Politics

Interview with Fouad Abdelmoumni

''The Islamists Are Astonishingly Open''

Morocco's parliamentary elections on 25 November 2011 were won by the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD). So what are the challenges facing the new government? And what does the future hold for the "20 February" protest movement? Martina Sabra discussed these questions with the human rights activist Fouad Abdelmoumni
By Martina Sabra
International Sanctions Against Syria

''A Declaration of Economic War''

The brutal crackdown on the anti-government protest movement in Syria prompted the international community and the Arab League to impose economic sanctions on the country. But just how effective are such measures? By Anja Zorob and Salam Said
By Anja Zorob, Salam Said
US–Iran Relations

The New Cold War?

Unexplained murders, unexplained explosions and sinister computer viruses are leading security experts to believe that the US and its allies are conducting covert operations against Iran's nuclear programme. By Nick Amies
Parliamentary Elections in Morocco

Divide and Rule

Following the Justice and Development Party's victory in the Moroccan parliamentary elections, the King of Morocco may well be looking to demystify the Islamists by granting them a slice of the power pie.
By Sonja Hegasy
Interview with Ali Granmayeh about Iran and the ''Arabellions''

Yearning for Lost Freedoms

In 2009, well before the Arab Spring began, Iranians rose up against their regime in what became known as the Green Revolution. Their uprising failed. So how do they and the Iranian regime feel about the wave of uprisings that have swept the Arab world this year? Mona Sarkis met Ali Granmayeh, a former Iranian diplomat, to find out
By Mona Sarkis
The Trial and Legacy of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

Libya's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Saif al-Islam raised the hopes of many Libyans who thought he was a reformer. They were bitterly disappointed when they realised that he is a hardliner through and through. An insight by Mustafa Fetouri
First Free Parliamentary Elections in Egypt

Voting for a Better Egypt

Despite warnings of riots, thousands of Egyptians gathered at polling stations to cast their votes. The unexpectedly high turnout indicates that Egyptians will no longer allow their democratic rights to be denied. By Amira El Ahl
By Amira El Ahl
Interview with Ralf Melzer

''In Libya, the Transition Will Be Harder''

Three days after the death of Muammar al-Gaddafi in Libya, neighbouring Tunisia held elections for a constituent assembly. In an interview with Eva-Maria Verfürth, Ralf Melzer of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation discusses the political situation in both countries
By Eva-Maria Verfürth
The Gulf Initiative and the Yemeni Conflict

Putting the Cart before the Horse

The international community would do itself and Yemen a service if it looked beyond the parameters set by the Gulf initiative, which was signed by the Yemeni president and representatives of the opposition in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on 23 November 2011 writes Elham Manea
By Elham Manea
The Role of Religion in Egyptian Society

''Dictatorship is out in Egypt''

The eyes of the world are on Egypt in the run-up to the country's first free parliamentary elections in 30 years. Joseph Mayton examines the role played by religion in Egyptian society and its possible influence on the way Egyptians will vote
By Joseph Mayton
Egypt's Parliamentary Elections

Moving in the Wrong Direction?

The upcoming elections in Egypt will be the first free parliamentary poll after three decades of Mubarak's rule, and their outcome will have a key influence on the political future of this large Arab nation. But the process is being overshadowed by irritation at the complexity of electoral regulations, economic insecurity and recent unrest. Amira El Ahl reports from Cairo
By Amira El Ahl
The Imprisoned Blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah

An Open Letter from a Cairo Prison Cell

"Instead of arresting the murderer of the blogger Khaled Said, the military imprisoned me, just before the birth of my son. The only good thing is that the protests are continuing," writes Alaa Abdel Fattah, one of the Egyptian revolution's best-known bloggers and activists
By Alaa Abdel Fattah