Tahrir Forum

A Blog on Middle East Transformation

The Battle over Arab Public Space and Ideas

May 7, 2016

One of the most significant battles taking place these days in the Arab region is about how wide or narrow is the public space available for citizens to express themselves and offer views that differ from or challenge the state.

The Music Says So: The Battle for Citizen Rights Will Be Won

By Rami G. Khouri

May 2, 2016

The government of Jordan last week had banned a public performance by the Lebanese band Mashrou’ Leila, but this week reversed the decision and allowed the band to perform.

A Day of Arab Despair and Radical Change

By Rami G. Khouri

April 28, 2016

Four very different events on the same day all confirm once again the hard consequences of the unsustainable policies that all Arab governments, without exception, pursued since the 1970s.

Ten Observations on the Wars in Syria

By Rami G. Khouri

April 23, 2016

The scale, intensity, and persistence of the last five years of nonstop and often barbaric violence reflect the fact that Syria today, as in the past four millennia at least, continues to be a central pivot in the geopolitics of the Middle East and its neighbors.

Endgame Strategies in Syria

By Nabeel Khoury

April 21, 2016

The Syrian conflict has been alternately exploited and ignored long enough. The world can no longer afford to look the other way.

Tunisia’s New Republicanism

By Charles Tripp

April 17, 2016

Sada interviews Charles Tripp on his latest study, which focuses on politics in the aftermath of Tunisia’s revolutionary moment and the battle for public space.

Art and Liberty in Egypt, Today and Yesterday

By Ahmed Naji

April 12, 2016

Continued neglect for the heritage of the Egyptian Surrealist movement, despite a resurgence in interest abroad, raises questions about the politics of culture in Egypt.

Persistent Roots of Arab Weakness and Relinquished Sovereignty

By Rami G. Khouri

April 10, 2016

The exercise of power and public authority in the Arab World has always been defined by small groups of men—usually anchored in military establishments—who seized and sat in the seats of power.

The BDS Debate Goes Mainstream

By Rami G. Khouri

April 10, 2016

Critics of Israel’s most egregious and often illegal policies—occupation, colonization, mass incarceration, assassinations, and direct and indirect siege of Palestinian civilian communities—now also call for measures to deter or punish it.

Historic Shifts in World’s View of Israel-Palestine

By Rami G. Khouri

April 6, 2016

Palestinian rights are popping up in more venues around the world, with a regular public focus on countering and even sanctioning Zionist actions such as expropriating and colonizing occupied Arab lands.

Russia, Palmyra, and the Syrian Kaleidoscope

By Rami G. Khouri

April 4, 2016

Long-term stability in Syria requires a process of national self-determination that allows citizens to freely express how they wish to configure their sovereignty and be governed.

The Threat and Opportunity of Kurds in Syria

By Rami G. Khouri

April 2, 2016

This is the moment to shed the ghosts of 1916 by affirming citizen rights in Arab lands, not to perpetuate them by bowing to the dictates of failed authoritarian powers.

Cairo’s Crude Crisis

By Yasser El-Shimy

April 1, 2016

Cheap oil is hurting Egypt’s economy in the short term and could have wider political consequences.

Saudi Brinkmanship in Lebanon

By Benedetta Berti

March 27, 2016

Saudi Arabia’s recent moves against Hezbollah and the Lebanese government could end up weakening its own allies and further destabilizing the Lebanese political arena.

Will Lebanon Face its Immense Climate Change Dangers?

By Rami G. Khouri

March 21, 2016

An eye-opening report on climate change effects in Lebanon reveals the need for government to commit to save tens of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars over the coming decades, and prevent a further fracturing of society along wealth/poverty lines.

Glimpses into the Layers of War in Syria

By Rami G. Khouri

March 19, 2016

The slow, steady, numbing dehumanization of young Syrians measured in hundreds of thousands of lives is mirrored in similar trends in other countries at war in the Arab region.

Jordan is Sliding Toward Insolvency

By Kirk H. Sowell

March 18, 2016

The latest budget confirms that Jordan is increasingly dependent on public debt and foreign aid to prop up continued spending—especially on energy subsidies.

Time for a Sensible International Effort on Israel-Palestine

By Rami G. Khouri

March 14, 2016

An American-Russian-French-European peace initiative, with the active participation of the moribund Arab League and expressions of support from Iran, Turkey, and other key players, is achievable and worth attempting.

Rereading the Yacoubian Building

By Tarek Osman

March 6, 2016

Alaa Al Aswani’s novel holds up a mirror to contemporary Egyptian society.

Saudi Arabia’s Unholy War

By Nasser Arrabyee

March 6, 2016

Saudi Arabia’s campaign in Yemen has boosted popular support for the Houthis and is fueling greater anti-Saudi sentiment.

Page 10 of 43
« First
«
...
8
9
10
11
12
...
20
30
40
...
»
Last »