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A lengthy post on the Qifa Nabki blog tackles the sensitive question of Lebanon’s 400,000-plus Palestinian refugees – more than half of them living in camps:
The living conditions of these refugees – most of whom were born in Lebanon – is dismal. They have few civil rights; they… Read more
Writing in the Financial Times, Roula Khalaf calls for a rethink on Saudi policy towards Yemen, and the Houthi rebellion in particular. She argues that the Saudi bombing of Houthi positions is adding fuel to the fire and suggests the kingdom is “allowing its resentment of Iran to cloud… Read more
Overshadowed by the war in the north of Yemen, separatist violence continues at a lower level in the south.
A fuel truck was hijacked in al-Habilain district of Lahej province on Tuesday, according to government media. In Dhali’ (Dalea), also on Tuesday, a military supply vehicle… Read more
Just to put my recent criticisms of Obama’s foreign policy in context, it’s worth recalling that a different result in the US election would have brought Sarah Palin within a heartbeat of the presidency. Here she is, expounding on the Israel-Palestine question:
I believe that the Jewish… Read more
Qatar's reputation as the least corrupt of the Arab states is further enhanced in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index issued by Transparency International. It has moved up to 22nd place out among the 180 countries included in the annual survey – which puts it ahead of France and only… Read more
After respectfully bowing to the emperor of Japan last week, President Obama travelled on to China where both countries agreed that "the fundamental principle of respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity" was at the core of China-US relations.
Obama is big on respect. Speaking… Read more
It is now two weeks since Saudi forces first clashed with Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Jabal al-Dukhan (the “Mountain of Smoke”) which straddles the border. Since then, what at first looked like a minor skirmish has turned into a large-scale – and possibly long-term – military operation by… Read more
A young man from Qassim province in Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to eight months in jail with 300 lashes for meeting an unrelated woman.
The couple, who have not been named, made contact online then met at a well-known restaurant in Riyadh, according to al-Jazirah newspaper (in Arabic… Read more
When it comes to corruption, the Arab region is second only to Africa. Arab governments like to give the impression they are doing something about it, even though in most cases government corruption is a large part of the problem.
With the exception of Oman and Somalia, all Arab states have… Read more
Suddenly, just about everyone (at least among the Sunni elements in the Middle East) is lining up to support Yemen and Saudi Arabia in their war with the Houthi rebels – even al-Qaeda.
“We have a war of rhetoric and a lot of people with vested interest want to make this into a proxy fight [… 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
