Monthly Archives: January 2012

An Eyewitness Account By a Syrian-American

Note: On January 20th, President Obama’s administration announced that the US would consider closing its embassy in Damascus, Syria due to a series of car bombings and other lax security measures, which the Syrian government has failed to implement. On … Continue reading

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UAE and Human Rights: A case of ‘treat them mean, keep them keen’?

By: Suzanne Noori ‘Look around you and be grateful’ is often heard in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in response to any hint of criticism amongst its locals, who have seen their country transform from endless desert dunes to one … Continue reading

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Palestine-Israel: A Business Economy Perspective

Note: PITAPOLICY is excited to repost two pieces posted from Electronic Intifada, which reviews Palestine-Israel through a business & economy lens. The first piece, posted on January 10th, 2012, was written by Josh Ruebner, National Advocacy Director of the US … Continue reading

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Iraq’s Step Forward with Three Steps Back

By: Saltanat Berdikeeva Note: Throughout December and January, PITAPOLICY has tried to view Iraq through various “non-oil” lenses when reviewing its political and economic state. PITA-consumers have commented on its previous sanctions regime and impact on human rights; the civil … Continue reading

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Virtual Death; Print Versus Electronic: When Will Trend Reach MENA Region?

France is already tackling the challenge of lower consumption of print media. In 2009, France’s Ministry of Culture passed an initiative to promote subscription to one newspaper among French citizens between 18-24 year olds. More problem-solving has ensued to address … Continue reading

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Art & the Arab Spring by Daanish Faruqi

By: Daanish Faruqi Source: Al Jazeera The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial policy. Doha, Qatar – Cai Guo-Quiang’s exhibit in Doha was exquisite. Incorporating techniques from Islamic artistic … Continue reading

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More than Just “Facebook Girl”

Note: An earlier version of this article appears in Horizons magazine here page 50. By: Mehrunisa Qayyum “A politician should have the ability to analyze,” says Ms. Esraa Abdel Fattah to me right before receiving the Middle East Institute Visionary … Continue reading

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Iraqi-American Perspectives: Business in Baghdad

Dear Pita-consumers: Happy New Year and hope you are well! January also marks the first month since the U.S. withdrew from Iraq, and luckily, other “pita-consumers” (Ayad Mirjan and Hamada Zahawi) had an opportunity to visit Iraq and reflect on … Continue reading

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Gallup Year in Review: MENA Observations

The Abu Dhabi Gallup Center conducts a variety of studies related to Muslim Americans and Muslim-majority countries. With the Gallup touch, Abu Dhabi Center surveys using time series data. For more details regarding the body of their work, click here. … Continue reading

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