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A vigilante group calling itself the Private Deterrent Force claims to have seized 12 gay men in Libya and is reportedly threatening to kill them.
A photograph (above) posted on the group's Facebook page shows the men with their heads covered and their hands up, facing a wall.
A note… Read more
There was a flurry of media interest earlier this year over women's participation in the Libyan elections. In May, Najat Kikhia, who teaches statistics at Benghazi University, became the only female member of the city's council and the first woman elected to public office. She secured… Read more
With events in Gaza dominating the news from the Middle East, the long-running conflict in Syria has slid down in the headlines. To the extent that Syria is being reported at all, the main story for several days has been of political wrangling over leadership of the opposition.
This is… Read more
Opening the latest session of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva on Monday, Navi Pillay, the High Commissioner, gave a wide-ranging progress report which included a section on Bahrain.
The human rights situation in Bahrain remains an issue of serious concern, she said, adding:
"I… Read more
In the debate on Syria at the UN General Assembly last week, Bashar al-Jaafari, the Syrian representative, hit back at Arab Gulf states which have lined up against the Assad regime, accusing them of dishonest motives. To quote the Syrian government news agency's report of his speech ...
"… Read more
Following last week's assassination of several key figures, there are signs that the Assad regime is beginning to feel seriously threatened. It has taken the unprecedented step of warning the public that two of its most central institutions – the Republican Guard and the state TV – should be viewed… Read more
So, is it a civil war or not? This question has dominated much of the public discussion about Syria over the last couple of days. Some say it is a civil war and some say it isn't, while others warn that if it isn't a civil war already it's going to become one very soon.
"Civil war", of course, is… Read more
President Assad, like all dictators, is fond of talking about sovereignty. "Our guiding light is always Syria's sovereignty," he said in his speech on Monday.
Sovereignty is indeed at the heart of the Syrian conflict, but not in the way that Assad imagines it. When Assad claims… Read more
How does this sound as a way to end the conflict in Syria?
Step one: The Syrian parliament grants immunity from prosecution to President Assad and his closest associates.
Step two: Assad resigns as Syria's president but remains head of the Baath party,… Read more
Egypt claims to have succeeded in blocking discussion of "health care issues concerning the homosexual community" at the World Health Organisation's board meeting on 29-30 May.
According to health minister Mostafa Hamed, Egypt was joined by other member states of the Eastern… 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
