From Dubai to London – NYE Style
VIDEO: Spectacular fireworks exploded over Sydney in a blaze of light and colour as the city kicked off a wave of global celebrations from Dubai to London.
‘No Christmas, New Year Parties. Jewish Symbols Only’
JONATHAN COOK: A heavy hand is being applied to those hotels and hostelries in Nazareth that seek to make Christian residents and visitors welcome
The People and Events That Mattered in 2012: My Choice
STEVE ROYSTON: It’s by no means scientific or representative but here are the people and special moments that resonated with me this year
My First Hajj: It’s ‘Your Whole Life In Microcosm’
ABU MOHAMMED: There will always be some little detail from your first Hajj that will stay with you as the years roll by.
My Daughter, My Legacy in Struggle for Opportunity
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: Last Thursday was the first International Day of the Girl Child. It made me focus on my own particular role as a mother.
In New Egypt, Old Divides Still Rule
RANIA AL MALKY: Muslim residents attacked the home and shops of Coptic tailor, Murad Girgis following a relationship between him and a Muslim woman.
Tension Between the United States and Iran Escalates: Is Conflict Now Inevitable?
DAVID ROBERTS: It appears that both the United States and Iran’s domestic political requirements have spun the region into a dangerous spiral.
Dropping the ‘D’ On the Way to a Better 2012
STEVE ROYSTON: I thought of the Q-less dictionary as words rattled round my head to describe my golf game, and prospects for the world in 2012…
My New Year’s Resolution? No New Year’s Resolutions!
DANIEL M. VARISCO: It’s a curious tradition and one worth burying, in my humble opinion – the bore that is the New Year’s Resolution.
25 Days: The Countdown to the Anniversary of Egypt’s Uprising Has Begun…
RANIA AL MALKY: Over the past two weeks, SCAF has turned this cause for celebration to a potential apocalypse, casting a dark shadow of fear…
Christmas in Saudi Arabia: Quietly Festive
ROB L. WAGNER: If you’re subtle you can enjoy a surprisingly festive Christmas in the Kingdom. Many Saudis also quietly acknowledge Christian friends’ celebration.
Copts Should ‘Participate Fully’ in ‘new Egypt’
MANAR AMMAR, CGNEWS: The meeting between Mohamed Tantawy and Coptic Pope Shenouda III heralds positive change. Engagement is required.
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.
The End of Eid, The Start of the Beginning
DAVID WESTLEY: This year, the return to ‘normality’ will be significantly harder to achieve for those countries that have gone through their Arab spring; the pathway to success is still far from clear.
Forces of Unity to Sweep Aside Egypt’s Agents of Division
H.A HELLYER, CGNEWS: The spirit of solidarity that was displayed by Copts and Muslims in Tahrir Square is embedded deep in Egyptian society.
Laughter: Is it Really the Best Medicine?
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMMED: Dictators are particularly sensitive to the corrosive effects of humour. They’ve always taken it very seriously indeed…
Egyptian Novelists Respond to Church Bombing
M. LYNX-QUALEY: Egypt’s three leading contemporary novelists reflect on the origins, significance and consequences of the recent bomb attack on a Coptic church in Alexandria.
Qatar World Cup in Jan? No Surprise There…
DAVID ROBERTS: So Sepp Blatter has begun the softening up for the first ever Winter World Cup. It makes sense, you know….
Religious Strife, a Huge Win for Arab Enemies
OSAMA AL SHARIF: Christians are not the only victims of sectarian terror: Mosques, shrines, religious parades have been targeted indiscriminately, affecting Sunnis, Shias and other sects…
Etisalat Plans – Mickey Mouse, but less Friendly
ALEXANDER MCNABB: My plan? What plan? It was called ‘Mubashir’ because nobody knew what 3G was (“I don’t understand what 3G is!” “No problem, take this! It’s called Mubashir!” “What is it?” “3G”).
