Blog archive all
11th September 2014
This is an extract from the book Arabs Without God, by Brian Whitaker
IN THE PALESTINIAN town of Qalqilya, 25-year-old Waleed al-Husseini hit on an amusing if irreverent idea. He decided it was time for God to have a Facebook page - and set about creating one. He called it Ana… Read more
6th September 2014
Loai Mohammed Deeb: ran a university from his home
The Scandinavian University, established in Norway in 2007 and closed three years later, boasted of having 175 professors and more than 300 lecturers, plus a wide range of courses stretching from engineering and economics to sharia and Islamic… Read more
4th September 2014
Libya's Constitutional Drafting Assembly has set up an online poll asking people what system of government they would prefer – monarchical, presidential or parliamentary – and the results, if they reflect public opinion at all accurately, are rather alarming.
With more than 23,000 votes cast so far… Read more
4th September 2014
Two British men have been reported missing after travelling to Qatar to investigate the treatment of Nepalese migrant workers there. The assumption is that the Qatari authorities did not like what they were doing, and arrested them.
Migrant workers in Qatar, especially in the construction industry… Read more
1st September 2014
Towards the end of August, citizens of Mosul were invited to witness the city’s first death by stoning. Extremists who had taken over the city in early June had sentenced a man to death for adultery. Eyewitnesses say the event was shocking. And many in Mosul expect more of the same; they… Read more
24th August 2014
It is already very clear that combating ISIS and the "Islamic State" will be no easy task. It is not simply a matter of defeating an evil and particularly brutal fighting force, because the "Islamic State" is where a multiplicity of the Middle East's most deep-seated problems have come home to… Read more
22nd August 2014
Extremists are forcing Mosul's women to wear full facial veils
Mosul was always a conservative city when it came to women’s rights. However the Sunni Muslim extremists who took control of the town have made it even more difficult for females. Women must now wear facial veils and gloves and… Read more
20th August 2014
Just over a year ago I wrote a blog post about atheism in the Middle East and invited Arab non-believers to come forward with their stories. Several of them did.
I felt at the time that this would be a good topic for a book, so I embarked on further research and began seeking out more Arab atheists… Read more
20th August 2014
In the article below, Alex Russell looks at renewed debate in Morocco about one of the country's most important (but illicit) agricultural products. The article was first published by Muftah, a website which aims to cover issues and views that are under-represented in mainstream media.… Read more
14th August 2014
This is a guest post by L Carl Brown, emeritus professor of history at Princeton University.
Although mathematically challenged I have long been intrigued by the possibilities of clarifying foreign policy conundrums by a selective use of games theory. Consider the present debate… 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
