Gouya Roshan From Darkness to Light

Sit in your place.  In a political system, immunity can be necessary to guarantee the position and continuity of government. However, when it becomes a shield against accountability, its meaning changes. It no longer simply means protecting a position; it means creating a distance between a decision and its consequences. The greater this distance becomes, the more political responsibility is weakened. Those who make decisions but do not directly experience their consequences may gradually stop seeing war as a human catastrophe and instead view it as an instrument of foreign policy, a military option, or a bargaining tool. At this stage, the individual moves from being a “decision-maker” to becoming someone who “bears the cost of the decision.” Immunity does not eliminate responsibility overnight; rather, it gradually erodes it within the realm of power. When a leader can repeatedly make decisions and place the burden of their consequences on others, accountability gradually turns...

Saudi Arabia: Years of Anxiety Labeled as “Hostility” As an analyst, I believe it is my duty to examine the facts as objectively and impartially as possible, without any personal bias. However, sometimes the difference between analysis and prediction becomes apparent only with the passage of time. In 2010, I wrote an article about Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s growing influence in the Arab world. On the surface, the article focused on Turkey and Erdoğan; but at a deeper level, it revealed something else: the changing balance of power in the Middle East and the concerns of some countries in the region about Iran’s growing influence and power. At the time, the exact reasons for this anxiety were not clear to me. Was it hostility? Was it fear? Was it competition? Or was it something deeper? Today, sixteen years later, I can define it precisely: I have been concerned about Iran. I have been concerned about the circumstances arising from this country becoming a threat to Middle Eastern countries a...

America: A Lion Against the Weak, Fearful of the Powerful of the World—America   For years, the  United States presented itself as a global power capable of imposing sanctions, issuing threats, exerting pressure, and, when necessary, waging war. Many countries also knew that resisting Washington could come at a heavy price. But today's world is no longer like yesterday's. China is growing stronger every day. Russia, too, is forging its own path. Neither China waits for the approval of the United States, nor does Russia seek Washington's approval for its decisions. This is a reality that cannot be hidden by political propaganda. China is no longer a country that can be pushed back with a few threats and political directives. It is rapidly expanding its economic, industrial, technological, and military power and preparing for a future in which no one makes decisions for it. Despite extensive pressure and sanctions, Russia is also pursuing its own path. They are pursuing their...

 A World Indifferent to the Law In today’s world, almost everyone talks about the law; yet the world’s problem is not the absence of laws. Rather, the problem is that the law often loses its importance when compared with power. Governments have constitutions, sign international treaties, establish national and international courts, and defend justice and human rights in official declarations. Yet when the enforcement of the law conflicts with the political or security interests of a major power, the political discourse suddenly changes. What one person considers a “violation of the law” may be described by another as “necessity,” “national security,” or “exceptional circumstances.” This raises the fundamental question: If the law is not the same for everyone, what determines the boundary between law and power? The law, as long as it does not challenge power. In relations between countries, the law has always faced a fundamental problem: its enforcement is not as independent from po...

Atatürk’s View of Erdoğan’s Politics If Atatürk were alive today, he would probably pay more attention to Erdoğan’s achievements than to Erdoğan’s self-presentation. This distinction is extremely important because in politics, what a politician says about a historical figure does not always correspond to what that figure actually left behind. Erdoğan has known for years that he cannot erase Atatürk from Turkish history. Atatürk was not merely a president or a military commander; he was the founder of the Republic of Turkey and the leader of the party whose name and identity became inseparably linked to republicanism and secularism. Therefore, Erdoğan’s disagreement with Atatürk cannot be reduced to a few statements about personal respect or disrespect. The issue is deeper: Which aspects of Atatürk’s republic does Erdoğan agree with, and which does he seek to change? To understand this difference, we must turn to Atatürk himself, rather than to the interpretations that today’s politicia...

History Will Not Forget the Silence of Muslim Countries History has shown time and again that no single enemy can defeat a nation or a region on its own. Before walls collapse, cracks appear from within; before an enemy attacks, negligence, division, and irresponsibility pave the way. The enemy does not always lie in wait beyond the borders; sometimes, they hide in the opportunities we ourselves create through weakness, division, and poor decisions. A house whose guardians compete with one another instead of protecting it will sooner or later succumb to danger. Nations are no different. Their downfall does not always begin with an enemy attack; sometimes, it begins at the moment when those in power forget their historical responsibility. The Middle East today is the victim of a great historical tragedy. A region that was once a center of civilization, knowledge, trade, and culture in the world is now paying the price for years of war, division, and misguided political decisions. Of cou...

The Canadian Government: Generous to the World, Indifferent to Its Own People These days, the Canadian government seems to hear the applause of international organizations more clearly than the voices of its own citizens. Every few weeks, another announcement is made about billions of dollars in aid for another country, as though its foremost responsibility is solving the world's problems rather than addressing the hardships of the people whose taxes sustain this nation.   Yet all it takes is stepping outside government buildings and into the reality of everyday life. There, the inspiring slogans disappear. You see families struggling to pay their rent. You see young people who already believe they may never be able to own a home. You see seniors who, after a lifetime of work, anxiously examine their bills and medical expenses. Food bank lines continue to grow longer, and thousands of people, despite working full-time, have become dependent on food assistance simply to survive. Thi...