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.
Can love be measured? Do we want it to be?
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMMED: My negativity towards mixing love and science may be unfounded. Instead of sucking out magic, science could help us improve the quality and quantity of love we experience.
A Follow Up on My Fifth Grade Essay: Education at Gunpoint
RAMZY BAROUD: “Through education we will become a prosperous nation, and will obtain a life that allows us to live in freedom. We will continue to improve education, so that future generations can live peacefully.”
Why the U.S. Should Push for Democracy in Egypt
JAMES M. DORSEY: Repression of the opposition, intimidation of the media and electoral restrictions may guarantee Mubarak’s win. But for the U.S., the perception it is perpetuating authoritarian rule may outweigh any benefits.
The UAE and the UK – a Special Relationship
SULTAN AL QASSEMI: Today, there are approximately 240,000 British citizens living in the UAE, with another one million plus visiting the country every year and up to 40,000 Emiratis visiting Britain annually.
Obama’s Bribe – Palestinians the Losers … Again
JONATHAN COOK: This concession and the outlines of a previous US peace proposal under Clinton hint at Washington’s most likely strategy. East Jerusalem will be divided, with the large settlement blocs, handed over to Israel…
No, a Woman ‘Won’t Win the Arabic Booker’ in 201
M.LYNX-QUALEY: Writer/translator Fatima Naaot also told the paper she didn’t see literary prizes as free and fair. But Naaot instead blamed the lack of prizes for women, to a greater extent, on women being in a male dominated society.
Entrepreneurs to leave mark for next generation
SULTAN AL QASSEMI: Arab governments need to understand that without pan-Arab initiatives, true prosperity will not be achieved. We must capitalise on our strengths as a region with a population larger than the United States…
Why we Need to be More Than Armchair Environmentalists
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMMED: This is especially sad in places such as the Gulf where until 50 years ago people were adept at living in harmony with their environment and efficient in their use of resources. That sensitivity has been lost.
Saudi Arabia: A Saudi Mother Speaks Out
American Bedu interviews a Saudi woman who is a mother of three active children. She lives in Saudi Arabia although spent time outside of the Kingdom. She has kindly agreed to answer some questions about her life, views and perspectives.
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 Biggest Bonus of them all, & How to Spend it
JAMES MULLAN: The journalist was inspired. After he left I turned to the client to congratulate him on conducting such a wonderful interview. He was grim faced. ‘You know what this means, James? Slavery. There will be no place where you can escape work, no time when you will not be expected to work. It’ll be hell on earth for most people.’ Within two years the guru had retired from the IT business and embarked on a successful career as a rock musician.
“Hug a Muslim” – Restoring Sanity in America
SUSAN KOSCIS: Looking around I saw signs reflecting this spirit: “Be Excellent to Each Other,” “Nice is The New Cool,” “Civilization Requires Civility,” and one that perhaps we could all agree with: “More Chocolate Please.”
Saudi Arabia and The Cover Up of Polygamy
AMERICAN BEDU: There does not seem to be a pattern on which wife (Saudi or foreign) was the first. However, in all cases I am aware of, not one wife is happy that their husband chose to exercise the right of polygamy.
Saudi Arabia: How Far Can a Fatwa Go?
My analysis of the fatwa is that the conservatives of Saudi society are not ready to see women as cashiers. The majority of grocery store cashiers in Saudi Arabia are foreign nationals from Pakistan and India.
Defending Muslims Should Not Entail Idealizing Them
Ironically, his reaction did more to embody the “angry Muslim male” stereotype that he was trying to avoid, than did any words of mine. He said domestic violence in the Muslim community is, and I quote, “almost non-existent.”
A more balanced federal budget benefits us all
SULTAN AL QASSEMI: But how can the country cover a federal budget shortfall of Dh18.2 billion, which is now carried by only Abu Dhabi and Dubai? A tax regime…
Censorship over KSA Unemployment
I have written on unemployment before. The situation is desperate. It’s bad for men and much worse for women… According to Mr. Al Dosari 12000 Saudis apply when only 45 positions are announced…
UAE Media Shame and ‘The Tent Next Door’
Gulf News deserves to be held to a higher standard than Gulf Today, though. And in this, it has failed. Its silence is nothing less than shameful – and its shame is clearly exposed by The National.
Building Bridges Through the Art of Graffiti
MOHAMMED ALI: We hear government officials, academics and politicians talking about the problems of multiculturalism and community cohesion, but I feel they have left one resource untapped when it comes to finding solutions: art.
