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.
Global Unpopularity Wearing Down Israel
JONATHAN COOK: Benjamin Netanyahu’s advisers conceded last week that the Israeli prime minister is more downcast than they have ever seen him.
Realpolitik: Leaders Fiddle While Libyans Burn
Like millions of others, I’ve been watching, transfixed, as the drama in Libya plays out. I’ve also been listening to pundits and politicians on various channels as they debate and comment on the current situation. There appears to be a wide consensus – Venezuela and Zimbabwe excepted – that Colonel Gaddafi and his regime have […]
Obama’s Advice to Troubled Leaders: ‘Hang on in There’
MONDOWEISS: ‘Regime alteration’ is the new buzz phrase in the Washington corridors of power. The Obama administration is advocating a ‘tortoise’ rather than a ‘hare’ strategy to those seeking change in the region. Will it resonate?
The Rise of the Arabs, the Fall of Colonialism
RAMZY BAROUD: Arabs are ripping up the humiliating caricatures of the region imposed by the West, as they tear down authoritarian regimes, and begin to build truly civilized, and free societies.
What Troubles? It’s Hard to Get Too Angry in Qatar
SHABINA S. KHATRI: Qatar is a welfare state that financially-speaking takes care of its people. The 350,000 nationals enjoy an average per capita income of $75,000 annually.
Libya: The West Must Make Its Decision Now
OSAMA AL SHARIF: The Libyan revolution could easily slip into a prolonged civil war – the worst outcome for all. Lawlessness, Humanitarian crisis…
Is Turkey the Role Model for the Arab World?
JAMES M. DORSEY: For the first time in its history, Turkey is emerging as a true bridge between East and West. Unrest elsewhere however puts Turkish aspirations to the test.
Omanis, Protests, and The Right to Pursue Success
MISHAAL AL GERGAWI: In stark — but unsurprising — contrast to the uprisings around the region, Oman’s protest did not call for the fall of its regime or even its ruler.
Comment on Why What Worked in Egypt, Will Not Trip Up Iran by Mohannad Saaed
I believe the most important difference is economical. Egypt received economical aid from the US and Libya and Iran do not receive aid from US. Also. we are not the only supper power any more. It is like we are a powerful man and do not have money any …
Why Hillary Clinton Has Become an Al Jazeera Fan
ISSA KHALAF, MONDOWEISS: Satellite and cable owners refuse to carry Al Jazeera for something other than the false explanation of competition, and that is fear of “real news” about Israel.
The Vogue-Assad Controversy: A View from Syria
SYRIA NEWS WIRE: Vogue has responded to the controversy caused by its profile of Asma al-Assad. There’s hypocrisy in the charges being laid at her door.
Comment on Why What Worked in Egypt, Will Not Trip Up Iran by Joe P
It is a wonderful article but we have also to put in to context that US has been trying to overthrow Iranian government for the past 32 years. This and Iranians experience of operation Ajax means that any sympathy from nationalistic quarters in Iran must be with the government. Also I have to say that the most powerful force in a nation state is the power of nationalism and religion. Combine these two and you get a very powerful elixir which Iranians have unleashed. It is so powerful that it has stood up the history’s most super power for the past 32 years. Despite the large amount of propaganda going around against Iran in western media the truth is different. Almost all scientific polls conducted by western polling agencies and available on internet show that majority of Iranians support their current form of government and even favor being more powerful internationally to the point of even being ready to accept more international pressures in order to have nuclear bombs. That is the wishes of the people of Iran measured by independent western organizations. So Iranian state is very much comfortable with its position and just afew thousand opposition mostly propped up by 150 satellite channels bankrolled by US and beamed into Iran will not make Iranian state unstable. If anything it just makes their actions more justifiable for the majority of Iranians who support them.
One little fact which almost never gets mentioned is that the revolutionary government of Iran in the past decades had invested heavily in education and healthcare boosting its indicators tremendously. Today Iran has the world’s fastest growth rate in science and technology and according to some reports this progress in science and technology is due to Iran Iraq war which was itself due to the revolution. So out of true great revolutions come out also progress in science and technology, as was the case with French, Russian and Chinese revolutions. This does not happen in fake revolutions (read coups or color “revolutions”) like the one in Egypt.
Stalemate Threatens Redrawing of Libya Map
OMAR AL-ISSAWI: We are potentially looking at a redrawing of the map of Libya, perhaps even the map of the Middle East.
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.
Lesson from Egypt: How to Reject a Literary Prize
ALI GHARIB, MONDOWEISS: A lesson in how to reject a prize yet ‘engage in dialogue’ with a regime of which you are critical.
Comment on Saudi Student’s Arrest Will Have Unplanned Repercussions in the U.S. by Simone
A really good point… Living in the UK when the IRA used to plan terrorist campaigns across the country, everyone was very aware not to allow those campaigns to affect our thinking, how we lived our lives, or how our relations with others.
I remember very clearly for example, we never saw the problems as anything to do with Irish people. We always saw them as something to do with a small, misguided group of extremists. Of course, it helped we have always had huge populations of Irish people in the UK. Most of us have Irish blood somewhere!
Still it was always something that was clearly understood – don’t inflate what the IRA were doing with normal Irish people. That is something that the U.S. – and the rest of the world – should take on board with extremists from the likes of Saudi…
Saudi Student’s Arrest Will Have Unplanned Repercussions in the U.S.
ROB L. WAGNER: The U.S.’s reaction to Khalid Aldawsari’s terrorism-related charges could play into the hands of conservatives in the Kingdom.
Israeli Military to Cash in on Egyptian Revolution
JONATHAN COOK: Israel has always presented itself as ‘the villa in the jungle’. The military in ‘the villa’ see an opportunity to secure additional U.S. largess.
Dubai the Winner in a ‘Game’ of Regional Turmoil
JAMES MULLAN: The city of Dubai remains an island of opportunity for many in the Arab world, and troubles elsewhere only strengthen perceived virtues.
