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US Ambassador Killed in Benghazi- What it Means for Islam and the Libyan Intervention?
Credit: Getty Images & The Telegraph Nearly a year after Qadhafi’s death in Sitre and two months into the governance of the newly democratically elected Libyan administration, a highly regarded American diplomat and third time ambassador to the country, Chris Stevens, was killed in an attack on his compound that put the consulate in Benghazi ablaze – paradoxically, a city he helped to preserve from a ‘potential’ bloodbath. This horrendous act of violence was spawned by a release of an…
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Polska w świetle kontrowersyjnego Euro2012
Polska rozpoczęła właśnie największy w swojej historii festiwal futbolu – Euro2012. Stąd też, tak jak ma to już miejsce w całej Europie, warto przyjrzeć się z bliska obecnej sytuacji w polskiej piłce nożnej i polskim społeczeństwie. Kwestii homofobii, rasizmu, antysemityzmu i łamania praw człowieka w Polsce i na Ukrainie dostała się na pierwsze strony międzynarodowej prasy. Wielu zareagowało bardzo negatywnie na brutalny atak na Svyatoslava Sheremetiewa – ukraińskiego działacza na rzecz praw osób homoseksualnych, czy też na widok przemocy, która…
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Euro2012 – controversial, for a good reason
As Poland kicked off its biggest ever football festival– the Euro2012, it’s worth taking a closer look at the state of its football and the population at large. Many, by now, have called on the question of human rights abuses, homophobia, and racism in Poland and Ukraine. Many have been stunned by a homophobic attack on Svyatoslav Sheremet – a Ukrainian gay rights activist, or the violence that erupted during the Russia-Czech Rep. game in Wroclaw. Some European governments –…
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Arabs and Fashion
Ever wondered how to distinguish between a Qatari and a Bahraini? Well, the ethnic differences are minute, if not even inexistent. The ‘khaleeji’ identity is certainly present, albeit in a complete absence of any actual GCC union. But here, is a pair of brilliant posters detailing differences between the outfits of various Arab men and women. Enjoy! Credits: Liz Ramos-Prado Credits: Liz Ramos-Prado
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International organisations and the regulation of anarchy
The 20th century was unprecedented in the rise of international organisations (IOs), of which the main goal was to alleviate potential violent threats to the sovereignty of individual states and the international society as a whole. However, the success of these organisations remains a matter of continuous scholarly debate and draws much controversy. To establish the level of IOs’ ability to regulate anarchy, one has to consider a number of questions that deal with the very nature of the system…
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Egypt’s Arab Spring Stocktaking
Liberals Credits: Samira Ahmed The liberals have hugely misjudged their popular support and ability to instil non-religiously influenced democracy in Egypt. Their constant protesting only strengthened the popular perception of liberals as ‘good for Tahrir Square only’. They were very successful in gathering momentum to oust the Mubarak regime but found themselves in totally unchartered waters in the transitional period. Moreover, their inability to unite in elections only exacerbated their total failure in appealing to the electorate. It’s pretty much…
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Qatar on CBS 60 Minutes
American CBS 60 Minuteshas recently featured a 14-minutes long documentary on Qatar and its current role in the Arab Awakening. I’ve got to admit this is one of the most compelling and interesting recent media features on the country. But most importantly this show will be recorded in history as the first time an Arab ruler called for a military humanitarian intervention in Syria. This video exhibits the new milestone in Qatar’s involvement in the Arab Spring. From a typical…
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Brutal beating of a women on the streets of Cairo
Here comes a truly shocking image of the Egyptian military forces beating a young woman and stripping her off her clothes on the streets of Cairo. SCAF continues to argue that protestors are just groups of hooligans destroying the state property. The road to democracy may have started in Egypt, but it will be long, painful and winding as this video indicates. This young girl is unfortunately not the only one to have been brutally beaten, groped and mistreated by…
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Labour Unions in Qatar
Good news! Something quite extraordinary has just now taken place in Qatar. The authorities are preparing for the establishment of the constituent labour committee that’s believed to be “the core for the general trade union in Qatar.” When I started reading this article in today’s Gulf News, my immediate reaction was surprise. The country has been turning more and more progressive and liberal over the past years. The lives of Qataris have improved a lot. Societal and political norms are…
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Barber’s Strong Democracy – Egyptian Case Study
I’ve just published a journal article: “BARBER’S STRONG DEMOCRACY – EGYPTIAN CASE STUDY” in Studia Bliskowschodnie (Near-Eastern Studies) circulated by Near- and Far-Eastern Studies Dept of Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland. Here’s a LINKto a copy of it. To access the article, click on the picture here. Abstract: The rapid and unexpected outburst of popular empowerment and democratic impulse that led to the 2011 Arab Spring constitutes the best epitomisation of mass political participation in the Middle East yet. Although popular participation…
