A conversation with Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi at the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University. Read more »
Archives for 2011
Viewpoint with James Zogby
Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, Columnist and Social Media Commentator, discusses the effect social media is having on societies in the Middle East and throughout the world. Read more »
After 9/11: a painful lesson
Osama bin Laden himself died at the hands of an elite US force in May 2011. But in a deeper way, the blow had already been inflicted by the inspiring protesters of Avenue Bourguiba in Tunis, Tahrir Square in Cairo, Taghyeer Square in Sana’a, and elsewhere in the Arab world in 2010-11. Not one of the brave Arabs who rallied against the status quo in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, Libya and elsewhere sought a replacement inspired by the likes of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. Their dignified and almost wholly non-violent struggle has at last brought hope of ending that self-sustaining cycle. Read more »
Turkey and Saudi Arabia: The Buildup to Syria
Despite the warm relations Turkey and Saudi Arabia did not always see eye to eye during the Arab Spring. While Saudi voiced support for former Egyptian President Husni Mubarak until his last day in office, Turkey was amongst the first countries to ask Mubarak to “listen to the will of the shouting people” in Tahrir Square. The differences between both states were put aside as another regional power, Syria, started to unravel. The brutal response by Bashar al-Assad’s regime to largely peaceful protests demanding democratic change in Syria was a rallying point for many people across the Middle East. Read more »
A window on FNC political scenarios
I will attempt to shed some light on this emerging political scene by highlighting a number of “champions” who have both expressed their willingness to run as candidates for the upcoming Federal National Council elections and have a record of association with a specific cause that may be translated into active support for them in the parliament. I have identified four possible blocs: religionist, ultra-nationalist, business and liberal. Read more »
UAE stands out for its civil liberties
A trend towards conservatism naturally translated into results at the ballot boxes in various Arab states, not only in Egypt and Jordan, but also in Kuwait and Bahrain, traditionally the most liberal of Gulf societies. Citizens, particularly the business community, must be assured that conservative lawmakers will not exploit religious beliefs to further personal agendas. Read more »