Latest in Tag: opinion Highlight
Latest in Tag: opinion
Freedom of expression: a fundamental human right continues to deteriorate
Freedoms of opinion, press, protest, and creative works oppressed
If only we could celebrate like the Philippines celebrated 2 years ago
The Philippines generates $25bn annually from call centre exports
Learning from the past: Germany’s refugee policy is dignifying, positive
Fadia Fouda, a former Palestinian refugee, says Germany has vastly improved the situation for new refugees
Social safety nets can be a lifeline for victims of pound flotation
I decided to swim against the tide that accompanied the flotation of the Egyptian pound, the rumbling flood of comments on social media networks and opinion articles that filled newspapers and websites. Everyone is talking about the flotation and cuts to fuel subsidies, some people understand what they are talking about while others are driven …
Blasphemy case highlights devastating impact of Saudi ultra-conservatism on Pakistani society
This week’s decision by Pakistan’s supreme court to delay ruling on an appeal in the country’s most notorious blasphemy case and the thousands of security personnel deployed in its capital, Islamabad, in anticipation of a verdict, lay bare the degree to which Saudi Arabia supported ultra-conservative worldviews abetted by successive Pakistani governments have changed the …
A visit to a frightening, angry Cairo
“In Egypt, nothing is what it is supposed to be. Wrong numbers, wrong policies, and wrong leaders”
Nothing has changed in the culture scene over the last year
“There isn’t any movement in literature and nothing has changed,” says writer
On foreign journalists and criticism – a response to Ahmed Derini in Al-Masry Al-Youm
Derini thinks that critical and foreign journalists want to see Egypt fail before it has had chance to succeed; that they are trying to criticise it into collapse. He does not consider that there could be other motivations behind the work we do
Egyptian media’s losses
The media lost another battle during the war in Sinai, when everyone raced for information in light of the military’s maintenance of their usual policy at such times. The military was only ready to feed the Egyptian and foreign media false information. The media fell into the trap so easily, without even citing the source …
Pitfalls of Turkish-Chinese relations in a microcosm
By James M. Dorsey Turkish football player Alpaslan Ozturk’s decision to risk fame and wealth by expressing support for the embattled Turkic Uighur minority in Xinjiang reflects pressures in China’s ties to Turkey, its most complex relationship in the Muslim world, and a key node on the Silk Road that Beijing hopes to revive with massive …
A global tide of terror – from Sousse to Sinai
By Özer Khalid 1 July, 2015, will go down as one of the darkest most deeply disturbing days in Egyptian history. Wilayat Sinai (State of Sinai), an incestuous Sinai-based “Islamic State” (IS) affiliate, mercilessly massacred at least 17 brave members of the Egyptian armed forces. IS`s Wilayat Sinai orchestrated attacks on 21 security facilities and checkpoints stretching …
The increasing role of women entrepreneurs
By Dr Cesar Chelala In recent times, women are increasingly becoming an engine for economic and cultural progress worldwide, oftentimes fighting against disadvantageous circumstances. Such is the case of the owner of a small art gallery in the city of Troy, New York. In 2001 the city had a new addition to its artistic heritage, the Martinez …
Egyptian football player criticises Al-Sisi in reflection of mounting discontent
By James M. Dorsey Criticism this week by football player Ahmed Al-Merghani of general-turned-president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s hard-handed repression of dissent and failure to defeat a mushrooming insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula signals mounting discontent in Egypt. Al-Merghani’s comments on his Facebook page are indicative, because they suggested the degree to which Al-Sisi’s cult-like popularity …
Countering political violence: Tackle the root causes
By James M. Dorsey European officials, describing recruitment efforts by the Islamic State in Bosnia Herzegovina, mired in a toxic mix of economic malaise and ethnic tension, reportedly fear they may regret having failed to tackle the country’s structural problems in the two decades since the end of the Yugoslav wars. The regret could apply …
Hold the interior minister and his leaders accountable
The blood of Hisham Barakat is the responsibility of everyone with no exception, including the Ministry of Interior, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the government. Although it is necessary to hold all parties accountable and to punish the negligent and the careless, we cannot make the incident an excuse to impose more restrictions on the people. …
Blast from the past: Iraq, division or détente?
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD Lebanese President Camille Chamoun once stated in his memoirs, at the height of his country’s civil war, that he did not fear Lebanon would fracture into several independent states. His real worry, though, was if Iraq fell apart. That would doom the unity of his country. I’m quoting indirectly from …
Advisory Council rejects labour reform as Qatar stiffens its back
By James M. Dorsey Revived controversy over the integrity of Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup and persistent criticism of the conditions of migrant labour in the Gulf state appear to have stiffened Qatar’s back as it responds to attacks on multiple fronts, including judicial inquiries in Switzerland and the United States, …
Notes from America: Ramadan – a personal reflection
By Ahmed Tharwat The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began last week. This fasting month is observed by millions of Muslims around the world, unless you are in China, where anti-fasting cops resort to force feeding observing Muslims in public. The number of hours that Muslims must fast will vary based on where they live. …
How Germany collaborated with Egypt in arresting Ahmed Mansour
By Jonathan Moremi The arrest in Berlin last weekend of Ahmed Mansour, famous journalist of the Qatar based Al Jazeera network, made headlines all over the world. The fact that Germany with its high reputation as a politically stable democracy acted on behalf of Egypt, a regime that is nationally and internationally accused of ignoring …
National project for the poor
Ideas are endless; the important thing is that they are followed by a political will to execute them, and perhaps the most important thing is that the decision-makers think about national projects targeting the poor, who are burdened by the weight of years of oppression, poverty, disease and ignorance It is time to target this …
The Middle East and North Africa: Adapting to a new paradigm
By James M. Dorsey The military strategies of the United States and its regional allies focused on bombing campaigns, support for local militias, and inherently weak military forces to fight potential ground battles, have failed to defeat rebel forces in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Libya. Calls for the introduction of ground forces against Islamic State …
Iraq’s unending woes
By Dr Cesar Chelala Iraq’s dismal health situation is testimony to the invasion of the country by foreign forces, including now the takeover of important parts of its territory by “Islamic State” (IS). The Iraqi people have been the subject of mass executions, rape, torture and, in addition, the destruction of the country’s infrastructure. The …
Joining forces to meet the challenge of climate change
By James Moran, EU Ambassador in Egypt Climate action day was on 17 June. Voltaire said “Men argue. Nature acts.” When it comes to climate change, now more than ever we need to take a leaf out of nature’s book and act together. The international community is working for a new global climate deal in …
ILO condemnation of Qatar likely to have ripple effects
By James M. Dorsey The International Labour Organization (ILO) has dealt a blow to Qatari assertions that the Gulf state complies with global standards for workers, in a report that condemned the government for allowing state-owned Qatar Airways, in the words of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), to “violate international and national agreements and …
Notes from America: My dad was an average man
By Ahmed Tharwat In checking out the history of “Father’s Day”, the date 5 July 1908 is often mentioned when a West Virginia church sponsored the nation’s first event explicitly honouring several hundred fathers who had died in a coal mine explosion six months previously. But it was a one-time commemoration and not an annual holiday. It …
Layers of conflict: Syria between history and geology
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD Things just keep getting worse in Syria. The Sunni Jabhat Al-Nusra recently killed 23 Druze clan members in Idlib in an apparently unsanctioned raid. This, as James M. Dorsey warns, could drag in the Israelis as self-styled protectors of the Druze. Not to mention that the attack could prompt the …
The redeeming power of love
By Dr Cesar Chelala She was a mentally challenged woman yelling and cursing at passersby. We were a group of children, teasing and yelling at her. Fortunately, she didn’t pay any attention to our bad behaviour. That we were children being silly or that the incident happened decades ago, however, doesn’t diminish my responsibility, or …
Druze mount next flashpoint in Syrian conflict: Implications for Israel
By James M. Dorsey Syrian Druze have become the next potential flashpoint in a proxy war between Saudi Arabia, Iran and Israel that is exacerbating the Middle East’s multiple conflicts. With rebel forces advancing towards the mountainous Druze stronghold in north-western Syria, this month’s killing by Jabhat Al-Nusra jihadists of 23 members of a Druze …
It is our disease and we must cure it
By Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor Enough sitting around hoping for miracles! Enough waiting for the United States or its Western allies to cleanse the Arab world from the growing cancer of terrorism! Are Arab countries waiting until ‘Islamic State’ fighters knock down their citizens’ doors in what still remains of Arab-controlled territories before acting in a …
Arab Spring and the rise of non-state actors
By Fadi Elhusseini In the past four years, Arabs have been living an endless Sisyphean ordeal, an unexpected nightmare after rising for what they called “the Arab Spring”. A very similar scenario was cloned in most of the Arab Spring countries. Alas, a hopeful revolution turned into belligerence, then into strife followed by a war, …