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May 2008 Archives
May 28, 2008
Keffiyeh & Donuts: Ad Cancelled Because of Scarf Threat
Can it get dumber than this? Probably, but you'd have to work at it. The disturbing part is not the initiation of an attack on an ad because of a scarf that looks like a keffiyeh, it's that the anything-but-small-time ad sponsor would roll over so quickly, with no counterreaction against them for doing so. (Bonus related question: What is it about nationalism and, in other contexts than this, feminism, that makes such issues out of headgear?)
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 10:56 PM
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Filed Under: Ethnic Minorities
, Media
, Political Development
, Society & Culture
, Terrorism
, US Foreign Policy
May 26, 2008
On Israel & the American Empire
The Financial Times' Gideon Rachman has a useful editorial on the issue of US-Israeli FP issues. I am fundamentally tired of the subject, given the sensation there is some kind of devilish and pointless merrigoround, but this editorial reminded me that once in a not so distant past US-Israeli relations were governed by a certain rationalism. Pro-Israeli, as an ally, but rational and .... well, to be frank, defensible in the balance even in the Arab & Muslim worlds.
Link Fixed bloody whingers
The editorial reminds one that once upon a time the US had influence - in the I-P conflict, and in MENA. My own experience - in the private sector working for US connected firms leads me to agree with this:
Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think-tank, says: “I can’t remember a time in the last half century where the US has had so little influence in the region.”
it is astounding how the tail is wagging the dog, or how little honesty and how much fear drives American policy in the region, and how much harm the Americans are doing to their long term interests (and I would argue, to sane Israeli interests...)
Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:47 PM
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Filed Under: Levant
, MENA Region General
, US Foreign Policy
May 25, 2008
Why Jihadis Heart Mauritania (Bled l-Moops)
As longtime fan of `Aqoul, I feel it's about time I gave some back. Eerie has kindly accepted a guest post, so, here goes: an expanded version of a recent post from my own North Africa blog. Hope you enjoy.
Side introduction: While I personally don't share Alle's politics on Western Sahara (largely due to my analysis that another little shitty Mauretania is hardly a good thing), he is a smart observer of the area. Enjoy. -- Collounsbury.
PS: the Moops titling is mine, couldn't resist
Time for an update on Mauritania -- my special, dysfunctional little darling among the Maghreb countries -- and on why I think this complex but fascinating desert backwater may yet become of interest to Messrs. bin Ladin and Bush alike.
First the basics: Mauritania, squeezed in between Senegal, Mali, Algeria and Western (or: Moroccan) Sahara, is at the western extreme of the Arab world, and little known even to most of its neighbours. The population is small (under 3,5m.), the area huge (over 1m. km2) , and as the square-cut borders suggest, it is an entirely colonial creation. Back in the days, France needed to fill the space between Senegal, rowdy Touareg tribes, and Spanish Sahara with something, and in 1960 that something proclaimed itself the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Straddling the Sahel, it joins two very different worlds: rocky desert flats suitable only for nomadism dominate the northern two thirds, while the Senegal valley to the south has lush farmlands. Ethnic groups and living-styles are spread accordingly, and as could be expected, north/south relations have been acrimonious.
Continue reading "Why Jihadis Heart Mauritania (Bled l-Moops)"
Posted by alle at 07:08 AM
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Filed Under: Ethnic Minorities
, Islamism
, North Africa
, Terrorism
May 23, 2008
Horny Qutb
Reading about a man I love to hate, Sayyid Qutb, I came across this:
"The American girl is well acquainted with her body’s seductive capacity. She knows it lies in the face, and in expressive eyes, and thirsty lips. She knows seductiveness lies in the round breasts, the full buttocks, and in the shapely thighs, sleek legs and she knows all this and does not hide it…Then she adds to all this the fetching laugh, the naked looks, and the bold moves, and she does not ignore this for one moment or forget it!"In this description it is clear that Qutb is disgusted...
Posted by Shaheen at 03:18 AM
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Filed Under: Islamism
May 18, 2008
La Cache Qui Rit: Egypt's Facebook Protest Met With Facebreak
The Washington Post tells of the attempt to use Facebook to organize a protest strike in Egypt, and the successful efforts of the government to beat it to the punch by, well, beating and punching its chief organizer, after disrupting and threatening the organizing. "Security forces beat him from 1 p.m. Wednesday until 3 a.m. Thursday, stripping him naked, slapping him, dragging him across the floor tied to a rope and threatening to rape him, Maher said. They demanded passwords to the Facebook groups, although the groups do not require passwords, and the real names of those who had registered, he said."
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 07:38 PM
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Filed Under: Political Development
, Society & Culture
May 09, 2008
Get your Kicks / On Beirut / Sects' Dissects
An open thread for discussion of Lebanon at the crossroads . . . again. And who'd have guessed Nasrallah would provide the fireworks for Israel's 60th anniversary? Followup full posts from our expert team are welcome and encouraged, with removing the horrid tasteless lyrics allusion-pun above from its lead position as added incentive.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 12:26 AM
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Filed Under: Islam & Politics
, Levant
, MENA Region General
, Political Development
, Religious Minorities
, Society & Culture
, Terrorism
May 07, 2008
Bread & Riots
If you follow MENA news (and indeed news generally) rising food prices, coupled with rising petrol prices, have provoked for the first time in years serious concerns about food availability to the poorer segments of the population. And demos and riots. And when mass demos occur in the Middle East and North Africa, fear of regime stability gets in the air. Serious challenges for a region where the emerging free(er) markets are yet fragile. Nevertheless, the FT's arty today, Mideast reels as hunger outgrows oil earnings is bothersome.
Perhaps the lead is what is the most irritating:
For years, food policy in the Middle East and North Africa was very simple: hydrocarbon exports paid for carbohydrate imports.
A quote that then segues into issues of the non-oil exporters. My irritation is always raised when all MENA is written about as if it were the Gulf. This is not merely sloppy, it leads people, even Sr. persons, to dangerously misconstrue developments.
Continue reading "Bread & Riots"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:46 PM
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Filed Under: Business, Private
, Economic Policy
, MENA Region General
May 04, 2008
First Full Week of New Month or Two Open Thread
Desperately performing CPR on an Aqoul, pre-Aqoul, and an Aqoul personal journal tradition, an open belated new month thread for general comments, etc. Given that the Site Goddess and Demon respectively are in professional life heavy hyper-activity, I'll set it up. All may have at it below, with no guarantee of reply or response, and hopefully our other posters will actually add new main entries to follow, to alleviate their torpor.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 03:31 PM
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Filed Under: Site News
May 02, 2008
Funny, She Doesn't Look Bahraini
Bahrain's possible new ambassador to the US has interesting demographics. Not all that amazing if one is familiar with the region outside of stereotypes and post-1948 tensions. Still the background of the former legislator(-tress?), if legislating is what the Shura Council does, might cause some to be unduly surprised.
MANAMA, Bahrain - The only Jewish woman lawmaker in Bahrain is a candidate to become this Persian Gulf kingdom's ambassador to Washington. . . . Huda Nono, a legislator in the Shura Council, said she was among people being considered for the post and referred further queries to the foreign ministry. . . .If Nono was appointed, Bahrain would be the first Arab country to send a high-level Jewish diplomat to Washington. . . . Nono is the first Jewish woman in the Shura Council, a 40-seat body appointed by the king that also has a Christian among its 11 female legislators. . . . Nono replaced her cousin Ibrahim Nono, who held the Shura Council seat for four years.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 05:33 AM
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Filed Under: Ethnic Minorities
, Gender Issues
, Gulf
, MENA Region General
, Political Development
, Religious Minorities
, Society & Culture
