Blog archive all
2nd June 2010
Egypt opened its border with Gaza yesterday in a move which is "seen as a response to increasing Arab anger at what is perceived as Egyptian complicity in the [Israeli] blockade" (as the Guardian puts it).
The decision followed demonstrations in Cairo on Monday and may take some of the heat out of… Read more
2nd June 2010
The Saudi government has begun issuing new papers for marriage contracts which will require the age of the bride to be recorded. Arab News reports:
“The new marriage contracts represent a serious step to prevent the marriage of young girls,” said sources at the ministry. “There is a serious drive… Read more
1st June 2010
Israel's assault on the humanitarian aid flotilla brought protesters on to the streets in numerous western countries yesterday, with demonstrations in Washington, London, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, Greece, Cyprus – and of course Turkey which seems to have suffered the brunt of the casualties. In… Read more
30th May 2010
An interesting variant on that hoary old tale of Muslims who cut open aubergines, tomatoes, etc, and find the word "Allah" miraculously inscribed in Arabic by the arrangement of the seeds.
Now, the Yemen Observer reports a similar miracle of a more secular kind: a 32-year-old man who has a… Read more
30th May 2010
The family of Suzanne Tamim, the murdered Lebanese pop star, have dropped their civil claim against her alleged killers, according to numerous reports (The National, Reuters, AFP, etc).
Hisham Talat Mustafa, an Egyptian property magnate who is close to the Mubarak regime, was convicted of her… Read more
28th May 2010
A story of a kind that's all too familiar in the Middle East. Last Friday night, an altercation broke out between two motorists in the streets of Rabat, right in front of the parliament building. In the ensuing scuffle, one of the motorists (a local doctor) was injured.
The police swiftly… Read more
27th May 2010
Khadija Ahmed, a 32-year-old mother who owns what is thought to be Bahrain's first sex shop (discreetly known as "Khadija Fashion House"), was up in court on Monday, accused of insulting a customs officer during a dispute over the types of items she is allowed to import. The case was adjourned… Read more
27th May 2010
Tens of thousands of Moroccans saw Elton John perform at a free concert in Rabat last night. Despite earlier opposition from Islamists on the grounds of his sexuality, no violence was reported, though security was tight.
The Associated Press describes the event as a "litmus test" for Morocco's… Read more
27th May 2010
The International Crisis Group issued a strongly-worded reportyesterday on the Sunni community in Lebanon and the Hariri family's Future movement. In order to combat sectarianism, it says, prime minister Saad Hariri will have to "relinquish his de facto position as Sunni leader" and turn the Future… Read more
26th May 2010
Another disastrous airstrike in Yemen aimed at al-Qaeda accidentally killed the deputy governor of Marib province along with his bodyguards yesterday.
The deputy governor, Jaber al-Shabwani, was reportedly "on a mediation mission to persuade al-Qaeda elements to hand themselves over to the… 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
