First Independent Mena Newspaper
In February 2012, the European Parliament approved proposals to reduce restrictions on agricultural and fisheries exports from Morocco into the EU, and to allow Morocco to participate in EU single market programs (on competitiveness and innovation, customs, transport). A few days later, on 1 March 2012, a free trade area (FTA) in industrial goods was […]
Interview with Sadi Shanaah, an influential Czech-Palestinian political analyst and director of INSAAN – ‘Czech-Arab Centre for Cultural Dialogue’, about the roots of the Egyptian revolution, potential failure of Western media and U.S. support to the region. Mr. Shanaah, a special advisor for the Middle East to Mitt Romney‘s presidential campaign, Walid Pharees, says that […]
In May 2012, leaders of the G8 countries met in France in order to discuss an eventual support of the ongoing revolutionary processes of the Arab Spring. Although a number of countries have already helped financially or otherwise, the current amounts of aid implicitly suggest that another Marshall Plan in not going to take place. […]
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 […]