I’ve read a great deal of criticism by a number of Arab writers of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for recently claiming during an Istanbul summit of Muslim leaders from Latin America that Muslim sailors, not Christopher Columbus, had discovered the Americas. For me, and perhaps for many othe
The recent resolution of internal differences within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was a significant development, as these have allowed the enemies of the Arab Mashreq (East) to score an undeniable victory in Yemen. Equally significant is the beginning of the hearing of political testimonies at
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—No sooner were the Lebanese recovering from their recent political, security and food crises when winter arrived over the weekend to add fuel to the fire—or “add water to the cement,” as the Lebanese proverb goes. It was the same old story for the Lebanese, who have suf
For a period of 255 days the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) faced one of its worst crises, one which raised the likelihood of seeing some member states being pushed out of the organization. The period of 255 days is the officially acknowledged one, at least, for the crisis which involved Saudi Arabi
Vienna, Asharq Al-Awsat—A three-day conference to tackle religious violence and address the plight of minorities in the Middle East began on Tuesday morning at the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue in Vienna, with the participation of over
Manama and Abu Dhabi, Asharq Al-Awsat—Qatar has stopped offering Bahraini nationals Qatari citizenship, Bahraini Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Bin Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Khalifa said on Tuesday, in what may mark the end of a long-running dispute between the two states. Sheikh Rashid said the unders
Vienna, Asharq Al-Awsat—As officials from Iran and six world powers meet in Vienna to iron out differences over the future of Tehran’s nuclear program, an Iranian official source told Asharq Al-Awsat the two sides urgently need to reach a consensus ahead of a November 24 deadline for a comprehensive
Erbil, Iraq, AP—A suicide car bomber struck in the heart of the northern Iraqi Kurdish city of Erbil on Wednesday, killing at least four people, a spokesman said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the midday attack near the ancient citadel in Erbil, capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdi
Ramallah and Tel Aviv, Asharq Al-Awsat—Jerusalem and the West Bank were on high alert on Wednesday as clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police broke out in the West Bank following an attack by two Palestinians on a synagogue in Jerusalem on Tuesday which killed five people, including four rab
Paris, Reuters—France believes a second French militant appears on a beheading video released by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) at the weekend, government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said on Wednesday. Officials said on Monday that one of the men shown herding prisoners to their execution
Hong Kong, AP—Tensions spiked at democracy protests that have gripped Hong Kong for nearly two months as a small group of activists clashed with police while trying to break into the city’s legislature early Wednesday. Police arrested six people in the overnight clashes and warned of more arre
Under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has turned a new leaf over the complex inter-GCC disputes. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain have decided to return their ambassadors to Doha after the Qatari administration
We do not know what prompted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to say, during his reception of a Latin American delegation, that he was certain that Muslims discovered North America 500 years before Christopher Columbus did. The Genoese explorer accidentally discovered the New World, thinking a
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Several Syrian opposition activists in Damascus have accused the International Red Cross of ignoring the plight of Syrians in opposition-held areas while delivering aid to neighborhoods controlled by the Syrian regime. Activists in the Barzeh neighborhood in northern Damascus
Tokyo, Reuters—Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday that he would call an early election to seek a fresh mandate for his economic policies, and postpone an unpopular sales tax rise, a day after data showed the economy had slipped back into recession. The world’s third-biggest eco
London and Vienna, Asharq Al-Awsat—Diplomats from Iran and six world powers arrived in Vienna on Tuesday for key last-ditch talks on the future of Iran’s nuclear program, only days before a self-imposed deadline for a final accord is due to expire. US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman and Irania
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Yemen’s interim President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi called on the Yemeni military to cooperate with the Ansar Allah group during a meeting on Monday, marking a major shift in his attitude towards the powerful Shi’ite movement, also known as the Houthis, which has taken control o
Riyadh and Dammam, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Qatar, Abdullah Al-Ayfan, returned to Doha on Monday, following an agreement to end a rift between Qatar and its neighbors earlier this week. An emergency meeting in Riyadh on Sunday resulted in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members Sa
Jerusalem, Reuters—Two Palestinians armed with a meat cleaver and a gun killed four people in a Jerusalem synagogue on Tuesday before being shot dead by police, the deadliest such incident in six years in the holy city amid a surge in religious conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ple
Kiev, Reuters—Five Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the conflict in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours, the military said on Tuesday, as Germany’s foreign minister prepared to hold talks on the crisis in both Kiev and Moscow. The trip by Frank-Walter Steinmeier will be one of the first
