Covering Egypt, Covering Islam: What the Media Get Wrong (and Occasionally Right)
Drawing on over thirty years' experience covering Middle Eastern and Islamic issues, mostly for the BBC, Roger Hardy argues that the media have all too often shown a chronic lack of understanding of Islam and Muslim societies – and by distorting or sensationalizing Muslim issues have made it harder to combat extremism and win the 'war of ideas.' As Arab and Muslim protesters take to the streets of Cairo and the Arab world, Hardy examines if coverage and understanding of the Muslim world has deepened or improved.
After Mubarak:What do the Egyptian People Really Want?
The Middle East Institute is proud to host Steven Kull and Shibley Telhami for an examination of Egyptian views and attitudes towards governance and their future. As Egyptian demonstrators celebrate the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, many wonder what kind of system the Egyptian people really want. How do they view the Muslim Brotherhood? If Egypt were to become more democratic what are we likely to see in terms of its relation with the US, Israel and other countries in the region?
US-Libya Relations: Surviving the Wikileaks Controversy?
US-Libya Business Association Honorary Chairman Amb. David Mack and Executive Director Charles Dittrich traveled to Libya for five days in mid-December. They met with Libyan government officials, Libyan private business leaders and representatives of American companies working in the country. They will share impressions regarding the political and economic climate in Libya and the implications for both overall US-Libyan relations and the prospects for American business interests.
The Middle East Institute is proud to host Amb. Alan Goulty and Amb. Edward Walker for an examination of the unrest roiling Tunisia and Egypt and its implications for the region at large. Between them, Goulty and Walker have more than 60 years of experience serving in the Arab world. They will draw upon their unique experience and understanding of the region to examine the evolving crises in Tunisia and Egypt, the impact of the street protests on regional governments and the role that Western governments can play during this period of transition.
The US and Libya: Normalization of a Stormy Relationship
*This article was first published in January 2011 by the Foreign Service Journal.
Relations between Libya and the U.S. have a turbulent history: War at the beginning of the 19th century; U.S. government support for Libyan independence after World War II; official and private-sector American engagement in the development of Libya’s oil wealth and human resources in the mid-20th century; Libyan terrorism and U.S. military retaliation in the 1980s; U.S.-engineered economic sanctions and isolation in the late 20th century; and restoration of diplomatic relations in 2006.
Unbalanced Reciprocities: Cooperation on Readmission in the Euro-Mediterranean Area
Readmission Agreements are a mechanism for countering illegal immigration. Such agreements involve reciprocal undertakings to return illegal residents (or irregular migrants) to their country of origin or transit. This special edition of MEI Viewpoints brings together extensive research on agreements between European and North African states. The following chapters explore what can be argued as the unbalanced costs and benefits for all parties.
Several months ago on a Tuesday afternoon, a local girls football team was practicing on a dirt field in Sidi Moumen, a notorious 350,000-person shantytown on the outskirts of Casablanca, Morocco. A crowd of boys had gathered along the fence. One of the boys began making comments. “Look at her touch on the ball,” he mumbled to his friend, “where did she learn to play football?” “My five-year old brother has better control,” shot back the other, slapping his friend’s hand and laughing.
Transnational Networks and Local Challenges: Iraqis in Cairo
Originally posted March 2010
It is estimated that over four million Iraqi refugees have fled to neighboring countries in the region since the 2003 war began. While migration continued after the war, the peak of this influx was witnessed particularly in and after 2006 due to the acceleration of violence in central and southern Iraq. More particularly, the majority of these refugees fled due to direct threats to their lives and their immediate families.
Introduction to The State of the Arts in the Middle East: Volume IV
Literature, visual art, and photography not only serve an aesthetic purpose, but often act as mediums through which their creators explore deeply personal experiences and their broader social implications. In this, the fourth volume of MEI’s “The State of the Arts in the Middle East,” Najat Rahman considers the works of the Palestinian artists Emily Jacir and Eman Haram, and W. Scott Chahanovich (with Pauline Pannier) discusses the memoirs of the Moroccan-born writer Abdellah Taïa.
Introduction to The Legacy of Camp David: 1979-2009
Since the “Six Day War” in June 1967, countless American and other diplomats have sought almost continuously to broker peace between Israel and its surrounding Arab enemies. From that tangled history, one achievement stands tallest in a forest of scrub: the Egypt-Israel Treaty signed on March 26, 1979 on the White House front lawn by President Anwar Sadat, Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and President Jimmy Carter.
