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Last Thursday the Yemeni government congratulated itself on a
series of raids which reportedly killed 34 al-Qaida terrorists and led to the arrests of 17 more. The raids were said to have foiled a series of suicide attacks.
President Obama even phoned President Salih and … Read more
An Egyptian member of parliament has filed a lawsuit against a female journalist over a newspaper article headed “My four husbands and I”.
Writing in the independent daily, al-Masri al-Youm (here, in Arabic), Nadine al-Bedair asked why Muslim men are allowed to have more than one wife,… Read more
Decision-making in authoritarian regimes can be a lot more complicated than it looks. The idea that dictators simply dictate is often wide of the mark: they may not care much about public opinion but they do have to juggle with conflicting demands inside their own power base, and sometimes they can… Read more
The problem of Arabic literature is a lack of readers rather than writers, Rasheed el-Enany, professor of modern Arabic literature at Exeter university, says in an interview with the Egyptian newspaper, al-Masri al-Youm.
Fiction is flourishing, often in unexpected places like Iraq and Saudi Arabia… Read more
Last week Sheikh Ahmed al-Ghamdi, head of the religious police in Mecca, gave an extraordinary interview to the Saudi newspaper, Okaz. In fact, it was so extraordinary that I decided not to write about it at the time, imagining the sheikh’s remarks must have been misquoted or at least taken out of… Read more
A blogger and the owner of an internet cafe have been jailed in Morocco. The blogger, Bashir Hazzam, was sentenced to four months for "disseminating false information harmful to the kingdom's image concerning human rights".
He was arrested after publishing a statement on his blog from students… Read more
Human Rights Watch yesterday issued a report on abuses by security forces in connection with the protest demonstrations in southern Yemen. It also details harassment of journalists attempting to cover the protests.
Here is part of the report's summary:
The security forces, and Central… Read more
President Ali Abdullah Salih of Yemen has now set a date for the start of a "national dialogue" on "all the issues that concern the homeland". It is to begin on December 26 and will be held under the auspices of the Shura Council – the presidentailly-appointed upper house of parliament.
In a speech… Read more
Among the objects on sale at the British Museum shop in London are miniature reproductions of the Rosetta Stone, along with Rosetta Stone bags, Rosetta Stone neckties, Rosetta Stone mugs, Rosetta Stone teatowels, even Rosetta Stone umbrellas.
All that could stop if Zahi Hawass, head of… Read more
I haven't written about the Yemeni-Saudi-Houthi war for a while, mainly because it's so difficult to work out what is really going on. The Saudis, who became heavily involved early last month, continue to claim success after success against the rebels, though as the Washington Institute … 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
