Map of religion in the Middle East 17, May 2011
Posted by thegulfblog.com in Middle East.Tags: Christianity map middle east, Ibadi map middle east, Judaism map middle east, Map of religion, Middle East religion map, Shia Map, Sunni map, Sunni Shia middle east map, Wahhabi map middle east
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This superb map is taken from the equally superb Gulf 2000 initiative at Columbia University, organized by the workaholic Gary Sick.
Bahrain tries Iranians for spying 13, April 2011
Posted by thegulfblog.com in Bahrain, Middle East.Tags: Bahrain Iranian spies, Bahrain tries spies, GCC and Iran, GCC States, Iranian revolutionary guard, IRGC spies Gulf
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Two (or possibly three) Iranians are facing charges in Bahrain for spying for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). They were allegedly meeting with various nefarious people:
with the intention of undermining Bahrain’s military, political and economic status and harming the nation’s interests.
This action comes soon after Kuwait tried and convicted members of an Iranian spy ring. Diplomats were expelled, recalled and a fuss generally made. Ahmadinejad denied that any Iranians were spying in Kuwait. After all, he cheekily mused,
there’s nothing to spy on in…Kuwait
In the past Kuwait has had reasonably good relations with Iran. Their Ambassador in Tehran even – shock, horror – suggested that the term Persian Gulf was more appropriate than Arabian Gulf. Yet the atmosphere in recent months has turned for the worse.
It is difficult to work out the exact extent of Iran’s interference or spying on this side of the Gulf. The default position of many in these parts seems to be an unequivocal “of course they are spying” without that much evidence. These trials may well be good examples of assorted Iranian perfidy but it’s difficult to tell. I think that the GCC States ought to have paid more attention to a fable about an annoying boy, his sheep and a wolf.
An example of wasta 2, November 2010
Posted by thegulfblog.com in Middle East.Tags: Guanxi, Neoptism, Wasta, Wasta in Kuwait, Wasta in the Middle East
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Wasta in the Middle East is guanxi in China. In the UK it would loosely be translated as some kind ‘connection’ that enables you to obtain advantage that, strictly speaking, you don’t deserve: it’s all about who you know, not what you know. While – clearly – this principle works to some degree in all societies, it is rather blatant in the Middle East; witness the man sauntering to the front of the queue in, say, the driving licence office.
Wasta is similar to nepotism. When I was asking some Qataris about this they – well educated, bright, articulate students – couldn’t believe that it was illegal in the UK. They considered it a duty for someone, if they have the power, to get a member of their family or one of their friends a job. An interesting cultural difference.
I was emailed the brief article below. This is, essentially, wasta in action. This is but one miniscule example of a pervasive system of wasta that governs the Middle East and certainly the Gulf. Too strong a wording you may think…I’m not so sure, but am always willing to listen to counter arguments.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor said intervention by influential people has prevented the ministry from taking action against an unidentified sitting MP, reports Al-Seyassah daily, quoting reliable ministry sources.
The same sources said the MP has recruited 1,050 expatriate drivers in a trading and contracting company owned by him and his two sons.
The sources added the ministry had sanctioned the employment of only 10 expatriate workers, but the MP went on to hire 1,040 more workers. However, it has been reported only six people work in his company.
Hat tip: James E
On the passing of dignitaries: Lee Kuan Yew wife dies 3, October 2010
Posted by thegulfblog.com in Middle East, Opinion.Tags: Arab leaders obituaries, Kwa Geok Choo, Kwa Geok Choo died, Kww Yuan Yew wife dies, Sultan Al Qasseimi
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Kwa Geok Choo, the wife of Lee Kuan Yew the founding father of Singapore and the mother of Singapore’s current Prime Minister, has died. The press release said that:
The family has requested that no obituaries, wreaths or flowers to be sent. All donations will go to the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) Health Research Endowment Fund.
Sultan Al Qassemi noted this story on his twitter feed and made an interesting observation.
Imagine an Arab leader not expecting flowers, wreathes & obituaries, in addition to endless visits. There would be serious consequences.
‘No censorship in UAE’…you sure? 15, August 2010
Posted by thegulfblog.com in Media in the ME, The Emirates.Tags: Censorship in UAE, Media in Dubai
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UAE’s vice-President and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashin Al Maktoum recently said that
authorities in the UAE do not impose any restrictions on information or news about economic and financial issues.
Which is strange given the blatant censorship in UAE media over various internal matters. Perhaps he was confused. Or it slipped his mind. The pulping of the Sunday Times, leaps to mind as a relatively recent example.
Hat tip: CMD
Brace yourself: Fox News comes to the Middle East 7, July 2010
Posted by thegulfblog.com in Al-Jazeera, American ME Relations, Media in the ME.Tags: Fox News, Fox News Middle East, New arab TV news channel, New Middle East TV channel, New Murdoch TV channel
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Rupert Murdoch, the owner of the ‘fair and balanced’ [sic] news channel Fox News is to open a Middle East station in conjunction with Saudi’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
Fox News, famous for its uncomplicated, gun-ho and pro-Israel stance whilst maintaining a mocking notion of neutrality, does not seem like a likely partner. Their coverage of Middle Eastern issues is far from renowned or competent. Expect flashy, glitzy sets; female Lebanese anchors [probably the ones that left Al Jazeera last month] wearing an inch of makeup and simple coverage of complicated issues.
Their main competition is Al Jazeera and Al Arabiyya.
The former was started in the mid-1990s by Qatar to – essentially – promote themselves. It was a revelation in the region: it discussed sensitive issues in an open and candid manner never seen before in the Arab world. This garnered Al Jazeera and Qatar enemies throughout the region who believed that Al Jazeera was acting as a provocative mouth-piece of Qatar’s Foreign Ministry. Saudi and Bahrain in particular felt that Al Jazeera ‘picked on’ them significantly in the early years. The Saudi Ambassador returned to Doha in 2008 after a 4 year Al Jazeera inspired absence and since then Al Jazeera’s coverage has calmed. Only last month Bahrain banned Al Jazeera from Manama after, it is believed, unfavourable coverage of poverty in the country. Egypt is also perpetually angered by Al Jazeera.
The latter was begun by Saudi Arabia as an alternative to Al Jazeera. Despite looking similar in a modern, Western, professional, CNN style, its coverage is far less controversial and really quite tame.
UAE press censorship 17, June 2010
Posted by thegulfblog.com in Censorship, Media in the ME, The Emirates.Tags: Gulf News censorship, Press censorship, UAE press censorship
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Here is a perfect example of press censorship in the UAE.
This is the opening line from an article in the Wall Street Journal.
Ras Al Khaimah wants to avoid the financial problems of fellow sheikdom Dubai and reduce its 5 billion U.A.E. dirhams ($1.36 billion) of debt after funding a development splurge with Islamic bonds, a senior official said.
This article was reproduced in Gulf News. But here’s their first line.
Ras Al Khaimah wants to reduce its Dh5 billion ($1.36 billion) of debt after funding development with Islamic bonds, a senior official said.
Surely there are laws about taking such content and changing it? If not there really ought to be.
An excellent hat tip to Sultan Al Qassemi.
Gulf News’ unadulterated anti-semitism 7, June 2010
Posted by thegulfblog.com in American ME Relations, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Media in the ME, Middle East.Tags: Anti semitism, Anti semitism picture, Arab press, Gulf News anti semitism
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The Gulf News out does itself in this example of egregiously anti-Semitic sentiment. As if to try to out perform the host of atrocious newspapers across the Middle East, the Gulf News, a hopelessly bland, emasculated and talentless newspaper, really pulls out all the stops with this classic. Yet another triumph for Arab newspapers.
I think and have said that on this occasion – as many before – Israel was mostly, if not vastly, in the wrong. Yet this kind of pathetic demonization of one side is just really so unhelpful. I truly hate this kind of populist (or purportedly populist) pandering of newspapers to the very lowest common denominator in society. The absolute definition of the gutter press.
Facebook more popular than all Arab newspapers 26, May 2010
Posted by thegulfblog.com in Kuwait, Middle East.Tags: Arab media, Arab newspapers, Facebook, Facebook in the Middle East, Kuwait blackberry
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The BBC reports that Facebook now has some 15 million subscribers across the Arab world; a million more than all newspapers – Arabic, English and French – put together. This is, of course, no great surprise. Not only is the standard of Middle Eastern journalism fairly abysmal [as I've argued here, here, here and here] but given the youth bulge in many Middle Eastern societies not to mention the generally closed-off nature of civil society and other forms of expression, meeting, etc, and Facebook is tailor-made for the region.
This kind of growth will be perturbing some of the region’s less enlightened governments. Only yesterday Kuwait announced that it was going to ban BlackBerry messenger in a valiantly pointless attempt to stand in the way of an ever increasingly technology dependent and technologically savvy population. It will only be a matter of time, I’d have thought, before some Sheikh or other in the GCC or some enthroned dictatorially democratic leader in the rest of the Middle East decides that Facebook ought to be wholly banned. Much luck to them.
Hat hip: MEI Editor
Russian made rocket hits Jordan 25, April 2010
Posted by thegulfblog.com in Middle East.add a comment
Last week a Russian made Grad rocket hit a warehouse in Aqaba, Jordan. Reports seem to suggest that it was in fact aimed at the Israeli Port of Eliat, adjoining Aqaba, which would make more sense. No one really seems to know where it was fired from. Mideasti narrows down the suspects here.
