The Rise and Rise of Turkey: Problems Ahead?

JAMES M. DORSEY: Held up as a model of a modern Islamic state Turkey faces some formidable difficulties

Added on 11/04/2012 James M. Dorsey Abdul-Aziz Al Saud , Abu Dhabi , Al Watan , Al-Hayat , BBC , Crown Prince , East Africa , Egypt , Hosni Mubarak , Human Rights Watch , International Football Association Board , International Olympic Committee , Islamist , Middle East , Nawaf Bin Faisal , Nayef , North Africa , Olympics , Port Said , princess , Saudi Arabia , Sport , Suez , Suez Canal , Suzanne Mubarak , The National , United Arab Emirates , Women , Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

Egyptian Feminists Challenge Soccer Chauvinism

JAMES M. DORSEY: An Egyptian feminist group has challenged the fans that played a key role in toppling Mubarak to recognise women’s rights.

Added on 02/04/2012 James M. Dorsey 2022 World Cup , Abdullah , Al Ahly , Al Ahly SC , Al Masri , Ali Bin Al Hussein , Cairo , Court of Arbitration of Sport , East Africa , Egypt , Egyptian Football Association , Egyptian government , FIFA , Fifa World Cup , Hosni Mubarak , Human rights , Human Rights Watch , International Football Association Board , Jordan , Lausanne , London , Mark Pieth , Middle East , midfielder , Mohammed bin Hammam , North Africa , Olympics , Port Said , President , Prime Minister , Qatar , Russia , Saudi Arabia , Sepp Blatter , Soccer , Suez , Suez Canal , the Daily Mail , Zurich

Middle East Cloud Hangs over FIFA

JAMES M. DORSEY: The Middle East looms large as FIFA’s executive committee meets against the backdrop of a call for sweeping change.

Added on 29/03/2012 James M. Dorsey Africa , Al Ahly , Al Zamalek , Atlantic coast , Bloomberg , Cairo , CEO , East Africa , Egypt , Etisalat , European parliament , Facebook , Football , Hosni Mubarak , Media , Middle East , North Africa , PR , President , Press , Saudi Arabia , Security services , Soccer , Tahrir Square , Telecommunications , Twitter , United Arab Emirates

Vodafone’s Egyptian Meltdown: Arab Spring Victim?

JAMES M. DORSEY: It’s been a bad year for Vodafone in Egypt. Are the problems of their own making?

Added on 20/03/2012 James M. Dorsey 2006 World Cup , 2014 World Cup , Al Ahly SC , Al Masri , Benjamin Netanyahu , Egypt , FIFA , Football , Haifa , Israel , Israel Football Association , Israeli parliament , Jerusalem , Jewish Defense League , Knesset , Mahmoud Abbas , midfielder , Palestine , Palestinian Authority , Palestinian Territories , Port Said , President , Prime Minister , Qatar , Rabbi , Soccer , Suez Canal , Tel Aviv , the Associated Press , vice chairman , West Bank , Yitzhak Aharonovitch

Hooligans Are ‘Terrorists’, Player’s A ‘Traitor’

JAMES M. DORSEY: The drama off the pitch surpasses anything on it at the moment in Israeli soccer.

Added on 14/03/2012 James M. Dorsey Africa , Al Ahly , Al Ahram , Al Masri , Al Mohtalet , Al Zamalek , Cairo , Egypt , Egypt Protests , Egyptian Football Association , Hosni Mubarak , Italy , Port Said , Port Said stadium , President , Serbia , Soccer , Suez , Suez Canal , The National

Football Fans Unite To Resist Egyptian Crackdown

JAMES M. DORSEY: It looks like there’s been a sea-change in Egypt’s football politics – Ultras White Knights and Ultras Ahlawy have united.

Added on 07/03/2012 James M. Dorsey 2010 World Cup , Afghanistan , Al Qaeda , amputations , Baghdad , Barak Obama , Congress , Cuba , Dennis Ross , Fifa World Cup , Florida , Football , Guantanamo Bay , guard , Hamas , Hassan Nasrallah , Herman Cain , Hizballah , House of Representatives , Iran , Iraq , Ismail Haniyeh , Kabul , Kabul's Ghazi stadium , McClatchy , Nelson Mandela , Northern Iraq , Osama Bin Laden , Pentagon , Politics , President , recruitment tool , Rugby , Saddam Hussein , Saudi Arabia , Soccer , Somalia , South Africa , Taliban , U.S. Congress , U.S. Navy , United States , United States Navy , US government , US military

The $750,000 Guantanamo ‘Pitch’ to Cooperate

JAMES M. DORSEY: The $744,000 pitch outside a $39 million penitentiary-style building is intended to reward the most cooperative of the 120,171 inmates.

Added on 01/03/2012 James M. Dorsey Abdelaziz Bouteflika , Al Qaeda , Algeria , Algiers , East Africa , Egypt , Elections , Electricity , Football , Libya , Middle East , Mohamed , North Africa , oil and gas cities , President , Soccer , Social Media , spy chief , Syria , Tunisia , Yemen , Zine El Abedine Ben Ali

Algeria: Football Ban to Lead to Street Protest?

JAMES M. DORSEY: The ban on football matches taking place during election week deprives Algerians of a useful pressure valve

Added on 23/02/2012 James M. Dorsey African Cup of Nations , Al Ahly , Al Ahly SC , Al Ahram , Al Masry , Egypt , Egypt Protests , Egyptian Football Association , Egyptian League , Football , Guinea , Hosni Mubarak , Interior Ministry , Italy , Niger , Port Said , Port Said’s Al Masry SC , Premier League , President , Qatar , qualifier , Serbia , Soccer , Uganda

‘Peep, Peep, Peep’: EFA To Blow Final Whistle on Season?

JAMES M. DORSEY: It’s looking increasingly likely that the Egyptian Football Association will cancel the rest of the season.

Added on 17/02/2012 James M. Dorsey Associated Press , Basketball , Brunei , Christoph Wilcke , Dalma Rushdi Malhas , Dammam , Human rights , Human Rights Watch , International Olympic Committee , Kings United , London , Los Angeles Times , Manal Al Sharif , Olympics , Qatar , Riyadh , Saudi , Saudi Arabia , Shura Council , Soccer , The Los Angeles Times , woman athlete , Women

Saudi Condemned for Women’s Sport Restrictions – HRW

JAMES M. DORSEY: Saudi accused of kowtowing to conservative Muslim clerics who claim female sports are “steps of the devil” – Human Rights Watch.

Added on 14/02/2012 James M. Dorsey 2014 World Cup , AFC , Ala'a Hubail , Ali Said , Asia , Asian Football Confederation , Australia , Bahrain , Bahrain Football Association , Basketball , Caribbean Football Union , China , Dubai , FIFA , Football , Gulf Cooperation Council , Gulf News , Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa , hassan , Hassan al-Dirazi , International Football Association Board , Japan , Martial law , Mohamed bin Hammam , Mohammed bin Hammam , Mohammed Hubail , national basketball team player , national soccer team goalkeeper , President , Sepp Blatter , Soccer , South China , Tareq al-Fursani , United Arab Emirates , Zhang Jilong

A Storm Brewing: Bahrain Sheikh Seeks Top AFC Job

JAMES M. DORSEY: Campaigning is under way for the presidency of the Asian Football Confederation. The position is never far from controversy.

Added on 07/02/2012 James M. Dorsey Afghanistan , Africa , Al Qaeda , Ali Abdullah Saleh , Arab League , Atlantic coast , Beijing , Benghazi , Central Asia , China , Damascus , Djibouti , East Africa , Egypt , Europe , International Criminal Court , Libya , Middle East , Muammar Qaddafi , North Africa , Pakistan , President , Russia , Security Council , Sinai desert , Social Media , Somalia , Sudan , Syria , the Hague , United Nations , United Nations Security Council , United States , Yemen

China Gets It Wrong in MidEast. Again.

JAMES M. DORSEY: China’s veto of the U.N’s resolution condemning Syria is a watershed moment for its involvement in the Middle East.

Added on 04/02/2012 James M. Dorsey Al Ahly , Al Ahly SC , Al Masri , Cairo , East Africa , Egypt , Egypt Protests , Football , Hosni Mubarak , Italy , London School of Economics , Middle East , Muslim Brotherhood , North Africa , Poet , Port Said , Port Said stadium , President , Serbia , Soccer , Supreme Council of the Armed Forces , Tahrir Square , Tear gas , The Guardian , Twitter , Ultras Ahlawy , Ultras White Knights

Port Said Deaths Boost Egypt’s Soccer ‘Army’

JAMES M. DORSEY: Growing sentiment that the brawl in which 74 people were killed was provoked is putting wind in the sails of militant soccer fan groups.

Added on 02/02/2012 James M. Dorsey Al Masri , Egypt , Egyptian military , Football , Port Said

70 Dead: That’s Pay Back from the Egyptian Army

JAMES M. DORSEY: Fan: “The government is getting back at the ultras. They’re saying: ‘You protest, you want democracy. Here’s a taste of your democracy.”

Added on 30/01/2012 James M. Dorsey Football , Saudi Arabia , Soccer , Women

Saudi Women Get to Be Fans on the Stands With New Soccer Stadium

JAMES M. DORSEY: Saudi Arabia is building its first stadium especially designed to allow women who are currently barred from attending soccer matches…