Media

In mid-February, the Iranian News Agency Tabnek, linked to Mohssen Rezai the former Revolutionary Guard General, reported that "Nazi propagandists are once again active in Iran." The Islamist News Agency criticised the fact that no one took action against the Iranian Nazis. Whilst Tabnak is anti-Israeli, it still does not view co-operation between some Islamists and Nazis in a favourable light....

On 27th March, following Egypt's constitutional referendum on 19th March, the Al-Sharq Center for Regional and Strategic Studies in Cairo launched the report series "Egypt after 25th January." Whilst this provided an interesting analysis, it could have benefited from a greater objectivity....

Could Arab theatre be a form of contemporary revolution? Could Arab theatre lead the people of the region to ask for greater freedom? I definitely think so. On 21st February 2011, whilst in Kuwait, I was invited to a theatre premiére at Dar al-Athar al-Islamiya, an innovative organisation promoting arts, culture and education and led by Her Highness Shaykha Hussah al-Salem al-Sabah.On stage, actors performed Sulayman al-Bassam's Speaker's Progre...

After 25th January 2011, 19th March could become an historical date to remember for Egyptians. For the first time after Mubarak's fall, as matter of fact for the first time in modern history, Egyptians have the opportunity to give their opinion on whether to vote "Yes" and amend their constitution, or to vote "No" and abolish it in favour of a completely new one....

"Today, Tunisia is one of the names of freedom in the world," this sentence was written on Facebook on 15th January, that is, on the day Ben Ali left the country. Started almost by chance, the Jasmin revolution has now spread all over the Arab world: Algeria, Sudan, Mauritania, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen, Syria are all on the move....

Tunisia's Jasmin revolution and Egypt's Lotus revolution led, respectively, to the fall of the regime of former president Ben Ali, which began in November 1987, and the expulsion of Hosni Mubarak, in office since October 1981. Above all, both have triggered a domino effect in other countries, not only in North Africa, but all over the Middle Eastern region....

Tunisian women, their NGOs and their protection afforded by legislation have always been considered an example to follow inside the Arab world. Female adult illiteracy has dropped by 27% since 1980, but at 42% remains significant. Nevertheless, this figure is expected to drop as nearly 100% of girls were enrolled in primary school by 1998. Women currently make up approximately 31% of the workforce....

Iran now has a 'Cyber-army' to fight revolutionaries who sow seeds of dissent as well as to combat Iranian exiles who wish to introduce democracy and human rights in Iran. The Iranian regime supports 'liberation movements' which are viewed by European democracies as terrorist groups. Iran claims that its support for these groups is, of course, "moral."...

The BBC's Persian-language website has published articles by several Iranian men and women living in exile. Their arguments, which are repeated in summary in the following article, highlight the systematic oppression of Iran's women by the country's authorities....

Hussein Taeb is a cleric holding the religious rank of a Hokatuislam. He is also the Director of the Secret Service Department of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Holding a gloomy view of Iran's future, he believes that in around one year the American government wants to stage a "Velvet Revolution," Iranian state media outlet Farsnews reported on 2nd March 2011....

Whilst Human Rights Organisations complain of extensive human rights abuses in Iran, the country's rulers think they have successfully defeated the uprisings....

In October 2010, EFD Senior Fellow Wahied Wahdat-Hagh contributed to the Foreign Policy Centre's inaugural Iran Human Rights Review, focusing on the issue of religion. Edited by Tahirih Danesh and Adam Hug, the Review aims to contribute to creating "the main building blocks of a true democracy: a new culture of harmony and trust within Iranian society."...

For the past few weeks, we've been hearing that the "wall of fear" in Egypt has collapsed. Not to rain on anyone's revolutionary parade, but I beg to differ. What's changed in Egypt is the politics of the state. A big deal, to be sure. Yet a culture of democracy will require piercing something more: the politics of the family. That's where fear begins in much of Arab society. Brian Whitaker, former Middle East editor of The Guardian newspaper...

Monday's demonstrations in Tehran have been nipped in the bud. The police did not allow the tens of thousands of protesters to gather even once. The demonstration was ended before it had really begun....

Iranian News agencies are celebrating the Egyptian revolution, hoping that Iran's Islamic revolution could also be successfully repeated in Egypt. Iranian leaders are citing Khomeini, who called the 1979 revolution "an explosion of beams of light."...

Kamal Al-Halbavi, a high-ranking member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, is harbouring the hope that one day Egypt will have a President who is as good as Ahmadinejad....

Have you had enough analysis of Hosni Mubarak's mistakes? Then read on. Because this column is about looking forward and proving that the Middle East really can be governed with a new, freedom-hungry, generation in mind....

The Iranian rulers see in the new mass protests in Arabic states the reawakening of Islam and speak of the "new axis of Islam in the middle East." They think that the Islamic revolution of 1979 was the beginning of the protests against the western and "Zionist" supremacy....

Some of the Iranian clerics like ayatollah Kashani speak the Iranian position out without any diplomatic caution. He said, that the western countries have to learn from their mistakes. Iran would not change its policy, even not under the pressure of sanctions....

Several Afghan newspapers reported about the deterioration of the economic relationships between Afghanistan and Iran. There are a lot of demonstrations in different Afghan cities against the political and economic Iranian policies towards Afghanistan. Iran builds barriers for the rapid transport of gasoline to Afghanistan. Notwithstanding that Iran is committed by international law to let the gasoline tankers to cross the border to Afghanistan....

Iran doesn't care if Israel is concerned about the economic relationships between Iran and Germany. Kayhan is happy, because Germany is increasing its exports to Iran. Kayhan thinks that Israel will suffer from a better Iranian-German relationship....

On the 8th January 2011, speaking on Iranian News Agency ISNA, High Ayatollah Makarem Shirasi issued a Fatwa: "The wearing of crosses during the "Namas" (daily prayer) and elsewhere is "haram". And in case wearing of crosses constitutes a problem for prayer."...

For two weeks, Afghans have been protesting in front of the Iranian embassy in Kabul. They are demonstrating against the closure of petrol transit routes to Afghanistan. The Afghan centre of commerce has even threatened to cut off trade links with Iran completely....

For Arabs and Jews living in Iran, National Socialism constitutes a particularly threatening body of thought. The Iranian Ministry for Education and Islamic law withdrew a ban on a Iranian National Socialist, anti-Arab and anti-Jewish website....

The Interior Minister's dramatic terror alert leaves many questions unanswered. Has the threat level really only recently increased? Heavily armed police officers patrol Hamburg's main station - even shortly after De Maizières' terror alert....

In the coming year Iranian workers will continue to have to live below the subsistence level. In addition, hardly any growth is forecast for Iran's economy despite the country's high oil revenues....

During a visit to Isfahan, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad commented on his messianic ideas, his hostility toward the West and the Iranian nuclear program. Meanwhile, the massive oppression of civil society continues....