Rights groups warn that rulers across the region are stepping up efforts to silence political dissent
Middle East articles on Democracy Chronicles
View news about the struggle for democracy in the troubled Middle East where vast cultural change and persistent political violence cry out for democracy. Also see our World Democracy section and our articles on the ongoing Arab Spring.
Reporters Without Borders Slams Demand to Shut Al Jazeera
Reporters Without Borders, a non-profit organisation, has condemned the demand by Saudi Arabia
The Story of Yemen’s Toppled Dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh
Yemen’s president for three decades was a wily political operator but a poor administrator
Lebanese Entrepreneur Turns Beirut Slum Into Vast Canvas
For one entrepreneur Beirut’s Ouzai neighborhood is the perfect canvas upon which to paint dreams
What We Know About Saudi Arabia’s Next King
Salman, often referred to as ‘MBS’, has leapfrogged the king’s nephew Mohammed bin Nayef
Journalists’ Trial Puts Spotlight on Turkey Media Freedom
Trial of 17 journalists, accused of being involved in July’s failed coup, got underway Monday
Why Iran Banned Zumba, Wrestling and Billiards This Year
Earlier this month Iran’s government banned Zumba, the popular exercise dance class
VIDEO: How Saudi’s Cash Machine Is Tied to Egypt Dictatorship
In Egypt, dozens of activists have been arrested in a series of sweeping raids in recent days
Egypt Blocks Websites in Fresh Round of Crackdowns
Egypt has blocked the website of an independent Turkish newspaper in English as it steps up censorship
The Real Reasons For This Qatari Kerfuffle
The allegation Qatar supports terror is rich coming from the Saudis who for decades have been promoting and subsidizing Wahhabism, the sharp end of fundamentalism which is intellectual architecture for ISIS.