Iranian-American Fashion Star Draws Inspiration From Persia Leila Yavari, an Iranian-American former model turned fashion director, spoke with Al-Monitor's Sophie Claudet about her career, which began during a Berkeley Ph.D. program; the art scene in Iran; bridging the Eastern and Western fashion worlds and drawing inspiration from her Persian roots. Iran
Little Film Festival That Could: Beirut Beats the Odds The Beirut International Film Festival was cut short this year because of security concerns, but director Colette Naufal still clandestinely screened a film by a famed Iranian director shot in Israel. She talked with Al-Monitor about censorship and the effect of the Arab Spring on movie-making. Hint: she expects to see films from Syria soon. Lebanon
The Return of Rafsanjani? Don’t Count on it Some Iran observers believe Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is aiming at a political comeback, despite his denials. But the former Iranian president probably knows his chances of another crack at the office are slim, Shaul Bakhash writes. Iran
New Film Explores Israeli, Arab Views on Sex With the ‘Other’ Inspired by a book about Golda Meir's alleged affair with an Arab banker, Yolande Zauberman and Selim Nassib asked Tel Aviv Jews a daring question: Would you have sex with an Arab? The couple reversed the question for Israeli Arabs. Sophie Claudet talks with the filmmakers about politics, mixed-race kids and the prospect of peace. Israel
As Assad Hangs on, Turkey Confronts Failure in Syria Turkey’s policies in Syria have failed, writes Andrew Parasiliti. The best chance for resolving the crisis now lies with Lakhdar Brahimi. Incremental support for the Syrian opposition will only serve to prolong the fighting and intensify the border conflict, and President Gul's “worst-case scenario” could get even worse. Syria
'Charter 91' Seeks to Unite Iranians Around a Tolerant Vision Iranian exiles including an Oscar-nominated actress have launched a new initiative to unite Iranians inside and outside Iran around a tolerant, nonviolent vision of their country’s future. “Charter 91” — named for the current Iranian year of 1391 — is both a document and a plea. Iran
Will Amman's Polite Opposition Bring Arab Spring to Jordan? The Islamic Action Front was able to gather tens of thousands of people in Amman to call for a boycott of the upcoming legislative elections, posing the most serious challenge to King Abdullah's agenda in nearly two years. But the protesters hold diverse concerns, and determining the future weight of the discontent is a tricky matter. Jordan
US Looks to Renew Iran Talks After the November Elections The United States is looking to renew multilateral talks with Iran about its nuclear program after the November elections, Barbara Slavin reports, but the window of opportunity is likely to be brief no matter who wins the White House. Iraq
Qatar Ambassador Says French Investments Just 'Business' Qatar has set up a fund to support enterprises in France’s underdeveloped areas, a move some speculate aims to interfere in French politics or propagate Qatar’s orthodox brand of Islam. Al-Monitor's Sophie Claudet met with Qatar's ambassador to discuss France, the rise of Islamism in Arab Spring countries, Syria and Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Qatar
Changing Money in Iran: A Report From Tehran's Ferdowsi Square At the center of Tehran's currency exchange, traders try their best to ignore the people knocking on the door. Meanwhile, not far away, a half-dozen men standing on a raised platform clutching small calculators and large stacks of cash take orders from the public, briskly relieving them of their increasingly worthless savings. Iran
Egypt's Morsi at 100 Days: Opposition on Notice While it's indeed conceivable that the Muslim Brotherhood may not succeed in wowing voters and the world with their management of Egypt, and there is ample room for missteps, the odds seem stacked against an outright failure, writes Bassem Sabry for Al-Monitor. Egypt
Morsi Moves to Rebuild Egypt's Mideast Leadership Role Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has rebooted Egypt's international image. He has maintained foreign relations with Egypt's friends, while moving away from some and toward others, all without alienating the international community. Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, writes that Morsi could return Egypt to its role as the heart of the Arab World — which would benefit the region. Egypt
Is Ahmadinejad Scapegoat For Iran’s Economy? Iran’s Supreme Leader is blaming the president for the country's deepening political and economic crisis, writes Mehdi Khalaji. Hoping to avoid accountability for the regime’s failed policies, Khamenei’s sole use for Ahmadinejad is as a fall guy. The next president will assume much less authority, predicts the author. Iran
In Syria, Kurds Carve Out Territory of Their Own Syrian Kurds have quietly taken control of sizeable chunks of territory in the northeast of the country, reports Josh Wood. With the state gone, they are organizing for self-governance — but conflict may be coming. While Free Syrian Army flags wave at some protests, many Kurds strongly distrust the opposition forces. Syria
Bomb Shatters Sense of Normalcy: Report From Damascus Syrians have learned to anticipate bad things, writes Layla M. for Al-Monitor. A massive explosion hit the regime’s military headquarters last month, shattering a short-lived sense of normalcy and bringing back to Damascus a sense of anxiety and dread. Syria
Exclusive: US, Egypt to Hold First Military Talks Since Revolt US and Egyptian military leaders are preparing for the first formal cooperation talks since the last round was interrupted in January 2011 by the protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square that ultimately toppled the country’s dictatorship, reports Viola Gienger. Egypt
