My-Mideast Share your news and views of the Mideast

Here is my interview with Nermeen Edrees, the women whose blog was responsible for bringing the attention to the sexual harassment issue in Egypt and uniting women to fight it. See how she did it and what she is up to now.
 

"There is no doubt that the internet is one of the most liberating forces in the Middle East," wrote Esra'a Al Shafei, the director of MideastYouth.com, on bitterlemons-international.org. Here is my Q&A with the woman behind the evergrowing network that promotes tolerance and understanding in the Middle East.

The recent bombing in Cairo wounded a few tourists and killed a French girl. Even though authorities don't think that France was targeted,  a French newspaper reported that the French tourists were followed and specifically targeted, wrote the Middle East Times. The reason being the participation of France in blocking the Gaza coast.
What do you think, was France targeted?

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President Obama mentioned during his first interview that he will address the Muslim world from a Muslim capital within his first 100 days in office.

Which Capital do you think he will choose? Iran?

President Obama granted his first interview in the White House to the Arabic TV station Al-Arabiya, an interesting move that emphasizes his interest in reaching out to the Arab and Muslim world. This came after he made his first phone call to an Arab leader, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The White House had said that Obama also called the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan’s King Abdallah.

"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect."

This is what president Obama said Tuesday during his inaugural speech. By singling out the Muslim world, he acknowledged that there is a problem with the way Muslims are treated. And even though we don't know exactly what he means by "a new way," it looks like it will be a better one.

"Respect" is the key word here. It might sound cheesy, but respecting one another and stopping the condescending approach might actually help build better relations and promote a constructive dialogue.

Today is a great day for the United States of America, and hopefully for the rest of the world. President Obama was sworn in this morning, and the freezing cold weather did not stop hundreds of thousands of people from attending this historic inauguration ceremony on the mall.