Many Arab states have small Chechen minority communities-established in the 19th century after Russia invaded the Caucasus. Today, Chechens often make the news for being represented among the world’s jihadist groups, including the former leader of Daesh (ISIS)’s military in Syria Omar al-Shishani -a half-Chechen from Georgia killed by a US airstrike in March. Perhaps the most famous Chechen on Instagram is Ramzan Kadyrov: head of the Chechen Republic with over 1.8 million followers of his @kadyrov_95 account. The leader of Russia’s autonomous Chechen region recently made headlines when he ...

Egyptians watch a football match of the Euro 2016 on June 20, 2016 in the Omani capital Muscat. MOHAMMED MAHJOUB / AFP

The UK has voted to quit the European Union, leaving Britain – and the world - reeling from aftershocks of currency devaluations and slumped equities. Global markets lost $2 trillion USD in value on Friday, and British voters now face economic consequences ranging from recession to spiked unemployment. While the main drama is unfolding between continental Europe and the UK, nobody can downplay the global ramifications. Brexit voters claim to have been most antagonized by over a decade of immigration from other EU nations, particularly sensitive to East European unskilled ...

Dating, anywhere in the world, can be crazy. Dating in the Middle East, with the wild mashup of traditions, cultures, and religions, creates a whole new set of challenges. We’ve gathered our ten favorite dating quirks that are unique to the Middle East. Whether you're a seasoned single, returning to the field, or looking to try dates in this region, these observations will help you navigate MENA match-ups. This from a mainly-expat outsider perspective and does not account for all Arab or local experiences and possibilities.... Take the plunge to ...

Once one of the many Christian villages that dot Iraq’s northern Nineveh province, today the tiny town of Baqofah is mostly deserted. Scant electricity flickers in abandoned homes and debris litters the streets. The town’s Assyrian residents, adherents of Chaldean Catholic church, are long gone. Most of Nineveh province’s Christians fled for their lives when Daesh (ISIS) fighters seized Mosul and surrounding villages in June 2014. Peshmerga (military of Iraqi Kurdistan) forces retook Baqofah and some other Christian towns soon afterwards, but many former residents remain in displaced persons camps ...

Does a # look like a newly-baked waffle to you? Does an @ look like mshabak (Lebanese donut) ? Are you struggling to fast...but too dehydrated to cry? If the answer is yes, then you officially have a #RamadanProblem ! Find like-minded friends looking to harangue about their hunger on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Vine. Check out our pick of the best # Ramadan Problems, consider posting some of your own. It will distract you from your belly rumblings and prove that - during the holy month - misery really ...

Beirut, Lebanon--Shattered glass still lines the narrow avenue behind the Blom Bank headquarters near downtown Beirut. Security officers direct traffic amidst the destroyed cars and debris. But aside from this street, all in the surrounding Verdun neighborhood remains business as usual after a bomb exploded outside the bank on June 12, killing none and wounding two. Who carried out the attack remains unknown. Blom Bank is one of the Lebanese banks to comply with a new U.S. law restricting financial dealings with Hezbollah, though, and rumors soon surfaced that the ...

Snapchat may be the next ‘big thing’ in the era of connectivity. Launched four years ago, getting to know 'the ghost' was simple for the hip tribe of digital natives. And while Arab millennials rave about the concept of snapping-and-sharing, their parents and older brothers have tuned to the social media platform to make their businesses hit a home run! Last July, Snapchat mesmerized the Muslim community by streaming riveting online images from the holy city and portraying for the very first time the rituals of worship and pilgrimage to ...

Sunday morning’s attack on a popular LGBT nightclub in Orlando, Florida rocked world headlines. Pundits quickly categorized it as a uniquely Islamic incident, casting the late shooter's religion as the defining characteristic of the crime. Gunman Omar Mateen’s Muslim heritage and possible link to Daesh clearly color this story, but to view the shooting through the single lens of Islamophia is to ignore a long history of Christiain, Jewish, and Islam-inspired violence against the LGBT community that is ever-present today. LGBT individuals face hatred from nearly every religion, tradition, culture ...

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is finally upon us, with over a billion Muslims having started their sun-up to sun-down fast from food and drink. Over the next month, practicing Muslims will obey the customs and traditions of Ramadan, which involves not only abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours, but also prayer, reflection, and giving charity to those in need. Though the central tenets of Ramadan are the same as they’ve always been, 21st century technology and the forces of globalization have irreversibly changed how Muslims observe ...

Football fans across the globe are looking forward to Euro 2016, set to kickoff tomorrow, June 10. And fans are anticipating several fierce matches as many teams appear to be dead evenly matched. Euro 2016 will also feature several Muslim players representing their national teams including France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Turkey, Albania and others. Moreover, the Islamic holy month of Ramadan coincides with Euro 2016, thus raising the question of how fasting will affect the Muslim players’ performances. This is reminiscent of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, also held during ...