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ALLIA BUKHARI

JOURNALIST | PRODUCER |  FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT

SELECTED WORK

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Pakistan, Abraham Accords and the radical Islamist right

As US President Donald J. Trump announced the 20-point peace plan for Gaza in a presser alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 29 and invited world leaders in Sharm El Sheikh later to formalize the ceasefire, he mentioned a list of Muslim and Arab countries on board that backed his initiative for “peace in the Middle East.” A country to make it to the list, whose leaders also received a mention from the US President, was Pakistan. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif...
The new Arab •

How Berlin’s ‘Arab Street’ remembers Palestine

Walking along the nearly five-kilometre Sonnenallee, Berlin’s famed ‘Arab Street’, in the vibrant Neukölln district feels like being transported to the Middle East in the heart of Germany.

Ethnic stores, Arabic accents and restaurants offering Middle Eastern cuisine line up the street; halal meat signs catch the eye, as do the makeshift souvenir stalls and small businesses inviting visitors on a dull Berlin afternoon.

Palestinian flags, pro-Palestine banners with calls to protest and keffiyehs
TRT WORLD •

How Israel damages Palestine’s economy by limiting tourism in Jerusalem

Nabil Raz, a Palestinian entrepreneur, describes the business environment in Jerusalem as “a total collapse” over the past two years, exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis. Raz, who earns a living making products from olivewood, says he even had to relocate to Europe to sell his products. It was particularly upsetting because Jerusalem was once a major market for the items he sold.

“I could not work there anymore because I didn’t see any potential of tourists and other people buying my products. I

Pakistan must fight antisemitism as it takes on key mediating role

As Pakistan inched closer to mediating a deal between the United States and Iran in Islamabad last weekend following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire, an inflammatory, antisemitic and ill-timed tweet from Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif generated a strong backlash, ultimately leading to its deletion.
The post was also subsequently removed from his Facebook and Instagram accounts after, as sources claim, the civil and military leadership expressed dismay. In his remarks, Asif — w...
The new Arab •

Udi Raz: Berlin stepping up repression of pro-Palestine Jews

The German government and establishment are stepping up the repression of pro-Palestine Jews including Israelis, but it's all about anti-Arab/Muslim racism by proxy, says Udi Raz, a Jewish activist who spoke to in Berlin.

“Germany is very much engaged in an attempt to self-define itself through the exclusion of other minorities. In the 30s and 40s, it was the Jews, and now it is Muslims,” explained Raz, adding that Germany is eager to protect Jews but only to the extent that those Jews are also
The Diplomat •

Silent Battles: How Pakistani Women Counter Harassment in Cyberspace

“Unless these issues are addressed in the real world, they will continue to exist and increase in the online world.”

For 23-year-old Zarmeen Arif, social media has become a tool to not only voice opinions but also fight for the causes she firmly believes in. It is her escape from the usual, the mundane, and the ordinary. It gives her a sense of purpose and provides an unlimited set of opportunities to showcase creativity, from routinely sharing motivational videos on life to reviewing books and

The Israel factor in India-Pakistan crisis

As India and Pakistan, two nuclear rivals, agreed on a US-brokered ceasefire after going to nearly a full-fledged war in the build-up of tensions that spiked after an attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir on April 22, an outlier emerged during the crisis that both countries seemed myopically fixated upon, and could not help draw parallels with, Israel. Despite being miles away and not being a direct party to the India-Pakistan standoff, Israel became a hot point of discussion with regard to the natu...
The Diplomat •

Hong Kongers in Exile Fight for Their Truth – and Ukrainians

In the bustling Prague 7 district, an art exhibition takes place featuring work on the life and pro-democracy struggle of local activists and youth in Hong Kong. A white sculpture in the main hall, with goggles, umbrella, and a gas mask, catches the eye first. The attire, blended in white clay with the rest of the statue, is symbolic and was once donned by thousands of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong when the city was seeing waves of intense protests in 2019 and early 2020 – mainly in oppos
The new Arab •

How Gaza deepened the chasm between the West and 'the rest'

In the aftermath of 7th October attacks in Israel, the West showed its unwavering support for Tel Aviv’s onslaught on Gaza, backing its right to “defend itself” and defeat Hamas.

But now, with over 30,000 Palestinians now killed and thousands injured over the course of five months and as calls to end bloodshed in Gaza and implement a ceasefire become a rallying cry in protests across the globe, Western powers find them isolated on the international stage.

Now, Western powers are scrambling to

Sufi teachings to overcome Islamophobia in Berlin | The Express Tribune

For Feride Funda G. Gencaslan, a Turkish expat in Germany and the chairperson of community space Sufi Zentrum Rabbaniyah in Berlin, Sufism is the only form of expression that aesthetically symbolises the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Holy Quran. With the aim of teaching people the “right conduct” for a happy and fulfilling life, Gencaslan says, Sufism has the ability to enlighten people on individual and collective levels.

Citing Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari, the eponymous found
Shado Magazine •

‘I don’t know if they’re alive’: Uyghurs in Europe fear for families back home

It was during a human rights webinar when Uyghur activist Abdurehim Gheni first caught my attention. Abdurehim had shared a video during the live feed, with snippets about his activism and journey thus far, trying to bring attention to the plight of Uyghurs. He was calling upon the world to take action against China “before it’s too late” and demanding justice for the victims in East Turkestan, which included his relatives. I reached out to find out more about his story.

Abdurehim is currently
Middle East Monitor •

As Pakistan labels Israel’s PM a ‘terrorist’ it must keep its own extreme elements under control

The Pakistani government has officially decided to recognise Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “terrorist”, stating that Tel Aviv is an “entity committing war crimes.” Urging the international community to do the same, Islamabad cited the mass civilian casualties in Gaza, made up mainly of women and children, since October last year.
The move came after the radical Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan Party (TLP) held protests in the country, with activists protesting in the twin cities of Is...
The Diplomat •

Once Again, Pakistan’s Women’s March Is Targeted With a Vicious Smear Campaign

On March 8, dozens of Pakistani women in all major cities took to the streets to highlight discrimination, inequality, violence, abuse, and injustices against them and other marginalized communities in the country. Despite threats and right-wing attacks on the Aurat March last year, the demonstrators were resilient and undeterred in putting forward their demands, which emphasized prioritizing healthcare for women during the pandemic and ensuring protection against patriarchal violence among othe

Hope and hardship in Karachi’s Bengali enclave | The Express Tribune

Walking through the narrow alleys of her neighborhood in central Karachi, Salma, 36, shows around some houses and small businesses that belong to her acquaintances and relatives from the Bengali community in the heart of Karachi. Queues of people outside small convenience stores and makeshift shops catch the eye as you enter Zia Colony in Gulshan-e-Iqbal where a great number of Bengalis reside.

Reportedly, around three million Bengalis live in Pakistan (economictimes.indiatimes.com). The larges
EUobserver •

[Opinion] 'Discriminated, dehumanised' - Denmark's Syrian refugees

When Majdaleen Abu Naboot came to Denmark in September 2015, she was told she would be "safe" in the Scandinavian country.

New set of opportunities, a secure future and some friends. Naboot was hopeful and at last succeeded in starting a new life in Denmark over the past six years, leaving behind a tumultuous past marred by horrors of civil war in Syria.

Student or retired? Then this plan is for you.

But now a cloud of fear and uncertainty looms over her head again as her newly constructed li

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