Latest in Opinion Highlight
Latest in Opinion
Aflame on the Nile
By David Faris In Naguib Mahfouz’s magnificent Adrift on the Nile, written just before the June War, a group of politically and socially alienated Egyptians gather on a houseboat every night to smoke hash and forget about the troubles of their country. Enveloped in a haze of smoke, they drift through the days and nights, …
Sharjah: On the radar
By Oxford Business Group The outlook for 2011 is one of correction and consolidation for Sharjah’s real estate sector. The market should slowly start to pick up, though recovery is expected to be modest in the shorter term before gaining momentum. According to data issued by the Sharjah Real Estate Information Service in mid-November, rental …
An Arab spring?
By Dominique Moisi PARIS: Is Tunisia the first Arab authoritarian domino to fall? Or is it a unique case that should not be viewed as a precedent for either the Arab world in general or the Maghreb in particular? The region’s dictators have sought to dismiss the “Jasmine Revolution,” but the spark that started in …
Lebanon, look to South Africa’s example
By David Beatty BEIRUT: Lebanon is about to face one of those moments that illuminate the character of a country. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon investigating the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is about to move into high gear. The institution’s prosecutor has now handed over draft indictments to a pre-trial judge. It …
Comeback cancers
By Ann Chambers LONDON/ONTARIO: Progress is being made against many types of cancer, with more patients surviving longer, thanks to research on two fronts: improved methods for earlier detection, and development of therapies that are more effective and less toxic. Indeed, it is estimated that there are now more than 10 million cancer survivors in …
Developments in global trade
By Shehzad Sharjeel Trade, the commercial manifestation of countless cross-border flows of goods and services between people, organizations and countries, is the lynchpin of the global economy. These flows impact not only exporters and importers, but also play a crucial role improving national economies, ultimately lifting people’s standard of living and giving them a chance …
Social media connecting youth and politicians in the Arab world
By Hani Naim BEIRUT: In December, the Online Collaborative Club of the American University of Beirut organized Blogging Lebanon, a conference for more than 150 Lebanese and Arab bloggers, e-activists, journalists, students, professors and others interested in social media. This convention demonstrated that social media is central to the Arab world today, and essential for …
A role for the United States in Tunisia’s transition?
By Rabab Fayad GENEVA: What started with a desperate act by one individual four weeks ago in Tunisia, turned into a social media campaign and culminated in a revolution that ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali from power after almost 30 years of rule. The revolution — a grassroots movement — was spurred by …
Dubai: Building recovery
By Oxford Business Group Dubai’s construction sector is still dealing with the fallout of the global recession. Some segments are experiencing gathering momentum while others may have to look beyond 2011 before demand picks up and confidence returns. An oversupply of residential and commercial properties has resulted in the sector redressing the speed with which …
Breaking, not engaging, the region
By Rime Allaf It is said that repeating an action but still expecting different results, despite proof of the contrary, is a sure sign of insanity. With its strange attitude towards Cuba’s regime, the US has for decades demonstrated that adage while seemingly making Cuba the exception to the rules of diplomatic engagement. In particular, …
US-Syrian relations at a crossroads
By Nizar Abdel-Kader Robert Ford, the first American ambassador to Syria since 2005, arrived in Damascus on Sunday, January 16, during a time of regional turmoil with mutual and continuing distrust between Washington and Damascus. This distrust was clearly expressed when the Obama administration accused Syria and Iran of destabilizing Lebanon by providing arms to …
We are all Egyptian
By Ahmed Kadry I was born and raised in London and it was there that I lived in a society of different races, religions and cultures. If you ever find yourself on a rainy day in England’s capital city and jump onto a red bus to take you to your destination, take a look around …
Tunisia, a game changer in the Middle East
By Radwan Masmoudi WASHINGTON, DC: There has been a democratic revolution in Tunisia over the past four weeks. This is a new and exciting era in Tunisian history, and an example for other countries of the Arab world. Unfortunately, however, it all started when a 26-year-old university graduate set himself on fire on Dec. 17 in …
Did the poor cause the crisis?
By Simon Johnson WASHINGTON, DC: The United States continues to be riven by heated debate about the causes of the 2007-2009 financial crisis. Is government to blame for what went wrong, and, if so, in what sense? In December, the Republican minority on the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC), weighed in with a preemptive dissenting narrative. …
Life after capitalism
By Robert Skidelsky LONDON: In 1995, I published a book called “The World After Communism”. Today, I wonder whether there will be a world after capitalism. That question is not prompted by the worst economic slump since the 1930s. Capitalism has always had crises, and will go on having them. Rather, it comes from the feeling …
Whither Tunisia’s ‘Jasmine Revolution’?
By Mustapha Tlili NEW YORK: As I try to grasp the full meaning of the Tunisian Revolution and gauge its future, I am looking at my desk, where I have spread two issues of The New York Times, both featuring Tunisia on their front pages. The two issues are dated 23 years apart. The first is …
Learning from Lebanon
By Ian Bremmer NEW YORK: After watching the collapse of Lebanon’s government last week, it is hard not to think about efforts to build a stable Iraq. The two countries have so much in common. Both are volatile democracies where any political question can provoke not just intense debate, but also the threat of violence. Both …
Sputnik redux
By Esther Dyson CAPE CANAVERAL: More than 50 years ago (1957), the Soviets launched the world’s first orbiting satellite, beating the US into space. For Americans, the so-called “Sputnik moment” was a wake-up call that pushed the United States to increase investment in technology and science education. Months later, the US launched the Explorer 1 satellite, …
‘US’ versus ‘them’ in Pakistan
By Nadia Jajja KARACHI, Pakistan: The drums and trumpets are sounding, as the music of war permeates Pakistan’s English print and electronic media. Indeed, the death of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer has provided yet another opportunity to talk about things in terms of “us” and, of course, “them”. Not a day has passed without a condemnation …
Tunisia’s uprising and politics in the Arab World
By Ronald Meinardus CAIRO: After the downfall of Tunisian dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and the gradual consolidation of the political situation on the ground, international attention is shifting to possible implications the unprecedented Tunisian events may have for the region as a whole. “Domino effect” and “tipping point” are catch phrases used by analysts and …
Lebanon: justice at the price of peace?
By Maria-Rita Kassis BEIRUT: In Lebanon, the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on 14 February 2005 remains a mystery. Many expect it to be solved by the UN-sponsored Special Tribunal for Lebanon [STL] in the coming weeks. The nation’s anticipation of the upcoming indictment has been overwhelming in past months as the country faced …
What state without Jerusalem?
By Huda Imam JERUSALEM: “Another Palestinian symbol is being demolished today in Jerusalem!” It’s an early Sunday morning in January, misty skies cover Jerusalem and my son wakes me up saying: “Mama, they are demolishing the Shepherd Hotel.” I was born and continue to live on a quiet residential street of Sheikh Jarrah, Baybers Street (which …
Fixing the failure of Pakistan’s criminal justice system
By Qurat ul ain Siddiqui KARACHI, Pakistan: On Jan. 4, the governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province, Salman Taseer, was assassinated in Islamabad by a member of his security detail. Soon after, Taseer’s bodyguard and assassin, Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, surrendered and confessed to the killing. Qadri further said that he had killed Taseer for “committing blasphemy” …
Bahrain: Encouraging entrepreneurship
By Oxford Business Group A renewed focus on entrepreneurship is at the heart of Bahrain’s efforts to diversify its economy and achieve the goals outlined in its long-term development plan, Economic Vision 2030. In a sign of its commitment to promoting entrepreneurship, the country hosted the 10th International Entrepreneurship Forum on January 10-11, the first time …
Back to the sixties
By Barry Eichengreen BERKELEY: Complaints about the inflationary effects of American monetary policy are rampant, despite there being barely a hint of inflation in the United States. Rapidly growing catch-up economies are paddling furiously to avoid being dragged down by a torrent of capital inflows. Prominent policymakers, desperate for alternatives to America’s malfunctioning monetary system, …
A PALESTINIAN VIEW: International legality is not up for a vote
By Ghassan Khatib The prospect of posing a referendum in the respective societies on any agreement reached between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators is not a new idea. Periodically it has surfaced in the political landscape, arising for different and sometimes contradictory reasons. Because any final agreement between Palestinians and Israelis will involve a major compromise …
AN ISRAELI VIEW: A theoretical but important discussion
By Yossi Alpher The demand to submit an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement to a popular referendum is not exclusive to either side. Last November, the Israeli Knesset passed a law mandating a referendum under certain circumstances. Hamas leaders have from time to time indicated that a two-state solution affirmed by a referendum of all Palestinians, including …
Tunisia’s Revolution was Twitterized
By Firas Al-Atraqchi In what could be a sign of how social media is reshaping politics in the Middle East and North Africa, Tunisian protesters turned to Twitter to broadcast information on their popular revolt against the government’s economic and media policies. Videos of street clashes in Tunisian towns were broadcast on YouTube before some …
US appeal addressed primarily to Europeans
By Simon Petermann Since the Obama administration has abandoned the idea of getting a freeze on Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank, everyone agrees that the peace process in the Middle East is once again deadlocked. Of course, this is not the first time. But the changing strategic landscape in the Middle East, instability …
The best investments
By Bjørn Lomborg KOLKATA: On the eastern edge of Kolkata, Dulu Bibi, a 25-year-old mother of four, worries about the cost of treating her two sick boys. Her husband earns 80-90 rupees ($1.90 or €1.40) a day. The family’s basic diet is low in the essential micronutrients that children need to thrive. Dulu’s two sons, …