French intervention in Mali is motivated by economic rather than democratic concerns In 2003, the Bush administration justified the invasion of Iraq on the grounds that Saddam Hussein had ties with Al-Qaeda and possessed weapons of mass destruction. Bush named the invasion âOperation Iraqi Freedomâ, claiming that he wanted democracy for Iraq. The French administration …
Iranian regime continues its severe discrimination against people of Ahwaz, preventing them from employment and from benefiting from the local natural resources
Speaking with an EU parliamentarian I was surprised by their parting question, which was; âis it true that Salafis want to destroy the pyramids? I heard that a Salafi appeared on TV saying he wants to destroy the pyramids.â I was indeed surprised, that such a non-representative interview produced for shock value and media consumption …
Mustafa Salama: Constitution approved, now what?
The United States has probably started on the bad side of Syria by putting âAl-Nusrah Frontâ on the list of terrorist organisations. There are legitimate fears and concerns that neighbouring countries and the west have over the destabilisation of an already volatile region. However, insisting on delegitimizing Al-Nusrah will only complicate matters worse. The world …
Watch western TV news features on Egypt; you will find an almost identical discourse that de-contextualises current events. It always emphasises President Morsyâs declaration that gave him unmatched powers and fomented outrage, and thatâs it. Morsyâs constitutional declaration was obviously met with some reservations from his closest people, which include his deputy, assistants, consultants and …
The aftermath of the Arab Spring has not ceased. It is not clear what the region will settle for or how long this process will take. Many academic scholars prior to the outbreak of the Arab Spring questioned if there was a âdemocratic transitionâ at all. They assumed that these âsurvivalistâ regimes were in a …
Despite the western impression of Egyptians rejecting President Morsyâs constitutional declaration, the majority of Egyptians actually support it. The declaration looks to make the revolution âimmuneâ, as the Constituent Assembly and the Shura Council become temporarily inviolable. The decision is supposed to protect the transitional period from falling back into the hands of the deep …
Once again as Israeli elections come closer, Israel politically campaigns by attacking Gaza, this time killing the head of Al-Qassam Brigadesâ Ahmad Al-Jabari who was a popular and respected figure in the Gaza Strip. By this move that killed three Palestinians, Israel has breached the cease-fire that was sponsored by Egypt. The Zionist state has …
Power comes with great responsibilities, especially when Egypt is in such a devastated state. It is easy to criticise and rightfully do so. Critique, which is not constructive, nor aims to contribute to better governmental performance, is just a waste of time. The ongoing debate on the identity of Egypt and how Islam will play …
The Arab world was taken by surprise when 150,000 or so Kuwaitis took the small countryâs streets in protest on 21 October. The protest was mobilised against a new electoral law designed to reduce opposition, which was passed by the emir without parliamentary approval (as parliament was dissolved). The Kuwaiti political experience is regionally exceptional …
In any ideological struggle or clash of discourses original ideas may not necessarily hold water.
Egypt still remains the cornerstone of American foreign policy in the Middle East. The relationship now seems to be going through somewhat turbulent and tense times, however the overall relations have not seriously departed from the previous norms of the Mubarak era. Though this is the case now, the future is still unclear. Currently the …
Among many secular liberalists lies a contradiction when it comes to raising Islam in debates concerning political or civil affairs. For example there is the common complaint that preachers have become very harsh or that Islamists are supposedly negating the tolerant and merciful side of Islam, but simultaneously they claim that Islam should remain more …
You canât really escape the topic of Islamists when you discuss Middle East politics.