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Category - Arabs

  • 1 Feb 2012
    A new Egypt for all Egyptians?

    In viewing the first anniversary of the 25 January 2011 Revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak and set forth many changes that would have simply been unthinkable twelve months ago in Egypt, we should bear in mind that the deep socio-economic and technological structures of civilisations play out over long periods of time, says Dr Harry Hagopian. Here he offers a perspective on the development and prospects of those recent events in Egypt, and responses to them.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 21 Dec 2011
    Assessing change in the Middle East and North Africa

    The new story in the Middle East and North Africa region is only one year young and it will take a long time before we can pass any definitive judgments about its successes and failures, says regional commentator Dr Harry Hagopian. Here he reviews the recent House of Lords debate initiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, adding further commentary and elucidation for observers, journalists and policy-makers.

  • 5 Sep 2011
    Kamal Salibi: A loss to Lebanon and the Arab intellectual world

    Dr Kamal Salibi, a renowned academic and historian, died suddenly in Beirut this week. Harry Hagopian reflects on his significance not just for his home country, but for the Arab world as a whole and for all concerned for the social, intellectual, religious and political culture of the Middle East.

  • 30 Aug 2011
    The Libyan experience and an Arab awakening

    What started in Tunisia simply cannot stop now in Libya, says Harry Hagopian. It should not only grow but also improve incrementally so that we all stop talking romantically about a one-season 'Arab Spring' and think more pragmatically in terms of an Arab Awakening from a long slumber - a stubborn challenge against those rulers and elites who would prefer their co-citizens to remain dormant.

  • 25 May 2011
    A pessoptimistic overview of the Middle East and North Africa

    There are plenty of grounds for a paradoxical 'pessoptimism' about developments in the Middle East and North Africa, writes Harry Hagopian. The huge Arab struggles for dignity and freedom are vital but will take a long time. History in Europe and the USA should surely teach us that revolutions are never made in one swoop, but take time and cause pain.

  • 24 Feb 2011
    The Arab revolt: transformation to transition

    A hurricane of change is blowing through the Arab world. Even now, many Arab regimes are still in denial, says Nadim Shehadi. But this volatile situation also challenges the West to grasp a new political reality.