It’s Official: A Revolution Improves A Country’s Football Performance
JAMES M. DORSEY: A study has revealed that 5 North African nations experiencing upheaval in 2011 have seen football teams improve markedly.
Saudi: The Fundamentalist Mindset that Halts Change
EMAN AL NAFJAN: In September the King announced women could vote in municipal elections. Conservatives are fighting a rearguard action.
Egypt and Yemen: Protestors Being ‘Marginalised’
JAMES M. DORSEY: Powerful forces are at work in both Egypt and Yemen to mould the emerging political landscape to benefit these particular players.
ISyria’s ‘e-Revolution’: It’s A Constant Game of ‘Cat and Mouse’
NEWS FROM SYRIA: At first the authorities in Syria were caught unawares at how ‘new technology’ was used against them. But they caught on quickly.
Saleh’s Finally Gone: Where Now for Yemen?
ABUBAKR AL-SHAMAHI, CGNEWS: The incoming government in Yemen have a very long ‘to do’ list. What, though, should be their immediate priorities?
Egyptian Blogger Jailed: What Sort of Democracy is This?
LUCY EMMERSON: The case of Maikel Nabil, and that of many other writers, highlights the utter lack of respect for freedom of expression that currently exists in Egypt.
Egypt’s Intelligentisia Needs to Think as its Army Roadblocks Democracy
RANIA AL MALKY: SCAF’s advisory council should think twice before accepting (at best) a vague role that can only inflame an already tense climate.
The Three Key Challenges Facing Egypt’s Rulers
MOHAMED EL SAYED, CGNEWS: The huge turnout showed that Egyptians are hungry for democracy. Whoever comes to power, though, has three ‘top priority’ issues to address.
Syria Jails Blogger: A Courageous and Committed Critic of the Assad Regime
SYRIA NEWS WIRE: The Syrian authorities’ patience with one of their most consistent and trenchant critics has snapped with Razan Ghazzawi’s arrest.
Democratic Progress Despite Arab Upheavals
JUAN COLE: Events are moving quickly in the region, and here are some notable developments with implications for democracy in the Middle East.
Egypt Protests: So, Who’s Got The Plan Then?
LUCY EMMERSON: The number of protestors is growing but we haven’t yet seen the numbers in Tahrir Square grow to the levels of January/February. Who, though, has worked out the next steps?
Soccer Fans to Fore Again in Egyptian Protests
JAMES M. DORSEY: It’s looking likely that the authorities will, for the second time this year, postpone or suspend professional soccer leagues.
News Analysis: Kuwait Parliament Stormed
Following months of protests outside the Kuwaiti parliament the lid finally came off and a group of protestors stormed the gates. What does this mean?
Gingrich’s Crusade: It’s not an ‘Arab Spring’, it’s ‘an anti-Christian Spring’
JUAN COLE: In their quest to find an ABM (‘Anyone But Mitt’), the American Right have hit upon Gingrich. Let’s hear what he has to say about the MidEast.
The Unappealing Prospect of ‘Western Democracy’
ABU MOHAMMED: If there’s one thing calculated to get up the nose of just about every Arab it’s the supercilious lecture by a Westerner on the superiority of their democracy over all other forms of government. ‘Oh really?’
The Insidious, Corrupting Nature of Wasta
ABU MOHAMMED: Wherever you go in the Gulf you’ll hear the term – wasta. Is it really so bad? And isn’t everyone using it or trying to use it?
News Analysis: Tunisia Goes to the Polls
NEWS ANALYSIS: With their erstwhile leader rattling around a presumably luxurious villa in Jeddah, Tunisians have had their first shot at genuine democracy.
News Analysis: Yosri Fouda’s “Free Speech” Protest
NEWS ANALYSIS: The story behind prominent Egyptian political talk show host Yosri Fouda’s suspension of his programme indefinitely on Friday.
Nawal al-Saadawi: Writer or Politician First?
M. LYNX QUALEY: She’s just approaching her 80th birthday and has begun work on a new novel set in Tahrir Square. A divisive character is she first and foremost a political activist or writer?
How I’ve Been Inspired by the ‘Arab Revolutions’
SAMAH HUSSAIN, CGNEWS: Social media has been credited with playing a major role in the revolutions of the last nine months but it’s had a huge impact on my political involvement during that time.
