Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

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Egyptian 6th of April movement members protest against the renewal of the state of emergency during a demonstration on September 16, 2013 in downtown Cairo (TOPSHOTS/AFP PHOTO/GIANLUIGI GUERCIA)

Debate: The upcoming presidential elections will usher in a new beginning for Egypt

by Abdelnabi Abdel-Sattar | Mar 25, 2014 | Debate

I believe we will see a change in the political landscape, and largely to the benefit of the “Couch party.” There have been attempts to rally the forces opposed to political Islam behind a single candidate in advance of the coming presidential elections, but this...

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A picture taken July 29, 2013 shows posters on a street in Cairo of Egypt’s army chief General Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi. AFP PHOTO/FAYEZ NURELDINE

Debate: The upcoming presidential elections will not change anything for Egypt

by Mohamed Abdellah | Mar 25, 2014 | Debate

The current reality is that all Egyptian political forces are in a state of decline. We can excuse the Egyptian military for its interference in politics after Hosni Mubarak’s abdication, largely because popular opposition to political Islam was in a position of...

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A tourist buys a poster of Egypt’s army chief, Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is also pictured on a shirt, at a vendor in Tahrir square in Cairo February 22, 2014. (Reuters/Asmaa Waguih)

Debate: Egypt’s other presidential candidates could play a role in the next government

by Majdi Hamdan | Mar 23, 2014 | Debate

The cultural factors that govern a society’s political and social spheres play significant roles in determining its fate, which is why Egyptians called for an end to reactionary attitudes in the regime following January 25, 2011. For, as much as we seek change, we...

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A supporter of the Egyptian Army and Army chief General Abel Fattah al-Sissi shows a poster depicting him during a protest outside the high court on the first day of Morsi’s trial on November 4, 2013 in Cairo. Morsi appeared in court at a police academy on the first day of his trial, rejecting its legitimacy and demanding “coup” leaders be prosecuted. (MAHMOUD KHALED/AFP/Getty Images)

Debate: Egypt’s other presidential candidates are only in the race to give it legitimacy

by Adel Suleiman | Mar 23, 2014 | Debate

First off, we must specify what we mean by the “civil current” in Egypt. The term first appeared in the wake of the revolution of January 25, 2011, and has since taken off, gaining in currency even though it does not have any real meaning and is not associated with a...

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Masked Sunni Muslims gunmen take up position with their weapons during clashes with Iraqi security forces outside the city of Falluja, 70 km (44 miles) west of Baghdad, February 23, 2014. (REUTERS/Stringer)

Debate: Iraq’s leaders have missed the chance to build a unified state

by Adnan Hussein | Mar 18, 2014 | Debate

Iraq’s leaders have completely missed their chance to take the Iraqi state towards unity, at least for the foreseeable future. Why? It’s a valid question. They have certainly had enough time. It has been eight years since a permanent constitution was ratified, a...

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This undated image posted on a militant website on Tuesday, January 14, 2014, shows fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) marching in Raqqa, Syria. (AP Photo/militant website)

Debate: Iraq’s leaders have not missed the chance to build a unified state

by Rashid Al-Khayoun | Mar 18, 2014 | Debate

The opportunity to build a unified state has not passed, but we cannot make something from nothing. The central questions in this debate are these: has the opportunity passed, have the dreams of the Iraqi people come to an end, and what is there to look forward to?...