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10th April 2010
The authorities in Kuwait are cracking down on efforts to organise support for Mohamed ElBaradei among the emirate's large Egyptian community.
Three people were arrested earlier this week just hours before they were due to launch the Independent Campaign for Support of ElBaradei in Kuwait. … Read more
10th April 2010
My attempt to compile a Middle East reading list with help from followers of this blog generated a fair amount of interest last month. The list of 10 books was meant as a general introduction to the region but, as I recognised at the time, there are also a lot of worthwhile books dealing with… Read more
8th April 2010
A 12-year-old girl bled to death in Yemen as a result of sexual intercourse, three days after her wedding to a man in his twenties, Gulf News reports.
Elham Mahdi Shuee died at the hospital in Hajja. The Sisters Forum for Human Rights, an organisation which campaigns against child marriage, said… Read more
8th April 2010
In "Million's Poet", the TV talent contest for Arab poets that has been gripping millions of viewers in the Middle East, Nasser al Ajami, a 30-year-old Kuwaiti, walked away last night with the top prize of $1.36m.
Hissa Hilal, the controversial Saudi woman who recited her poems covered from head to… Read more
7th April 2010
You might have thought that government ministers in Yemen had more pressing things to worry about, but yesterday's cabinet meeting approved a new draft law concerning the national flag:
"The law, which consists of 18 articles, defines the status and specifications of the national flag and… Read more
7th April 2010
The suppression of protests by the 6 April movement in Cairo yesterday has attracted a lot of media coverage, so I'll just note it here. For reports, see: AP, BBC, Al-Masry al-Youm, The Majlis,Bikya Masr and Egyptian Chronicles (which has a collection of photos and video clips). There were also… Read more
7th April 2010
Apart from the attacks on demonstrators, there's another matter causing deep concern among the estimated 10 million Egyptians who regularly partake of hashish. It's in very short supply and prices have rocketed.
The government has even gone so far as to claim "the complete destruction of the… Read more
6th April 2010
According to reports circulating yesterday the leaders of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have "temporarily" decamped from Yemen and re-established their military base across the sea in Somalia.
If true, this is a major development. The Yemen Post, Sahwa.net, the Saudi Gazette and UPI give… Read more
6th April 2010
Here's an interesting example of the Mubarak propaganda machine at work. Egyptian Chronicles notes that Mohamed ElBaradei, a possible contender in next year's presidential election, has finally made it on to the front page of the semi-official al-Ahram newspaper.
The message is subtly delivered… Read more
5th April 2010
AFP is reporting that the Egyptian publisher who was arrested on Saturday – a few days after issuing a book supporting Mohamed ElBaradei, a possible candidate in next year's presidential election – has now been released.
The publisher, Ahmed Mahanna, was abducted during a dawn raidon his home. No… 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
