Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

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Caption:

TOPSHOTSBoys wearing Guy Fawkes masks stand on top of a public bus at Taksim square on June 7, 2013. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday his Islamic-rooted government was open to “democratic demands” as he hit back at EU criticism of his handling of a week of deadly unrest. Amid international condemnation of Ankara’s handling of the unrest, European Union Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule told Erdogan that police violence “has no place” in a democracy, urging a “swift” probe into the unrest in Turkey, a longtime EU hopeful. AFP PHOTO / BULENT KILIC

Opinion: Erdoğan and the culture of democracy

by Hashim Saleh | Jun 18, 2013 | Opinion

It should be acknowledged that democracy does not constitute a part of our culture. This is the least that can be said. Democracy is absent on all levels, from the head of the family to the president, from primary schools to universities. We are all immersed from head...

The 11th of September Returns

by Hashim Saleh | Sep 13, 2009 | Opinion

Are we not bored yet with 11 September? It seems to me that this year we are observing a listless anniversary. I have not yet felt that the French press, for instance, is preparing to observe this anniversary. This is evidence that the most momentous events lose their...