Blog archive all
5th November 2012
Despite a government ban on public gatherings of more than 20 people, thousands of Kuwaiti protesters succeeded in blocking the capital's outer ring road briefly before riot police confronted them with stun grenades and teargas yesterday.
AFP reports:
After elite special forces and police… Read more
3rd November 2012
In the first of the "Arab Spring" countries – Tunisia and Egypt – political debate now centres on the drafting of a new constitution. In both cases there is much discussion about the role of Islam in relation to the state and the rights of women (here and here, for example). But there is far less… Read more
3rd November 2012
In a report from Yemen, Leila al-Fuhaidi of AFP highlights an unusual practice that can lead to happily married couples being forced to divorce.
The practice – found mainly in rural areas – involves an "exchange" marriage known as sheghar, where two men from different families each marry the other'… Read more
2nd November 2012
Mussallam al-Barrak, a prominent opposition figure in Kuwait, has been released on bail of 10,000 dinars ($35,500) after thousands of protesters marched on the prison where he was being held and police responded with teargas and smoke bombs.
Barrack was arrested last Monday on charges of "… Read more
1st November 2012
The United States has now joined in the criticism of Bahrain's decision to ban all public gatherings. State Department spokesman Mark Toner began yesterday's daily media briefing with the following statement (which broadly echoes the British statement quoted here in a blog post yesterday):
"The… Read more
1st November 2012
Seven men have been arrested in Cairo on charges of belonging to a “debauchery” network.
The men, aged between 20 and 31, are said to have been in possession of “underwear, cosmetics, wigs and a number of bottles of liquor”, and a judge has ordered them to be sent to Heliopolis Hospital to be… Read more
31st October 2012
Less than two weeks after attracting international derision by arresting four young men for "insulting" the king on Twitter, the government of Bahrain is digging itself into another hole – this time by imposing a blanket ban on demonstrations.
A statement from the interior minister said:
"Many… Read more
31st October 2012
Is it right for Islamic scholars to ride motorbikes? To most people, this is a question of no consequence whatsoever – though not in Saudi Arabia.
During the recent hajj, Sheikh Salman al-Ouda (a somewhat controversial figure) was seen vrooming around on two wheels in an effort to avoid the traffic… Read more
30th October 2012
Verbal duelling between poets is an ancient Arabian tradition dating back to pre-Islamic times. Saad Abdullah Sowayan describes its customary form:
"A duelling match involves two poets ... The first poet steps forward and improvises two verses in which he greets the assembled audience and ... at… Read more
29th October 2012
Syria is increasingly becoming a battleground for Iraq's internal politics as Sunni and Shia elements from Iraq join the fray on opposite sides.
The influx of Sunni militants into Syria from across its eastern border has been widely reported, but we have heard far less about their Shia equivalent… 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
