The five most controversial movies of the year

In the past three years, controversy has become a brand name, hot enough to sell any film regardless of its actual quality. The Passion of the Christ, Fahrenheit 9/11, The…

Joseph Fahim

Egyptian foreign policy tone scathing in 2007

The tone of Egypt's foreign policy was scathing in many respects this year, and through it Egypt's position on most issues were made pertinently clear.January saw Egypt declare its intention…

Abdel-Rahman Hussein

Palestinians end divisive year with uncertain future

Palestinians capped a topsy-turvy year even by their standards with a schism that threatens to tear them apart and a promise from the international community that they will have their…

Abdel-Rahman Hussein

Death of a constitution: a look at the five most controversial amendments

On Tuesday, March 27, Justice Minister Mamdouh Marei announced that 75.9 percent of Egyptians who voted in the referendum were in favor of the 34 constitutional amendments that were approved…

Yasmine Saleh

Freedom of expression on the line: a look back at 2007

The year 2007 was a bumpy ride for Egyptian media professionals, marking a significant upsurge in clampdowns on freedom of expression, with editors, bloggers, and activists paying a high price…

Alexandra Sandels

Torture, police brutality addressed in landmark legal cases but practice remains a endemic

While the past year has witnessed several rare convictions in cases of torture and police abuse, leading analysts and international media argue a potential heightened government intolerance of police brutality.…

Alexandra Sandels

Charges and accusations mark turbulent year for Muslim Brotherhood

If 2005 was a landmark year for the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) as they succeeded in becoming the biggest opposition bloc in parliament, 2007 is a year the group might like…

Abdel-Rahman Hussein

The year's most controversial draft laws

CAIRO: A number of draft laws were proposed in 2007, and some of the most controversial pertained to judges. Changes to teachers' salaries, the government's medical insurance system and abortion…

Yasmine Saleh