First Independent Mena Newspaper
When in Rabat, Casablanca or any site on the Atlantic coast, go to the seashore, and sit there for a while watching the ocean, and dream….The experience might inspire you some beautiful poem or, at least, if you are an admirer of English poetry, bring to the surface of your mind some words woven by […]
Moroccan King Mohammed VI wrapped his eight-day tour of the Gulf Arab countries that took the sovereign to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan. Overall, it is a combination of economic interests and broader geo-political considerations that accounts for much of the Moroccan diplomatic offensive. In the economic sphere, the Moroccan […]
The Islamic world is readying to celebrate Eid Al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, commemorating Ibrahim’s (Abraham) obedience and his willingness to sacrifice his son as ordered by God. The story goes that Ibrahim, a believer, had a dream in which Allah wanted him to sacrifice his son Ismail. Both father and son accepted to […]
The events of the Arab Spring have brought many changes to North Africa and the Middle East. However, it is yet to be seen whether the struggles of North Africans will bring about meaningful positive democratic change in the region. On the one hand, North African terrorist groups were mostly left on the sidelines during […]
On the surface, she’s a potent weapon in Mitt Romney’s attack to unseat Barack Obama as US president. Loyal wife, doting mother and proud grandmother. But when Ann Romney speaks, there is a hint of the attitude that the heavy lifting, the dirty, dangerous jobs in America are not for her family. During her appearance […]
After its crucial role in the uprisings in the Arab world, internet and facebook occupy a growing ground in MENA region. Tunisia’s Jasmine revolution, which forced President Ben Ali to step down, proved that internet and facebook were the fastest way to communicate and spread news (videos, photos, tweetts articles and even political comments.) A […]
October 23rd marks the first anniversary of the election of Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly; the first election since the popular insurrection that brought down the government of President Zine al-Abdine Ben Ali in January 2011and set off the powerful series of events elsewhere in the region that became known as the Arab Spring. The anniversary […]
Despite the fact that the Maghreb countries constitute one region that is culturally, geographically and historically integrated, they have largely failed to achieve ‘functional integration’ particularly at the political and economic cooperation level. The “non-Maghreb” is a term coined by some experts referring to the enduring phenomenon of the Maghreb countries’ failure to boost their […]
Ali Zeidan, a human rights lawyer and activist, was elected by the 200-strong Libyan General Congress as Interim Prime Minister for a transitional period of about 18 months. Ali Zeidan, who was supported by the Liberal block within the Libyan Congress led by the National Forces Alliance of Mahmoud Jibril, won 93 votes while his […]
The creation of a new post of EU Special Representative for the Southern Mediterranean Region in July 2011 symbolizes the importance the region has gained in European eyes. Focusing specifically on the Maghreb, there are a number of reasons why it is vital for the Union to engage closely with this region located on its […]