The Middle East articles from June 2009

The Middle East archives from June 2009

Comment.(peace in Israel and the Palestine)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The first round of meetings between US President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is over. The position of both sides is clearer and it is time to move on, as swiftly and decisively as possible...

Kuwaiti elections.(Compass 06/2009: News and views from around the world)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Maasouma Al Mubarak was one of four women to make history by winning a seat in the Kuwait National Assembly at the elections in May. Ms Al Mubarak told The Middle East that the historic election would mark a turning...

This month in history.(Compass 06/2009: News and views from around the world)
June 1, 2009... 1964 On 12 June 1964, Nelson Mandela, the leader of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa was jailed for life for sabotage. Mandela--a lawyer by training--told the court: "I do not deny that ! planned sabotage. I did not plan it in a...

Iranian film premieres at Cannes Film Festival.(Compass 06/2009: News and views from around the world)(No One Knows About Persian Cats)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The Cannes Film Festival has heaped praise on No One Knows About Persian Cats, a feature film co-scripted by American-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi, recently released from prison in Iran on charges of spying, and her partner, the film's...

Masdar to invest in British wind farm.(Compass 06/2009: News and views from around the world)(London Array)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Masdar, the Abu Dhabi renewable energy company, and two foreign partners are to invest 2.2bn [pounds sterling] in what will be the world's biggest offshore wind farm. The London Array, in the Thames estuary, is a major part of Britain's plan to...

New ice cream van comes to Dubai: from Essex to Desert Chill.(Compass 06/2009: News and views from around the world)(Dubai, United Arab Emirates)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Despite the global downturn, two British brothers, Dan and Nathan Furlong, believe they have found a niche market in Dubai that is already paying dividends, by importing the concept of the ice cream van, which still...

Palestinian Fairtrade oil.(Compass 06/2009: News and views from around the world)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Actress, author and olive farmer Carol Drinkwater is to help launch a project supporting Palestinian farmers struggling to cope with the destruction of their olive trees. She is to become a patron of an initiative linking Fairtrade groups in...

Numbers.(Compass 06/2009: News and views from around the world)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... 4 THE NUMBER OF NEW WOMEN MPS IN KUWAIT 50 THE NUMBER OF MPS IN KUWAIT'S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 56% THE NUMBER OF KUWAITIS WHO REGISTERED THEIR VOTE AT THE ELECTIONS IN MAY

The view from Jeddah.(Emails & Letters)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Congratulations on the 'new look' Middle East magazine. It is always a worry when a publication undergoes a revamp that some of the established sections of the publication will suffer or, in some cases, disappear...

Playing a strategic game: Obama's administration and Netanyahu's hawkish government appear to be heading for a showdown over the peace process and Iran.(Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu)(Cover story)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As the US and Iran prepare for a dialogue that could have far-reaching consequences for the Middle East, there are signs of growing strain between the US and its key regional ally, Israel. It is unlikely at this...

On the horns of a dilemma.(CURRENT AFFAIRS)(Somalia as an Islamist state)
June 1, 2009... Somalia's piracy issue has dominated the headlines but more important changes in the country are occupying the US State Department; namely that hard line Islamists are moving to consolidate their dominant military position with an equally...

A pilgrim's progress: Pope Benedict's journey through the Holy Land stirs religious passions in a region where a Christian exodus is under way.(CURRENT AFFAIRS)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the Holy Land in May did not hold a candle to the triumphant, ground-breaking progress of his charismatic predecessor and mentor, John Paul II, nine years earlier. Few had expected the...

An uncertain future: Iraq's Shi'ite-dominated government wants to expel Iranian rebels of the Mujahedin-e Khalq, who were backed by Saddam Hussein, but the Americans may have a use for them.(CURRENT AFFAIRS)
June 1, 2009... In the diplomatic dance between the United States and Iran that is expected to segue into a dialogue that will ease three decades of hostility, if not actually produce a live-and-let-live rapprochement, the fate of a bizarre group of Iranian...

Matching skills to the needs of the nation.(CURRENT AFFAIRS)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Of the many factors by which a nation judges itself, including health care, social welfare and employment, one of the most cherished is its standard of education. While steering clear of cliches about children being...

Mabrook to the women of Kuwait.(CURRENT AFFAIRS)
June 1, 2009... For the first time in its almost 50-year history, four women MPs have won seats in Kuwait's National Assembly. Their election to parliament is seen as a positive sign that Kuwaitis have elected instead to vote for positive change. Two days...

Nuclear energy gains ground in Arab states.(BUSINESS: NUCLEAR ENERGY)
June 1, 2009... Nuclear power, once considered too dangerous to contemplate, is experiencing a worldwide comeback. While China, Russia and India are leading this new surge, along with Iran, the Arab oil-producing states of the Gulf are also taking up the...

Responding to international crisis: researched and written by international economic analyst Moin Siddiqi.(BUSINESS: SPECIAL REPORT SAUDI ARABIA)
June 1, 2009... The oil-rich Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, amid a bleak global outlook is taking determined steps to defeat the downturn. Whilst not immune from the OECD-wide recession and waning oil prices, the fallout is less severe than elsewhere because the...

Even as the world's volume car makers struggle to deal with a serious slump in sales as a result of the global economic recession, the market for supercars in the Middle East is booming. Stephen Williams explains why and offers his thoughts on some of the finest cars money can buy.(DETAILS: Supercars)(Buyers guide)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Detroit's car makers are facing the dismal prospect of bankruptcy or takeover, while even the ultra-efficient Japanese manufacturers like Toyota are, for the first time, posting operating losses and cutting back on...

Time is of the essence.(DETAIL: Luxury Watches)(Buyers guide)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "The moving finger writes: and having writ, Moves on, nor all thy Piety nor Wit, Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all thy Tears wash out a word of it..." Omar Khayyam The popularity of...

A pinch of salt.(DETAILS: Good Health & Good Living)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Throughout history, salt has played an influential role in the economic, social and political development of many civilisations. Wars have been fought over salt, which has also been used as a currency and is still...

A city for learning.(MOSAIC)(American University in Cairo)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The American University in Cairo (AUC) is a landmark institution. Since its 1919 founding in the heart of Egypt's capital, it has helped shape the city's intellectual life, in addition to its social and urban fabric....

A triumph of the avant-garde.(MOSAIC: Islamic Art)(Museum of Islamic Art Doha, Qatar)(Book review)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A new publication, Museum of Islamic Art Doha, Qatar, celebrates the opening of the stunning new museum of that name at the end of last year. With spectacular, almost austere architecture,...

Showdown in Brooklyn: Debbie Almontaser, former head of New York's Khalil Gibran School, talks to Tahira Muhammad for The Middle East.(MOSAIC: Debbie Almontaser Interview)(Interview)
June 1, 2009... Debbie Almontaser is the daughter of Yemeni immigrant parents who envisioned a better life in America. After the 9/11 attacks she had her own dream--of establishing an Arab-American School in Brooklyn, New York, that would help ease the...

1 Destiny Disrupted.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2009... 1 DESTINY DISRUPTED BY TAMIM ANSARY PUBLISHED BY PUBLIC AFFAIRS BOOKS ISBN 9781586486068 PRICE $26.95 HARDBACK In Destiny Disrupted, Tamim Ansary tells the rich story of world history as the Islamic world saw it, from the...

2 The Rise of Islam.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2009... 2 THE RISE OF ISLAM EDITED BY VESTA SARKHOSH CURTIS AND SARAH STEWART PUBLISHED BY I.B. TAURIS ISBN 9781845116910 PRICE 39.50 [pounds sterling] HARDBACK The fourth volume in the series The Idea of Iran deals with the...

3 The Iraqi Cookbook.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2009... 3 THE IRAQI COOKBOOK BY LAMEES IBRAHIM PUBLISHED BY STACEY INTERNATIONAL ISBN 9781905299690 PRICE 24.95 [pounds sterling] HARDBACK The true richness of Iraqi culture has been hidden for many years, overshadowed by...

4 What Every American Should Know About the Middle East.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2009... 4 WHAT EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE MIDDLE EAST BY MELISSA ROSSI PUBLISHED BY PENGUIN USA ISBN 9780452289598 PRICE $16.00 PAPERBACK [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The book provides an agenda-free wealth of historic...

5 In Their Father's Country.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2009... 5 IN THEIR FATHER'S COUNTRY BY ANNE MARIE DROSSO PUBLISHED BY TELEGRAM BOOKS ISBN 9781846590597 PRICE 7.99 [pounds sterling] PAPERBACK In Their Father's Country is the tale of Claire and Gabrielle Sahli, two sisters,...

6 Afghanistan.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2009... 6 AFGHANISTAN BY STEPHEN TANNER PUBLISHED BY DE CAPO PRESS ISBN 9780306818264 PRICE 10.99 [pounds sterling] PAPERBACK For over 2,500 years, the forbidding territory of Afghanistan has served as a vital crossroads for...

The last word.
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Diplomatic and governmental traffic between Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan has been spiking recently, giving rise to new hopes that some age-old conflicts may finally be resolving. Yet despite the prayers of...