Did the movie Innocence of the Muslims cast a shadow on the romanticism of the Arab Spring? This amateur production was the work of an Egyptian Coptic who evidently drew a satirical picture of Muhammad. The movie was barely watched when its 14-minute “trailer” was first uploaded to You Tube in June. But then a […]
Tag: Arab Spring
Arab Interior Ministers Move to Tighten Borders Control
Arab Interior ministers have pledged to tighten borders security and control to prevent arms smuggling in the Arab world at the current turbulent and fragile regional and international juncture. At the end of their meeting held lately in Tunis, top Arab security officials stressed the need to enhance coordination and information sharing between Arab counter-terrorism […]
Will Egypt-US Relations Sour Over Aid?
US House lawmakers have blocked a $450 million emergency aid the Obama administration was planning to give to the new government of President Mohammed Morsi, facing unprecedented economic crisis, with an estimated budget deficit of $12 billion. Republican Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, chairwoman of the Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations, says “I am not […]
The Metamorphoses of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood
To comprehend the current role and position of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, rather than focusing only on its present-day form and the general policies of this movement, we must take a closer look at the historical evolution of this organization. One will then realize that the Muslim Brotherhood is not an entity that could […]
Algeria: Will PM Sellal be up to economic, social challenges?
Algeria is said to have been spared the turmoil of the Arab Spring and the legislative elections held last May gave, contrary to analysts’ forecasts, an overwhelming majority to the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN). The long awaited change was not at the rendez-vous, still, Algerians were hoping that the new cabinet that was to […]
Taming the Praetorian Temptation in Egypt
When Mohamed Morsi won the presidential elections in Egypt, a conflict between the president and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) was only a question of time. Morsi’s move to call the Parliament back into session was nothing less than the opening salvo in this conflict and a strong reminder by the President […]
Egypt: Will tourists come back to the rescue of an ailing economy?
In 2010, Egypt ranked among the 20 top tourism countries in the world with a honourable 18th place. A year later, the Arab spring swept over Egypt, scaring away the 14 million international tourists who visits the country yearly. In 2011, the revolution that toppled President Hosni Moubarak dealt a serious blow to the tourism […]
International Community Pledges $6.4 Bln to Yemen
International donors have pledged $6.4 billion to Yemen to support the country’s socioeconomic development plan, political transition and efforts to rebuild after it was rocked by political unrest and Al-Qaeda attacks. At the end of their meeting in Riyadh, which brought together more than 280 participants from 27 countries, 36 regional development & international finance […]
Springtime for Political Islam in North Africa: Defying the Western ‘Fear-Mongering’?
Islamist groupings across North Africa – who had long faced severe repression from the recently deposed dictators and were commonly denounced by the West as security threats – now lead three of the four new democratically elected governments in the region. But the Islamist parties that have suddenly found themselves in power across North Africa […]








