Ramzy Baroud

Scratch, Scratch: The Western Itch To Intervene Is Insatiable

Scratch, Scratch: The Western Itch To Intervene Is Insatiable

RAMZY BAROUD: You can be sure that whatever turmoil is happening in the Middle East the hands of the West will be present

 James M. Dorsey

Brutality Back-Fires: Arab Spring’s Lesson for Erdogan

Brutality Back-Fires: Arab Spring’s Lesson for Erdogan

JAMES M. DORSEY: Once again battle-hardened football fans are taking the lead in confronting a regime. We’ve been here before.

 Ramzy Baroud

Turkey’s Dilemma: Fence-Sitting Not A Viable Option

Turkey’s Dilemma: Fence-Sitting Not A Viable Option

'Confused’ may be an appropriate term to describe Turkey’s current foreign policy in the Middle East and Israel in particular. The source of that confusion - aside from the appalling violence in Syria and earlier in Libya – is Turkey’s own mistakes.

RAMZY BAROUD: Turkey’s attempt to re-position itself as a fulcrum between East and West has come unstuck…

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

An Iraqi Icon: Fadhil Al-Azzawi Reviews His Career

An Iraqi Icon: Fadhil Al-Azzawi Reviews His Career

AMIRA ABD EL-KHALEK, CGNEWS: He is one of the Arab World’s most revered authors and recently looked back on his life of writing.

 Common Ground News Service

‘Forgotten Impact of Islam’ Highlighted in Exhibitions

‘Forgotten Impact of Islam’ Highlighted in Exhibitions

LUCY CHUMBLEY, CGNEWS: Two exhibitions currently in Washington DC have had a transformative effect on millions of Muslims views of their heritage

 Francis Matthew

Foreign Powers Take Positions, Eye End Game in Syria

Foreign Powers Take Positions, Eye End Game in Syria

FRANCIS MATTHEW: The continuing fighting in Syria is a golden opportunity for foreign governments to put military forces on the ground in advance of any political end-game.

 Juan Cole

Morsi’s To Do List: Egypt’s ‘Top Five’ Priorities

Morsi’s To Do List: Egypt’s ‘Top Five’ Priorities

JUAN COLE: The economic and social challenges facing Egypt today are immense. With the right approach, however, Muhammad Mursi can make real change happen

 Ramzy Baroud

Syrian Sectarianism Threat to Wider Region

Syrian Sectarianism Threat to Wider Region

RAMZY BAROUD: The recent massacre of civilians in Syria marks the beginning of a spiral of horror which could engulf the whole region

 Mondoweiss

Iran Talks Progress: Guess Who’s Unhappy?

Iran Talks Progress: Guess Who’s Unhappy?

ANNIE ROBBINS, MONDOWEISS: The meeting between the P5+1 countries to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme has gone surprisingly well.

 Syria News Wire

365 Days That Changed Syria Forever

365 Days That Changed Syria Forever

SYRIA NEWS WIRE: It began with a small demonstration by young people in Deraa. The flames have spread and now engulf the nation.

 Juan Cole

The Voice No More: Arab World Mourns Whitney Houston

The Voice No More: Arab World Mourns Whitney Houston

JUAN COLE: Arab musicians and artists have been fulsome in their praise of Whitney Houston who died yesterday.

 Ramzy Baroud

Turkey Foreign Policy Falls Over Syrian ‘Abyss’

Turkey Foreign Policy Falls Over Syrian ‘Abyss’

RAMZY AL BAROUD: However, the Syrian uprising in March leading the country down the road to civil war – has forced Turkey to abandon its ‘zero-problems’ foreign policy.

 Steve Royston

Jerusalem Postcard: Tears, Trinkets, Traffic

Jerusalem Postcard: Tears, Trinkets, Traffic

STEVE ROYSTON: “When we enter Jerusalem, you will be surrounded by people who will try to take your money. I know these people…”

 Steve Royston

Istanbul Postcard: Still Arguing After 18 Centuries

Istanbul Postcard: Still Arguing After 18 Centuries

STEVE ROYSTON: Spiritually, today’s Istanbulus are not so different from their Byzantine predecessors – they still delight in debate and intrigue.

 thehedonista

Eid is Just Around the Corner: So Where to Go?

Eid is Just Around the Corner: So Where to Go?

THE HEDONISTA: Eid al Adha has been my favourite – the last few years it has fallen far enough out of summer it occurs with the change of season.

 Rob L. Wagner

Unfazed: Israeli Boycott Little Noticed in Turkey

Unfazed: Israeli Boycott Little Noticed in Turkey

ROB L. WAGNER: Shopkeepers easily transition from Turkish to Russian, Polish and German. Yet Hebrew, once among the languages, is virtually non-existent.

 Steve Royston

Jerusalem – The Biography: A Compelling Story

Jerusalem – The Biography: A Compelling Story

STEVE ROYSTON: It’s a city that is sacred to Muslims, Christians and Jews but it appears to have attracted its fair share of ‘complicated characters’ in its rich past.

 Mich Cafe

Dubai Gets its Blue Mosque

Dubai Gets its Blue Mosque

I heard ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan saying, when people argued too much about his intention to reconstruct the mosque of Allah’s Apostle, “You have talked too much. I heard the Prophet saying, ‘Whoever built a mosque, Allah would build for him a similar place in Paradise’.”

MICH CAFE: The closer you get, the more splendid the mosque looks. The size is breathtaking and I had difficulty getting the four 60-meter-high minarets in one frame.

 Mich Cafe

When the Lebanese Woman Shed the Veil

When the Lebanese Woman Shed the Veil

MICH CAFE, F. NAJIA: The Lebanese woman’s journey from “the age of the veil” to the relative freedom of “the age of the bikini” was a fairly quick one, but the path to ‘freedom’ was paved not by “circumstances” alone.

 Juan Cole

Why What Worked in Egypt, Will Not Trip Up Iran

Why What Worked in Egypt, Will Not Trip Up Iran

KUSHA SEFAT, INFORMED COMMENT: The international conditions for revolution were ripe in Tunisia and Egypt. This is simply not the case in Iran.