Middle East Monitor - The Latest from the Middle East
April Guest Writer
News from Africa
Journalist claims systematic torture in Egyptian detention centres
Khalid Mohammed Abdul-Raouf, a student journalist jailed after the military coup in Egypt on suspicion of working for Al-Jazeera network , has confirmed to the Cairo Criminal Court that political detainees are being exposed to systematic torture in the Scorpion prison, as well as f...
Tunisian government to respect parliament's decision on Israeli tourists
Tunisia's Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa said yesterday that his government will respect the Tunisian Parliament's decision to deny Israeli Jews entry to Tunisia "even if the decision will harm tourism".
Muslim scholars slam arbitrary arrests and torture in Egypt
The International Union of Muslim Scholars condemned the indiscriminate arrests and torture in Egyptian prisons especially those against women, scholars, journalists and youth.
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News from the Middle East
Saudi seeks friends in West Africa
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is believed to be attempting to make new friends by improving relations with West African nations that could support and enhance the role of its allies on the continent.
Easter Mass in Iqrit - returning in death and returning in life
EXCLUSIVE IMAGES
As with all major religious festivals, Easter in celebrated enthusiastically in Palestine. For Palestinian Christians Easter is one of the main annual celebrations, whilst in cities such as Ramallah, Bethlehem and Jerusalem where street marches take place large nu...
First female candidate decides to run for president in Lebanon
Nadine Moussa has officially become the first Lebanese woman to run for president in Lebanon, despite the fact that observers say she has little chance of winning the election or of challenging the patriarchal politics in a country governed by an entrenched, sectarian and feudal ...
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News from Europe and Russia
Blair calls on West to confront 'radical Islam' not Russia
In a speech to be delivered in London today, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will urge the West to forget Russian President Vladimir Putin's stance on the Ukraine and join him in the fight against "radical Islam". Blair will say in his speech that Europe and the US must...
Turkey launches polio vaccination campaign in Syria
The Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) has launched a polio vaccination campaign in Syria in collaboration with the International Federation of Physicians (AID) and the Turkish Waqf Youth.
Erdogan criticises International silence on death sentences in Egypt
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised the international community over its silence on the death sentences being issued against supporters of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
ICC confirms Egypt complaint still under consideration
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed that the complaint filed by the Freedom & Justice Party last year on behalf of the constitutional Government of Egypt is still under consideration by the Chief Prosecutor Mrs Fatou Bensouda despite untrue press reports to t...
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News from Asia, the Americas, & International Organisations
UN officials condemn plan to hold presidential election in Syria
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UN-Arab League Joint Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi have condemned the announcement that a presidential election will soon take place in Syria, in light of the current deteriorating situation.
UN: Syria's presidential election hinder political solution
Bashar Al-Assad's plan to hold presidential elections in the current circumstances undermine efforts to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria, the United Nations said yesterday.
US official: Dissolving PA would have 'grave implications'
Dissolving the Palestinian Authority (PA) would have "grave implications" and Palestinians would be the losers, spokesperson of the US Department of State Jen Psaki said on Monday.
US has evidence of chemical attack in Syria
The US has evidence that a toxic chemical substance, probably chlorine, may have been used in Syria this month and is examining evidence whether the Syrian government is responsible; a State Department official said yesterday.
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Latest In-Depth Articles
The Greatest Sin: The use of a just cause to justify injustice
One of the worst things for a just cause is for it to be exposed to a situation where it becomes impossible for justice to be achieved. As a result of this, this same cause becomes a scapegoat used by political symbols or simply a symbol itself. In a case such as this one, injustice becomes normalised as people are paid to play the role of the victim, pushing the real victim out of context, as the alleged victims are believed to be the true victims.
Spring time in Tulkarem as farms fight Israeli chemical factories
It is spring on the Tanib farm and the eskadenias or loquats - small sweet orange fruits - and the strawberries are perfectly ripe. Workers and volunteers who have travelled far and wide to take part in a two week campus on the farm grounds are busy harvesting. The volunteers are helping with turning the farm organic. Tea drank in the breaks of a hard days labour is made on a bio gas cooker and dried fruits served as snacks have been made in a solar powered drier.
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MEMO Commentary & Analysis
The EU and Middle East democracy
Is there any difference between the forthcoming presidential elections in Egypt and Syria? The Europe Union apparently believes that there is. While the EU has dismissed the Syrian process as a "parody of democracy", the European High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, conveyed an entirely different outlook on the election in Egy...
DEBATE by Ben White
From ethnic cleansing to return: a peace process worthy of the name
This week marks the 66th anniversary of the ethnic cleansing of Miska, a Palestinian village whose roughly 1,000-strong population was expelled in April 1948 by Haganah forces. Located around 10 miles from Qalqilya, Miska boasted 100-200 houses, an elementary school for boys, and a mosque.
INQUIRY by Asa Winstanley
Palestinian Prisoners' Day remains central
Thursday here in Palestine was Prisoners' Day, and demonstrations of solidarity were held across the West Bank and Gaza . The annual event calls for the release of Palestinian political prisoners from Israel's jails, and freedom from its kangaroo court system of military injustice.
