Islamic finance faces political hurdles in US
DUBAI: From Australia to Britain and even France, which recently banned the face-veil, Western economies are adjusting their laws to encourage growth in the Islamic finance sector they hope will…
Lebanon: Moment of truth
By Oxford Business Group While Lebanon’s economy has performed soundly over the past year, there are lingering concerns that political instability could weaken investor confidence in the capital markets, unwinding economic…
Terrorism cannot be the outcome of any proper understanding of religion
By Ali Gomaa CAIRO: There is no religion worthy of the name that does not regard as one of its highest values the sanctity of human life. Islam is no exception…
New Year’s hope against hope
By Joseph Stiglitz NEW YORK: The time has come for New Year’s resolutions, a moment of reflection. When the last year hasn’t gone so well, it is a time for hope…
Bombed Egypt church was listed as Qaeda target
By AFP DUBAI: An Al-Qaeda website had identified in December the church in Alexandria, Egypt, which was bombed on New Year's Day as being among Coptic places of worship designated…
Sticking to it
By Peter Singer MELBOURNE: Sometimes we know the best thing to do, but fail to do it. New Year’s resolutions are often like that. We make resolutions because we know that…
Europe’s contribution to peace in Sudan
By George Clooney and John Prendergast WASHINGTON, DC: Sudan sits at the proverbial crossroads between potential peace and possible nationwide conflict, which would undoubtedly become the world’s deadliest conventional war in…
The Year of the Ghoul
By Amr Fouad I rarely remember my dreams, Hardly recall yesterday, Unknown tomorrow, frothed among sea heaves, On this earth forever I shan’t stay. This scribbling of a poem I…
Azhar top cleric accuses Pope Benedict XVI of meddling
By AFP CAIRO: Egypt's top Muslim cleric on Sunday criticized Pope Benedict XVI's call for world leaders to defend Christians as interference in his country's affairs, the official MENA news…
Egypt mulls importing electricity from Ethiopia
The Ministry of Electricity has approved a World Bank request to continue a feasibility study of a project that aims to link Egypt and Sudan’s national electricity grids with that…