Archives for January, 2016

Iranian worshippers chant anti-Saudi and anti-U.S. slogans during Friday prayers in Tehran January 8, 2016. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX21JDM

Iranians launch boycott of Saudi businesses

Following Saudi Arabia’s move to cut diplomatic and commercial ties with Iran, some Iranians have joined forces to launch a campaign against Saudi firms in the country — but is the boycott having any impact?

How fake news helps AKP propaganda

Turkey’s pro-AKP media is presenting a counterfactual world to its readers; the latest example is "news" about the "FBI arrest" of 9/11 deniers.

Likud legislator Miri Regev, a former brigadier general and political hardliner of Moroccan origin, looks out a car window during a campaign stop in Netanya, north of Tel Aviv February 25, 2015. Israel's Sephardic community, Jews of Middle Eastern descent, have traditionally been the Likud party's backbone. But political analysts say Sephardim, disproportionately poorer than Israel's Ashkenazi Jews with roots in Europe, may throw their support elsewhere in the March 17 election, angry over the high cost of

Israeli leftist artists, the enemy within

As far as Culture Minister Miri Regev is concerned, all intellectuals who do not agree with her right-wing agenda are enemies of the state.

Meet one of Hezbollah's teen fighters

As more young Lebanese Hezbollah fighters travel to Syria, Al-Monitor spoke with one of these boys about their reasons for waging jihad and the training they go through before joining the fight.

Will Israeli Palestinians join their West Bank brethren?

Discrimination and the lack of any hope for a two-state solution could push Arab-Israelis to join the uprising in the West Bank, much like the battle in 1947.

The profitable business of Israeli occupation

Is the settlement enterprise a diplomatic or defense necessity for Israel, or a way to make money?

Israel support for yeshiva students up by 53%. Is it enough?

Once again, much is being made in the media about the state raising allocations for yeshiva students, but the ebb and flow of this funding is a perennial part of the coalition's wooing of the ultra-Orthodox.

Activists gather at a Capitol Hill rally to "Stop the Iran Nuclear Deal" in Washington September 9, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTSCN4

Democrats launch Iran deal offensive

Pro-deal senators are touting Iran's denuclearization amid continued Republican pushback.

TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY ARTHUR MACMILLAN
Iranian Culture Minister Ali Jannati (R) looks at US artist Jackson Pollock's "Mural on Indian Red Ground" (1950) during the opening ceremony of an exhibition of modern art at Tehran's Museum of Contemporary Art (TMOCA) in the capital, on November 20, 2015. Some of the world's most expensive and rarely seen modern art, including works by the Americans Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol, which are part of a collection bought in the 1970s by dealers acting for Farah, the

Iran is spending more money on culture, but where's the accountability?

In Iran, President Hassan Rouhani is moving to increase spending allocated to administration-controlled cultural entities. Yet a vast portion of cultural spending continues to go to organizations that are not held accountable.

Blind lawyer Khaled Hanafy smiles next to his wife Sherien Fathy, who is also blind, near their son Yehia and daughter Rahma at their home in Cairo March 5, 2014. Sherien, 32, a graduate of the College of Arts? Arabic department who works as a specialist manager at the General Petroleum Corporation, hopes the government will do more to help disabled people to find jobs and contribute to the economy. On March 8 activists around the globe celebrate International Women's Day, which dates back to the beginning

How new Egyptian parliament is empowering those with disabilities

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Khalid Hanafi, a visually impaired member of parliament, said that Egypt is still a very young democracy and the presence of people with disabilities in the legislature will help with addressing issues facing this group.

Rome's nude cover-up remains mystery

At a press conference in Italy, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani addressed the controversy over two nude statues covered in boxes.

Russia, Qatar pushed to compromise. But will they?

A recent visit between Qatari and Russian officials indicate that in spite of their many differences, the two states may seek to cooperate.

Turkey's military mules take their marching orders seriously

Modern armies spend millions of dollars to develop high-tech robotic systems, but none can replace mules as reliable carriers in bad weather over rough terrain.

A woman walks past a banner that reads, "Even you arrest (journalists) or censor (media) we know that you are a war criminal Tayyip" and with a picture of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a protest over the arrest of journalists Can Dundar and Erdem Gul in Ankara, Turkey, November 27, 2015. Around 2,000 people protested on Friday over the arrest of two prominent journalists on charges of espionage and terrorist propaganda, a case that has revived long-standing criticism of Turkey's record on pr

Want to call Erdogan a dictator? Get ready to hire some lawyers

The Turkish government has launched two court cases against the media for allegedly offending President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Palestinian negotiator: Iran should stop poking its nose in Arab affairs

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat says Iran should mind its own business, and stresses the need to preserve the Palestinian Authority.

Once-lively caravan stops crumble along abandoned Silk Road

Khan al-Noss, one of many caravanserais found along the Silk Road in Iraq and other neighboring countries, is yet another neglected and disappearing Iraqi heritage site.