Can Arab Artists Survive?
A symposium at the British museum explored how Arab artists are coping as the room they have for expressing themselves dwindles.
Some Gains, Many Sacrifices: Women’s Rights in Tunisia
Since the country’s independence, the position of women has been a point of both pride and controversy.
In Egypt, Harsh Measures Against Academic Freedom Persist
A prominent group of human rights lawyers reports on severe restrictions on academic freedom in the first quarter of 2017.
With the Pope in Egypt, Debate on Al-Azhar’s Role
In the wake of Coptic church bombings, educators are reflecting on what role universities, including Al-Azhar, the beacon of Sunni Islam, might have in teaching tolerance—or intolerance.
Arab Protests Move Back to the Streets From Social Media
The American University of Beirut’s City Debates conference reflects a growing conflict between city gentrification and citizens’ needs.
Egyptian Universities Abuse Disciplinary Codes to Squeeze Student Freedoms
Egyptian universities are meting out punishments that far outweigh student infractions in an apparent attempt to keep a tight lid on student activism, the author says.
UAE Jails Economist: The Silence is Deafening
A court has sentenced economist and human rights advocate, Nasser Bin Ghaith, to ten years in jail over his Tweets. The “bubble universities” are quiet.
Women and Islam: A Topic that Troubles
Hatoon al Fassi, a Saudi scholar, has provoked controversy in Qatar for arguing that the Koran, correctly interpreted, supports the empowerment of women.
Academic Freedom in Egypt Needs More Vocal Support
A writer calls for a unified approach to support academic freedom in Egypt.
University of Mosul President Looks to a Post-Da’esh Future
Obay al-Dewachi has kept Mosul’s university running in exile and represents the resilience of the city’s people.
