Blog RSS
-
Recent Posts
Archives
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
Categories
Monthly Archives: October 2012
Qatar and Gaza between Perception and Reality
Image credit AFP In politics, perception is reality, a simple basic rule that is hard to evade or abolish. No country understands that concept better than Qatar. The monarchy, with wide ambitions that defy both history and geography, is working … Continue reading
Lebanon, Syria, and the Death of al-Hassan
(photo by Reuters) I’ve lost count – my bad math is not coping very well with the series of events that has been unfolding in Lebanon. Should I start from 2005 and the murder of the late Prime Minister Rafik … Continue reading
Our Own Mongols
(photo CNN) In 1258, under the leadership of Hulagu Khan, Mongol forces invaded Baghdad, massacred its inhabitants, burned its prestigious library (the House of Wisdom), and used the books to literally form a bridge across the Tigris River. It is … Continue reading
Posted in Egypt, Libya, Mali, Tunisia
Tagged Islamists, Libya, Mali, middle-east, politics, Radical Islam, religion, Salafism, Tunisia
3 Comments
Turkey, Syria, and the Cyprus Scenario
In his article in The New York Times, Sonar Cagaptay cited possible scenarios for Turkish intervention in Syria: “If the situation continues to escalate, Turkey’s history suggests that it is likely to follow one of three paths: continued low-intensity … Continue reading
Turkey and the pitfalls of the Ottoman revival
It smelt of Ottoman, it tasted of Ottoman, and it certainly looked like Ottoman. During my recent visit to Istanbul, I could feel the growing sense of pride among many Turks regarding their past and their desire to revive it. … Continue reading
Photo Essay: Istanbul
Istanbul is a city that I love (for many reasons , many personal), it is very charming, old and new melt together in one unique place. Few weeks ago, I revisited the city, in search of the ‘Turkish Model.” here … Continue reading
President Morsi and the 6th of October War
(Photo: AP) Today marks the 39th anniversary of the 6th of October (Yom Kippur) War. For Egyptians, this was a heroic struggle that restored their dignity after the humiliating defeat of the Six-Day War in 1967. The fact that October … Continue reading
Sexual Harassment: The myth of the dress code theory.
Egyptian women demonstrate infront of presidential palace 5th of October 2012 This piece was initially published as part of the sexual harassment response by Fikra Forum “Silly girl, why did you take the metro when you saw that it was … Continue reading
Saladin and the current Arab-Israeli Conflict
October 2, 1187: Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and leader of the Muslim forces battling the Crusaders in the Holy Land, captured the city of Jerusalem. Interestingly, this anniversary was only covered by two newspapers, Haaretz and al-Hayat. … Continue reading
