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.
‘Guantanamo on an epic scale’: Life inside ISIS detention camps in Syria
ISIS still conducts large-scale attacks like the one in Russia last month that killed about 130 people. In Syria, where the group originated, it continues to be active. One strategy to contain ISIS has been to hold thousands of people in detention camps in northeastern Syria.
‘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.
‘We saw an immediate drop’: Jordan’s tourism industry is suffering amid the Israel-Hamas war
Jordan’s economy relies heavily on tourism but since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October and the ongoing war in Gaza, tourism in the country has slowed down. This is also the case in other countries in the region, including Israel itself, Lebanon and Egypt.