Shameful Examples Emerge Of Press Censorship in Turkey A Turkish newspaper’s censorship of its own ombudsman rings alarm bells over the issue of press freedom in Turkey. Turkey
UAE Trial Adds to Controversy Over Press Freedom, Political Islam Guilty verdicts in the trial of 94 people accused of plotting to overthrow the UAE government have raised new questions about both press freedom and the role of political Islam. United Arab Emirates
What Happened to Fadel Shaker? In a case rarely seen in Lebanese society, Fadel Shaker, one of the country’s most beloved pop stars, chose to embrace extreme piety and soon became wingman to Salafist sheikh Ahmad al-Assir. Lebanon
Unrest in Egypt Casts Pall On Israel-Palestine Negotiations Israelis and Palestinians had best wait out the wave of protests in Egypt until the new regional setup emerges before engaging in negotiations. Palestine
Sadr Talks Big to US Ambassador While Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's popularity wanes, radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr looks to boost his own appeal with harsh words for the United States. Iraq
Gaza Suicides Rise As Living Conditions Deteriorate Hamas continues to dismiss Gaza's rising suicide rates as a result of a lack of religiosity in society. Palestine
Hamas, First Victim of Egypt Revolt Hamas will be the first group to pay a high price in the wake of Mohammed Morsi's and the Muslim Brotherhood's collapse in Egypt. Palestine
Iraqi Federal Court Delays Ruling on Term-Limit Law The Iraqi Federal Supreme Court has yet to rule on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's challenge of a term-limit law, which leads some to believe the court is awaiting the results of the 2014 elections. Iraq
Viability of Yemen’s New Political Parties Questioned In the wake of the 2011 revolution, the Yemeni political scene has witnessed the emergence of many new parties, yet it remains to be seen how viable and effective these new forces will be. Yemen
Morsi Defies Egyptian Military, Demonstrators President Morsi refuses to budge despite the pressure put on him by the military, protesters and President Obama. Egypt
Rouhani Considers New Approach To Syria While President-elect Hassan Rouhani will continue Iran’s steadfast support for the Syrian government, he may also be considering a diplomatic initiative for a transition involving both the Assad regime and the opposition. Iran
Israeli Knesset Member Calls For Boycotting Settlement Goods Tamar Zandberg, a young left-wing Knesset member from the Meretz Party, believes that her struggle against Israeli settlements preserves the legitimacy of a sovereign Israel in the international arena. Israel
LGBT Turks Seek to Capitalize On Gezi Good Will While record numbers participated in Turkey's annual LGBT pride parade, some still doubt whether this atmosphere will help them in their fight for acceptance. Turkey
Lebanon's Sectarian Fall As the Syrian conflict continues to rage, tensions are on the rise between Lebanese Sunnis and Shiites as a result of their affiliations with divergent Syrian groups. Lebanon
The Muslim Brotherhood Fights For Legacy, Not for Morsi The protests have shocked the Muslim Brotherhood into reconsidering its position in Egyptian society beyond whether President Mohammed Morsi stays or goes. Egypt
Turkey’s Syria Refugee Crisis Turkey struggles to handle an increasingly taxing Syrian refugee crisis. Turkey
