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Less than two weeks after attracting international derision by arresting four young men for "insulting" the king on Twitter, the government of Bahrain is digging itself into another hole – this time by imposing a blanket ban on demonstrations.
A statement from the interior minister said:
"Many… Read more
Is it right for Islamic scholars to ride motorbikes? To most people, this is a question of no consequence whatsoever – though not in Saudi Arabia.
During the recent hajj, Sheikh Salman al-Ouda (a somewhat controversial figure) was seen vrooming around on two wheels in an effort to avoid the traffic… Read more
Verbal duelling between poets is an ancient Arabian tradition dating back to pre-Islamic times. Saad Abdullah Sowayan describes its customary form:
"A duelling match involves two poets ... The first poet steps forward and improvises two verses in which he greets the assembled audience and ...… Read more
Syria is increasingly becoming a battleground for Iraq's internal politics as Sunni and Shia elements from Iraq join the fray on opposite sides.
The influx of Sunni militants into Syria from across its eastern border has been widely reported, but we have heard far less about their Shia equivalent… Read more
While encouraging the uprising against President Assad's dictatorship in Syria, the Saudi authorities remain very wary of any demonstrations on their own soil.
Small anti-Assad protests popped up last week during the hajj and there were also occasional glimpses of pilgrims waving Syrian… Read more
On Friday morning Lakhdar Brahimi, the international envoy who is trying to broker a truce in Syria, warned: "This conflict, label it as you wish, if it continues, will not be limited to the Syrian borders."
By Friday afternoon it appeared that Brahimi's prophecy was being fulfilled when a… Read more
By arresting four young men for "misuse of social media" the Bahraini authorities have embarked on a battle that ultimately they are bound to lose.
The four have been charged (in the words of the interior ministry) with "defaming public figures" – an apparent use of the royal pluralsince… Read more
Arab films, if they are shown in Britain at all, tend to be of the "art" variety. But last month, in a refreshing break from that tradition, the Arab British Centre, in conjunction with the ICA, organised a programme of popular films – the sort that ordinary Arabs watch. As the blurb put it ...
"… Read more
A no-fly zone may yet be established in Syria – not imposed by foreign powers but through the efforts of rebel fighters on the ground. Air power is almost the only area of the conflict where the Assad regime still has a clear advantage, and the rebels are now beginning to challenge that.
The… Read more
Photograph of the abducted men posted on Facebook
The Libyan militia that abducted 12 allegedly gay men at a party in Tripoli last week is planning to hand them over to the Ministry of Justice, the Libya Herald reports, allaying earlier fears that the men would be… 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
