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Category - middle east

  • 21 Jan 2012
    What hope and promise for Palestine?

    Earlier this week, a meeting took place at Lambeth Palace in London between key representatives from the Church of England, the Catholic Church as well as the Church of Scotland on the one hand and the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation on the other.

  • 15 Jan 2012
    A changing Middle East and North Africa: annual overview

    It has been a momentous twelve months in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and in relation to developments popularly dubbed the 'Arab Spring' or (perhaps more helpfully) the 'Arab Awakening'. Time, we think, to stop for a moment and take stock.

  • 14 Jan 2012
    The 'Arab spring' in historical perspective

    How will the popular uprisings in the Arab world affect the future of states and regimes in the region? All possible outcomes are shadowed by the fate of the contending ideologies and movements - nationalism and socialism, secularism and Islamism, dynasticism and liberal constitutionalism - that have dominated the Arab political landscape in recent decades, says Sami Zubaida. His overview of their rise and fall both illuminates a complex history and indicates the scale of the challenge facing democratic reformers today.

  • 14 Jan 2012
    Foreign intervention would compromise popular uprising in Syria

    Foreign intervention in Syria would drive the country into a full- fledged civil war, give the regime the excuse to continue the crackdown on dissent, alienate the undecided, and invite destructive groups to fuel turmoil, argues Middle East commentator Ghassan Michel Rubeiz. In joining the uprising, defecting soldiers should not use their arms against the national army. To win a battle of wills a country could be lost.

  • 14 Jan 2012
    Catholic leaders appeal to politicians over Holy Land

    The final communiqué of the 2012 Holy Land Coordination, which concluded in Jerusalem recently, has been issued. The closing statement concludes the Catholics bishops’ four-day meeting. It reads as follows:

  • 14 Jan 2012
    Saudi government under pressure over death of protester

    The Saudi Arabian authorities have been urged to launch an independent investigation into the death of a Shi’a protester in the country's Eastern Province.

  • 12 Jan 2012
    From Vietnam to Palestine: A crime of silence?

    Palestine remains politically inert despite the artificial fireworks of a UN application for statehood or membership of UNESCO, observes Dr Harry Hagopian. So why is Palestine faced with such a thunderous crime of silence? After all, over the past year, we have been witnessing popular uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa region. Where is the disconnect here?

  • 11 Jan 2012
    Middle East protest and repression set to continue, says Amnesty

    Repression and state violence is likely to continue to plague the Middle East and North Africa in 2012 unless the world acts, warns a new report.

  • 31 Dec 2011
    First anniversary of the 'Arab Spring': An assessment
  • 31 Dec 2011
    Radio discussions: The Arab Awakening?

    Middle East specialist and Ekklesia associate Dr Harry Hagopian is appearing on BBC and Premier Radio programmes over the New Year period, analysing the dramatic changes which have taken place in the region over the past year.