Free speech and censorship
All topics-
COVID-19, COP27 and World Cup 2022
Crisis management in the Arab world
November 2022 sees the Arab world firmly in the spotlight with the COP27 in Egypt and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Public trust in MENA governments is weak, thanks to their miserable record in protecting citizens’ rights, which leaves nations ill-equipped to handle complex crises like climate change or COVID-19. By Jan Voelkel
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FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
Football fans see double standard in stadium politics ban
When is it and when is it not acceptable to display a political banner at the World Cup in Qatar? The answer seems to depend largely on the political message, with fans criticising what they see as inconsistent enforcement of FIFA rules by the host country.
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Iran protests 2022
Female film stars show solidarity
In Iran, two famous actresses, Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi, were arrested recently. These days anyone who shows solidarity with the protesters is a target to be silenced. By Kevin Tschierse
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Protests in Iran
Islamic Republic facing a religious watershed
Iranians do not want an Islam that interferes. They are fed up with a system that manipulates people with simple promises of salvation and anti-Western propaganda. Islamic theologian Hamideh Mohagheghi sees Iran at a religious crossroads
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Politics, Qatar and FIFA
Is criticism of Qatar's World Cup racist?
Locals in the Middle East have said European critics are showing bias and hypocrisy when they condemn Qatar. Observers agree that Qatar has had to deal with more criticism than usual for a World Cup host. Cathrin Schaer and Emad Hassan ask why
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Asef Bayat on the Iran protests
"A movement to reclaim life"
For seven weeks, Iran has been rocked by protests not seen since the Islamic Republic’s inception. This interview with sociologist Asef Bayat, originally conducted in Persian, examines how this latest wave of unrest differs and asks what has changed in Iranian society
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Turkey’s new media law
Censorship by any other name
According to Turkey’s revised media legislation, spreading "fake news" now carries a prison sentence. The definition of what this entails has been kept intentionally vague. Opposition leaders, journalists and human rights observers call foul. Leyla Egeli reports
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Turkey
20 years of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the AKP
On 3 November 2002, Erdogan's newly founded AKP, Justice and Development Party, came to power in Turkey. It has ruled the country ever since, becoming more authoritarian with each victory. By Elmas Topcu
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Qatar and FIFA World Cup 2022
The limits of liberalisation
Qatar’s hosting gig may have propelled the country into the international spotlight and impacted the domestic debate on social reform, but has there been any lasting progress? By Alainna Liloia
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UN climate summit in Egypt
Abdul Fattah al-Sisi's greenwashing fail
COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh is turning into a PR disaster for Egypt’s military regime. Instead of praise for the host, the news is full of solidarity for imprisoned activist Alaa Abdel Fattah and criticism of the event’s grotesque surveillance measures. By Sofian Philip Naceur
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"I’m very worried": Mother of hunger striker Alaa Abdel Fattah wants action
Detained Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah’s decision to escalate a hunger strike in prison to a refusal to drink water has raised the stakes and shone a spotlight on human rights violations as Egypt hosts the COP27 climate summit
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Anti-coup protesters in Sudan
Still hoping for democracy
On the first anniversary of Sudan's military coup, the country remains stuck in a political stalemate. But, despite the increasingly difficult humanitarian situation, the population hasn't given up hope. Jennifer Holleis reports