Blog archive all
12th April 2011
More details have emerged in another "publishing false information" case – this time in Bahrain, where Mansoor al-Jamri, founder/editor of al-Wasat – the kingdom's only independent newspaper – wasforced to resign earlier this month. Since then, al-Wasat's content has become barely distinguishable… Read more
12th April 2011
Maikel Nabil, the Egyptian pacifist whose case I wrote about on April 5, has been sentenced to three years in jail for "publishing false information" and "insulting the armed forces".
His trial – of a kind that became common under the Mubarak regime – was the first since the revolution and featured… Read more
12th April 2011
The question "Where, exactly, is Syria heading?" continues to be the subject of much discussion. Writing for Time magazine, Beirut-based journalist Nicholas Blanford asks: "Can the Syrian regime divide and conquer its opposition?" He doesn't quite give an answer, but suggests the regime's current… Read more
11th April 2011
As part of his promised "reforms", President Assad recently set up a committee to look into the question of ending Syria's 48-year state of emergency.
The committee is not due to complete its work until April 25 but on Saturday the state-run television broadcast a panel discussion of the issue,… Read more
10th April 2011
The Saudi religious police are angry about the behaviour of Mirel Radoi, a Romanian footballer who plays for al-Hilal club and won the kingdom's Player of the Year award last June.
Radoi recently had a large cross tattooed on his right forearm and was seen kissing it during a match.
The… Read more
9th April 2011
The Syrian uprising entered its fourth week on Friday. Information about events on the ground remains sketchy, largely due to government restrictions on the media and the fact that protests are scattered across the country. But let's look at the broader picture and what it might mean for the Assad… Read more
7th April 2011
The "reforms" promised by Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, got under way on Wednesday with two measures obviously designed to placate religious elements.
One was the rescinding of a rule introduced only last July which had banned female teachers from wearing the niqab, or face veil.
The other… Read more
6th April 2011
President Salih has accepted an offer from the Gulf Cooperation Council to hold talks between himself and the Yemeni opposition in Saudi Arabia.
Opposition parties seem less enthusiastic about the idea – not surprisingly since three of the six GCC members (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman) have been… Read more
6th April 2011
Reporters in Jordan have been receiving phone calls and emails threatening physical harm unless they stop covering the reform movement in the kingdom, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
"The situation is no longer about censorship or repressive legislation – the danger has become… Read more
5th April 2011
The first freedom-of-expression trial since the fall of President Mubarak is expected to resume at a military court in Egypt on Wednesday.
Maikel Nabil Sanad (pictured above), a 25-year-old pacifist isaccused of insulting the military, spreading false information, and disturbing public security… 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
