Assad Criticism Isolates Iran, Fails to Tackle Key Issues
JAMES M. DORSEY: Irrespective of his motives, King Abdullah has made a major contribution to the ending of the bloodletting in Syria.
Engaging Lebanese Men ‘Key’ to Women’s Advance
GHIDA ANANI & LINA ABI RAFEH, CGNEWS: A Lebanese organisation is working hard to create a world where women and men live as equal partners.
Anti-Boycott Law: Israel, A Democracy? Really?
MAIRAV ZONSZEIN, CGNEWS: The recently passed Anti-Boycott law effectively erases the distinction between Israel and the Occupied Territories.
The Chants for Change Reach Loyalist Damascus
THE AJNABI: It’s a cry that’s familiar from viewing images of Tahrir Square, Yemen and Hama but it’s the first time I’ve heard it in a wealthy, Damascus suburb.
The Shifting, Complex Narratives that are Syria
RAMZY BAROUD: There is no simple linear reading of the events that have overwhelmed Syria in recent months. The country is deeply embroiled in so many vital, strategic regional issues.
Lebanese Politics: More Women Needed
CGNEWS: Not a single woman was appointed to the recently unveiled Lebanese cabinet. 30 men now govern Lebanon. It’s, unfortunately, indicative of larger problems in society.
Larry David & The ‘Palestinian Chicken’ Affair
JESSE BENJAMIN, MONDOWEISS: When Larry David turned his attention to the Palestinian issue it provoked a veritable fire-storm.
The Ongoing Battle Against ‘Honour Killings’
RASHA DEWEDAR, CGNEWS: It’s an issue that faces women throughout the Arab world but progress, it appears, is being made in some countries to protect women.
The Slightly Creepy Pro-Government Damascus Carnival – Colourful, And Forced
THE AJNABI: When I say encouraged, I mean it in the mukhabarat’s sense of the word. School children and government employees were bussed in…
The Dangerous Spiral in Kuwait Iraq Relations
DAVID ROBERTS: There seems to be little attention paid to the continuing worsening in relations between Kuwait and Iraq. That may change as we appear to be entering a downward spiral.
Pigeon Rocks: Re-Discovering the Beauty of Beirut
MICH CAFE: Many places were out of bounds during the Civil War so it came as an enormous pleasure to wander freely during my recent trip.
The First Harley of Summer? Expats Back in Damascus
THE AJNABI: Dress codes are relaxed, rents are up and ‘the livin’ is easy’. It’s Summer-time in Damascus and despite the ongoing unrest expats are back.
Lebanon: Yesterday’s Technology, Today
ALEXANDER MCNABB: The image above is from the Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunications website.These are the people responsible for the Internet in Lebanon…
Jordan: Where Wounds Get Deeper and Deeper
NASEEM TARAWNAH: The recent protests in Jordan appear to have attracted attention only because of the number of journalists who were attacked. It offers, however, more evidence of a deeply divided nation.
Aswany, IPAF, Translators: Daoud Takes Aim
M. LYNX-QUALEY: In a wide-ranging discussion at the Shubbak festival Hassan Daoud, the Lebanese novelist and journalist, had much to say…
A Shock to the System: How Israel Turns Friends Away
R. TAYLOR, MONDOWEISS: One woman’s story of her treatment at the hands of the Israeli authorities serves as a parable for how the country can turn its friends against it.
How the PA Sold Out Palestinian Unity
RAMZY BAROUD: With a deficit standing at around $640 million, the PA government is experiencing one of its worst ever financial crises.
‘At least we’re not…’ Jordanians Compare Poorly
NASEEM TARAWNAH: We Jordanians have a problem. We’re always comparing ourselves to others but using the worst of the region as our benchmark.
Soap Operas: The New Front on the ‘War on Syria’
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Syrian soap operas have eclipsed Egyptian productions in popularity across the Arab world.
The Gaza Flotilla – Now It’s Become a ‘Flytilla’
IRA GLUNTS, MONDOWEISS: Facing a battery of impediments the Gaza flotilla participants have resorted to typically ingenious methods to get their message across.
