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12th July 2013
For the first time in any Arab country, an organisation of professional psychiatrists has publicly asserted that homosexuality is not a mental illness.
A statement issued yesterday by the Lebanese Psychiatric Society says:
“Homosexuality is not a mental disorder and does not need to be treated.
“… Read more
11th July 2013
Delighted at the overthrow of President Morsi, several Gulf monarchies have been swift to offer aid to Egypt. Saudi Arabia has pledged $5 billion, Kuwait $4 billion and the United Arab Emirates $3 billion.
Clearly, there is more to this than a simple desire to help Egypt through its economic… Read more
10th July 2013
The overthrow of President Morsi has prompted new debate about the future of Islamist movements in Egypt and beyond. To some, it signals the beginning of the end for political Islam. Writing in the London Review of Books, for instance, Hazem Kandil suggests“the country that invented Islamism may… Read more
9th July 2013
Syrians from more than 40 different organisations met in Beirut last month to consider what role civil society might play in resolving the country's crisis. With no sign of a swift end to the armed conflict, and with many governments uncertain how to respond to it, the conference also sought to… Read more
4th July 2013
It is a sad testament to the failure of Mohamed Morsi's presidency that his claim to remain in office has been based on right rather than merit.
Almost everyone accepts that he was legitimately elected, and that is certainly a strong point in his favour. But once a leader has been elected,… Read more
3rd July 2013
With the Egyptian army’s ultimatum due to expire this afternoon there are obvious reasons to be fearful. Yesterday’s outbreaks of street violence – at least 23 reported dead and some 200 injured in clashes between supporters and opponents of President Morsi – brought a taste of what could be in… Read more
2nd July 2013
For Egyptians who oppose the Muslim Brotherhood, the run-off in last year’s presidential election posed an unenviable choice. Much as they might dislike Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist candidate, the key question was whether they disliked him enough to vote for his opponent, Ahmed Shafik.
Shafik,… Read more
27th June 2013
A report issued by Human Rights Watch this week looks at abuse, torture and ill-treatment of people from marginalised social groups by the Lebanese Internal Security Forces. It is based on more than 50 interviews with people arrested for suspected drug use, sex work, or homosexuality over the past… Read more
26th June 2013
Research by the Institute of Criminology at Cambridge University has discovered alarmingly high levels of support for 'honour' killings among Jordanian teenagers.
Such crimes are a particular problem in Jordan, where government efforts to discourage them have met stiff… Read more
25th June 2013
The Emir of Qatar's abdication this morning (see text of his speech) is widely seen as a milestone – and rightly so. It breaks the long-standing Arab tradition of leaders who cling to power until the drop, or are forcibly removed from office.
Sheikh Hamad came to power in 1995, removing his… 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
