The Parallel Ends of Mubarak and Don Giovanni
DANIEL VARISCO: In ways he is a stark iconic shadow of Mubarak. In the end Don Giovanni meets his stone-cold fate: A statue of Ozymandias drags him down into hell
How are the Saudis Reacting to the Regional Turmoil?
EMAN AL NAFJAN: Shocked as they are by the events in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Jordan there are strong historical reasons why Saudis remain viewers, not participants.
Ultra’s Organization Evident in Tahrir Square
JAMES DORSEY: The organizational skills of the ultras, fanatical Cairo soccer fans, are emerging as opponents and supporters of President Mubarak.
After the Flood: Rising Saudi Anger Getting Response
ROB L. WAGNER: The Facebook images, twitter messages and online videos fuel Saudi anger and repeatedly raise the question why authorities learned nothing from 2009.
Social Media: The Glue That Binds Us
HANI NAIM: The conclusion is no one is immune to social media. Activists, Governments, journalists are all now trying to harness its power in the Arab world.
419 Manipulation: Detecting the Agenda
STEVE ROYSTON: The aspect I latched on to was cybercrime, on the 419 scam. The talk was delivered by a former member of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service.
Social Media is Catalysing Arab World Change
EMAN AL-NAFJAN: Leaders throughout the Arab World are suspicious of new media. Their citizens are using tools not simply to communicate concerns, but campaign for change.
Wikileaks: U.S. Knew Tunis Gov. Rotten
JUAN COLE: Cables show that the U.S. was fully aware of the debilitating level of corruption in Tunisia, and its anti-democratic implications.
An Encounter with the True Meaning of Ashura
STEVE ROYSTON – In the two hours I listened, I couldn’t begin to understand the intricacies. But I was struck by the gentle emotion, and parallels to Easter.
Facebook, Twitter Driving Change in the MidEast
ARIANNA HUFFINGTON: No longer is our best hope for change governments. If change happens, it’s going to be social media fuelling the transformation.
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.
The Booming Voice of Pent-Up Middle East Anger
JAMES M. DORSEY: As dark as that moment was for Casablancan rockers, the trial was a turning point setting Morocco on a path to becoming one of the Arab world’s more liberal societies when it comes to alternative lifestyles.
Privacy and the Law
ALEXANDER MCNABB: One month in jail and deportation for filming an actual incident and posting it online may appear madly draconian, but the UAE (and the Gulf in general, actually) has always had a fraught relationship with photography…
The number ’9? car plate could be worth much more than the 10m paid for it
10 million dirhams was paid last Saturday at auction in Abu Dhabi for the number 9 plate, but its value could be much more if the cash was put to good use.
Wedding Night: A tale by Deaf Brown Trash Punk
I wanted to bring Sabina, writer and short film maker, onto the radio show I co-host but there’s a slight glitch – being deaf is a slight impediment…
