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While there is a broad range of Arabic language media outlets reporting stories from and about the Middle East, there is currently no affordable and reliable means for English speakers to gain access to this content. As a result, many English speaking businesspersons, students, journalists and others who have an interest in the affairs of the region are largely unaware of what the Middle East media is covering and how they are covering these stories.

Mideastwire.com aims to close this gap by offering a daily menu of translations covering some of the key political, cultural, economic and opinion pieces appearing in the media of the 22 Arab countries and the Arab Diaspora. Through this effort, we hope to address at least one aspect of a global disconnect that continues to threaten a wide spectrum of socio-political and economic relationships, both here in the region and beyond.

It is also important to note that, since our founding in 2005, Mideastwire.com is wholly funded by the content license fees paid by individuals and organizations. As such, there is no government, commercial or non-profit support, an aspect that we believe provides a relatively independent platform for better understanding.

Our Corrections Policy: We adhere to an honest and open corrections policy. Please email info@mideastwire.com if you notice any typo or if you disagree with our translation choices. Since we do not produce our own content, we only will consider corrections that highlight typos or dispute our translations, not the veracity or accuracy of the original content. Accepted corrections are applied directly to the relevant translations as soon as they are approved by the editor and our database is updated accordingly for all subscribers.

TODAY’S DAILY BRIEFING

07-Apr-2016

Algeria

Politics

“...Bouchouareb puts the authority in trouble” (El-Khabar, Algeria)

Corruption - Media

On April 6, the independent El-Khabar newspaper carried the following report by its correspondent in Algiers F. Jamal: “At a time when many states around the world, whose citizens and companies were named in the Panama Papers scandal, announced the opening of judicial investigations to prosecute those involved, the Algerian government chose to complain about Le Monde’s posting of a picture of President Bouteflika, alongside other state [leaders] involved in the scandal. In addition, it gave the company managing the financial portfolio of Minister of Industry and Mining Abdeslam Bouchouareb in Panama, which is considered a tax haven, an opportunity to quickly respond to what was featured about him in the Panama Papers. And this response was carried by the Algerian News Agency, in a service that is only available to senior officials in the authority… (Read More)

Egypt

Opinion

“When will Cairo recognize its responsibility for death of Italian student?” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Human Rights

On April 7, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following lead editorial: “Yesterday on Wednesday, two Italian newspapers said that the Egyptian security official handling the preliminary investigations into the murder of researcher Giulio Regeni, was the one who ordered his abduction and torturing to death. La Repubblica even named General Khaled Chalabi, the Giza investigations chief, as the man responsible for the crime, adding that “the Egyptian command is implicated in Regeni’s murder,” knew about his abduction, and approved it. The Italian newspaper continued that it received the information from an “unknown source in Egypt’s intelligence apparatuses,” assuring nonetheless that the source was reliable, since he gave details about Regeni’s torture, which have not yet been revealed publicaly… (Read More)

Iran

Opinion

"Necessity to Manage Post-JCPOA Environment" (E'temad, Iran)

United Nations - USA Europe

On April 4, a commentary by Former Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Javid Ghorban Oghli, in the reformist daily E'temad said: "1 -The United States is in the midst of an electoral campaign. In this country - just like any other country - an election period is marked by biting campaign slogans, crowd-pleasing exaggerations and, to sum it up in a short phrase: using any way possible to eliminate the competitor. Just as we have all seen in the election frays in the United States, Iran takes centre stage and there are few candidates whose speeches do not mention the topic of Iran and Iran's nuclear agreement with the P5+1 countries. Ironically, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, besides being a very important topic - part of which is related to Iran - in the field of foreign policy, is also one of the most important subjects up for discussion among the American Democratic and Republican candidates… (Read More)

“The post-elections clashes in Iran” (Al-Khaleej, United Arab Emirates)

Democracy and Party Politics

On April 7, the independent Al-Khaleej daily carried the following piece by Mohammad al-Said Idriss: “It appears that the preliminary results of the Iranian elections that took place on February 26 (the elections of the Shura Council, the “parliament” and the Assembly of Experts) has encouraged the reformists’ movement – which has performed a strong comeback to the parliament and the Assembly of Experts in alliance with the moderates’ movement (the Rafsanjani-Hassan Rouhani movement) – to speed up the voicing out of its rebellion against the state’s public policies to the extent of nearly opposing the directions of the Supreme Guide himself. Indeed, only a few hours had elapsed since their exciting victory in these elections, they quickly launched a massive attack against the conservatives and dubbed the outcome of the elections that ended the control of the conservatives over the parliament as a “cleansing of the parliament… (Read More)

Politics

"JCPOA intensifies tension between Tehran and Riyadh" (Newspaper, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - United Nations

On April 4, an interview with Hossein Ruyvaran by Leyla Kazemi in the reformist Arman-e Emruz said: "Since the establishment of the Al Saud Kingdom in 1932, this regime has always been pursuing the attainment of the leadership of the Arab world and the gaining of superiority in the Middle East region. For this reason, it has regarded the Islamic Republic of Iran as one of its main rivals and followed up with a policy of rivalry with Iran. After Wahhabism came to power, the country's foreign relations with Iran have had ups and downs. Following the Islamic Awakening in the region, the country lost many of its traditional supporters and the balance in the region changed against the country and in favour of the Islamic Republic. But the country supported takfiri and terrorist groups to regain its position in the region. For this reason, it fuelled the fire of tension and conflict in the region in order to undermine Iran's superior stance which has been strengthened after the! implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. In this regard, and to explore this issue, Arman had an interview with Hossein Ruyvaran, the Arab world specialist, which follows… (Read More)

"Iranian foreign policy analysis" - on economic growth and relations with the West (Iran, Iran)

Energy - Financial Markets - USA Europe

On March 22, the official newspaper Iran reported: "Mahmud Sari-ul-Qalam is the best person to analyze and scrutinize the constant and variable foreign policy developments. A professor at Shahid Beheshti University, he has years of experience attending important international academic lectures and international research centres. The country's academics have frequently benefited from his meaningful findings by participating in important and global political and economic conferences, and from comparing domestic and international trends and developments. We had an interview with him on how diplomacy affects and gets affected by internal and international establishments - and the factors that lead to a change in both short and long-term stances. The other topics that were covered in our questions from this university professor were the overt and covert dimensions of current Iran-US relations, and the reasons behind the shift in Iran's foreign policy during President Rouhani's government. During the interview, Sari-ul-Qalam described the convergence of foreign policy with the economic development tools as key components a country can use to elevate its global status. Analysing Iran's relations with the powerful countries, he sees Israel as a very influential factor in creating mistrust between Tehran and Washington… (Read More)

Kuwait

Politics

“Parliamentary suggestion to implement the Sharia: Lashing and cutting the thief’s hand” (Al-Rai al-Aam, Kuwait)

Religion

On April 7, the Al-Rai al-Aam daily carried the following report: “MP Dr. Abdul Rahman al-Jiran revealed his plan to add a clause to the penal code calling for implementing the rules of the Islamic Sharia “…including cutting the thief’s hand, lashing and retribution. This is not an optional thing but rather a duty that must be implemented.” He further expressed his trust that this suggestion will be approved by the parliamentary majority “especially since it suffers from no constitutional or legal flaws and will constitute an achievement in the history of parliamentary work in the country… (Read More)

Lebanon

Politics

“Exclusive: Closing of Sharjah 24 offices in Lebanon, wrongful dismissal of all journalists” (Website, Middle East)

Media

On April 6, Lebanon Files news website carried the following exclusive report: “About a year and a half ago, the Sharjah 24 website, which is affiliated with the Sharjah 24 website and media office of the Sharjah government in the Sharjah Emirate in the United Arab Emirates, was inaugurated in Lebanon. At first, its offices were located in Beirut, but were later moved to Haret Sakhr in Jounieh. It employs 15 young men and women, who had left their previous jobs to join the website, in light of the high salaries they received for their work compared to similar positions in Lebanon. The website’s editor is LBCI’s news editor Jean Feghali, and it broadcast local, international and Arab news from Lebanon. About a week ago, the administration in Sharjah started impeding the employees’ work, by closing the accounts through which they worked on the website, then by closing their email accounts… (Read More)

“Who is working on blowing up the Palestinian-Lebanese relations?” (As-Safir, Lebanon)

Religion - Terrorism - Unrest

On April 7, the independent, leftist As-Safir daily newspaper carried the following report: “One battle brings another. This is the situation at the Ain el Helweh camp these days. As soon as one round of clashes ends, another one begins; and the one shared characteristic between all these fighting rounds consists of the Salafist phenomenon, which is growing in the camp and making every effort to expand the circle of its authority while the other factions, mainly Fatah, are incapable of confronting this expansion, which is growing with every round of fights… (Read More)

Middle East

Opinion

“The Kingdom and Egypt in the mission of restoring the region” (Al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

Arab Diplomacy

On April 7, the Al-Riyadh daily carried the following opinion piece by Ayman al-Hamad: “Someone is working and hoping to ruin the relations between the Kingdom and Egypt. This is a fact that cannot be hidden. This desire is being channeled through some external or internal forces using media or partisan tools as well as some problematic figures. The objectives vary between the narrow, personal interests and some wider, more effective objectives pertaining to the balances in the region… (Read More)

Politics

“Openness from Kurdistan territory to the Syrian opposition” (Asharq al-Awsat, United Kingdom)

Arab Diplomacy - Peace Process

On April 7, the Saudi-owned, London-based Asharq al-Awsat daily newspaper carried the following report: “An opposition Syrian Kurdish leader revealed that the head of the Syrian opposition and the chairman of the higher negotiations authority, Riad Hejab, has discussed the Syrian settlement and the Kurdish affairs with the head of the Kurdistan territory, Massoud Barazani, during a meeting with the latter in Irbil. Meanwhile, the president’s bureau of the Kurdistan territory announced that the territory’s president, Massoud Barazani, has discussed a number of issues with Hejab pertaining to the Syrian affairs including the situation on the Syrian arena and the participation in the Geneva conference as well as the Kurdish role there… (Read More)

Palestine

Politics

“Wahhabi doctrine invading Hamas’ bases” (Al-Akhbar Lebanon, Lebanon)

Religion

On April 7, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report: “…While Hamas is trying to drop the cloak of the “Brothers,” and while the Egyptians are asking Hamas to help in confronting the jihadist Salafism and its branches in Gaza and also beyond the Rafah borders, the movement [i.e. Hamas] is postponing the confrontation with the truth: the Salafist Wahhabi doctrine is actually eating at its bones in some organizational areas starting with the military (Al-Qassam brigades) – some said that the cases whereby some [Al-Qassam] members actually joined ISIL, Al-Qa’idah and their branches were individual, non-alarming cases – followed by the Islamic University (the largest academic institution) where a majority of Saudi and Sudanese graduates receive their education in the Sharia faculties, all the way to the cultural and media institutions… (Read More)

Tunisia

Politics

“Head of Islamic party calls for halting “Shi’ization” and “Christianization” in Tunisia” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Religion

On April 7, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report by its correspondent in Tunis Hassan Salman: “The head of an Islamic Party called for the halting of Shi’ization” and “Christianization” in his country, pointing to the existence of towns whose religious identity has been entirely altered. He also described the call to prohibit the niqab in public places as being “failed over-politicization,” assuring that his party will strongly participate in the next municipal elections, and refusing to lament former President Habib Bourguiba, choosing instead to praise freedom-fighter Salah ben Youssef. Hence, Sheikh Adel al-Ilmi (the leader of the Tunisia – Zaytouna Party) said in exclusive statements to Al-Quds al-Arabi: “We have started resisting the Shi’ization program since 2011. And what is horrific about this program (phenomenon) is that it attacks the children (divides families)… (Read More)

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