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Blog
This blog collects articles and ideas written or developed by Dr. Alaa Al-Tamimi, which he shares online in the hope of providing insight, knowledge, and in-depth thoughts on various topics.
Topics covered include personal writings, critical analyses, and intellectual exchanges, as well as reviews of works that marked his professional and personal life.
He discusses his experiences in Iraq and abroad, his public engagements, and his thoughts on reconstruction, urban planning, and education. He also reflects on key moments from his life in different countries and shares what he learned from the cultures he encountered along the way.

New York Elects a Muslim Mayor: When a City Triumphs for Its Idea, Not Its Identity
The election of Zohran Mamdani, a young Muslim, as the new Mayor of New York City was far more than a passing headline. It was a turning point in the story of a metropolis that has long represented the world in miniature — diverse, restless, and alive with contradiction. He is the first Muslim ever to hold this office and the youngest in nearly a century. Yet the deeper meaning lies not in the victory itself, but in what it says about a city’s maturity: that it can still choo
2 min read
Reading… the Elevation of Mind and Soul
💭 Friday Thought Dr. Alaa Al-Tamimi Reading is not a luxury, nor a pastime for those with idle hours. It is a command from Heaven — the very first word of revelation: Read. From that divine beginning, reading became the path to light, the gateway through which humanity ascends above instinct and ignorance. Do not say, I don’t like reading. The issue is not with reading itself, but that you have not yet discovered your field of passion. Seek it, and you will find that every p
2 min read
Strategy Is Always the Source of Strength
🧭 By Dr. Alaa Al-Tamimi October 2025 In international relations, strength does not lie solely in economic or military size, but rather in the ability to craft a coherent strategy that protects national interests and ensures sustainability. This truth is clearly reflected today in the ongoing tension between Canada and the United States over tariff policies, particularly on steel, aluminum, and electric vehicles. The United States, despite its enormous economic power, has rec
2 min read
Axioms and Interests: When Truth Bows to Utility
Axioms and Interests: When Truth Bows to Utility If geometric axioms were to clash with people’s interests, they would deny them. For “the people,” when spoken of in the abstract, dissolve into the mass — their diversity swallowed by number, and reason’s balance lost in the noise of advantage. Axioms cannot be refuted by experience, nor can intuition deny them. Yet, they may still bend before the will of utility, for interest holds a subtle power to shape both acceptance and
2 min read
Peace of Mind
Peace of Heart Between a Past Gone and a Future Yet to Come Do not carry the weight of yesterday on your shoulders, and do not race ahead...
1 min read
Meeting the Giants in Alaska
Meeting the Giants in Alaska... A Reception Fit for a Tsar These weren't the usual cold moments we're used to at leaders' meetings. The...
1 min read


The Doomsday Clock A Pendulum on the Edge
Sometimes, danger doesn't come in the form of an explosion, but rather approaches slowly, like a hand moving silently toward its end....
2 min read
When Iraq Chose to Stab Itself
On these days in the scorching month of August 1990, the Iraqi ruler lost his mind and rushed into a shocking decision to occupy a sister...
2 min read
Unforgettable cities and friends that are irreplaceable
Travel is not just a transition from one place to another but an inner passage, reconciling with memory, and rejuvenating oneself with...
2 min read


"Click-and-paste intellectuals": When culture is reduced to copy and paste
In a world where speed has overtaken contemplation, and quantity has overtaken quality, it has become easy for someone to claim culture...
2 min read


Pride in the language of democracy
On the night of the announcement of the results of the recent Canadian election, I watched the scene in front of my screen with rapt...
2 min read


Canada is not for sale… Carney and the cleverness of confronting Trump
During the recent meeting between US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House, Trump reiterated...
2 min read


The Gulf is one, but each shore has its own story.
Amidst the folds of history and the conflicts of the present, the Gulf is contested by names, just as nations contest it. To Arabs, it is...
2 min read


The Gulf is one, but each shore has its own story.
Amidst the folds of history and the conflicts of the present, the Gulf is contested over names, just as nations contest it. To Arabs, it...
2 min read


Pride in the Language of Democracy
On the night of the announcement of the results of the recent Canadian election, I watched the scene in front of my screen with rapt...
2 min read


Smiles after heated discussions: A scene from Canada ahead of the election
Dr. Alaa Al Tamimi Friday 18April 2025 Welcome. As I promised, we will meet every Friday to discuss some of the matters that concern many...
2 min read


When the city makes us happy
Have you ever considered how the appearance of your city affects your daily psychological state? How do the sidewalks, buildings, and...
3 min read
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