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15th May 2010
The repression of Muslims with unorthodox religious views continues in Egypt. Following the absurd ban on Sufi dhikr ceremonies a couple of weeks ago, there's news that nine followers of the Ahmadiyya sect have been held in jail for the last two months under Egypt's controversial "emergency" law.
A… Read more
14th May 2010
More than 2,200 Yemenis have tied the knot during the past month at a series of mass weddings funded by Saudi businessmen and various charities, Arab News reports:
"Each groom is given 65,000 Yemeni rials ($290), a gold necklace, a ring and clothes. Another 30,000 rials ($133) and a meal for 300 is… Read more
14th May 2010
The UN Human Rights Council has been looking at Kuwait this month under its periodic review system. As is now customary at these sessions, the Kuwaiti minister of social affairs, Mohammad al-Afasi, gave an upbeat assessment of the country's human rights achievements and its future good intentions.… Read more
14th May 2010
Writing for Salon, Joe Conason is the latest to take a swipe at the US government's disastrous and hugely expensive Arabic-language TV channel, al-Hurra:
Having started as an arm of the Bush administration "democracy campaign" – with its founding chairman handpicked by Karl Rove – al-Hurra has… Read more
13th May 2010
There are no political prisoners in Yemen, justice minister Ghazi al-Aghbari claimed yesterday. He was speaking to a technical team from the international "Friends of Yemen" group who had come to look at issues of justice and security.
This is ridiculous, as Jane Novak points out in her blog:
The… Read more
12th May 2010
Hot on the heels of efforts by the musicians' union to stop Elton John performing in Egypt because of his sexuality and his views on religion, the Moroccan Justice and Development Party has got in on the act too.
The Islamist movement wants to ban him from the Mawazine Festival in Rabat on May 26,… Read more
12th May 2010
In an apparent attempt to release Faris Mana'a, Yemen's top arms dealer (now under arrest), his relatives opened fireyesterday on a police convoy taking him to court. The driver of a passing mini-bus was killed.
Mana'a served for some time as head of the committee mediating between the Yemeni… Read more
12th May 2010
In a rare burst of public relations activity yesterday, the Egyptian embassy in London circulated emails to journalists about the latest extension of the country's emergency law which has been in place since 1967 (apart from a short break around 1980).
For several years the government has been… Read more
11th May 2010
There were angry scenes in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdish region, on Monday when students protested against the abduction and murder of Sardasht Osman, a 23-year-old freelance journalist. More demonstrations are expected today in Sulaimaniya.
Many are blaming his killing on the Kurdish… Read more
11th May 2010
Next Sunday, May 16, is the International Day Against Homophobia, or Idaho for short. Uniquely among the Arab countries, it will be observed in Beirut (as it has been for several years now).
Rather controversially, the title of this year's Idaho event in Lebanon is "Ana Shaz" ("I am queer… 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
