Have you ever wondered what it would be like if the media talked about events in Europe like it does in the Middle East? Well, wonder no more, as Twitter user Hayder al-Khoei has provided the type of "in-depth" analysis of this weekend's Euro 2016 clashes in France that is usually reserved for the Middle East.
Khoei is research director at the Centre for Academic Shia Studies. Just last week, he wrote a commentary for CNN, warning that the media was oversimplifying the situation in Iraq by framing it as a solely sectarian battle:
It is not surprising that much of the regional media portray the events in Falluja as part of a broader sectarian war, especially when this serves the political agendas of governments that control these outlets. However, Western media coverage should be much more nuanced and sophisticated and not play into ISIS' hands who desperately want to make this a black-and-white sectarian war.
Turning the tables and suggesting the riots in Marseille, which left at least 20 hospitalized after England and Russia fans clashed, were related to broader historical and modern conflicts resonated with many people on social media, with Khoei's posts going viral and being highlighted in a number of international media outlets.
