Added on 24/01/2012
Susan Al Shahri
Europe , Marriage , Oman , Tunisia , Turkey , Women , Women's issues

SUSAN AL SHAHRI: Polygamy is still relatively common in Dhofar but I don’t know any woman enduring this situation who’s happy with their lot.
Added on 16/01/2012
Juan Cole
Al Ahram , Bush Administration , Democracy , Egypt , Egypt Protests , Egypt's military , former head , International Atomic Energy Agency , Morocco , Mubarak , Muhammad VI , Muslim Brotherhood , parliamentary systems , President , Prime Minister , Turkey

JUAN COLE: The Egyptian military have absolutely no intention of handing power to any civilian administration until they’ve done the right deal.
Added on 14/01/2012
Mondoweiss
America , Benny Gantz , CNN , Eli Lake , Germany , inspector , International Atomic Energy Agency , Iran , Iranian parliament , Israel , Israel Defense Forces , Israeli military , Israeli Military Strength , Knesset , Mossad , Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan , Obama , Obama administration , Tehran , Tel Aviv , Turkey , U.N. Security Council , U.S. intelligence , United Nations , United States , Washington

ALEX KANE, MONDOWEISS: The Israelis are doing all in their power to scuttle ‘back channel’ discussions to ease tension between the U.S and Iran.
Added on 02/01/2012
Juan Cole
Afghanistan , Asaf Ali Zardari , Baghdad , Bahrain , Binyamin Netanyahu , China , Congress , Egypt , Egyptian military , Foreign Policy , Gaza , Iran , Iraq , Islamabad , Israel , Muslim Brotherhood , North Atlantic Treaty Organization , Nouri al-Maliki , Pakistan , President , Prime Minister , Red Sea , Saudi Arabia , South Asia , Syria , Tehran , Turkey , U.S. Congress , United States , Washington , Yemen

JUAN COLE: Many of the dangers to which I pointed in last year’s list still exist, of course, but a whole host of new difficulties has emerged.
Added on 02/01/2012
James M. Dorsey
Abdullah Gul , Champion’s League , Football , head of state , Justice and Development Party , President , Prime Minister , Recep Tayyip Erdogan , Soccer , The Financial Times , Turkey

JAMES M. DORSEY: Turkish soccer faces the same risks as the country’s economy, it operates on the same principles: high debt, unorthodox monetary policy.
Added on 31/12/2011
Shelina Zahra Janmohamed
Emir , IBM , Media coverage , MP , President , Print media , Qatar , Sheikha Mozah , Social Media , Turkey , United Kingdom

SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: Usually, in an economic downturn heels go up as consumers turn to more flamboyant fashion as a means of escape…
Added on 30/12/2011
Juan Cole
Abdullah , Al Qaeda , Algeria , Ali Abdullah Saleh , Ali Khamenei , Arab Spring , Ayman al-Zawahiri , Baath Party in Syria , Bahrain , Balkans , Ben Ali , Binyamin Netanyahu , Bush Administration , David Cameron , Democracy , Egypt , Egypt Protests , Europe , France , G8 , Gaza , George W. Bush , Hamas , Hillary Clinton , Hosni Mubarak , Iran , Iraq , Islam , Israel , Joe Biden , Libya , Manama , Middle East , Middle East Opinions of America , Misrata , Moncef Marzouki , Morocco , Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt , North Atlantic Treaty Organization , Obama , Oil , Palestinian Territories , President , Prime Minister , Saddam Hussein , Saudi Arabia , School of Oriental and African Studies , Social services , Supreme , Suzanne Mubarak , Syria , Syrian National Council , Tahrir Square , Tel Aviv , Tunisia , Turkey , United Arab Emirates , United Kingdom , United States , Washington , West Bank , Western Europe , Western Mountain region , Yemen

JUAN COLE: So much that is misinformed, over-hyped and simply plain wrong has been written about the Arab Spring. So let’s sort the wheat from the chaff.
Added on 27/12/2011
Jonathan Cook
Ankara , Benjamin Netanyahu , Cairo , Egypt , Ehud Barak , Fatah , Gaza , Golan Heights , Hamas , International Criminal Court , Iran , Israel , Jerusalem , Lebanon , Mahmoud Abbas , Middle East , Mossad , Oslo , Palestine , Palestine Liberation Organization , Palestinian Authority , Palestinian national movement , Pennsylvania , President , Prime Minister , Recep Erdogan , Saudi Arabia , Saudi intelligence , Security Council , Sinai , Syria , The New York Times , tremors , Tunisia , Turkey , Turki al-Faisal , United Nations , United States , Washington , West Bank

JONATHAN COOK: 2011 marked the point at which the Palestinians called Israel’s bluff and revealed Oslo to be nothing more than a stalling tactic. What does the upcoming year hold?
Added on 29/11/2011
Juan Cole
Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi , Ali Abdullah Saleh , Arab League , Arab Spring , Bashar al-Assad , Democracy , Egypt , Gulf Cooperation Council , Interior Ministry , International Criminal Court , Iran , Iraq , Journalist , Kuwait , Lebanon , Middle East , Morocco , Prime Minister , Saudi Arabia , Syria , Tawakkul Karman , Tunisia , Turkey , United Nations , United States , Yemen

JUAN COLE: Events are moving quickly in the region, and here are some notable developments with implications for democracy in the Middle East.
Added on 27/11/2011
Ramzy Baroud
Ahmet Davutoglu , Aleppo , Ankara , Bashar al-Assad , Damascus , Foreign Policy , France , Free Syrian Army , Iran , Israel , Istanbul , Lebanon , Libya , Mediterranean , Muslim Brotherhood , North Atlantic Treaty Organization , President , Prime Minister , Recep Tayyip Erdogan , Syria , Syrian government , Syrian National Council , The Financial Times , the Palestine Chronicle , Turkey

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.
Added on 09/11/2011
Steve Royston
consumer products , Erdogan government , European Union , God , Istanbul , Jesus Christ , Journalist , Middle East , National Day , Orhan Pamuk , Ottoman Court , Pakistan , President , Prime Minister , Sofia , Turkey

STEVE ROYSTON: Spiritually, today’s Istanbulus are not so different from their Byzantine predecessors – they still delight in debate and intrigue.
Added on 08/11/2011
Juan Cole
Aleppo , Arab Spring , Ba'athist , Bashar al-Assad , Ba’ath Party , Beirut , Bush Administration , Cairo , Christian Palestinian , Damascus , Democracy , Egypt , Iran , Iraq , Israel , Jordan , Lebanon , Middle East , Muslim Brotherhood , Obama , Orthodox Catholic Church , Palestinian Territories , President , Republican Party , Rick Santorum , Syria , The Daily Star , Turkey , United States , Washington

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.
Added on 05/11/2011
David Westley
Ali Al-Naimi , Angela Merkel , Apple , Barack Obama , Benjamin Netanyahu , chancellor , China , co-chair , David Cameron , Dominique Strauss-Kahn , Egypt , Forbes , France , Germany , Hamad Bin Khalifa al Thani , Iran , Israel , Japan , Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan , King Abdullah , Libya , Mark Zuckerberg , Melinda Gates Foundation , Mexico , Middle East , Oil , Oprah Winfrey , Osama Bin Laden , President , Prime Minister , Qatar , Recep Erdogan , Russia , Saudi Arabia , Steve Jobs , The National , Tunisia , Turkey , United Arab Emirates , United States , US Federal Reserve , Vladimir Putin , Wael Ghonim

NEWS ANALYSIS: So how does the Middle East do? Not great, but Saudi’s King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud is in the top 10, at number 7.
Added on 01/11/2011
James M. Dorsey
2022 World Cup , Bahrain , Bloomberg , Cristiano Ronaldo , Dubai , East Africa , English Premier League , Europe , FIFA , Football , Los Angeles , Middle East , North Africa , Portugal , President , Qatar , Qatar Investment Authority , Soccer , soccer official , Spain , the English Premier League , Turkey , United Arab Emirates

JAMES M. DORSEY: A Dubai bank has launched the region’s first alternative soccer fund modelled on European funds – amid rising fan opposition.
Added on 20/10/2011
Rob L. Wagner
Abu Dhabi , Ali Sabat , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Chechnya , Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice , Holy Qur'an , Indonesia , Morocco , Oman , Philips , Poet , Qatar , Riyadh , Saudi Arabia , Saudi Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice , Saudi court , Shoura Council , Sudan , Tara Umm Omar , Turkey , Yanbu , Yemen

ROB L. WAGNER: A recent ruling by the Shoura Council in Saudi Arabia has brought the issue of black magic to the fore again. Its influence is huge.
Added on 16/10/2011
The Moor Next Door
Afghanistan , Ben Ali , Democracy , Eileen Byrne , Iran , Islamist party , Journalist , Progress Party , The Financial Times , The Washington Post , Tunis , Tunisia , Turkey

THE MOOR NEXT DOOR: With a week to go before Tunisia’s national election anticipation is mounting. With more than 100 parties contesting which of them is set to emerge victorious?
Added on 16/10/2011
James M. Dorsey
Abdullah , Adel Al-Jubeir , Africa , Atlantic coast , Bahrain , Bashar al-Assad , East Africa , Egypt , Europe , Gilad Shalit , Hamas , Hizballah , Human Rights Watch , Iran , Iraq , Islamist government , Israel , Libya , Mahmoud Abbas , Manama , Massachusetts , Mexico , Middle East , North Africa , Obama administration , Oil , Palestine Authority , Palestinian Territories , President , Quds Force , Salesman , Saudi Arabia , Syria , Texas , Tunisia , Turkey , United States , US government , Washington , Yemen

JAMES M. DORSEY: The people power movement has the most to lose and could find itself in the grinder as the United States, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Iran jockey for power.
Added on 11/10/2011
Rob L. Wagner
Ankara , Arabs , Bahrain , Bar Ilan University , Bulgaria , Davos , Egypt , France , Gaza , Gaza Strip , Germany , Hamas , Iran , Israel , Istanbul , Mediterranean coast , President , Prime Minister , Recep Tayyip Erdogan , Russia , Shimon Peres , Syria , Tel Aviv , Tourism , Tunisia , Turkey , United Kingdom , United Nations , World Economic Forum

ROB L. WAGNER: Shopkeepers easily transition from Turkish to Russian, Polish and German. Yet Hebrew, once among the languages, is virtually non-existent.
Added on 06/10/2011
thehedonista
AED , Afghanistan , Asia , Carrefour , China , Dubai , Egypt , India , Indonesia , Oman , Syria , Turkey , UAE , Vietnam , Yemen

THE HEDONISTA: ‘No photos’, ‘No Fixed Price’, ‘Come back later?’ Ah yes, the recurrent phrases heard buying ‘Dubai Kitsch’. So what’s the best way to go about it?
Added on 28/09/2011
M.-Lynx-Qualey
Abu Dhabi , Arabic , AUC Press , British Council , Cairo , Denys Johnson-Davies , Egypt , Egyptian Book Organization , Egyptian government , Elias Khoury , Humphrey Davies , Ibrahim Aslan , Israel , Literature , Mahmoud Darwish , Mediterranean , Middle East , Orhan Pamuk , Turkey , Turkish government , United Arab Emirates , United Kingdom

M. LYNX-QUALEY: Unlike most Western governments there is little appetite among any Arab government for the translation and promotion of literature. It’s a great shame.