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Continuing our effort to compile a list of 10 books that introduce new readers to the Middle East, I think there's room for two about Islam. Obviously there are a lot to choose from and Islam stretches far wider than the Middle East – though, as I said earlier, it plays such a central role in the… Read more
Human Rights Watch had a spot of bother earlier this week over a press conference in Tunisia to introduce its latest report on the regime's harassment of critics:
"On March 22, the Minister for Communications, Oussama Romdhani, told Human Rights Watch that the government did not… Read more
Demonstrations continue in Yemen over the hotly contestedissue of child marriage. Yesterday, it was the turn of campaigners for a minimum age to gather outside the parliament building.
Roughly half of all girls in Yemen are married before the age of 18 – many of them before… Read more
Continuing our search for 10 books that provide a well-rounded introduction to the Middle East, let's turn to fiction. The choice here is partly determined by what's available in translation, and the British Council helpfully provides a list of current titles (including a small amount of poetry).
I… Read more
The authorities in Dubai have been getting themselves into a bit of a muddle over chefs who like to add a dash of alcohol to their recipes.
The Falafel Mafia blog notes that cooking with alcohol wasdeclared illegal in 2003. But there was little or no effort to enforce the ban until… Read more
The Egyptian government, which only last month assured the UNthat it would facilitate civil society activities and the ability of non-governmental organisations to act freely, now appears to be clamping down on NGOs in a big way.
Forty-one local organisations have condemned moves to rush… Read more
Last week I invited readers of this blog to help with a project that looks simple but is actually rather difficult: to compile a list of 10 books that would provide a well-rounded parameters and receiving quite a lot of
recommendations, I think it’s time to choose the first book: a… Read more
Yemen is in the throes of a heated political battle over a law that would ban child marriage. Viewed from afar, this is as much of a no-brainer as the American debate about health care. And yet, as in the US, the forces of resistance are strong.
Yesterday, supporters of child marriage took to the… Read more
Were the American neocons right about anything? If so, what?
Writing for Foreign Policy earlier this month, Stephen Cook (of the Council on Foreign Relations) argued that they were wrong about Iraq but right about Syria, Iran and democracy:
"The neocons' perspective on the nature of the… Read more
Yemen's special security court handed out jail sentences to two more southern activists yesterday.
Fady Hassan Baoum, a member of the opposition Socialist Party's poliburo was sentenced to five years for "inciting violence and hatred with the aim of undermining national unity".
Hussein… 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
