the Syrian regime or its opposition forces. Its focus is linguistic and cultural diversity.

Since the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, the two major supporters of the Damascus regime, Russia and Iran, have both tried to deepen their ties with the country and its people with mixed results.