Since the start of the Arab uprisings the UAE has witnessed a widespread campaign of arrest mostly involving political Islamists. Five activists were detained early last year, sentenced then pardoned by the country’s president. Then in December six naturalized individuals had their citizenships revoked for “threatening national security.” But why aren’t UAE nationals marching in the street demanding urgent political reform? Here are several reasons.
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Archives for 2012
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood: Between a Present with Qatar and a Future with Libya
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood government will hope to provide job opportunities for as many Egyptians as possible, whether internally or in Saudi Arabia, Libya or Qatar. It will also probably strive to avoid any deterioration of relations between possible mass-employer Libya and media and financial supporter Qatar, between whom it could act as a bridge. If Egypt’s Brotherhood succeeds in smoothing out relations and directing both nations’ significant financial capabilities into joint projects in Egypt and the region, it would have scored a major diplomatic and strategic coup. Read more »
Morsi’s Win Is Al Jazeera’s Loss
Al Jazeera Arabic today is actively taking part in reconstructing the image of the Arab “dictator leader” that Arabs have gotten used to since the 1950s, where the media is instructed not to criticise the president or monarch. Morsi’s much-deserved win isn’t only Al Jazeera Arabic’s loss but a major blow to the channel’s credibility and a loss to its viewers. Read more »
Drawing Nationalism: Where do artists belong?
In this panel discussion, we explore the relationship between art and national identity, as well as the role of contemporary artists in both perpetuating and destabilizing ideas of nationalism in our globalized world. Read more »
Will Egypt’s new president rebuild ties with the UAE?
Egypt’s new Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammad Mursi has a lot of electoral promises to live up to. There’s an ailing economy to deal with, dwindling foreign reserves, growing unemployment, a drying-up of the tourist industry and a stagnation of foreign investments — each of which must be tackled first and tackled now. Read more »
Nayef’s demise: Relief for the Brothers?
The demise of Saudi Crown Prince Nayef will have significant repercussions not only in the Gulf but also on the whole region, including Egypt. Over the past 18 months, both Saudi Arabia and Egypt have seen major developments: the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak, the death of former Saudi Crown Prince Sultan, a new Egyptian Parliament and its recent dissolution, the death of the second Saudi crown prince and now a new Brotherhood president in Egypt. While one country has seen changes induced by a popular uprising, the other was the result of divine intervention. Read more »