Blog archive all
21st November 2012
Last week's riots could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for King Abdullah of Jordan. Gulf monarchs, nervous about any challenges to hereditary rule in the Arab region, are now looking at ways to prop up his throne. In the Financial Times [subscription] Simeon Kerr reports:
"Days after… Read more
19th November 2012
King Abdullah of Jordan paid tribute to his security forces yesterday while visiting injured officers in hospital: "They are our brothers and our sons, who displayed the highest level of professionalism, responsibility and wisdom in dealing with the recent events," he said.
Fifty-eight police… Read more
13th November 2012
Yesterday I wrote about the case of a five-year-old girl who was allegedly tortured to death by her father, a religious scholar who is described as a "well-known" TV preacher. I also wondered whether the authorities would investigate properly and take action against the father if the allegation… Read more
13th November 2012
As soon as Arabs started using the internet their rulers started hankering after ways to control it – almost invariably making themselves look silly and out-of-touch in the process.
Saudi Arabia, as might be expected, was one of the front-runners in internet paranoia and the kingdom's first rules… Read more
12th November 2012
There's a horrific story on al-Arabiya's website which claims that a Saudi religious scholar who is also a "well-known" TV preacher tortured his five-year-old daughter to death.
The girl died a few days ago in a Riyadh hospital "after weeks of suffering from broken arms, a skull fracture and head… Read more
12th November 2012
Mohammed al-Dahabi, a former head of Jordanian intelligence, has been sentenced to 13 years in jail for "embezzling public funds, money laundering and abuse of public office".
He has also been fined $30 million and ordered to return the $34 million he is said to have laundered and embezzled while… Read more
11th November 2012
Saudi Arabia's new interior minister, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, is "perceived as progressive, efficient and result-orientated"according to columnist Hussein Shobokshi. One test of that will be whether his ministry continues to pursue several Saudi rights activists who are currently facing… Read more
8th November 2012
Bahrain's decision to revoke the citizenship of 31 men – all of them reported to be Shia Muslims – is just one side of a discriminatory policy operated by the kingdom's Sunni rulers. The other side is that they readily grant citizenship to Sunni Muslims from a variety of countries… Read more
7th November 2012
The authorities in Bahrain have issued a list of 31 people who are to be stripped of their citizenship in an apparent punishment for opposing the regime.
The announcement, posted on the interior ministry's website earlier today, gave no specific reasons but the ministry said it was taking action… Read more
6th November 2012
The Islamic Action Front – the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan – has called on the government to prosecute "worshippers of demons".
The IAF's call for a crackdown came after protesters attacked a café in Amman which was holding a Halloween party last Thursday night.
About 200… 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
