Stateless Arabs in Kuwait held protests today, demanding citizenship. The protests reportedly took place in Taima’ and Sulaibiya, Jahra Governorate, and Ahmadi, Ahmadi Governorate. Taima’ Sulaibiya, 18 February 2011 Ahmadi, 18 February 2011 On Al Watan TV For more information, visit . Cf. “More than 1,000 stateless Arabs demonstrated in Kuwait on Friday demanding citizenship, […]
Geography Archives: Middle East
Egypt’s Military Junta to Deploy More Troops to Sinai
This just in from AFP: “Israel has agreed to let Egypt deploy hundreds more troops in Sinai in order to protect gas pipelines as the country undergoes sweeping political unrest.” Israel’s agreement to more Egyptian troop deployment exceeding the terms of the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty came just as the youth representatives of the tribes […]
Israeli Opinion on Egypt
After Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned last Friday, we asked Israeli activists as well as people on the street for their opinion about recent events in Egypt. Produced by Ruth Orli Mosser. This video was released by the Alternative Information Center on 15 February 2011 under a Creative Commons license. | Print
Bahrain: The Third Day of Wrath
Al Jazeera and Euronews
“They renamed it [Manama’s central square] Tahrir Square after the one in Cairo. They’ve started setting up tents, and vans are bringing supplies of food and water.” — Ahmed Hazim The Euronews video at the top and the Al Jazeera videos below it were released on 16 February 2011. Cf. <www.facebook.com/TrueRoyalDemocracy>. | Print
What Is Happening in Egypt
What is happening in Egypt is of immense importance, not only due to the importance of the country but also due to the radicality of the demand. The demand is not just that Mubarak should leave — that is a first step — but that the system be changed, putting an end to the neoliberal […]
A Warning for Egyptian Revolutionaries: Courtesy of People Power in the Philippines
Much like Mubarak, the former democratic reformer turned long-serving US dictator for the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, demonstrates what can happen to even stalwart defenders of capitalism when they are opposed by their citizens en masse. Like Mubarak, Marcos previously provided a ray of hope for Western elites intent on quelling popular resistance within their own […]
Iran: Green Solidarity with (Some) Arabs
Critics of the Islamic Republic of Iran held a protest on 25 Bahman 1389 (14 February 2011). The protest turnout today — far from negligible given the well known severe limits to anti-systemic dissent imposed by the state — apparently failed to meet the expectations of some of its supporters, so one such individual went […]
Father Thomas J. Hagerty: A Forgotten Religious Communist
In the usual roll call of religious communists, Father Thomas J. Hagerty — one of the central figures involved in establishing the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, or the Wobblies) in 1905 — seems to have slipped off the radar, with nary an entry on the Marxist Internet Archive and the smallest comment on […]
A Glorified Military Coup in Egypt: An Aborted Revolution or the Genesis of a Genuine Revolution?
Millions of people in Egypt and all over the Middle East erupted in joy as Omar Suleiman announced on Friday that Hosni Mubarak had resigned. The Egyptian military decided to oust a widely-resented dictator as it witnessed the growing threat of a potential revolution being born in Egyptian streets. Had it been allowed to continue […]
Egypt’s Uprising: Not Just a Question of ‘Transition’
The events of the last weeks are one of those historical moments where the lessons of many decades can be telescoped into a few brief moments and seemingly minor occurrences can take on immense significance. The entry of millions of Egyptians onto the political stage has graphically illuminated the real processes that underlie the politics […]
Obama Gives Israel Too Much Love in Valentine’s Day Budget
The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation today criticized the Obama Administration for giving Israel “too much love” in its FY2012 budget request to Congress. The budget request, delivered today to Capitol Hill, contains a record-breaking $3.075 billion in military aid to Israel. “With the United States facing an ongoing budget deficit and debt, […]
Egypt: Oil and Gas Workers on Strike
Thousands of workers from several oil and gas companies are on strike, protesting in front of the Ministry of Petroleum, in Nasr City. The workers have several economic and political demands, including putting an end to abusive management practices such as sacking workers who speak up for their rights, reinstating the sacked workers, raising salaries […]
Egypt: Middle Class for Military Junta, Workers for Permanent Revolution
Since yesterday, and actually earlier, middle-class activists have been urging Egyptians to suspend the protests and return to work, in the name of patriotism, singing some of the most ridiculous lullabies about “let’s build new Egypt,” “let’s work harder than even before,” etc. In case you didn’t know, actually Egyptians are among the hardest working […]
Palestinians Hail the Egyptian Revolution
Gaza, 11 February 2011 Ramallah, 11 February 2011 The Gaza video was shot by Ken O’Keefe and the Ramallah videos by Nick Marouf. var idcomments_acct = ‘c90a61ed51fd7b64001f1361a7a71191’; var idcomments_post_id; var idcomments_post_url; | Print
Egypt: Victory of Democracy
Victory النصر Democracy الديمقراطية Carlos Latuff is a Brazilian cartoonist. | Print
Iran: Hard-Line Women Heckle Mashaei
On 22 Bahman 1389 (11 February 2011), the 32nd anniversary of the victory of the revolution in Iran, hard-line women heckle Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, the right-hand man of the president of Iran. The hecklers are heard shouting: “Down with monafeq! Monafeq, get lost!” “Mashaei, be ashamed! Resign from the government!” “Down with the anti-velayat-e faqih.” […]
What Does the Egyptian Revolution Mean for the United States Government?
The US has not supported democratization in Egypt, or really anywhere else in the Middle East, because US policymakers would not like the outcome of democratic processes. Policies made by governments that are freely elected by the people would not reflect, would not support, let alone enforce, the US polices that are unpopular, whether that’s […]
On the Egyptian Revolution and the American Strategy
7 February 2011 . . . Today we declare our solidarity. One of the forms of our solidarity is to defend this revolution, this intifada, this great historic popular movement. One of the responsibilities of defending this revolution is to reveal its true image as all data indicate. . . . We contact those on […]
Egypt: The Battle Is Not Over Yet
Mubarak is gone. This is a great day. Let’s celebrate. But the battle is not over yet. We got rid of Mubarak, and now we need to get rid of the Mubarak’s regime. . . . The left half of the banner in the photo depicts “the elements of the regime that rules Egypt.” Photo […]
Mubarak the Laughing Cow
Carlos Latuff is a Brazilian cartoonist. Cf. ; Mark Landler and Helene Cooper, “Allies Press U.S. to Go Slow on Egypt” (New York Times, 8 February 2011); James Besser, “The Best Lobbyists for Egypt’s U.S. Aid: Israeli Diplomats” (Jewish Week, 9 February 2011). | Print
