If you want to know whether Islam and democracy are compatible, look to Egypt and Tunisia
Beginning in December 2010 in a small town in Tunisia, unprecedented popular protests broke out against authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and North Africa. The people, long denied civil and political rights, demanded political freedom, dignity, and social justice. In less than two months, Tunisians and Egyptians forced out dictators who had ruled for decades.
Many hoped these events would lead to a just democratic order and serve the people’s demands.
Source: Muftah
Saudi Arabia and the war of legitimacy in Yemen
Within hours of the launch of “Operation Decisive Storm,” it became clear that Saudi Arabia had the power to dictate the narrative of the war. The kingdom used the language of “legitimacy” to disguise the politics of power, to impose binaries that have become all too familiar since the onset of the “global war on terror”: legitimate vs. illegitimate, state vs. terrorists, right vs. wrong, Saudi Arabia/Arabs vs. Iran, Sunni vs. Shi‘a, and us vs. them.
Source: Jadaliyya
Iranians prepare for post-sanctions era
As the agreement became the top headline of news outlets across the world, some in Iran were busy planning the next possible steps. Just three days later, on April 5, IranianPresident Hassan Rouhani chaired a meeting with his economic team. Pointing to the “new economic atmosphere” that has been created following the recent political agreement on the country’s nuclear program, Rouhani ordered his economic team to facilitate investment and active participation of the private sector in fields with high economic priority.
Source: Your Middle East
