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17th December 2010
Egypt continues to dispute that large numbers of Eritrean migrants are being held hostage in Sinai by human traffickers.
On Tuesday, foreign ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki described the reports as "fabrications" concocted by "dubious organisations" to stir up public opinion in Europe.
"We called… Read more
16th December 2010
The problem of Arab governments restricting the choice of namesthat can be given to children is an issue that I've discussed here before. It arises particularly among ethnic groups such as the Berbers in Morocco and the Kurds in Syria.
Human Rights Watch, which has been working on this issue in… Read more
16th December 2010
Discussing the Wikileaks cables relating to the Arab countries on his blog, Gary Sick of Columbia University writes:
A theme that is prevalent in all these diplomatic cables is the working assumption by the various host countries that the United States can solve their problems for them.
Those… Read more
16th December 2010
Dear Brian,
As a valued reader of MEMRI, you already know that producing and distributing MEMRI research while maintaining the numerous MEMRI websites is an increasingly costly undertaking ...
Indeed, I do know. MEMRI is losing money – lots of it – and this is the third email they have sent me in… Read more
14th December 2010
In the aftermath of Egypt's rigged election, Zakaria Azmy, the chief of Mubarak's presidential staff, is demanding legal action against al-Masry al-Youm newspaper for depicting members of parliament as cats and dogs.
Azmy, who is himself a member of parliament, says it's defamatory and insists… Read more
14th December 2010
An article in The Economist, talking about China's business relations with Saudi Arabia, mentions that the new Mashair railway (also known as the Mecca Metro) was built by the Chinese.
The dual-track railway, which links Mecca with the holy sites of Mina, Muzdalifah and Mount Arafat, opened in… Read more
13th December 2010
A total of seven Yemeni soldiers, including an army major, weretaken hostage by southern separatists in two incidents on Saturday and Sunday.
The kidnappers are apparently seeking to pressurise the authorities after a 25-year-old man, Fares Adbullah Saleh, was sentenced to death for two bombings.… Read more
13th December 2010
The Saudi Gazette reports on a bizarre legal battle that ensued after a 37-year-old woman from Madina asked permission to marry and her father refused – apparently on the grounds that her proposed husband was a foreigner from a neighbouring Arab country (even though he belonged to the same tribe… Read more
11th December 2010
What on earth has got into the head of Marc Franco, the EU's ambassador to Egypt? Writing for al-Ahram Weekly, in an article to mark Human Rights Day (December 10), he says:
Looking back over the last few years, it is only fair to say that Egypt has made courageous steps towards promoting a… Read more
10th December 2010
There is still no sign of the 250 African migrants who are reportedlyheld hostage by human traffickers in the Sinai desert of Egypt. The Egyptian authorities have expressed scepticism about the reports, though on Wednesday they did find 83 migrants who were trying to cross into Israel – and duly… 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
