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The decline of GNRD, the strange NGO-type organisation linked to the United Arab Emirates, continued this week when its accreditation at the European Parliament expired.
In its heyday, GNRD had 15 people registered for lobbying purposes in Brussels, with permits granting them access to the EU… Read more
A survey of attitudes among British Muslims has been generating controversy this week. The survey's aim, in the words of Channel 4 who commissioned it, was "to get a better understanding of British Muslims’ attitudes to living in Britain and British institutions".
Much of the subsequent media… Read more
A survey of attitudes among British Muslims has been generating controversy this week. The survey's aim, in the words of Channel 4 who commissioned it, was "to get a better understanding of British Muslims’ attitudes to living in Britain and British institutions".
Much of the subsequent media… Read more
In April 2016, a vast number of leaked documents known as the Panama Papers shed new light on the murky world of offshore finance. The documents named prominent figures from many countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, the United Arab… Read more
There's a story told in the hadith that the Prophet Muhammad once saw a boy with a partly-shaved head – and disapproved. "Shave all of it or leave all of it," he is reported to have said.
Fourteen centuries later, this little incident is causing ructions on Saudi Arabia's soccer pitches… Read more
The behaviour of Egypt's Sisi regime is increasingly shambolic. Last week relations with Italy took an unnecessary turn for the worse over the regime's obstructive attitude to investigating the torture and death of Julio Regeni, the Italian PhD student whose horribly mutilated body was… Read more
A British MP has accused the UAE's government-run news agency of making up quotes in support of the Gulf state's oppressive human rights policies.
Last weekend the Emirati website, Gulf News, published a story headed "British House of Commons praises human rights in UAE". In fact, the House of… Read more
There's another twist in the tale of the UAE and a visiting delegation of British MPs.
For the benefit of new readers, the story so far is that the Emirati government's news agency, WAM, issued two reports last weekend claiming the MPs had praised the UAE's awful human rights record. Both… Read more
The headline on the story Gulf News published and then removed
A headline on the Emirati website, Gulf News, caught my eye yesterday. It said: "British House of Commons praises human rights in UAE".
Reading the story below the headline it became clear that the "praise" – if that's what it… Read more
As efforts continue to establish a single national government in Libya, a report by a UN panel of experts which was circulated last month provides some illuminating background:
Throughout most of 2015, conflicting regional interests further polarised the political scene. Support… 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
