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12th January 2010
After long delays, Morocco's first Amazigh (Berber) TV channel was launched last week. Initially, it is broadcasting six hours a day, and 10 hours a day at weekends, in the Tachelhit, Tarifit and Tamazight dialects.
I can't vouch for the quality of the programmes but nevertheless it's a very… Read more
12th January 2010
The niqab controversy in Egypt (see here and here) has taken a new twist, with some female students wearing surgical masks as a substitute for the banned face veil.
Al-Masry al-Youm says Cairo university "prohibits girls from wearing the masks as well [as niqab] because it sees it as an attempt to… Read more
11th January 2010
A court in the UAE has cleared Sheikh Issa bin Zayed Al Nayhan, brother of Abu Dhabi's ruler, of torturing a business associate.
A video which showed Sheikh Issa, assisted by men in uniform, torturing Afghan grain dealer Mohammed Shah Poor was widely circulated last year and was even broadcast on… Read more
11th January 2010
An editorial in the Washington Post at the weekend argued in favour of sustained, long-term – and probably expensive – American support for Yemen. So far, so good, but several things bother me about this editorial.
First, the headline: "Why it's wrong to rule out nation-building in Yemen". Maybe… Read more
11th January 2010
An Egyptian women's rights group has rejected a proposal to intoduce women-only taxis in Alexandria.
The Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights says the idea is a legal, religious and social setback, as well as a violation of international agreements against discrimination.
The organisation is also… Read more
9th January 2010
The government of ex-general Ould Abdel Aziz, who seized power in Mauritania in 2008 and then won a questionable election last July, has come up with a new law against terrorism.
Ould Abdel Aziz is generally given an easy ride internationally – easier than he deserves – because, as the Associated… Read more
8th January 2010
It's an unfortunate fact of life that whenever Yemen becomes front-page news, sensible commentary about the country becomes harder to find.
Here, though, are two pieces worth reading. One is from Kevin Drum at Mother Jones. The other – appropriately headed "Aiding Yemen or aiding Saleh?" – is from… Read more
8th January 2010
Following the drive-by shootings in Nag Hammadi on Tuesday night, Coptic Christians marked their Christmas Day by going on the rampage yesterday. Here is the New York Times' account.
Once again, though, it is the Emirates-based paper, The National, which has the most perceptive reporting in English… Read more
8th January 2010
You may find it entirely unsurprising – and perhaps uninteresting too – to learn that until last year no Saudi royal had ever performed in a music video.
But that was before Prince Faisal bin Mansour bin Thunayan Al Saud, who previously "worked" as a bodybuilder and motorcyclist decided to embark… Read more
7th January 2010
Seven people were shot dead outside a church in upper Egypt late last night following a mass to celebrate the Coptic Christmas. Al-Jazeera says three men in a car drove past and opened fire with machineguns in Nag Hammadi, 40 miles from Luxor.
A local bishop was quoted as saying he and members of… 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
