From Dallas, Texas, Patrick O. Strickland is an independent journalist whose work regularly appears on the Middle East Eye and Al Jazeera English, among others. Covering the Middle East and North Africa since 2011, his multi-platform reportage focuses on human rights and social justice. His writing can be found at www.postrickland.com.

Nouri Verghese is a freelance journalist, who has previously worked for Al Jazeera. Nouri holds MPhil in Middle East Studies from Oxford University. @NouriVerghese