Why are the rulers of Saudi Arabia losing their cool?

The Umayyad Syndrome by Ahmed E. Souaiaia*   For more than seventy years, Saudi Arabia has cultivated the image of a state run by level-headed, moderate, wise, deliberate, and cool-headed leaders. Publicly, its diplomats gave the impression that the Kingdom would chose dialogue over confrontation, moderation over extremism, and reconciliation over antagonism. Wikileaks unveiled the Read more

Continue Reading

A fragile alliance: how the crisis in Egypt caused a rift within the anti-Syrian government block

 A fragile alliance: how the crisis in Egypt caused a rift within the anti-Syrian government block by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirate (UAE), Turkey, and the West condemned in unison the Syrian government for its harsh treatment of Syrians from the first day of the uprising in that country. Many observers Read more

Continue Reading

Egypt’s scorched earth: What is suggested here is that these assaults comprise an orchestrated plan to avenge by and for the Brothers

by Mariz Tadros*  Thursday was a day of funerals in Egypt. Most international actors have rightly condemned the ruthless violence witnessed against the pro-Morsi protestors, but with the exception of Catherine Ashton of the EU, they have turned a blind eye to the violence witnessed across the country over the course of the same day. Read more

Continue Reading

Why did the Salafi Party in Egypt support the removal of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood?

Balancing political interests and religious idealism in Islamic Societies by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Alarabiya channel cheered the ouster of Morsi and the Brotherhood Many analysts and observers of Middle Eastern affairs were surprised when the Salafi political party, al-Nour, supported the protest movement and the military that ousted Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood from Read more

Continue Reading

Majority, including supporters of National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, want a negotiated solution to the Syrian crisis

The Coalition will either negotiate with the regime or it will become irrelevant by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Responding to a non-scientific poll posted on the website of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces (the Coalition), 66.2% of the respondents wanted the group to attend the Geneva-2 conference. In fact, 33.6% of the Read more

Continue Reading

The role of the military and the rulers of the Gulf States in stabilizing or de-stabilizing Egypt

by Henelito A. Sevilla Jr* The ouster of the first democratically elected president of Egypt, Mohammad Morsi, puzzled many analysts and made it hard to predict the future of Egypt. People from the beginning of the revolution have been asking for economic and political reform. Instead, Morsi’s government first step was to amend the constitution, Read more

Continue Reading

Between the two camps, Egypt’s media outlets have chosen to take sides in the ongoing tragic split

by Ahmed Magdy Youssef*  Egypt’s last two weeks’ incessant events not only gripped the minds and hearts of the Egyptians, but they captured the interest of the national and international media as well. For many Egyptians, mostly those who filled public squares across the country to demand Mr. Morsi’s removal and early presidential elections, the Read more

Continue Reading

International leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood meet in Turkey to strategize for the crisis in Egypt and to plan for the future

Middle East Politics Reshuffle: The Future of Islam in the public sphere by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Ghannouchi to take a major role in Muslim Brotherhood International The overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood’s government in Egypt on July 3rd, 2013 forced the group’s international leaders to rethink the movements options. This weekend, they gathered in Turkey. Read more

Continue Reading

Rulers of Saudi Arabia and UAE throw their support behind the new regime in Egypt

By Fahd Makhtul MENA The rulers of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates have taken the lead to shore up the new regime in Egypt. The two countries together are to provide nearly $8 billion in the form of goods, grants, and loans.  King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia ordered an aid package totaling nearly $5 Read more

Continue Reading

Arab Spring 2.0: Why did Morsi lose the presidency and how did the Muslim Brotherhood lose a revolution?

by Ahmed E. Souaiaia*   Gruesome killings of Egyptian Shi`as contributed to Morsi’s fall Many Arabs, thirsty for real change, look at the events of the Arab Spring positively. Liberal, secular, conservative, and ultraconservative groups and individuals in the countries transformed by the Arab Spring who supported the overthrow of the old guard agree that Read more

Continue Reading