Despite the Muslim Brotherhood's original reluctance to embrace political participation, the organization’s parliamentary representation has grown exponentially in recent assemblies, and its participation in politics has grown in tandem. However, the impact it has had on the Egyptian political environment remains limited, partly as a result of its ongoing emphasis on religion, morality, and the family.
One year after Obama’s speech in Cairo, a global survey shows a steep decline in US approval ratings in Muslim countries. An increasing number of Arabs and Muslims say that the young president talks the talk, but does not walk the walk, and that his policies are an extension of his neoconservative predecessor—a sweetened poison.
Pas de nouvelles, bonne nouvelles, goes the French popular saying. From Yemen, however, in the last few months no news has not meant good news, quite the opposite. This summer has seen the secessionist movement in the south gaining momentum; Al-Qaeda on the offensive; and a sporadic return to hostilities with the Houthis in the north.
The presence of the Tea Party in American media and politics has grown since its inception in 2009, following Obama's healthcare reform proposal. Claiming to be against large government and in favor of free markets, Tea Partiers have defined themselves as members of a “social welfare organization.” Yet, there is an evident dissonance between their objectives and the policies they are pushing. Despite their internal contradictions, they will be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming primaries. For this reason, their policies and the candidates they endorse need to be understood, as well as the political environment that brought them to the fore.
A geopolitical war is on for the soul of Jewish America, and it is asymmetrical. For decades, conservative groups, led by the American-Israel Political Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, have insisted that they alone spoke for a monolith known as the American Jewish community. For the first time, that claim is being seriously challenged. In the two years since its launch, J Street has created an air pocket where liberal Jews can express themselves in the otherwise stultified debate about Israel and America’s support of it. At stake, according to friends of J Street, is whether Israel can survive as a Jewish state in co-existence with its neighbors, or hunkered down and segregated in a ghetto of its own making.
After some tensions during the 1990s, the Saudi-US bilateral relationship suffered an almost fatal blow with 9/11 and its aftermath. Yet, this relationship survived, changed and diversified, and today the formula “oil for security” that was used to characterize the Saudi-US rapport is no longer appropriate. Many regional variables will play into the future definition of Saudi-US ties, among them the Israeli-Palestinian quagmire and Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Saudi Liberals, one of the two competing factions in Saudi society, remain an understudied group. The term liberal is relatively new in Saudi parlance, although there had been earlier occurrences of secular activism in Saudi Arabia. The liberal movement was born in opposition to the Sahwa movement and, for years, it had no clear project of its own. In the early 2000s, a split occurred between what can be referred to as social liberals and political liberals. Today, although claiming to speak for a “silent majority,” these liberal voices continue to represent an elite group with no strong connections to society.
Entering his second year in office, there were no indications that Arab-Israeli peace would be on the top of the Obama administration’s priorities. If there wasn’t much hope that Joe Biden’s visit to Israel could change the status quo, the announcement of the construction of more settlements in East Jerusalem on the same day of the vice president’s arrival delivered a further blow to the hopes for a breakthrough. With Obama’s hands half-tied due to the position of the US Congress, Netanyahu has been playing the nationalist card at home to justify an intransigent position.
As the first ever three-way race, with 44 million registered voters, the 6 May general elections in the UK are sure to be thrilling. With an outdated parliamentary system, the expenses scandal and a shattered economy, Labour’s 13-year reign may be threatened by Britain’s desire for real change. Writer Nicholas Blincoe takes you through the ins and outs of general elections in Britain, including the importance of establishing a geographical base, the difficulties associated with being an outsider party and why there is still hope for Gordon Brown. Whether you are a seasoned voter or a curious onlooker, this piece will ensure that you have a full handle on the excitement to come.
The US has entered its endgame in Afghanistan with the latest offensive in the south of the country. The biggest setback, it turns out, was not Taliban military resistance. Instead, and despite spending a decade in Afghanistan, the culture war has been the obstacle that the Americans have not been able to surpass.
The world is watching as the final votes are counted in Iraq’s latest election. The polls have closed, but the hard part is still to come. Al-Malaki and Allawi, the two principal contestants now need to form a coalition government for the smooth transition of leadership. Balloting so far has been marked by acute sectarian polarisation in Shiite-Sunni allegiance. The formation of a cross-sectarian coalition government will ultimately dictate the success of Iraqi democracy. Failure to negotiate may result in a relapse into sectarian violence and even military takeover.
In assessing the costs and benefits of Turkey joining the EU, Schleifer highlights how far Turkey has come since it first began to court the possibility of a membership. Although Turkey still has a long way to go in convincing the EU that they are club-membership worthy, the efforts it has thus far undertaken are significant. If this much benefit can come from only the possibility of joining, actual membership holds a significant promise of progress for both Turkey and the EU.
A global survey shows a steep decline in US approval ratings in Muslim countries
As many regional variables begin to play into the future defi nition of Saudi-US ties, the formula that was once used to characterize their rapport no longer applies writes Caryle Murphy
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A brilliantly well-measured piece of thought-provoking reflection which should merit the attention a ...
Dr. Kwaku Asante-Darko at Aug 18, 2010 5:36 PM
I believe that egypt has to
1. Free its dependency on US for aid.
2. Have an assertive pol
...
Mike Edwards at Aug 10, 2010 6:16 PM
thanks for great informations It's a wonderful
finance personal software at Aug 10, 2010 6:10 PM
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