In Egypt today there remains only one Arabic language broadcaster that has not succumbed to the pressures of the military government and condemned the newly outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Though Qatari based, Al Jazeera is one of the most influential news networks in the Middle East and was particularly praised for its coverage of the 2011 […]
The first round of Syrian peace conference known in diplomatic circles as Geneva II came to an end on Friday with few concrete results. Arguably, there have been some mildly positive effects. It gave the regime and the opposition an opportunity to compete for the sympathy of international public opinion. In the process it may […]
The tables have turned in Turkey’s relationship to Europe over the past decade. That is fitting. Both Turkey and Europe have changed dramatically in those ensuing years, both economically and politically. The potential for Turkey’s accession to the European Union (EU) was long seen as a measure of Europe’s acceptance of a Muslim nation […]
Since the chaos of the first trial of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in early November, in which Morsi loudly accused the judge of covering up an illegal military coup as the courtroom erupted into a shoe-throwing melee, Egypt’s military-backed government has taken no chances. The latest session was originally scheduled for January 8th, but was cancelled […]
After months of arduous bargaining and political hurdles, Tunisia is putting the finishing touches on the long-awaited constitution. The Constituent Assembly on January 20 passed another milestone on the road to adopting the document that will pave the way for the nation’s first election of a permanent government after the revolution. Article 73, which […]
On January 9, Ali Larayedh dutifully resigned as the Prime Minister of Tunisia, fulfilling his promise to end the political deadlock in Tunisia following the crises that ensued as a result of the assassination of secular politician, Mohamed Brahmi in July 2013. Although strikes and protests have plagued the country since 2011, the transition to […]
In 2010, public attention was focused on a supply flotilla originating from Turkey making its way to Gaza. Israel claimed the shipment was illegal and demanded the Mavi Marmara turn back. The ship continued and, about 80 miles off the coast of Gaza, Israeli soldiers boarded. Conflict ensued. Nine Turkish activists were killed. Dozens were […]
The corruption scandal rocking Turkey shows no signs of abatement. Already dozens of high ranking officials and their close associates have either resigned, been jailed, or brought into questioning. The New York Times reports that even Erdogan’s own son appears to have been summoned for questioning. In the ensuing counteroffensive launched by the Erdogan administration […]
Last month, a massive corruption scandal rocked Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s political legitimacy. Believed to have been initiated by the Fethullah Gulen, a politically active cleric living in exile in Pennsylvania, a police operation arrested over 50 police chiefs, prominent politicians’ relatives, and other supporters of the Erdogan administration. Yesterday, according to the New York Times, the […]
Sectarian tension between Lebanon’s Sunni and Shiite factions has been escalating as conflict in Syria is spilling over its border. A car bomb exploded on January 2, claiming five, in Beirut’s suburb largely controlled by Hezbollah. Less than a week prior Mohammad Chatah, former Finance Minister, was killed along with six others by a car […]
January 7 marks Christmas Day for Julian Calendar-abiding Orthodox Christians (Eastern and Armenian) and Turkey’s EU Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has taken the opportunity to wish Turkey’s dwindling Christian population a merry Christmas. Hurriyet Daily News reports: Anatolia has always been a country of tolerance and home to different beliefs and cultures throughout history, Çavuşoğlu said in a […]
Editor’s Note: Kaveh Shahrooz is a Toronto-based lawyer. He was formerly a Senior Policy Advisor with Canada`s Department of Foreign Affairs, where he advised the government on Canada’s role at the UN Human Rights Council. As a lawyer Mr. Shahrooz practiced at a leading international law firm in New York and was an Editor-in-Chief of […]
[European Union] South Sudan earned its independence just over two years ago. Yesterday, really. By the standards of international policy most countries had not even begun to think about South Sudan as anything other than a regional roadblock, never mind as its own entity. Hell, I don’t even have a coherent view of South Sudan. […]
There are many—both in the East and the West—who have been confidently betting on the overt plan to marginalize, and, in due course, eradicate the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan) as a sociopolitical movement. In light of the on-going vicious Ikhwanophobia and emboldened brutality of the coup regime, it is hard to counter such contemptuous optimism. But, […]
Last week Egypt’s secular military dictatorship continued its increasingly brutal campaign to suppress dissent. In the span of just a few days it formally accused the deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood associates of participating in a far-fetched terrorist plot and sent security agents to raid the office of the Egyptian Center for […]