Blog archive all
15th September 2010
The New York Times has a report giving a few more details about the case of Ali Ahmad Asseri, the Saudi diplomat who is seeking asylum in the US on the grounds that he is gay. The Los Angeles Times also notes some negative reactions in the Arab media.
Writing in the Crossroads Arabia blog, John… Read more
14th September 2010
The international Friends of Yemen group must do more than fight terrorism and provide economic aid, Christophe Wilcke of Human Right Watch argues in an article for the Yemen Times.
"If Yemen’s friends don’t tie economic assistance to improvements in the country’s rapidly deteriorating human rights… Read more
13th September 2010
Saudi Arabia may be a miserable place to live, but it's not very often that a Saudi diplomat seeks refuge in the United States. The last time it happened was in 1994.
At the weekend, though, it emerged that Ali Ahmad Asseri, first secretary of the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles, has applied for… Read more
11th September 2010
Al-Qaeda's campaign to demoralise the security forces in souther Yemen has taken a new twist.
Following a series of assassinations of officers, the militants have issued a list of 55 names – 31 state security officers, 15 members of the judiciary police and nine members of military intelligence,… Read more
10th September 2010
The authorities in Bahrain have warned religious leaders not to "misuse" mosques during the coming parliamentary and municipal election campaign.
"All religious individuals who are standing in the elections will be prevented from speaking in mosques from the moment their application to run is… Read more
9th September 2010
Kuwait began recruiting women into its police force earlier this year and now has about 60. The move was highly controversial and is still opposed by some Islamist MPs.
One MP, Mohammed Hayef, was quoted as saying their role is "an abuse to the female identity, a violation of Islamic ethics and a… Read more
9th September 2010
In the continuing crackdown on dissent in Bahrain, the government has seized control of the Bahrain Human Rights Society, the Associated Press reports.
The organisation's director, Abdullah al-Derzai, has been dismissed and a replacement will be appointed temporarily, pending the election of a new… Read more
8th September 2010
The Gulf Cooperation Council – of which Bahrain is a member – has called on Britain to expel two Bahraini Shia opposition figures.
The pair – Hassan Mushaima of the Haq movement and Saeed al-Shehabi of the Bahrain Freedom Islamic Movement – are among 23 activists who were accused at the weekend of… Read more
7th September 2010
Tension in Bahrain ahead of the elections scheduled for next month.
Twenty-three people, reportedly Shia activists, have been accusedof "forming an illegal organisation" aiming to "overthrow the government and dissolve the constitution", inciting people to "overthrow and change the political… Read more
7th September 2010
Following the king's edict last month, Saudi Arabia is continuing its campaign against fatwas from unauthorised clerics. Asharq Alawsat reports that the kingdom's telecom regulator has shut down three websites for violating the royal decree:
Saad al-Shihri, an official at the Saudi Communications… Read more
ARAB ART ONLINE: Susan Hefuna: Al Sabr Gamil (Patience is Beautiful) 2007. Ink stained on wood 140 x 170 cm. More information | Click to enlarge
