Today I went to Sassine in Ashrafieh and after the meeting, I thought of wandering the streets close to the ABC Mall. The weather is not as hot as before, though humid [and yes I still hate it] and anyway I needed some time off from work…. I absolutely loved the experience and Ashrafieh is […]
The Yemen Times has two articles on the role of journalists in Yemeni society, both of which outline the obstacles journalists face (namely low pay and legal restrictions). These challenges are interesting, and common to many of the Arab countries where ‘official media sources’ dominate the news scene. The more curious assertion, though, is that […]
Despite the pledge made by Rice, Abbas and Olmert not to release any commentary until an agreement was reached, it appears that the terms Israel offered have been leaked. Moreover, Abbas has rejected them. AP coverage here.
Today is the first day of Ramadan; the Jordan Times has an article detailing the different start dates of the holy month in different Islamic countries. It also alludes the ways in which high food prices impact purchasing patterns this month; people simply are not able to buy as much. Students of Arabic can refer […]
The GCC countries, wealthy but water-poor, need to start looking at the different avenues available for feeding their populations, says a report by the Gulf Research Center. (The National summarized the report's findings here). To that end they are looking into the production capabilities of countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia, including Sudan, South […]
Though Egypt and Israel signed a lasting peace treaty thirty years ago the two countries have yet to normalize their relations by exhibiting trust and friendship between governments. Israeli officials interested in enhancing their legitimacy in the Middle East are typically more concerned over this than their Egyptian counterparts. At Israel's urging American officials often […]
Yesterday, AMAL celebrated Musa Sadr in Nabatyeh. I attended the event, and as soon as I have some free time, I will tell you more about it. It was an interesting first hand experience. For the rest of the world, the disappearance of the imam Moussa al-Sadr is probably at most a footnote in the […]
The International Herald Tribune reported last week that the US is turning security control over the Anbar Province to Iraqi security forces. As you may remember, Anbar has been a violent area in the past, once serving as a stronghold for Sunni insurgents. This is a big development for the both countries, as Anbar is […]
Finally, Lebanon's army has a Commander in the person of Brigadier General Jean Kahwaji. The position has been vacant since General Suleiman was elected as a consensus President in May. NOW Lebanon reports: Shortly before the session convened, Defense Minister Elias al-Murr said General Kahwaji, who was commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces' 12th brigade, […]
Yesterday, the UAE's Islamic Affairs Authority opened its official fatwa center, which provides religious rulings in English, Urdu and Arabic. UAE residents can obtain fatwas over the toll-free phone line or via SMS (text message). The center is the first of its kind; it is now the only place in the UAE authorized to issue […]
The army is under attack from more than one side. A Lebanese officer was killed on Thursday when a military helicopter came under fire in southern Lebanon. First Lieutenant Samer Hanna was killed when gunmen opened fire on the helicopter, which was flying over the village of Tilal Soujoud in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese army […]
Khalil al Anani, visiting scholar at Brookings’ Saban Center, published this op-ed in al Ahram Weekly last week. The piece asserts that it's educational to look at the internal dynamics of Islamist parties when assessing the degree to which they have internalized democratic ideals. Some Islamist parties, like the Justice and Development party in Morocco […]
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