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An interview with Natasha Iskander, professor of Urban Planning and Public Service at New York University, is presented. Topics include substantial scholarship highlighting bias in the measurement of skill, by gender or race or social categories; and how the politics of labor were different in a place that was the opposite of the typical migration story in Qatari nationals.

The article focuses on the social aspect of nuclear program deal between the U.S. and Iran. Topics include economic sanctions issued by the United Nations (UN) and the U.S. against Iran, administration of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and presidencies of populist conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and reformist Mohammad Khatami of Iran.

The article discusses decline in conditions for academics across the Middle East. It mentions no precise figures concerning the extent of academic displacement, dislocation and disruption. It reveals that in response to the alarming increase in the numbers of scholars and academics from the region forced out of their home institutions, the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) Global Academy initiative was developed in 2016.

The article explores the political and social conditions in Iraq and Iran following the end of their war that started from 1980 and 1988. It notes that sources of oil exacerbated the war in which first battles occurred in the petroleum-producing regions of both states. It mentions that there was neither a significant increase in oil prices nor a reduction in supply despite the fears of policymakers in the U.S. that world petroleum markets would be heavily affected by the war. It also states that Iraq outspent Iran when it comes to military technology because of the aid of enormous loans from the Arab Gulf monarchies.

The article presents information on democracy, dissent and solidarity in Iran by Leili Kashani, editor at "Arab Studies Journal," with professors Ervand Abrahamian and Hamid Dabashi at the Brecht Forum in New York on July 13, 2009. Kashani started the discussion with the issue of protests after the June 2009 Iran's presidential elections. Abrahamian states that there is no truth to the idea that the U.S. is trying to repeat the 1953 takeover in Iran. Dabashi notes that ethical solidarity is important in recognizing the veracity of this movement.

The article reports on the increasing popularity of large enclaves of high-end retail, entertainment and tourism in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as of September 2008. The UAE states that enjoy an image as a whirl of economic activity are Abu Dhabi and city-state Dubai. Real estate magnates worldwide have come to believe that iconic buildings by brand-name architects can stimulate local development and international fame since the selection of Canadian architect Frank Gehry to design the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.

In the midst of several research trips to Iran in the 1990s, I spent one year living and conducting exploratory research in Cairo. In Tehran, revolution seemed unfinished if not perpetual, yet in Egypt it was unimaginable. In spite of the entrenched support for the Leader and the political status quo, at this time Iran's reformist movement was robust. The policies of the Islamic Republic and consequences of the eight-year war with Iraq unleashed new social conditions that combined with established forces to push for women's rights, freedom of speech, independent civil associations, and exposing contradictions in the postrevolutionary order.

The author reflects on the Islamic Revolution in Iran, which authored a regime ruling in the name of Islam and with the utopian mission of creating a just and pure Islamic society. The project's advocates and faces were Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his loyal followers. It describes the motivations of all Iranians who participated in the Revolution in opposition to the Shah. It cites two events that allowed Khomeini's inner circle to repress opponents, redirect popular mobilization at foreign enemies and monopolize state power.

The article reports on the majority of Muslims that are scattered across the globe. It states that Muslims including the Shi'I Muslims gather in nation-states including Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, while the Alawis Muslims gather in Syria, and the Alevis Muslims gather in Turkey. It also mentions that the Shi'i Muslims is a more intense and focused class of Islam.