Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup (October 5)

[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on the Arabian Peninsula and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Arabian Peninsula Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week's roundup to ap@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every week.]

Regional and International Relations

Why Qatar wants to invade Syria Pepe Escobar analyzes Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani's call for a coalition of Arab countries to solve the crisis in Syria in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly last week, in Asia Times.

Reports and Opinions

Osama bin Laden and the Saudi Muslim Brotherhood Stephane Lacroix writes on the history and branches of the Saudi Muslim Brotherhood and the movement's relationship with Osama bin Laden, in Foreign Policy.

Dozens of Saudis 'detained' after jail rally A news report on the arrest of sixty activists who were demanding the release of their jailed relatives, on Al-Jazeera English.

Kuwait's top court rejects election law change A news report on the Constitutional Court's decision to uphold the 2006 election law, on BBC.

Qatar's modern future rubs up against conservative traditions Regan Doherty writes on the conservative Qataris' anxiety over the impact of the modernization of the capital in preparation for the 2022 World Cup, on Reuters.

Maid stands in middle of road in Dubai suicide bid Salam Al Amir writes on an Ethiopian maid who decided to kill herself after being thrown out of her sponsor's house, in The National.

Ikea deleted women from Saudi version of catalog Karl Ritter writes on Ikea's decision to airbrush women from the Saudi version of its catalog and the ensuing critique of the company regarding its commitment to gender equality.

No women please, we're Saudi Arabian Ikea Nesrine Malik writes a critique of Ikea's decision to airbrush women from the catalog for Saudi Arabia, in The Guardian.

The UAE's descent into oppression Said Nasser al-Tenji examines the implication of the harsh treatment of al-Islah society for democracy in this Gulf state, in The Guardian.

Treatment of female Nigerian pilgrims embarrasses Saudis at the start of Hajj Nesrine Malik reports on the mistreatment of Nigerian women who arrived in Saudi Arabia without male guardians, which included food deprivation and sleeping on cold floors, in The Guardian.

Crisis in Yemen

Yemen's Leader Praises U.S. Drone Strikes Scott Shane writes on President Abu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's open endorsement of the US drone strikes in Yemen, in the New York Times.

Yemeni leader offers conditional dialogue with al Qaeda A news report on President Abu-Rabbu Manour Hadi's stipulations to start a dialogue with Islamist militants in Yemen, on Reuters.

Why UK aid for Yemen will save lives and promote stability A blog entry making the case for the urgency of humanitarian aids to Yemen, in The Guardian.

Yemen says captured soldiers were studying in Syria A news report on Yemen's defense ministry's denial of the presence of any fighting military officers in Syria.

Repression in Bahrain

Bahrain court upholds verdict in medics trial A news report on Bahrain's highest court's decision to uphold jail sentences of nine medics accused of participating in last year's uprisings, on Al-Jazeera English.

Media

Al-Jazeera's political independence questioned amid Qatar intervention Dan Sabbagh reports on Al-Jazeera English journalists protesting the re-editing of the United Nations report so that it leads with Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani's speech, in The Guardian.

Economy and Markets

The Gulf's cupcake entrepreneurs Hasan Tariq Alhasan argues that fear of unemployment among young women is giving rise to an industry of cupcakes in the Gulf states, in The Guardian.

Saudi Arabia embarks on massive projects in Mecca and Medina Catrina Stewart reports on two projects in Mecca and Medina that aim to build a renewable energy plant and to expand the Prophet's mosque respectively, in The Independent.

Emirates compete for property revival Camilla Hall and Simeon Kerr report on the efforts made Abu Dhabi and Dubai to revive their property markets, in Financial Times.

Saudi government borrowing eases Camila Hall writes on Saudi government enjoying more revenues from price rises of oil and relying less on borrowing from local banks, in Financial Times.

Human Rights Watch

UAE: Investigate Attacks on Rights Defender A statement by the organization calling upon the Emirati government to investigate the physical assaults on activists in the Gulf state.

Bahrain: Abuse of Migrant Workers Despite Reforms A statement by the organization, based on the report For a Better Life, asserting that the reforms initiated by the Bahraini authorities to protect migrant workers are not enough.

For a Better Life A 123-page report on the harsh treatment of migrant workers in Bahrain.

UAE: Report Highlights Need for Worker Protections A report by the organization urging companies involved in the United Arab Emirates' Saadiyat Island Project to adopt international labor standards.  

Yemen: Massacre Investigation Badly Flawed A statement calls upon the new Yemeni government to launch a new inquiry into the attack on protesters on March 18, 2011.

Letter to HH Sheikh Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on Treatment of the Bidun A letter signed by the directors of Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Refugees International urging the Kuwaiti emir to mete out equal treatment to the stateless in Kuwait.
Education

British universities receive Saudi funds A news report on Saudi Arabia's generous donations to British universities over the past decades, on Arab News.

Dispatches from Qatar: first term at a new branch campus Brett Kershaw reports on his experience at University College London's new campus in Qatar, in The Guardian.


Arabic

رسائل اليوم الوطني السعودي: الطاعة المتمردة
Dr. Madawi al-Rasheed reflects on Saudi Arabia's National Day.

الوحدة اليمنية والوحدة الفيتنامية
Dr. Mohammed Saleh al-Musfir compares the Yemeni unity to the Vietnamese unity.

لحظة الأمير سلمان "اللبنانية": انفتاح على الشيعة
Nassir Sharara writes on Saudi efforts to reach out to the Shia in the region in general and in Lebanon in particular.

الخليج مغلق أمام اللبنانيين
Mohammed Wahbi analyzes the tense relations between Lebanon and the Gulf states.

الكويت: انتصار جديد للمعارضة
Fadi el-Zain analyzes why Kuwait's Constitutional Court's decision to uphold the 2006 election law is a victory to the opposition.

السعودية: اعتقال رجل دين في المنطقة الشرقية
A news report on the arrest of Sheikh Hussein al-Radi in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province.

أمير قطر لتدخل عسكري عربي في سوريا
A news report on Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani's call for an Arab military intervention in Syria.

السجن لزينب الخواجة ووقف علاج مشيمع
A news report on the jail sentence of Zainab Khawaja and the denial of treatment of Sheikh Hasan Mushmai'a.

تثبيت الأحكام ضد الكادر الطبي
Shahira Salloum examines Bahrain's highest court's decision to uphold jail sentences of nine medics accused of participating in last year's uprisings