Middle East

On September 20, I attended a lecture by former UK Prime Minster Gordon Brown at The New School University. As he paced the stage, Brown outlined the themes of his new book, Beyond the Crash: Overcoming the First Crisis of Globalization.

Quite a title! I am sure we could come up with a globalization crisis that precedes the contemporary one he speaks of, but that's not the point of this post.

by Hasan Malik. Originally published by our partner site, World Policy Blog.

I received these videos and MP3 from Stephan Said, founder and and president of difrent. With the recent uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen (and by the way, I say keep your eyes on Jordan and Algeria), Said wishes to share "أحبعيشةالحرية," pronounced "Aheb Eisht Al Hurriyeh," (I Love the Life of Freedom).

This is the trailer for Julian Schnabel's film "Miral" starring Slumdog alum Freida Pinto. The film is about a young woman who lives in an orphanage setup in Jerusalem by Hind Husseini in the wake of the 1948 partition of Palestine. Besides my infatuation with Ms. Pinto, this film definitely deserves attention due to its political relevancy. It premieres at the Venice Film Festival in September. 

Via First Showing

You may not suspect it, but the Middle East is pretty wired these days. Increasingly so, in fact. By some estimates, the region has the second fastest-growing Internet market in the world. Around 60 percent of Arab youths between 18 - 24 use computers on a regular basis. Four out of five own mobile phones.

For policymakers seeking an entry-point to engage the Middle East in dialogue, there may be an opening created by the apparent disillusionment of many ME societies with both Islamist groups and Muslim leaders.

The conflict between Israel and Palestine is not easy to grasp. That it seems like it has been going on forever has also diminished the “appeal” of engaging the conflict, or at least the novelty of doing so. In only fits and starts it seems the American media covers the conflict—when fighting breaks out in Gaza or dignitaries meet for yet another round of fruitless negotiations and peace talks, for example. Sustained coverage is lacking, no doubt. Perhaps the American public is just worn out on the subject.