Media in the Arab World
All topics-
Confronting social taboos in the Gulf
Emirates talk show host Anas Bukhash lays it on the line
Emirati talk show host Anas Bukhash has struck a chord with his programme "ABtalks" which probes social questions that others fight shy of. In the Gulf, "nobody wants to talk about the elephant" in the room, he says. By Diana Hodali
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Amman and The Teachers' Syndicate
Free speech for everybody? Not so in Jordan, apparently
In recent weeks, Jordan's social media has been awash with photos and videos of demonstrators gathering in cities all over the country, chanting "Long live the teacher" and "we will not be silenced". Mainstream media coverage, however, has been noticeably lacking. By Marta Vidal
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The case of exiled Saudi activist Omar Abdulaziz
Critics of Saudi Arabia and Khashoggi's colleagues, beware
A friend of the murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Omar Abdulaziz is a thorn in the side of Saudi Arabia. Living in exile in Canada, the activist has been warned by the police of a possible threat against him. By Diana Hodali
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COVID-19 on the Nile
How coronavirus snuffed out my bookseller's life
Hassouna, the street vendor from whom our author always purchased his newspapers, has died in the pandemic, not yet 50 years old. He was a legend among Cairo's newsagents. By Khaled el-Khamissi
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Oversight board appointee faces online smear campaign
Facebook, Tawakkol Karman and Arab cyber-bullying
Appointed to the Facebook oversight board, Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman has faced hostility from Arab state media and social media users, who accuse her of Islamist ties. By Kersten Knipp & Ismail Azzam
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Turkeyʹs Middle East exiles
Istanbul – the Arab worldʹs beacon on the Bosphorus
Istanbul has become a refuge for many Arab communities – including the Muslim Brotherhood – but its cosmopolitan ways are also changing them. By Mohanad Hage Ali
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COVID-19 in North Africa
Corona proactivity in Tunisia, trivialisation in Egypt
Healthcare systems in Tunisia and Egypt are in a catastrophic state. The governmental response to the crisis in both nations could not be more different. Sofian Philip Naceur reports from Tunis
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Press freedom under attack
The Arab world's new wave of media repression
Since the 2011 uprisings, authoritarian rulers in the Arab world have worked out how to manipulate and instrumentalise the media to their own ends, nipping any new democratic quake in the bud. By Lydia Khalil
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Interview with Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf
Petrodollars proved stronger in the Middle East than cultural tradition
Decades of oil exports have completely destabilised culture and politics in the Middle East. Speaking with Lena Bopp, the renowned writer Amin Maalouf says that the distorted political discourse in the Arab world is now impacting on the West
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Democracy and human rights
Morocco's police state makes a comeback
Morocco's rule of law, human rights and freedom of the press are under attack. According to political scientist Mohamed Taifouri, although the 2011 constitution includes a large number of freedoms, the state repression that was thought to have been overcome is making a comeback
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Israeli attacks on bases in Iraq
Is war with Iran on the horizon?
So far, Iraq has always been neutral in the face of a possible war between Iran and the USA. But recent Israeli air raids on Iranian bases in Iraq reveal a different reality: Tehran's rulers apparently can no longer count on the neutrality of its neighbouring country, writes Ali Sadrzadeh
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Global history of ideas – contemporary Muslim art
Enlightenment rediscovered
A black sequined dress against a dark background. Two expressive hands dancing. A western dance, an "Oriental" dance – whatever that is. The video-sound-collage of artist Anahita Razmi sets out to demonsrate that cultural forms of expression can be adapted. By Christopher Resch