Our Mission

Muftah launched in May 2010 to provide incisive analysis on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) that eschewed Western obsessions with terrorism, oil, and Islamism and, instead, highlighted issues and concerns that mattered to the region’s people.

While we believe this work is crucial to improving foreign policy toward MENA, we also aim to move beyond the policymaking community to reach a broader audience in the MENA region and English-speaking world interested in understanding, supporting, or participating in the indigenous, grassroots efforts currently underway to transform regional countries. Our analytical focus also extends to Afghanistan and Pakistan, countries facing similar dynamics in the midst of rapid political and social change.

The Arab Spring has taught us that the key to positive political and social change lies at the intersection of various disciplines. With this philosophy in mind, Muftah features articles on the social sciences as well as on topics like art, culture, music, and innovation/entrepreneurship. By featuring analysis from a variety of different sectors, we hope to highlight the opportunities for socio-political change that exist at these inflection points, and to encourage those in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as those who care about the region, to adopt a more holistic approach to understanding and improving MENA.

Muftah is committed to fostering free and open debate about regional issues by featuring articles from diverse (sometimes conflicting) perspectives and working with a large and eclectic group of writers that include academics, practitioners, activists, and members of the MENA diasporas.

As the region continues to change and transform, we hope in a positive direction, we at Muftah are committed to evolving with it.