Mohamed Ali Harrath is a former Tunisian dissident who was imprisoned and tortured after he set up a Muslim political party in Tunisia and had finally to flee the country. Now he is thinking of making a return visit.
The alliance between forces on the left and the exiled moderate Islamist forces suggest that a lastingly democratic culture exists in Tunisia
The real scandal revealed on closer examination of diplomatic cables from the MENA region, is the gulf that separates what US diplomats acknowledge in private and what US leaders say (and do) in public, vis-a-vis democracy promotion in the Middle East
Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri returns to Beirut in the face of opposition demands that he remain in exile. Years of political repression in Tunisia may be at an end as President Ben Ali flees the country. Iraqi soldiers shoot US counterparts, wounding three. All this and much more, in today
What message should Tunisians and the peoples and governments of the Arab world and beyond take from the Tunisian uprising, asks Mohammed Hussainy.
The multinational forces succeeded in gaining the trust of communities by changing the focus of the mission from the prosecution of insurgents to protection of civilians. This is a significant departure from past practices
Egypt's recent elections went very much as expected. This, however, doesn't mean they were insignificant.
In the end one never knows why it is that social conditions erupt into revolt. More often than not they do not. But still, there are a number of factors which might explain the current unprecedented protests
Abolkacim Ashabi once wrote, "If the people one day decide to live, fate must answer and the chains must break." Bouazizi’s martyrdom may have triggered a popular revival, many now believe, which will ensure that it is only a matter of time before Ashabi’s prophecy is fulfilled.
South Sudan heads to polls amid renewed violence in Abyei. At least fourteen dead in Tunisian employment protests. Eta declares “permanent and general” ceasefire.
Violence and a culture of reactionary anti-Westernism has left young Algerians poorly equipped for today's world. Many take the dangerous option of clandestine migration for Europe. No wonder those who stay behind are now taking to the streets against corrupt, self-enriching autocrats
Ranj Alaaldin explores the significance of Muqtada al-Sadr's return to Iraq for the nation's politics, and the US and Iranian stakes in the country.
