Archives for March, 2015

TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY PATRICK MOSER
Israeli Arab waiter Majed Ibrahim carries various types of hummus dishes at a restaurant in the town of Abu Gosh near Jerusalem on January 4, 2010. At the risk of whipping up discord with Lebanon, the Arab-Israeli village is planning to make the world's biggest hummus, a humble chickpea dip that stirs passions across the Middle East. AFP PHOTO/Menahem KAHANA (Photo credit should read MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images)

Upscale Palestinian cuisine flourishes in Israel

Top Israeli Arab chefs have dispelled the notion of Palestinian cuisine being simple and cheap, serving traditional dishes, some with innovative twists, in enjoyable surroundings.

Shi'ite volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), take part in weapons training in Najaf, July 18, 2014. The United Nations accused Islamic State fighters in Iraq of executions, rape and forced recruitment of children during a campaign to seize much of northern Iraq, part of a conflict it said has killed almost 5,600 civilians this year. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marj

Militarization of Iraqi society is intensifying

The fight against the Islamic State is leading increasing numbers of civilians to take up arms and defend their territory.

Newly appointed Palestinian judge Khouloud Al-Faqih speaks during an interview with Reuters in the West Bank city of Ramallah February 23, 2009. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ordered last week the appointment of the first two female judges in the Palestinian Authority, one of them Al-Faqih. Picture taken February 23, 2009.
REUTERS/Fadi Arouri (WEST BANK) - RTXC0RD

Palestinian female judges gavel down taboos

Palestinian attorney Kholoud al-Faqih defied all norms when she decided to become the first woman to occupy the position of Sharia judge, breaking a long-standing taboo in Arab societies.

An Iranian employee of the anti-drug police walk past 50 tons of drugs seized in recent months burning in eastern Tehran on June 26, 2014 to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The Iranian security forces seized some 575 tons of drugs between March 2013 and March 2014, the Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said. AFP PHOTO/ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Iranian minister slammed for warning of 'dirty money' in politics

Iran's Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli has been forced to walk back his claims that money from illegal drug smuggling has entered politics.

Women walk past a mosque in Ankara April 22, 2007. The women at a protest in Istanbul's old quarter want to wear their headscarves in school, university and parliament, but Muslim Turkey's secular system forbids that, with laws pious Muslims see as a breach of their personal and religious freedom. The Islamist-rooted ruling AK Party says it wants to lift the ban, a key demand of its grass-root supporters, but has faced fierce opposition from Turkey's powerful secular elite. Picture taken on April 22, 2007.

Islamic feminist challenges orthodoxy from within

Turkish academic Hidayet Tuksal has made a reputation as an Islamist feminist, studying religious texts and challenging Islamist notions that marginalize women.

Whirling Dervishes perform during the Mevlana's 737th Reunion Anniversary International Commemoration Ceremonies in the central Turkish city of Konya, December 7, 2010. Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi is an Anatolian philosopher, poet and the founder of the Whirling Dervish and Mevlevi sect. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: RELIGION) - RTXVII0

Turkish teacher on why she embraces Sufi lifestyle

In an interview with Cemalnur Sargut, a renowned writer, researcher and teacher of Sufism, she explains how it is not a philosophy but a lifestyle.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal (L) meets with Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara March 17, 2011. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS ROYALS) - RTR2K0M9

Are Turkey, Saudi Arabia working together against Iran?

Analysts fear that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is being dragged into Saudi Arabia's anti-Iran Sunni bloc.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Siniora (L), Sunni Muslim politician Saad al-Hariri (C), leader of the anti-Syrian alliance, and Education Minister Bahia al-Hariri greet supporters during a parliamentary election campaign at al-Hariri's house in Beirut May 21, 2009. Lebanon's parliamentary election on June 7 is expected to be a tight contest in which Hezbollah and its allies are hoping to reverse the slim majority held by an anti-Syrian coalition that enjoys U.S. and Saudi backing. REUTERS/Jamal Saidi (LEBAN

Parliamentary presence sticking point for Lebanon's women

Although Lebanon is considered a pioneer country in terms of female empowerment, women are still timidly represented in politics, as these usually access parliament following the death of their relatives.

A Palestinian fighter from the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, is seen inside an underground tunnel in Gaza August 18, 2014. A rare tour that Hamas granted to a Reuters reporter, photographer and cameraman appeared to be an attempt to dispute Israel's claim that it had demolished all of the Islamist group's border infiltration tunnels in the Gaza war. Picture taken August 18, 2014. To match Exclusive MIDEAST-GAZA/TUNNELS REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags:

Hamas focuses on rebuilding tunnels as Gazans suffer

Hamas' focus on reconstructing its tunnel infrastructure and rearming, while ignoring the lack of housing in Gaza and the general misery of Gaza residents, points to the military wing's dominance in the organization.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.

Former Iranian Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi smiles as he sits at his home in Tehran, after he was released from jail November 22, 2009. Abtahi, accused of fomenting street unrest after Iran's June election, was released on bail of about $700,000 (424, 062 pounds) on Sunday, the judiciary said, after reports he had been sentenced to six years in jail. REU

Former Iran VP speaks on interreligious outreach

In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Iranian Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi talks about the challenges of his work in interreligious outreach.

The 'Red Lips High Heels' movement

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Pamela Chrabieh, holder of a doctorate in theology-sciences of religion, talks about her passion for work and the steps she has taken throughout her life to change how men view women in the workplace.

Activists hold up their red-inked thumbs and carry banners as they pose for the media during a sit-in near the parliament and in front of the U.N. headquarters in Beirut April 1, 2014. The activists held the rally on Tuesday to demand politicians approve Lebanon's first law of protecting women from domestic violence. REUTERS/Sharif Karim (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST SOCIETY) - RTR3JG2D

Will Nadine Moussa be Lebanon's next president?

Lawyer and activist Nadine Moussa, the first woman in Lebanon to submit her candidacy for the presidential elections, tells Al-Monitor that women are still struggling to break the political traditions of a patriarchal country.

Israeli students juggle schoolwork, circus training

The Move to Circus Academy offers an alternative form of education for students having troubling adjusting to traditional schools and others interested in the circus arts.

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) arrives for a vote on whether to overturn a presidential veto of the Keystone XL pipeline, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, March 4, 2015. The U.S. Senate failed on Wednesday to overturn Obama's veto of legislation approving the Keystone XL oil pipeline, leaving the contentious project to await an administration decision on whether to allow it. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY ENVIRONMENT) - RTR4S47R

Democrats slam brakes on Iran action

Forget about voting on anything before March 24 deadline, House and Senate Democrats warn.

ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUAL COVERAGE OF SCENES OF INJURY OR DEATH

An injured member of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporter of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi is carried by members of the riot police and the army after they cleared Rabaa Adawiya square area, where the Pro-Mursi supporters are camping, in Cairo August 14, 2013. Egyptian security forces killed at least 30 people on Wednesday when they cleared a camp of Cairo protesters who were demanding the reinstatement of Mursi, his Muslim Brother

Enas Hamed on why she writes

Al-Monitor contributor Enas Hamed shares her thoughts on journalism.

Retired Israeli general combats stereotypes

In an interview with Al-Monitor, retired Brig. Gen. Israela Oron emphasizes that contrary to traditional Israeli perception, men have no superiority over women in matters of security.