Shirin Jaafari is a reporter for The World focusing on the Middle East. She has covered conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine. Her reporting focuses on current events, politics, conflict and human rights. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Harvard’s Extension School. Before joining The World, Shirin worked for the BBC in Washington, DC. Shirin was a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2009 and she received an honorable mention from the Gracie Award in 2022 for her coverage of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.When not filing for radio, she can be found hiking and camping in the mountains.You can find her on Twitter @Shirinj.
‘We have no future’: A Syrian woman speaks about her life with an American ISIS member
When the terrorist group ISIS emerged in Syria in the last decade, some 30,000 foreign fighters went to Syria to fight for the group. Most were from Europe and Asia. About 300 Americans joined or attempted to join ISIS, including one woman who was married to an American ISIS fighter.
Residents in northeastern Syria react to recent attacks on US bases
About 900 American forces stationed in Northeast Syria have been attacked by militia forces in neighboring Iraq. The Americans act as a deterrence against ISIS and Turkey, both of which consider the Kurds in northeast Syria as their enemy. The residents in this area are on edge about the recent militia attacks and the possibility of a US withdrawal.
‘Dining with the Sultan’: A unique exhibit explores the fine art of feasting in historic Islamic lands
A new exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art takes visitors on a journey to explore food and art through the Middle East and beyond. It includes recipes by an Iranian American chef dating back to 10th-century Baghdad and artwork influenced by different cultures.
Christians in Gaza fear for their tiny community amid strikes on churches
Christians make up about 1,000 of the roughly 2 million people in Gaza but they have deep connections to the land. So far, 2% of the Christian population has been killed; and members of the community worry this could be the end of Christian presence in Gaza.
As Israel-Hamas war continues, there are signs of growing sympathy for Hamas in neighboring Jordan
The war in Gaza has entered its third month. In neighboring Jordan, the suffering in Gaza has led to a rise in an expression of support for Hamas. Many people in Jordan are Palestinians whose ancestors fled or were driven from what is now Israel. Hamas, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the US, doesn’t have an official representation in Jordan. But some tribal leaders are saying it’s time it did.
