Introduction The story of the movement for gender equality in post-revolution Egypt is, unsurprisingly, complex and features thousands of key actors, incidents, failures and successes. It is an important template for resistance, mobilization, and steadfastness. The history of the women’s revolution is populated with distinct characters, whose contributions to the dialogue and wider movement, positive … Continued
Elsien van Pinxteren finished her Bachelors in Middle Eastern Studies with Hebrew and Arabic at the University of Cambridge. She is starting her Masters in these studies at Harvard University from September 2013. Elsien is mostly interested in the development of identities and group behaviour in conflict areas. This leads her to focus her studies … Continued
Given his occupation, the most unexpected thing, perhaps, about twenty-year-old Belal Wagdy, is his sense of humour. When I ask him if he has ever faced harassment or intimidation from Egyptian State Security for his photography, he laughs. “Actually now I am being chased by Egyptian police. They came to my house many times and … Continued
The United States (US) over the last century has developed diplomatic relationships with many nations spanning from the Middle East to Europe. Some relationships are even deemed as ‘special’ in the cases of the Anglo-US or Israeli-US relation. However, it is overlooked by many that Morocco and the United States have had diplomatic relations since … Continued
Ten years on from the invasion, what has changed for ordinary Iraqis? In this double feature, we share the perspectives of two writers on what it means to live in modern-day Iraq. It’s over two years since I touched down in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Or perhaps, if you prefer, … Continued
Fresh from becoming the first organisation to receive the UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture, the Arab-British Centre unveils its own Award for Arabic Culture It is fair to say that 2013 has been a year to remember for all those involved with the Arab-British Centre (ABC). In April, the Centre was awarded the prestigious UNESCO-Sharjah … Continued
The article1 demonstrates that on various grounds (socio-economic, politico-diplomatic, geopolitical and geo-economic) that the sanctions regime against Iran has been counterproductive. Crucially for Western policymakers and contrary to officially stated goals, the rapid escalation of economic sanctions during the past few years has been accompanied by the expansion of Iran’s nuclear program. The article concludes … Continued
The Arab Spring has set fire to most of the Arab countries and motivated more and more people to take to the streets demanding the fall of the regime, democracy and change. Following the same pattern drawn by Tunisia, Libya has been deeply shaken by a popular uprising that soon created a security vacuum. Although … Continued
Definition One of the greatest and most common mistakes is to generalise about ‘the Arabs’. One might just as well generalise about Europeans. Moroccans and Dubaians are both Arabs the same as Swedes and Italians are both Europeans, but there the similarity ends. Even commonality of language is not as great as many think. Whilst … Continued
More than two years after Hosny Mubarak’s ousting, thinking about the so-called Egyptian revolution the first thing that comes to anyone’s mind is the Muslim Brotherhood. Images of clashes between protesters and police forces are probably the only thing that our memory can recall of the Egyptians’ struggle for freedom and social rights. But where … Continued
After nearly 11 hours on the road, our inter-city bus rolled up to the outskirts of Tbilisi. Exhausted and disorientated by the strange journey, I was dropped off at the bus station, and took a taxi to Avlabari district, bidding farewell to my fellow passengers. Finding my hotel’s street, at first I was hesitant as … Continued
Introduction Wikipedia is among the most visited web sites on the internet, it ranks as the fifth most visited website on the internet and receives over 500 million unique visitors monthly, a huge achievement considering the website is completely ad-free and run by a non-profit charitable organization.[1] Another attractive aspect of Wikipedia is that it … Continued
On the 15th of May 2013, the Ankara Summit Declaration was signed by the trade and economy ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Turkey. It asserted the desire of all three states to boost co-operation in areas such as trade, educational, energy, and infrastructure. This agreement marked the latest in a string of policy … Continued
The United States has benefited from amicable relations with Turkey since the end of the Second World War. But over time, a negative sentiment towards the U.S. has grown in both Turkish politics and society. This movement coincides with the rise of Islamic nationalism and the production of television series and films that explicitly display … Continued
The successful liberation of Morocco in 1956 ended forty four years of French occupation. There is a significant amount of historiography on how Morocco gained independence. However, there is little on the seventeen years that followed which arguably is of the utmost importance as it has helped shape Morocco into the nation it is today. … Continued
Published by Asfar in London, UK - ISSN 2055-7957 (Online)