Sunday, June 26, 2011

An-Nahar Newspaper: One Good Coincidence

[Administrator's Note: Octavia is now writing articles for An-Nahar Newspaper each week and we will provide them here after they are printed.]

When a coincidence is better than a thousand dates

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Saturday, June 18, 2011

An-Nahar Newspaper: Mabrouk The New Cabinet

[Administrator's Note: Octavia is now writing articles for An-Nahar Newspaper each week and we will provide them here after they are printed.]

I learned about Mr. Najib Miqati’s new government through a grocery store as I took a stroll with the family off Hamra Street. Shortly after, another grocery store owner blasted out loud his small TV set for a few neighbors and passersby to listen to a press conference by Talal Arslan, already announcing his resignation of the newly formed cabinet. Most people around shook their heads in disapproval and laughed out loud at the new developments. One person dismissed them as “straight out of a Mexican soap opera.” A pretty reasonable comparison when you think of endless drama-filled episodes void of substance; totally predictable and, outside cheap entertainment, offer absolutely no added value to anyone’s life.

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Sunday, June 12, 2011

An-Nahar Newspaper: Revolutions To Nowhere?

[Administrator's Note: Octavia is now writing articles for An-Nahar Newspaper each week and we will provide them here after they are printed.]

Taking time for reflection is always a good practice, and a midyear reflection on this historic Arab year gives us a rear view of what was accomplished so far and a glimpse into where the region could be headed in the next few months.

From the spontaneous uprising in Tunisia which toppled Zin El-Abedine Ben Ali followed by the momentous Egyptian revolution which led to the fall of Hosni Mubarak, Arabs were able to capture the world’s attention and usher in a wave of fresh voices unafraid to demand reform and change.

From the unsuccessful NATO-led attempts to remove Moammar Gaddafi from power despite all the funding and support the west has provided to almost similar attempts that had Yemen’s Ali Abdallah Saleh out of country and out of power, the role of western involvement and its effectiveness in these Arab revolutions have come into question in many quarters.

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Friday, June 10, 2011

An-Nahar Newspaper: Yemen, Arabs & The Palestinian Naksa (Setback)

[Administrator's Note: Octavia is now writing articles for An-Nahar Newspaper each week and we will provide them here after they are printed.]The anniversaries of the Palestinian Naksa (setback) and Nakba (Catastrophe) before it this year have a different meaning as Arab citizens go through serious soul searching while their leaders fall one at a time.

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