Blog archive all
27th February 2016
There are smart dictators and foolish dictators. The smart ones stay out of the limelight and don't make waves internationally. The rest of the world then lets them get on with their dictating and doesn't usually interfere. The foolish ones, not content with having a country to run more or less as… Read more
26th February 2016
Youssef Rakha: genius in a land of madness
Egypt's ground-breaking novelist
The Book of the Sultan's Seal, in its English translation, measures 203mm x 134mm, weighs approximately 410 grammes and has a brownish cover. It consists of 374 pages divided into nine sections which… Read more
24th February 2016
The Facebook jihadists
They may not be violent but they are still dangerous
Doing jihad is easier than you think. You can become a soldier in the "Army of Muhammad" in the comfort of your own home, and at no personal risk. All you need is a laptop and a Facebook account.
The… Read more
23rd February 2016
Yesterday I wrote about Facebook's mass closure of groups used by Arab atheists and secularists following attacks by Muslim activists. Facebook now seems to have had second thoughts about its decision and over the last 24 hours almost all the affected groups have been restored.
This morning,… Read more
22nd February 2016
Since the beginning of this month, Muslim activists have succeeded in getting Facebook to close down at least nine Arab atheist or secularist groups with a combined membership of more than 128,000.
[See update for further developments]
The cyber-jihadists have attacked these groups by bombarding… Read more
21st February 2016
Perhaps it's a sense of their own insecurity that makes Bahrain's royals so eager to "win" obscure and meaningless awards which can then be trumpeted in the Gulf kingdom's media.
There was a notorious occasion in 2013 when King Hamad, in the midst of ongoing repression, was named "Humanitarian… Read more
21st February 2016
Novelist Ahmed Naji yesterday began a two-year jail sentence – the maximum allowed under Egyptian law – for "violating public decency" by writing about "transient lust and fleeting pleasure". His trial was the latest in a long line of morality-related cases instigated by individuals and supported… Read more
17th February 2016
Saudi Arabia's recent claim that it is preparing to send ground troops into Syria is either a transparent (and therefore ineffective) piece of psychological warfare or the latest step towards the collapse of the House of Saud.
In an article for the American website, National Interest, headed "Saudi… Read more
13th February 2016
This time last year the strange organisation known as the Global Network for Rights and Development was preparing to host a lavish two-day conference at one of Switzerland's top hotels. Some 200 delegates flew in from 67 countries to hear GNRD's founder-president, Loai Deeb, announce a ludicrously… Read more
11th February 2016
While there is much debate about the rights of women in the Middle East and the rights of gay and lesbian people have also begun to attract some attention, consideration of transgender rights is long overdue.
In a region where gender segregation is widespread and dress… 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
