Turkey still hopes & strives to be EU member

Turkey is reportedly being confronted with Franco-German resistance to its bid to join the European Union . Meanwhile, the United Nations' Security Council has unanimously decided to impose sanction against Libya in spite of Turkey's contrarian position as taken by PM Erdogan. Amid the widespread unrest now engulfing the Arab -speaking Middle East and North Africa, Turkish -speaking Turkey offers itself and also seen by others as a modern and democratic Muslim-majority country. But , there is a concern in Western societies over alleged violation of human rights in the treatment of the ethnic minority Kurds in Turkey. Countries in Turkey's regional neighbourhood are also wary of what is said to be its 'neo-Ottomanism' or a national ambition which seeks to revive the glory of its imperial past in terms of geopolitical influence. Although Sunni-predominated, Turkey has been a republic since 1923. Within the Muslim world, the position of women is certainly far more progressive and also advanced than that in monarchical Saudi Arabia.

America & Turkey differ over Libya sanctions

America & Turkey differ over Libya sanctions

While America has announced that it is imposing its own sanctions on Libya, its Muslim-majority NATO ally Turkey adopts a different stand. The United Nations' Security Council is making a decision pretty soon.

Internal constraint on Turkey's eastward shift

Geostrategic dimensions in Bahrain upheaval

Reportedly, the public protest in tiny Bahrain yesterday was massive. Would Saudi Arabia intervene militarily , as journalist Jackson Diehl has revealed ? Needless to say , Saudi Arabia' s intervention , if and when it happens , would result in a very powerful response from Iran which has publicly announced its official backing for the Arab Revolt. However, Iran has also been criticised by the United States for being 'hypocritical' because it suppresses its own protestors and dissidents.

Russia's not-so-romantic view on Arab Revolt

Sympathy for all families of NZ quake victims

Clare Street would like to send its very deep sympathy to the families of the earthquake victims in Christchurch . We share the, sorrow and grief of all New Zealanders , especially dear friends as well as readers of Clare Street, like Mark, John, CS Chan, Christopher and Catherine.

Australian society resilient in face of disaster

Saudi Arabia reacts to very fast-moving times

Reportedly, Saudi Arabia's monarch Abdullah has announced a charity programme in reaction to external challenges and domestic problems. One of the many princes has also reportedly called for timely 'reform', but he holds no poltical power and details of the idea are still unclear. The downfall of Egypt's Mubarak and continuing unrest in Bahrain and other portions in, the Middle East and North Africa have clearly shown that the ideational influence and moral authority of the establishment of the oil-rich kingdom are not as powerful as it would like to project. Meanwhile, well-known journalist Jackson Diehl reveals in Washington Post that there is "a real possibility", for Saudi Arabia to move troops into Bahrain to put down protestors and prop up the besieged regime.

Saudi Arabia faces on-earth challenges within

Saudi Arabia faces on-earth challenges within

Besides being confronted with what appears to be Iran' s geostrategic challenge, the family-founded and still family-based kingdom of Saudi Arabia is reportedly also facing pressing economic problems at home. Meanwhile, it is openly discussing whether to lift the ban on cinemas. Even if the ban is lifted, it is not clear if women are allowed to enjoy the 'freedom', or if cinemas are allowed to operate only with light on.

Saudi Arabia confronted with Iranian challenge

Russia's not-so-romantic view on Arab Revolt

Responding to the unprecedented upheavals in the Middle East as well as North Africa, Russia has reportedly forewarned of the possibility of "disintegration of populous states" and "rise of fanatics to powers" in the Arab world. Although less dependent on the region for oil , Russia is still seriously concerned with (a) violent and/or separatist Islamists who may have their ideational sources or organisational bases in that part of the earth, and, (b) the inter- state security and defence on its southern periphery , especially vis-a-vis America. As a matter of fact, many, of the Western security arrangments as well as defence setups in the region, especially in Turkey and Egypt , have their origin in the 1950s and 1960s as a regional containment regime against the USSR. Although Russia' s geostrategic influence in the region has diminshed considerably after the disintegration of the USSR in 1991, there is an observation that it can still play a role as a major power in the areas. Evidently , Russia' s view on the massive upheavals in the Arab world is shared by, among others, America's allies in the region, like Israel.

Iran's warships sailing into Mediterranean Sea

Iran's warships sailing into Mediterranean Sea

Reportedly, Iran's two naval ships have entered into the Suez Canal in their voyage towards the Mediaterrance Sea. Although the vessels do not pose instant threat to Israel's defence, the act is, like it or not, a symbolic gain in Iran's show of self-confidence or strength which adds psychological pressure on Israel, especially with the dramatic incident of the Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla in 2010 still fresh in its mind. The 2010 incident has highlighted the American, European and Israeli concerns over a very clear shift of Turkey's foreign policy orientation. The recent downfall of Mubarak in Egypt and the continuing as well as widespread unrest in the Middle East and North Africa is also a cause for fairly serious concerns to America , Europe and , above all, Israel. Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff , Admiral Michael Mullen has visited Israel, and is now touring the Gulf states for field assessment of the situations in the fast-changing region where the United States' defence and security arrangments, are reportedly under heavy stress.

Iran's navy to cross Suez amid regional unrest

Saudi Arabia confronted with Iran's challenge

Feeling encircled by rebellious and seemingly pro-Iran Arab masses in neighbouring countries, Saudi Arabia has reportedly offered to assist Bahrain's ruling house. So far, the oil -rich Saudi Arabia is still stable. Like it or not , the very critical question now is whether Saudi Arabia can convince the Shi'ite-majority population in Bahrain to support the Sunni monarchy in that puny kingdom after it itself has failed to stop the Sunni -majority crowds in Egypt from causing Mubarak's downfall. As a result of the widespread upheavals in countries on its periphery, Saudi Arabia is becoming increasingly newsworthy in the US and Iran. An Oxford University historian, Dr. Mark Almond has opined that the process of democratization in the region will be bumpy "for decades".

Saudi Arabia feels heat of region-wide unrest

Iran's navy to cross Suez amid regional unrest

Israel is watching closely the movement of Iran's two warships sailing through the Suez Canal soon . Although the frigates are not expected to pose any immediate threat to Israel' s defence , it is clear that the 32-year strategic balance of power in the region is not unchangeable. Now, the Mediterranean Sea is also a focus for geopolitical attention, as Libya and Algeria are also under the pressure for 'change' recently.

Egypt: Iran's frigates can use Suez for transit

Egypt : Iran's frigates can use Suez for transit

Like it or not, Iran has obtained official permission from the Egyptian defence ministry for its warships to pass through, the Suez Canal and into the Mediteranean Sea for the first time in 32 years. Israel is not happy about it and reportedly regards it as an act of "provocation" on the part of Iran. America, which is the leading member of NATO, has reportedly said that it would monitor the movement of Iran's frigates. Now, it is pretty clear that there is a geostrategic calculation in Iran's open support for the Arab revolts in the Middle East and North Africa. The European and Israeli fear of an Iran-style or pro-Iran government in post-Mubarak Egypt is not entirely baseless from their perspective. Of course, it would be foolhardy for Iran to underestimate the West's willingness and capability to defend Israel against existential threats.

Britain shares American concern over Bahrain

Saudi Arabia feels heat of region-wide unrest

Saudi Arabia , the literally family-based polity which seems to be still politically stable, is now believed and said to be experiencing a more acute sense of regime insecurity, as the result of the regional unrest which spreads just like wildfire in countries situated on its periphery, especially in Bahrain where a Sunni monarchy rules a Shi' ite-majority population and that is strategically located in between itself and Iran. Offcial and semi-official media in Iran has recently increased critical reports on Saudi Arabia's responses to the upheavals in Egypt as well as other Muslim-majority nations in the Middle East and North Africa.

Glimpses of women's position in Saudi Arabia

Britain shares American concern over Bahrain

Besides the United States, Britain has also expressed its concern over the unrest in Bahrain where the security forces were reportedly harsh in their manners of responding to the protests mounted by the Shiite. There are allegations in Iran's media that Saudi Arabia 'inteferes' into the 'internal affairs' of Bahrain to back up the kingdom's ruling power.

M'sian observations on development in Egypt

M' sian observations on development in Egypt

Like many other people all over the world , Malaysians are also closely observing and discussing the dramatic changes in and future of Egypt which is now under the rule of the republic's supreme military council. There was also a public demonstration on 4 Feb (Fri) in Kuala Lumpur to give support to the protestors in Egypt who urged Mubarak to quit. Before the outbreak of the political uprising and also social upheaval, there were reportedly more than 10,000 Malaysian nationals in Egypt, including a large number of students of different fields of knowledge. Meanwhile, the latest hotspot in the very 'dynamic' Middle East is the Shiite-majority but Sunni-ruled Kingdom of Bahrain that is situated in between, the Shiite republic of Iran and, the Sunni monarchy of Saudi Arabia, whose geostrategic relationship is already pretty well -known.

Obama urges Middle East to embrace reforms

Obama urges Middle East to embrace reforms

Reportedly, USA's President Obama praised the Egyptian military and criticised Iran's government for its reported manner of responding to protests . He also reportedly called on countries in the Middle East to reform. Saudi Arabia, a kingdom still ruled by a literally family-based dynasty in the form of an absolute monarchy, is the largest as well as richest country in the region where mass uprisings are still in motion.

USA also declares backing for protest in Iran

USA also declares backing for protests in Iran

The United States has reportedly praised demonstrators in Iran which also openly declared official support the recent and ongoing uprisings in Egypt and other countries in the Middle East and also North Africa.

Saudi Arabia responds to new reality in Egypt

Saudi Arabia responds to new reality in Egypt

Saudi Arabia, whose monarch and chief cleric condemned hundreds of thousands of anti -Mubarak protestors in Egypt for being 'unArab' and 'unIslamic' , has reportedy issued an official statement in response to the highly dramatic resignation of Mubarak as the president of Egypt.
It is believed to be not very happy with America' s 'betrayal' of an ally, but the family-based kingdom is said to be politically still stable amid the recent upheaval in the surrounding Arabic-speaking Muslim world. For years, many progressive Muslims have been quietly chiding Saudi Arabia's ruling elites for being a principal source of reactionary ideas, particularly on the social relations between female and male on earth.

Muslim Brotherhood & America's Egypt policy

Muslim Brotherhood & America's Egypt policy

The Obama administration may not fear the Muslim Brotherhood, but there is a large constituency in the USA which is wary of it. Also , the Obama administration has to balance the legitimate aspiration of the masses of Egypt with the security concerns, legitimate or not, of not only Israel and Europe but also Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. There is, of course, the question of Iran's strategy in the formulation of America's foreign policy response to fast-moving changes in Egypt. Personally, I still do not know much about the organisation and would certainly like to learn more by googling, reading books and talking to more knowledgeable and better informed people on this 'hot' subject.

Mubarak resigns & transfers power to military

Mubarak resigns & transfers power to military

Mr . Mubarak has resigned as the president of Egypt and also handed power to the supreme council of the republican nation's armed forces. Egypt's politics, although full of twists and turns, is very fast-moving.

Egypt at a crossroad as Mubarak refuses to quit

Egypt at crossroad as Mubarak refuses to quit

President Mubarak has decided to stay on until the next election, but protestors still want him to quit immediately. Egypt is at a crossroad. Also, the ties between the US and Mubarak regime is under spotlight. The Egyptian armed forces now plays a very crucial role to recalibrate a balance between order and freedom in a very fast-changing society.

Egypt's future to be unsettled for many years

Egypt's future to be unsettled for many years

Now, there is a widespread speculation that President Mubarak would transfer his power very soon. However, as I have pointed out earlier, whether the president resigns now or after an election in September, the situation in Egypt would still be highly unstable for many years to come, as there are many domestic and external forces contending to shape the outcome of the 'change' to their interests as well as values. Shifting alignment and also realignment of forces in the post-Mubrak period would also be very confusing to many observers outside Egypt.

Workers' actions impact on situation in Egypt

Workers' actions impact on situation in Egypt

As Egypt's Vice President Omar Suleiman has hinted at the possibility of imposing military order, the proletarian component of the protest movement has launched labour strikes as a form of opposition to the exisiting regime. Clearly, the situation has evolved into a new stage. Now, there is no Comintern and USSR to blame for this development and the monarch as well as chief cleric of Saudi Arabia actually share 'Zionist' Israel's very grave concern for security and stability in Egypt.

Regional forces surrounding 'change' in Egypt

Regional forces surrounding 'change' in Egypt

Reportedly, Iran has warned against an opposition's rally to be held to purportedly show support for the protestors in Egypt, as well as other Middle Eastern and North African countries , which are Sunni Muslim-majority. Meanwhile , US president Obama has reportedly "consulted" Saudi Arabia' s King Abdullah on the still uncertain situation in Egypt. While Saudi Arabia has committed itself to an unchangeable position to support the Mubarak regime, the United States' policy is less rigid. Now, it is quite clear that Saudi Arabia's influence among the masses in Egypt does not seem to be, as powerful as it would like to imagine. The Muslim-majority Egypt was made a republic 25 years before Iran and it is also more respectful of women and its own history of faiths.

Chief clerics in Saudi & Iran differ over Egypt

Glimpses of women' s position in Saudi Arabia

Recently, Ms . Zekeyi Yuksel from Turkey has published a book on her personal observations on the position of women in Saudi Arabia. But, there are updated news reports which suggest that the situation may be changing slowly. Both Turkey and Saudi Arabia are Sunni-majority. Although the former has transformed into a democratic republic , the later is still ruled by a family-based absolute monarchy legitimised by a clerical establishment that is, if not reactionary, very conservative.

Archeaology as a clerical fear in Saudi Arabia

Archaeology as a clerical fear in Saudi Arabia

Besides Iran, Saudi Arabia's own past is also an object of fear among certain quarters of the ruling elites in the still family-based kingdom. Many other Muslim-majority countries, such as Egypt and Turkey, do not seem to find knowledge of pre-Islamic pasts so faith-threatening. Indonesia, where the population of Muslims is largest in the world on earth, is never afraid of displaying its Hindu and Buddhist heritage in the form of ancient sites or buildings, like Prambanan and Borobudur.

Stereotyping people from Saudi Arabia wrong

Chief clerics in Saudi & Iran differ over Egypt

The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia , Sheikh Abdul -Aziz Al al-Sheikh has reportedly joined King Abdullah in condemning anti-Mubarak protests. However, Iran' s Grand Ayatollah, Nasser Makarem Shirazi expressed support earlier for the street' uprising in the Sunni -majority republic. Saudi Arabia and Iran are believed to be competing fairly intensely to win more hearts and minds of Muslims throughout the world on earth. Meanwhile, there is a Western criticism against Iran for its hypocrisy because Iran itself also suppressed a large-scale protest movement in the streets in the aftermath of its allegedly flawed presidential poll in 2009. However, there is an observation among younger Muslims that, although the electoral system in Iran may not be 'perfect' yet, there is no election in the family -founded absolute monarchy of Saudi Arabia. Liberal commentators in Western societies also often chide their own governments for not promoting the values and institutions of modern democracy in the Sunni-predominated and still family-based kingdom. Based upon the observation of Western liberals, Iran and Islamists of other nationalities also accuse governments in the West of hypocrisy. But, there is a politically conservative argument in the West that the status quo in Saudi Arabia is still very much needed for peace as well as stability in the Middle East and other surrounding regions or areas.

Outcome of 'change' in Egypt far from certain

Outcome of 'change' in Egypt far from certain

Given Egypt' s internal conditions and its external environment where competing forces strive, overtly or covertly, to influence the political direction and destination of the 'change', it is fairly naive to conclude right now that there is only one outcome in the post -Mubarak period, whether the 'strongman leaves now or after an election in September. The political sentiment of Egypt's population in the rural areas is still not that clear in the otherwise very detailed world news reports which focus on urban centers , such as Cairo, Alexandria, Suez or Port Said.

Iran now openly supports region-wide revolts

Iran now openly supports region-wide revolts

Iran' s new Foreign Minister Ali Akbar has just been reported today as stating clearly that the Islamic republic supports not only the protests in Egypt, but also other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The strategic contest as well as ideational competition for the hearts and minds of co-religionists between politically conservative Islamists on one hand and their radical challengers on the other, could result in uncertainty or instability in Middle East-centered regions for decades.

Massive & popular protests in Egypt intensify