Bahrain: Reconciliation In Need After Bassiouni
STEVE ROYSTON: The report is magisterial, dispassionate and distressing. Accounts of torture, violence and intimidation are not surprising.
23rd November: A Red Letter Day for Bahrain
STEVE ROYSTON: Tomorrow sees the publication of a report into the events of February and March of this year. Could it draw a line under those tragic events?
News Analysis: Assad Speaks to UK Media
President Assad has ended his purdah with the international media and conducted an interview with a UK newspaper. Let’s see what he had to say.
How Safe Is It To Travel as a Woman in Morocco?
KJ, THE VIEW FROM FEZ: It’s a fascinating place but as a woman you may be worried travelling alone.What precautions should you take?
Oh Little Town of Bethlehem – Life on the Checkpoints
STEVE ROYSTON: Israel will not allow Palestinian men to enter until they are 28, although another told us the age was 32, which is possible as the rules are constantly changing.
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…”
Overwhelmed: When A Friend Dies Young
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: I attended the funeral of a friend. She was a young mother, not yet 40. The scale of my grief surprised me.
From Personal Disaster to Moroccan Music Pioneer
DEREK WORKMAN, THE VIEW FROM FEZ: What should you do once your life’s work has been destroyed? Instead of brooding Nick Wilde went to Morocco…
News Analysis: U.S Attack on Iran ‘likely’
NEWS ANALYSIS: Now Libya has been taken care of momentum appears to be growing particularly in the United States for an attack on Iran’s nuclear programme.
West’s 1% salivates over spoils of the Libyan 99%
MONDOWEISS, MATTHEW TAYLOR: Whatever one thinks of The West’s role in this revolution, it should not have a free pass to engage in more oil imperialism.
‘Cultural’ Symbol: Hijab Dispute Nears End
JAMES M. DORSEY: It has been a running sore between FIFA, football’s world governing body, and women’s football teams throughout the Islamic world.
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?
“Damascus With Love”: Homage at a Painful Time
NEWS FROM SYRIA: It’s been a depressing time in Syria recently, but a newly released movie set in Damascus certainly lifted my gloom, if only for a few hours.
Saudi Arabia: A Glimpse Through the Myths
STEVE ROYSTON: Received wisdom portrays a backward, oppressive society, dominated by religious extremists and a monarchy whose main mission is self-preservation.
“When A Man Is Tired of The Palm He Is Tired of, Ah, Luxury Life”
JAMES MULLAN: It’s the so-called ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’, it’s ‘Iconic’ but for some people The Palm simply doesn’t measure up.
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.
Could Now Be the Time for an American Spring?
ABU MOHAMMED: What I miss the most is her promise to be able to live a good life, no matter who I am or was, as an equal to other men.
Dedicated – and Faithful – Followers of Fashion
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: Bloomberg has estimated the global Muslim fashion market could be worth $96bn. For comparisons, the entire UK fashion industry is valued at £21bn.
Steve Jobs: Arrogant Genius Who Made The Difference
ALEXANDER MCNABB: There’s little doubt Steve Jobs was an arrogant bastard. I’ve never met him but the absolute certitude shone through in everything he did.
Saudi Education: The Power Struggle Heats Up
ROB L. WAGNER: A new secondary school textbook highlights the struggle between liberals and conservatives within the Saudi Ministry for Education.
