James M. Dorsey

Sectarian Divisions Being Played Out on the Football Field

Sectarian Divisions Being Played Out on the Football Field

Sectarian divisions fuelling conflict across the Middle East have spilt on to the soccer pitch with Iraq’s decision to boycott the Gulf Cup and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) warning the Iraqi government not to interfere in the game. It is hard to separate the divisions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims that governments in Bahrain […]

 Eman-Al-Nafjan

Is It Time for Europe to Ban Saudi Men from Driving?

Is It Time for Europe to Ban Saudi Men from Driving?

EMAN AL NAFJAN: So Kuwait is thinking about changing its laws to suit Saudi Arabia. Maybe it’s time for the European Union to take a leaf out of their book

 Mondoweiss

Plant the Flag: ‘Arabs With Altitude’ Conquer Everest

Plant the Flag: ‘Arabs With Altitude’ Conquer Everest

MONDOWEISS: Palestine has a new hero – Raed Zidan – who’s become the first Paletinian man to scale the world’s tallest mountain.

 David Roberts

Applying ‘The Rumsfeld Test’ on the Kingdom

Applying ‘The Rumsfeld Test’ on the Kingdom

DAVID ROBERTS: Reading the runes of Saudi Arabia’s possible succession is an art, a science and a mystery wrapped in one.

 Common Ground News Service

Corruption ‘On the Increase’ Across Arab World

NADA AKL, CGNEWS: Corruption is so deeply ingrained in societies across the Arab world that promoting transparency seems an almost hopeless task

 James M. Dorsey

Syrian Football Victory ‘a Unifier’? Afraid Not

Syrian Football Victory ‘a Unifier’? Afraid Not

JAMES M. DORSEY: This weekend’s Syrian victory over Iraq in a soccer match is being seized by the regime as ‘a great national achievement’.

 David Roberts

Outmanoeuvred: Opposition ‘Gets It Wrong’ In Kuwait

Outmanoeuvred: Opposition ‘Gets It Wrong’ In Kuwait

DAVID ROBERTS: The number of people protesting has gone down dramatically and there is a good chance that the Parliament may even get something done.

 Crossroads Arabia

Porn: ‘Not So Popular’ In Middle East. Really?

Porn: ‘Not So Popular’ In Middle East. Really?

CROSSROADS ARABIA: In a recently published report Al Arabiya seems to have missed a rather significant point about internet access in the region

 David Roberts

Clear Motive: What’s Qatar Really Up To In France?

Clear Motive: What’s Qatar Really Up To In France?

DAVID ROBERTS: Qatar’s plan to invest a large sum of money into one of Paris’s poorest areas has led to attacks from left and right. So what’s happening?

 David Roberts

Kuwait Upheaval A Signal of a More Turbulent Era?

Kuwait Upheaval A Signal of a More Turbulent Era?

DAVID ROBERTS: While monarchy as a concept is still resolutely the preferred system, Kuwait is entering a new era, one that is certain to be more violent.

 Juan Cole

Malala: A Heroine Who Represents the Majority

Malala: A Heroine Who Represents the Majority

JUAN COLE: The Taliban are widely despised among the population of rural Pakistan. The biggest threat facing girls in this environment is a government that doesn’t care

 mai abdul rahman

‘This Hateful Movie Is Not Worth A Drop of Blood’

‘This Hateful Movie Is Not Worth A Drop of Blood’

And so the violence associated with a vile, hate filled movie escalates. Why can we not fight hate with wisdom and rationality?

MAI ABDUL RAHMAN: And so the violence associated with a vile, hate filled movie escalates. Why can we not fight hate with wisdom and rationality?

 Alexander McNabb

Aleppo: Favourite City Under Attack ‘Familiar Sight’

Aleppo: Favourite City Under Attack ‘Familiar Sight’

ALEXANDER MCNABB: As a long term resident in the Middle East you become used to seeing favourite places under bombardment

 Common Ground News Service

Feminist Activism in Arab World: Diverse Approaches

Feminist Activism in Arab World: Diverse Approaches

HELEN RIZZO, CGNEWS: There is a surprising degree of commonality between the objectives of Western and Arab feminists

 Francis Matthew

“Silence” Leaves the UAE Vulnerable to its Critics

“Silence” Leaves the UAE Vulnerable to its Critics

FRANCIS MATTHEW: Lack of political inclusion, and the lack of regular statements, offers an opening to criticism of the country. But this should not ignore its liberal social agenda.

 Crossroads Arabia

Bahrain Becomes Vatican’s Middle East HQ

Bahrain Becomes Vatican’s Middle East HQ

CROSSROADS ARABIA: The Vatican is striving to improve relations with authorities throughout the Gulf

 Ramzy Baroud

The Perilous Position of Syria’s Palestinian Refugees

The Perilous Position of Syria’s Palestinian Refugees

RAMZY BAROUD: There has been a flood of Palestinian refugees into Syria and they’re facing desperate times.

 James M. Dorsey

Questions Continue to Surround Bin Hamman

Questions Continue to Surround Bin Hamman

JAMES M. DORSEY: The appointment by Qatari and UAE soccer bodies of individuals who worked with Mohammed bin Hamman raises more questions

 David Roberts

U.S Power: The Ultimate Guarantor for Gulf States

U.S Power: The Ultimate Guarantor for Gulf States

DAVID ROBERTS: The Saudi authorities have been actively promoting a union of Gulf states but with little success. There’s a clear reason why.

 Francis Matthew

China’s Influence Based on ‘Failure to Engage’

China’s Influence Based on ‘Failure to Engage’

FRANCIS MATTHEW: Arab concerns are largely irrelevant to the Chinese as Beijing looks to reinforce its self-perception as the premier Asian power.

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