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John Sawers, former head of MI6
"The House of Saud is becoming something of a meritocracy," an article in the Financial Times announced last week. But please don't laugh: the article was written by John Sawers, former head of Britain's secret intelligence service, MI6.
King Salman's… Read more
Imagine that while filling in an application form you come across a question with a YES/NO tick box which asks "Are you black?" or "Are you a Jew?" You would be right to view the question as offensive and assume it had probably been included for discriminatory purposes.
The same can be said of the… Read more
In an outrageous example of Saudi Arabia's growing sectarianism, Muslims from Pakistan who wish to take part in this year's hajj are being forced to declare whether or not they are Shia.
A new question has been added to this year's hajj application form which says: "Are you Shia?" Applicants must… Read more
Almost a month since the Islamic State group was expelled from Tikrit, the city is a graffiti-covered ghost town ruled by opposing groups of gunmen, none of whom trust one another.
By Mustafa Habib in Tikrit, via Niqash
In Basha Street in the centre of the Iraqi city of… Read more
British supermarket chief Mike Coupe: sentenced to jail by a court in Egypt without his knowledge
Egypt's repressive Sisi regime held a glitzy conference in Sharm el-Sheikh last month designed to attract foreign investment. More than 1,700 investors, government officials and… Read more
I had been looking forward to this year's International Human Rights Rank Indicator (IHRRI) which was due to be issued tomorrow but – alas – it has suddenly, and without explanation, been postponed for several months.
The IHRRI is (or perhaps was) an international league table of human rights,… Read more
Tunisia is the only bright spot, says report
Following historic gains for media freedom in 2011 as a result of the Arab Spring, Tunisia is the only Arab country continuing to make progress, according to the latest annual report from Freedom House.
The report, which covers 199… Read more
The changes in Saudi Arabia's royal pecking order, announced overnight, raise the question of what they are likely to mean for Yemen.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the 34-year-old defence minister, appears to have been rewarded for his disastrous bombing of Yemen by being promoted to… Read more
The last few days have brought a spate of articles about Syria, all noting that the Assad regime is under increasingly serious pressure:
Assad’s hold on power looks shakier than ever as rebels advance in Syria (Washington Post)
The Assad Regime: The Beginning of the End? (Middle East… Read more
Labour leader Ed Miliband meets The Muslim News
Miliband interview causes a Twitter storm
In the midst of Britain's general election campaign, The Muslim News reports:
"A future Labour government is committed to outlaw the scourge of Islamophobia by changing the law and… 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
