Interview: Catching up with Amr Diab
Amr Diab needs no introduction. The Egyptian superstar is popular across the globe — he has fans everywhere from the GCC to Europe, the United States and Australia.
RACHEL MCARTHUR: Amr Diab needs no introduction. The Egyptian superstar has fans everywhere from the GCC to Europe, the United States and Australia.
From Arab Awakening to ‘Political Stupor’
The Arab world is suffering from a lack of secular inspiration. There are plenty of leaders who find their political language in religion, but no secular leader or thinker is inspiring the crowds all over the Middle East as happened a generation ago.
FRANCIS MATTHEW: The Arab world is suffering from a lack of secular inspiration: No secular leader or thinker is inspiring the crowds.
Mohamed Salem: ‘Time to Support Arab Comedians’
Look out for Mohamed Salem, because chances are you’re going to hear a lot more about him in the coming year. One of the first stand-up comedians to emerge from Egypt, the 30-year-old Alexandria native has caught the attention of social network users thanks to his show Moga Stand-up, not to mention a few celebrity fans (word has it Egyptian actresses Basma and Donia Sameer Ghanem are just two of the big names who have attended his gigs in the past).
RACHEL MCARTHUR: Look out for Mohamed Salem, because chances are you’re going to hear a lot more about him in the coming year.
Ghalia: The TV Chef Egyptians Have Taken To Heart
MOUSTAFA ABDELHALIM, CGNEWS: She comes from a modest background, celebrates local cooking and has had a massive impact throughout Egypt
Divide, Conquer: Attack on Egypt’s ‘Ultras’ Imminent
JAMES M DORSEY: There appears to be a concerted plan by the Egyptian judiciary and security forces to confront militant football fans. It may, though, backfire.
Women: Pope and Muslim Brotherhood ‘Share Views’
The selection of the new pope was carried out by a conclave of elderly men, and the only candidates were men. The new pope is a staunch social conservative who opposes women’s ordination as priests and women’s right to control their own bodies and limit family size, key issues for women’s health and well-being. It is no wonder that the church hierarchy is so tone deaf on women’s issues, since its highest counsels are all-male.
JUAN COLE: Patriarchal religion takes a remarkably similar view of the position of women in society.
‘Democracy Is Doing’: Egyptians ‘Do It’
VANESSA BASSIL, CGNEWS: Young Egyptian aren’t waiting for ‘top down’ change. They’re taking matters to improve their lives into their own hands
‘Port Said Crisis’ Highlights Morsi’s Issues With Military
JAMES M. DORSEY: As we approach the date when the key findings regarding the Port Said soccer brawl are revealed tension is rising.
A ‘Compelling’ Vision of Cairo ‘In All Its Multiplicities’
ELISABETH JAQUETTE, ARABLIT: Samia Mehrez has brought together a variety of writers’ views of Cairo over the past century.
‘Renounce Violence’: The Way for Egypt’s Parties
MOHAMED EL SAYED, CGNEWS: The temptation to resort to violence to conduct political discourse needs to stop in Egypt
Banned Egyptian Graphic Novel ‘Is Back on Shelves’
ELISABETH JAQUETTE, ARABLIT: The re-publication of an infamous work could portend the arrival of a ‘golden age’ in Arabic graphic novels
In Israel and Egypt The Stench of Racism Grows Stronger
JAMES DORSEY: Whether it’s Israeli football teams or Egyptian presidents accusations of racism are running rife throughout the region.
Port Said Verdict: Who Was Really Responsible?
JAMES DORSEY: The belief among many people in Port Said is that its fans, team and city have been ‘thrown to the wolves’.
‘Be Optimistic for Egypt’: The Glass Is Half-Full
MOUSTAFA MENSHAWY, CGNEWS: You can find dozens of reasons to despair at the state of Egypt but if you look hard enough there are reasons to be cheerful
The Other Peace Process: The One That’s Alive
KADI ZAHALKA, RABBI DR RON KRONISH: The so-called political peace process has been going nowhere for a long time. There is an alternative
Corruption ‘On the Increase’ Across Arab World
NADA AKL, CGNEWS: Corruption is so deeply ingrained in societies across the Arab world that promoting transparency seems an almost hopeless task
Taha Hussein: Arab World’s (Nearly) Nobel Choice
M. LYNX-QUALEY: He was nominated twice but never matched the Arab World’s only Nobel literature prize recipient, Naguib Mahfouz.
Port Said Clashes ‘Foretaste of What’s To Come’
JAMES DORSEY: It seems that ‘ultra’ football fans in Egypt are gearing up for greater and fiercer conflict in the months ahead.
‘Stuck’ and ‘Knotted’: Where Jordan Is Today
NASEEM TARAWNAH: There is a sense of crisis in Jordan but it’s a sense that has led to paralysis in all sectors of society. So what does 2013 hold?
American Muslims: Same Concerns as Non-Muslims
ROB L. WAGNER: It seems impossible for many Americans to view Muslims other than through a Middle East lens.
