Clik here to view.
The latest plot twist in Egypt's IMF soap opera
Lately I've found myself thinking back to those horrible American soap operas (the "Bold and the Beautiful," etc.) that my late grandmother used to watch. She managed to find interest in what seemed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The surprising new fight against domestic violence in Saudi Arabia
Hundreds of thousands of readers saw this image in their newspaper: A woman in a niqab with a bruised and bloodied left eye that you might miss at first glance -- but which you can't un-see once...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hacking in Ben Ali's Basement
TUNIS, Tunisia — The humming of the censorship equipment that ran in Tunis is barely audible, but intimidating nevertheless. You can't help but feel a certain awe as you stand in front of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Celebrating a Disaster in Egypt
You’d think we'd won the World Cup: cars honking, loud celebratory music, people carrying flags. There are also flags hanging from the military helicopters flying at low altitude above Egypt's main...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Now Is the Time for Dialogue in Egypt
At times it was the plague. At others it was cholera or scabies. Supporters of the military takeover in Egypt sure aren't shy about expressing their contempt for the Muslim Brotherhood and its...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Finding Sanity in Cairo
Finding spaces for sanity and reason amidst Egypt's extreme polarization can be a difficult task when political factions seem intent on walking the road to extremism. Luckily for the rest of us, a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Moroccans Finally Said It: "The King Is Pardoning Pedophiles"
The visible displeasure of Moroccans over the past week has shaken the government all the way up to the top: The almighty king of Morocco was compelled to issue a declaration after days of protests,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Concerned Citizens and Bounty Hunters: The Lebanese Army Has an App for You
Just in case you can't get enough of the Lebanese army billboards on the main highways in Lebanon, you can now carry them in your pocket, too: the "Lebanese Army - LAF Shield" has finally landed in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Egypt Scores Dead Last on Schools -- And Egyptians Couldn't Care Less
"At least we're number one at something, even if it's from the bottom," quipped one of my friends in Cairo. We had just finished reading the recently issued World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Egypt's Got 99 Problems, But U.S. Aid Ain't One
I'm not sure what the U.S. government was hoping to achieve by suspending some of its military assistance to Egypt, but whatever it was -- it failed.[[BREAK]] Though the State Department declared that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Arab Netizens Pay a Visit to Algeria's Police State
This past week, representatives from some 20 countries in the Arabic-speaking world and beyond got together, once again, to talk about Internet freedom in the region. The meeting was particularly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Do Egypt's New Leaders Hate Entrepreneurs?
The authors of the draft constitution that will be presented for approval to Egyptian voters over the next few days have quietly erased a provision of utmost importance to the country's entrepreneurs:...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On Egypt's Streets, It's the Mob That Rules
On Jan. 25, the third anniversary of ex-dictator Hosni Mubarak's ouster, violence broke out on Egypt's streets, led by mobs exacting vigilante justice on anyone who dared to question the government....
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Do You Say 'MOOC' in Arabic?
"Massive Online Open Courses," abbreviated "MOOCs," are being hailed as a potentially revolutionary development in education. Is the Arab World about to miss out? So far, there's only one such course...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Does General Sisi Have a Plan for Egypt's Economy?
The front-runner in Egypt's presidential election, which will be held on May 28 and 29, has several clear policy preferences. On the domestic security front, his priority is eradicating the Muslim...
View Article