This dissertation provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of the ethno-religious complexities of Iraq and Syria (past and present), followed by an explorative analysis in order to determine whether ethno-religious partition would increase the political stability in both countries.

A reflective account of being Alone, Asian and Atheist in the Middle East

This chapter offers a critical inquiry of the current process of United Nations (UN)-Arab League mediation in the Syrian war, in order to explain the effectiveness and implications of international mediation as a non-kinetic (non-coercive) asset in strategies that address this war. The Syrian war is …

The aim of this small explorative study was to get an impression of the participants’ views and understanding of the role of becoming a teacher in Swedish schools, realising the characteristic of pedagogy aimed for in the curriculum (in Lgr11 and Lgy), specifically the interaction patterns and student …

Since the announcement of the establishment of the Islamic ‘caliphate’ in the Middle East on June 29 2014, the number of people leaving Western European countries to join the ISIS military has dramatically increased. It is estimated that over 1,430 French, around 700 British and at least 180 Dutch nationals …

Statelessness is a universal problem, which affects more than ten million people worldwide. The UNHCR estimated that every 10 minutes a stateless child is born around the world. As a result of the conflict in Syria, more than 1 million Syrians have fled to neighbouring countries or to the EU. Nevertheless, …

Since 2011, over 500 Belgian nationals have become radicalised and left Belgium for a Jihadist conflict zone. The Brussel bombings, on the 22nd of March 2016 were carried out by two Belgian nationals who were also returning Jihadists. This dissertation explores whether Belgium can improve its current …

An estimated 6,000 EU citizens have left their home country to join the terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS) in battle. The Netherlands has contributed approximately 260 foreign fighters to IS since 2012. Several attacks on European ground, such as Brussels and Paris, have been carried out by foreign …

The number of displaced persons in the world has reached an exceedingly high amount. Due to conflicts and war in Syria, the number of displaced persons has increased. The European Union was not prepared for a refugee influx on this scale. Applications in The Netherlands are being delayed and the pressure …

Since its founding in 1948, North Korea has consistently been connected to committing crimes against humanity. The non-interventionist policies that were prevalent throughout the Cold War protected it from outside intervention. Indeed, any country could do as they pleased within its borders as state-sovereignty …