Middle East
World Footprints speaks with Ayesha Tanzeem, Voice of America (VOA) Bureau Chief for Pakistan and Afghanistan, to discuss the region's COVID-19 response and challenges. Ayesha shares information not widely reported outside the Middle East, offering enlightening insights into the pandemic's impact.
Picture this: You are in Aleppo, standing in front of what is left of your house. You are reeling with the loss of your mother, your father, your brother, or if the world is particularly cruel, more than one family member. An edgily dressed 19-year-old British boy on his gap year comes up to you and, instead of offering help, asks if he can take a picture with his expensive camera. You gawk in disbelief and struggle to comprehend why someone whose government was involved in the war is standing before you, asking for a piece of your dignity.
The reddish-pink ramparts around the Marrakech medina enclose a thousand years of history. The Almoravids, a confederation of Berber tribes, conquered North Africa and Muslim Spain in the 11th and 12th centuries and established Marrakech as their capital. The new city became a thriving political and economic center, as well as a multicultural and multiethnic crossroads.
