Media in Middle East & North Africa

how the Internet can lead to a greater firsthand understanding of Islam for policymakers, diplomats, and people worldwide, and to explore how the Internet allows people to experience the culture of Islam in a manner conducive to substantive dialog between cultures.

as part of a broader public diplomacy strategy, engaging and interacting with people in virtual worlds who self-identify as Muslim can contribute to a well-developed and inclusive perspective on religion, society, and democratic coexistence, which serves to undermine conditions that can lead to radical views and violent actions

communication paradigms have changed

"They are designed to pressurise our staff with the clear intention of stopping our cultural and educational work in the country."

young people in Iran and the UK have lost the chance to build links that can last a lifetime

they are keen to have a relationship, but they are not prepared to have a two-way street

It's not clear if the anonymous official is just letting off steam, trying to push back, or stating evolving policy.

And Israeli security officials have directed Israeli airlines not to fly to the Turkish resort city of Antalya because local authorities there aren't allowing armed Israeli security to enter. Antalya's tourism industry, which relies heavily on Israeli visitors, is trying to entice Israeli tourists by offering special deals.

Dubai is emptying out

Heading home 3.62 million expatriates in Dubai 864,000 nationals 8% population decline predicted this year, as expatriates leave 1,500 visas cancelled every day in Dubai 62% of homes occupied by expatriates 60% fall in property values predicted 50% slump in the price of luxury apartments on Palm Jumeirah 25% reduction in luxury spending among UAE expatriates

either by finding material that no one else has, or packaging it in a certain way, or by creating relationships around that content that draw people in

Great that Bill gave you a louder platform to point out the corrosive effects of the Washington bubble, of which the national media are so important a part. A shame that the discussion of the possible impact of the internet was so brief at the end there. Nevertheless, I think what came over quite strongly was the sense that this is a moment of real potential for change, for fracture in the ideological hegemony of the establishment, for ideas otherwise readily dismissed as 'radical' or 'far left' or simply laughable to finally get a hearing in the public sphere. Because the public sphere itself has become a more contested, dynamic, and fractious place, which is all to the good. Nice work all round.

no formal charge

Rizk, who blogs at Tabula Gaza (http://tabulagaza.blogspot.com) is "passionate" about Gaza and had recently completed most of the work on a short documentary about non-violent resistance to Israeli occupation,

But the war in Gaza, a looming recession and a pervasive belief that giving up land only draws more attacks have boosted Netanyahu and other hard-line candidates

we tried to be nice to the Arabs

Even with a late victory, however, Livni would not be able to form a government without bringing hawks on board. That would put her in the same position she was in three months ago, when she failed to put together a coalition and triggered the current election by refusing to cave in to the right's demands

On her blog, a friend of mine recently lambasted Egyptians for their failure to take to the streets like people in Turkey, Morocco, France and dozens of other countries. While I don’t feel the same way she does, I feel her frustration. What is happening to Philip Rizk is just a reminder of the harsh realties of life in Egypt. There is no way Mubarak and his people can maintain their alliances without a crushing iron fist - state of emergency.

I’m curious to see how much media coverage this whole story will receive… So far, very few news outlets have picked it up.

Students and teachers are planning another protest tomorrow, Sunday, at the AUC new campus at 12.30.