Articles
Arab leaders urge Obama to lead
Arab leaders urge Obama to lead
November 08, 2012
Hours after the re-election of American President Barack Obama, messages began pouring in from Arab leaders requesting a detailed vision of Obama's plans for the Middle East in the coming four years.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sent a message congratulating Obama and asking him to work toward a two-state solution. A Hamas spokesman urged Obama to stop Israeli bias toward Palestinians, and Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi called on Obama to promote a Palestinian state and regional peace.
Sudan, meanwhile, requested a dialogue with the Obama administration and lifting of economic sanctions, while the Syrian National Council derided what it called the American president's "negligence" in dealing with the Syrian crisis, and urged Obama to take action to end Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's war against Syrians.
An article on BBC Arabic called "The American elections through Arab eyes" notes Arab-Americans' overwhelming support for President Barack Obama due to progressive social policies and what they see as tolerance toward Muslims. "Obama has sought to improve relations with Muslims," the correspondent observes.
Still, Muslims have expressed frustration because they expected "significant changes in American policies," BBC reported, quoting Arab-Americans such as Manal al-Kurdi, who said that while the president has done little for the Palestinians and Syria, the Democratic Party "is more palatable for Muslim immigrants... than the Republican Party."
"The Republican Party must face the fact that the problem really lies in the ever-changing demographics" of the United States, Salah Ahmed writes on news portal Elaph.com.
Bahrain strips citizens of nationality
Bahrain's monarchy is continuing its low-level war against the Shiite-led political opposition that is calling for more democracy and transparency in government. The Interior Ministry, led by a senior member of the ruling Al Khalifa family, announced that it is stripping 31 citizens of their citizenship for "harming national security." The measure is "necessary" to maintain national security, the ministry said in a statement published in state media.
The Bahrain Times, an online opposition news website, stated that the move represents "part of the punishments the government is carrying out against the political opposition," and called for the decision to be reversed.
BBC Arabic's polling question of the day on Wednesday asked, "Do states have the right to strip citizens of their nationalities?" More than 6,300 people answered, with 62% responding "no" and 38% "yes".
Saudi official admits government procedures slowing business
Saudi Arabia's Trade Ministry held a conference in Jeddah with male industrialists lamenting excessive customs fees and slow government procedures to license businesses. "We know industrialists are suffering," said ministry undersecretary Qasim al-Maymani. The official noted that licensing procedures have been cut from several weeks to a maximum of three days. Industrialists also asked the ministry to decentralize its power and grant more authority to regional governments to facilitate business.
An article on BBC Arabic called "The American elections through Arab eyes" notes Arab-Americans' overwhelming support for President Barack Obama due to progressive social policies and what they see as tolerance toward Muslims. "Obama has sought to improve relations with Muslims," the correspondent observes.
Still, Muslims have expressed frustration because they expected "significant changes in American policies," BBC reported, quoting Arab-Americans such as Manal al-Kurdi, who said that while the president has done little for the Palestinians and Syria, the Democratic Party "is more palatable for Muslim immigrants... than the Republican Party."
"The Republican Party must face the fact that the problem really lies in the ever-changing demographics" of the United States, Salah Ahmed writes on news portal Elaph.com.
Bahrain strips citizens of nationality
Bahrain's monarchy is continuing its low-level war against the Shiite-led political opposition that is calling for more democracy and transparency in government. The Interior Ministry, led by a senior member of the ruling Al Khalifa family, announced that it is stripping 31 citizens of their citizenship for "harming national security." The measure is "necessary" to maintain national security, the ministry said in a statement published in state media.
The Bahrain Times, an online opposition news website, stated that the move represents "part of the punishments the government is carrying out against the political opposition," and called for the decision to be reversed.
BBC Arabic's polling question of the day on Wednesday asked, "Do states have the right to strip citizens of their nationalities?" More than 6,300 people answered, with 62% responding "no" and 38% "yes".
Saudi official admits government procedures slowing business
Saudi Arabia's Trade Ministry held a conference in Jeddah with male industrialists lamenting excessive customs fees and slow government procedures to license businesses. "We know industrialists are suffering," said ministry undersecretary Qasim al-Maymani. The official noted that licensing procedures have been cut from several weeks to a maximum of three days. Industrialists also asked the ministry to decentralize its power and grant more authority to regional governments to facilitate business.