What the Wikileaks reveal about the Arab League
MICHAEL J. TOTTEN: The publication of these leaks is eerily reminiscent of the Pentagon Papers, which exposed a decade-long attempt by U.S. officials to distort and conceal unpalatable truths about Vietnam.
How the Muslims Killed ‘Count Dracula’
SHIBLI ZAMAN: This Ottoman general had a greater war, a war against darkness. He hunted the very progenitor of the vampire legend who impaled his enemies and drank their blood – Vlad al III-lea Tepes, also known as Vlad Draculea, who would go down in infamy as, simply, Dracula.
Qatar and Her Neighbours in the Cablegate Releases
DAVID ROBERTS: Qatar maintains a close relationship with Iran to safeguard its “trillions of dollars of potential wealth”. Nevertheless, the Head of the Army noted that “we’re neighbours, we’re not friends…”
The ‘War of Ideas’ That’s Raging in Saudi Arabia
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Reports from within Saudi reveal the strength of the struggle to win the hearts of minds of its citizens; between modernists and those seeking a return to a great age in the past.
Wikileaks, Jordan and the ‘Tentacles of Iran’
NASEEM TARAWNAH: One particular cable is a rather clear reflection of its stance and growing concerns regarding Iran – “Beware the Iranian Tentacles … and Cut Them Off,” reads the summary…
Strange Searches leading to Plastic Destination
ALEXANDER MCNABB: Fake Plastic Whore Face, Tantalise your tastebuds, mish mushkila ya habibi meaning, what is mineralised water and the Nipple souk… Fake Plastic Souks is the expert on them all…
Al Ahram’s New English Portal ‘gets bookish’
M. LYNX-QUALEY: The Arab world’s highest circulating daily newspaper goes live with a beta version of its new English portal. There’s a strong focus on ‘the intellectual arena’.
This is Cricket, There will be No Other…
STEVE ROYSTON: As a child, I used to stay up late to listen to the Ashes on the radio. Today, a little closer to Australia and half a century on, I’m still listening.
Relationships and the Reality of Social Networks
STEVE ROYSTON: In the real world, we have lots of alternative words to describe different levels of relationship – family, colleague, acquaintance to name but a few. On Facebook, everyone is a friend.
Top 10 Twitter Users in Saudi Arabia
AHMED AL-OMRAN: Twitter’s swept the world but has it made serious inroads into Saudi Arabia? Yes! And here’s my personal ‘Top Ten’ countdown of the Kingdom’s leading Twitter users.
The very real problem of ‘reverse culture shock’
AMERICAN BEDU: When expatriates first arrive in their new country of residence it’s common to experience ‘culture shock’. But when they return to their home country many face the same – in reverse.
Saudi’s Succession – ‘Reading Tea Leaves’
JAMES M. DORSEY: With King Abdullah recuperating in the United States, many of the key players who will play a part in the succession to a new generation have returned to the Kingdom.
On Your Bike – an Untrue Ad Executed Badly
ALEXANDER MCNABB: My delight is enhanced that the latest piece witless buffoonery originates from HSBC, the bank that likes to say ‘Is there anything else I can do to help you?’ at the end of calls where they have been signally useless.
Publish it Not – Israel and the Sultans of Spin
JONATHAN COOK: Most freelancers forced into this position would either have learned to tailor their reporting to what was expected by the news desks or have headed off to another conflict zone. I stayed…
Doha Debate: Any Burqa Ban Common Ground?
NABILA RAMDANI: Though we might not have had an impact on policy, the debate demonstrated people do not need to agree with each other to appreciate that there is another side to every argument.
The Power, and the History, of the Thaler
STEVE ROYSTON: Thaler Tales was published in 2006, so this is not exactly a hot-off-the-press post. But hey, the thaler’s been around for 250 years, so no matter.
Are they Messengers or Missionaries?
STEVE ROYSTON: Successful companies tend not to fire their communications people. That’s not to say that politics, ambition and personal fiefdoms won’t get in the way
Obama – Surrendering Palestinian Rights
RAMZY BAROUD: It looks like President Obama will finish his term having secured no advance in Arab-Israeli negotiations. The Israelis do the talking, Washington does the listening. And the giving…
Breaking stereotypes about Muslim women
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMMED: Muslim women can not be simply defined by what they choose to wear. They share the same day-to-day concerns as non-Muslim women.
Ahdaf Soueif – The writer who reveals Cairo’s Soul
YASMIN ALBARADIE: I resisted the lure of Ahdaf Soueif’s writing for too long. The books were too big… too stuffy… Then one day I reached for ‘The Map of Love….
