Shahla Omar

Omar

Shahla is a journalist and news editor at The New Arab. She holds a BA in French and an MSc in International History. She worked for two years as a news and features writer and editor in Iraqi Kurdistan, before joining The New Arab in 2021.

Areas of focus: Kurdish issues, Iraq, migration, sports

Follow her on Twitter: @shahlasomar

Theatre play Ostan on asylum, profit over lives & 'Kurdishness'

Arzhang Pezhman's play Ostan powerfully explores the struggles of Kurdish asylum seekers in the UK against a backdrop of political indifference and exploitation

03 October, 2024

Meet Gaza Sunbirds, Palestine's first ever para-cycling team

Gaza Sunbirds, Palestine’s first ever para-cycling team, persist in their quest to compete internationally despite Israel's ongoing war on Gaza

30 August, 2024

Germany's citizenship law: A crackdown on pro-Palestine support?

In-depth: Critics say the new law targets Arab and Muslim migrants against a backdrop of Germany's increasing censorship of pro-Palestine expression.

14 August, 2024

How Germany silenced pro-Palestine activists during the Euros

In-depth: Authorities in Germany used arbitrary and often illiberal measures to suppress Palestine solidarity activism during the football tournament.

25 July, 2024

Who are the MENA/SWANA women competing at the Paris Olympics?

Facing oppression at home, female athletes from Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia prepare to make their mark at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.

24 July, 2024

Sudanese-American rapper Oddisee on music, family, and Sudan war

The New Arab Meets: Rapper and producer Oddisee who reflects on his flourishing music career while sharing stories of his father's resilience in war-torn Sudan.

28 June, 2024

Euro 2024: Morocco's diaspora stars caught between two homelands

In-depth: The trend of diaspora footballers choosing Morocco over the national teams of the countries they were born in shows no sign of slowing down.

26 June, 2024

Euro 2024: How will Germany police pro-Palestinian expression?

Analysis: Vague UEFA guidelines and heavy-handed crackdown by police will meet those wishing to express solidarity with Palestine at Euro 2024 in Germany.

14 June, 2024

Why Amedspor's Turkish league win is about more than football

In-depth: A league win is a moment to savour for any club. But for Amedspor, so often vilified and subject to racial violence, victory is all the more sweet.

23 May, 2024

London vigil mourns Gaza's slain health workers, journalists

Dozens of people attended a vigil near 10 Downing Street that mourned health workers and journalists killed during Israel's war on Gaza.

30 December, 2023