Threats of war cloud hopes for Middle East
Washington Post: BEIRUT — Fears of an as-yet-undefined Middle Eastern war are darkening the horizons of a region that only a year ago was celebrating the fall of dictators, the ascent […]
Arab Spring and Libyan prophecy
by Hasan Abu Nimah | Dec 21,2011 | 23:23 JORDAN TIMES When, in March 2008, the Libyan leader, Muammar Qadhafi warned the Arab leaders that their “turn was coming”, they […]
‘Some see Turkey as a useful model for new Arab regimes’
Source: Agence France Press – JORDAN TIMES. ISTANBUL — For many in the Arab world, Turkey embodies something of an elusive ideal: an Islamist-based democracy with a strong economy. A […]
Can Muslim states demilitarize politics?
By Shahid Javed Burki The Daily Star Can Muslim governments free themselves from their countries’ powerful militaries and establish civilian control comparable to that found in liberal democracies? This question is now paramount in countries as disparate as Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey. To predict how this struggle will play out, […]
Arabs to Davos: Invest in us, don’t fear us
By REUTERS ARABBEWS DAVOS: Leaders of the Arab Spring sought to assure the world’s elite in Davos that the rise of political Islam is not a threat to democracy, and pleaded for help creating jobs and satisfying the hunger of their people for a better life. Politicians, activists and entrepreneurs […]
German FM: give Arab Islamic parties a chance
By AP first published on ARAB NEWS BERLIN: Germany’s foreign minister says the West must avoid the mistake of assuming that Islamic-oriented parties aren’t compatible with freedom and modernization as […]
Tunisia’s Ennahda slams ‘anti-Semitic’ chants
TUNIS — The head of Tunisia’s moderate Islamist party condemned “anti-Semitic slogans” chanted Monday by a handful of ultraconservative Muslims during the arrival of a top Hamas official that have […]
Why Islamism Is Winning
Source / Courtesy: NY Times By JOHN M. OWEN IV EGYPT’S final round of parliamentary elections won’t end until next week, but the outcome is becoming clear. The Muslim Brotherhood will most likely win half the lower house of Parliament, and more extreme Islamists will occupy a quarter. Secular parties […]
New Islamist democracies will be open for business
The Arab revolutions have altered perceptions of the region. The new regimes may have democratic foundations but they won’t look like anything the West or liberals may hope for, especially in Egypt. Still, even if they end up being governed or dominated by Islamist parties, the new regimes that have […]
Robert Fisk: Bankers are the dictators of the West
Source: The Independent By Robert Fisk: A multiple award-winning journalist on the Middle East, based in Beirut. Writing from the very region that produces more clichés per square foot than […]
Questions abound as Arab Islamists move into spotlight
By Taylor Luck AMMAN – Fresh off surprise electoral victories in Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt, Islamists face both a golden opportunity and an uncertain political landscape. As Islamists take their turn at governance after decades in the wings, observers and politicians say the movements face several challenges that will dictate […]
Tunisian Islamists, Women’s Rights: Watch and Wait
(WOMENSENEWS)–I have personal reasons for caring about what happens next in Tunisia. I was born in 1985 in France to Tunisian parents. That meant I grew up in an adopted country where women’s legal rights were even more firmly established than in my parent’s homeland. I didn’t face restrictions, so […]
Ibn Rushd Award 2011 goes to Tunisian Woman Journalist
Source: Ibn-Rushd.org The Ibn Rushd Fund for Freedom of Thought is delighted to declare the journalist Sihem Bensedrine the winner of the 13th Ibn Rushd Award. Since 1998, the Ibn Rushd Fund has honored people or organizations that have rendered outstanding services to Freedom of Thought in the Arabic World. The award will be presented on November 25, 2011 in the Museum for Islamic Art, Berlin Germany. While […]
Turkey admires Tunisia’s secular facelift
Source: asiatimes Early signs that Tunisia’s new ruling party, Ennahda, will emulate Turkey’s model of secularism in governance have boosted efforts by Ankara to harness the momentum of the Arab Spring. Although Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu abhors the term neo-Ottomanism, a look at the region now shows his country […]
Three heartening signs of Arab change
By Rami G. Khouri, The Daily Star, Lebanon At rare moments in life, history takes a sharp turn for the better, and sometimes you can see and feel this happening in front of your eyes. This past week was just such a moment for the Arab world, as three different […]
Victory for Ennahda – Why Tunisians Voted for the Islamists
Source: Spiegel International In a major setback for Tunisia’s elite, the Islamist Ennahda Party looks set to lead the country’s first democratically elected government. They appealed to the common people who sought greater credibility in politics. But concerns the country might soon become a new theocracy are exaggerated, because Tunisian Islamists are looking to […]