Middle East
Middle East
Fair Observer provides inclusive, insightful and contextual analysis of the Middle East with its manifold cultures and civilizations.
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360° Analysis / Bahrain / Iran / Islamists / Israel / Morsi / obama / Politics / United States / Middle East / AfricaThe following is the fourth of a series of excerpts that Fair Observer will be featuring from its first book, The Arab Uprisings: An Introduction. Read the first excerpt here. The Arab Uprisings have changed the political landscape in the region and created a new reality for the international community. Earlier, “a soft bigotry of lowered expectations in the West and among Arab elites,” assumed that democracy was not possible in the region. Stability was championed over democracy using the specter of an Islamist threat as an excuse to promote strategic interests. Arab countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to popular aspirations. Arab populations, in turn,...
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360° Analysis / Egypt / Egyptian Ultras / Morsi / Politics / Soccer / Middle East / AfricaThe recent court verdict and escalating violence puts the ball in Morsi’s court. Reform of law enforcement would open the road towards reducing political volatility and creating conditions for economic recovery. Escalating street violence in the wake of a partial verdict in the Port Said soccer brawl case pits arch enemies – militant soccer fans and Egypt’s security forces – against one another. The situation highlights the urgency of moves for reform of law enforcement in a bid to end the turmoil and return the country to a path of economic growth. The Verdict The violence that has already left at least 48 people dead and hundreds wounded, was sparked by the...
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360° Analysis / Egypt / Egyptian Revolution / Morsi / Muslim Brotherhood / Politics / Middle East / AfricaAs Egypt marks the second anniversary of its revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians are at the base of a new "purgatory", argues Sarah Eltantawi. In Dante’s Purgatorio, the poets finally make their escape from hell just before Easter Sunday in the year 1300CE. Cato of Utica — purgatory’s gate keeper — at first regarded them as little more than unwanted refugees, therefore demanding to see evidence of their humility before they would be allowed to wash the grime of hell from their skin in the dew and rivers of purgatory. The poets acquiesced, soon finding themselves at a point near ground level on Purgatory’s slope, where they began to climb....
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Arab / Jack Shaheen / movie / role model / Sheikh / United States / Focus Article / Arts & Culture / Middle EastDr. Jack Shaheen has been shattering Arab stereotypes in American popular culture since 1975. “When I watch a movie and the bad guy’s not an Arab, I’m relieved,” Dr. Jack Shaheen admitted to his audience at Los Angeles’ Levantine Cultural Center during a talk in late December. He grinned, and the audience chuckled a bit, but sadly, his sentiment was sincere. For over 40 years, Dr. Shaheen has studied the image of Arabs in American media. In 2001, he completed a review of more than a thousand films dating from 1896 to 2000 that had Arab or Muslim characters and found that over 90 percent portrayed the characters in a negative light. Based on his study...
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360° Analysis / Jordan / Jordan's Elections / King Abdullah / Muslim Brotherhood / Politics / Middle EastDespite the political upheaval in the Middle East, it is too soon to determine whether King Abdullah will be toppled. However, there seems every reason to believe that once the Syrian conflict reaches a conclusion, Jordan could be next in the crosshairs. Calls for change have returned to Jordan, with large crowds demanding social, economic and political reform and objecting to the rising cost of living, high levels of unemployment, corruption and autocracy. As the Arab Awakening enters its third year, the resilience of King Abdullah's regime is being tested as never before. Its ability to successfully exploit division among the political opposition, continue to receive economic...
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Jordan is one of the few monarchies in the Arab world to retain control of its government, but the boycott of elections may be the beginning of the end for King Abdullah. A considerable concession of power to his legislature will be necessary in order for the king to remain on his throne. While political change courses through the region, Jordanian King Abdullah II finds himself leveraging his power against his throne. Although Jordan remains one of the last Arab countries not to experience an uprising, the parliamentary elections may be the catalyst for political upheaval. While the elections themselves present a semblance of change, the lack of participation by opposition parties (in...
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Amman / Jordan / Jordan's Elections / King Abdullah / Politics / Queen Rania / 360° Context / Middle EastThrough a series of reforms and government turnovers, King Abdullah has managed to keep the unrest in Jordan from spiraling out of control. However, opposition to Jordan’s parliamentary elections threatens the king’s grip on stability. Background Since early 2011, Jordan’s King Abdullah II has deftly maneuvered to curb the waves of unrest buffeting his country. Repeatedly reshuffling his government, promising political and economic reforms, and most recently, calling for early parliamentary elections, the king has thus far prevented the situation from devolving into violent conflict, as it has in other Arab nations. However, it remains unclear how effective King Abdullah...
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The 19th Israeli parliamentary election takes place today, while opinion polls indicate the possible re-election of incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Regardless of the outcome, there are several simmering issues the winner will have to address upon assumption of the office. By Simon Clement With 6 million Israelis going to the polls, the outcome of the elections for the 120-seat, 19th Knesset is already apparent. Unless a dramatic event shakes the region in the next 48 hours, Benjamin Netanyahu will be inducted for a third term as Prime Minister of the State of Israel. But many challenges lie beneath the surface of these elections and last-minute voting trend variations can...
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By Daniel IslerNetanyahu is likely to retain his position as prime minister as Israelis head to the polls. However, the fragility of a potential coalition government will eventually lead to another election in 2014, argues Daniel Isler. In 1996, less than a year after the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a right-wing extremist, elections were held in Israel. The acting prime minister at the time, Shimon Peres, was the candidate of the left, running against a young politician from the right that was the head of the opposition: Binyamin Netanyahu. The Israeli left was calm and reassured of its expected win, relying on the shock and grief after the assassination. Jaws dropped when the picture...