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From the Editors

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Gulf 2013: The Constant and the Changing

by Jadaliyya Reports

[The following is the executive summary of the new publication Gulf 2013: The Constant and the Changing published by the Gulf Centre for Development Policies. For the Arabic version, click here.] Executive Summary This work focuses on developments in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) over the past two years. It ... Read More »

Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup (May 29)

by Arabian Peninsula Page Editors

[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 ... Read More »

Human Rights Activist Waleed Al-Shehhi Arrested in UAE

by Arabian Peninsula Page Editors

[The following report was originally published by the Gulf Center for Human Rights on 13 May 2013.] On 11 May 2013, human rights defender and online activist Waleed Al-Shehhi was arrested by the State security apparatus in Ajman. Waleed Al-Shehhi has been active in defending the 94 detained human rights defenders and ... Read More »

[The following letter was issued by a group of human rights organizations, including the Alkarama Foundation, on 25 April 2013. UAE President, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is scheduled to visit the United Kingdom today.] Dear Prime Minister, We are writing to urge you to express the UK government's ... Read More »

Another Al Islah Member Disappeared as the “UAE94” Trial Continues

by Jadaliyya Reports

[The following report on the disappearance of Emirati Al Islah movement member Abdulwahed Al Shuhi appeared on Al Karama website on 22 April 2013.] On 26 March 2013—the day of the fifth hearing of the “UAE94”—Abdulwahed Al Shuhi, a member of the Al Islah movement, was arrested at his office in Dubai by police ... Read More »

Theorizing the Arabian Peninsula Roundtable: Capital and Labor in the Gulf States: Bringing the Region Back In

by Adam Hanieh

[This is one of seven contributions in Jadaliyya's electronic roundtable on the symbolic and material practices of knowledge production on the Arabian Peninsula. Moderated by Rosie Bsheer and John Warner, it features Toby Jones, Madawi Al-Rasheed, Adam Hanieh, Neha Vora, Nathalie Peutz, John Willis, and Ahmed Kanna.] ... Read More »

Theorizing the Arabian Peninsula Roundtable: Unpacking Knowledge Production and Consumption

by Neha Vora

Theorizing the Arabian Peninsula Roundtable: Towards a Critical Cartography of the Political in the Arabian Peninsula

by Ahmed Kanna

Trial Observation Report: The United Arab Emirates 94

by Jadaliyya Reports

[The following report was issued by the Gulf Center for Human Rights on 25 March 2013.] Trial Observation Report: "The United Arab Emirates 94" Executive Summary The first two hearings in the trial of ninety-four intellectuals, activists, and human rights defenders, took place before the ... Read More »

The Final Statement of the Second Gulf Platform for Human Rights Defenders

by Jadaliyya Reports

[The following statement was published on the Gulf Center for Human Rights website on 2 March 2013.] We, the human rights defenders from the Gulf countries and Yemen, convened at the second Gulf Platform for Human Rights Defenders held in Istanbul (1-2 March 2013), and organized by the Gulf Center for Human Rights, ... Read More »

Torture Accusations Hidden Behind Closed Doors in 'UAE 94' Trial

by Jadaliyya Reports

[This report was originally published by Alkarama on 13 March 2013.] UAE: Concerns for Safety of 'UAE 94' Confirmed as International Observers Prevented from Attending Second Hearing The first and second hearings in the trial of the UAE 94 were held on 4 and 11 March, respectively, with international observers ... Read More »

On The Barring of International Observers from Trial Against UAE Activists

by Jadaliyya Reports

[The following statement was issued by the Alkarama Foundation on 3 March 2013.] Ninety-four peaceful activists are due to be brought before the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi tomorrow morning, Monday, 4 March 2013, on state security offences. Limited access to lawyers, withholding of evidence and details ... Read More »

Letter Concerning the UAE "Blacklisting" of Dr. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen

by Committee on Academic Freedom (MESA)

[The following letter was issued by the Committee on Academic Freedom of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA).] February 28, 2013 His Excellency Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan Minister of Foreign Affairs  United Arab Emirates via fax +971 02 444 7766 Your Excellency, I write to you ... Read More »

مجلس التعاون الخليجي وحق العقوبة المقدس

by Rosie Bsheer and Bassam Haddad

تحت قشرة الحداثة، تجثم الممارسات الدنيوية لنظام الحكم القمعي في قطر وبقية دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي. ولكي لا ننسى، يتم تذكيرنا وبشكل مستمر بمدى تسامح حكام مجلس التعاون الخليجي، وخاصة عندما يتعلق الأمر بنقد من أحد رعيتهم. لا تعتبر قضية شاعر قصيدة الياسمين القطري محمد العجمي، الذي حصل في بادئ الأمر على حكم بالسجن المؤبد ... Read More »

Arabian Peninsula Monthly Edition on Jadaliyya (February 2013)

by Arabian Peninsula Page Editors

[This is a monthly archive of pieces written by Jadaliyya contributors and editors on the Arabian Peninsula. It also includes material published on other platforms that editors deemed pertinent to post as they provide diverse depictions of Arabian Peninsula-related topics. The pieces reflect the level of critical ... Read More »

On the UAE's Decision to Refuse Entry to Professor Kristian Coates

by Khaled Fahmy خالد فهمي

This past Thursday, 28 February 2013, I was supposed to go to Dubai. The trip was to attend a one-day workshop on Sunday, 3 March 2013 in which the Alexandria Trust was expected to launch "al-Fanar,” a new publication devoted to the state of higher education in the Arab world. However, given the recent decision ... Read More »

Statement on UAE Targeting Families of Detained Human Rights Defenders

by Jadaliyya Reports

[The following statement was issued by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights on 16 February 2013.] The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) has received information that authorities in the UAE are targeting family members of human rights defenders currently in detention. In recent days the daughter of Dr Mohammed ... Read More »

Film-Portrait of Dr Mohamed Al-Roken, Human Rights Defender, UAE

by Jadaliyya Reports

The following video was produced by the Alkarama Foundation to highlight the work of Mohamed al-Roken, co-laureate of 2012 Alkarama Award for human rights defenders. Al-Roken has defended many political activists and fellow human rights defenders who were stripped of their citizenship, detained arbitrarily, subjected ... Read More »

Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup (February 05)

by Arabian Peninsula Page Editors

HRW Statement on Backsliding Human Rights Situation in UAE

by Jadaliyya Reports

[The following statement was issued by Human Rights Watch on 31 January 2013.] The Human Rights situation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) deteriorated rapidly during 2012, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2013. The government has carried out a repressive campaign that has targeted ... Read More »

Rhetoric or Critical Action? The Role of Human Rights in EU-UAE Relations

by Rori Donaghy

An EU resolution passed in October 2012, which condemned human rights abuses in the United Arab Emirates, caused outrage among defenders of the Emirati regime and gave hope that human rights may play a greater role in EU foreign policy. Several months on, has this resolution proved to be anything more than empty ... Read More »

المثليّات المضمرة في أغاني رباب والخليج العربي

by Ahmad Alwasel أحمد الواصل

[تنشر هذه المقالة ضمن إتفاقية شراكة وتعاون بين "جدلية" و"معازف"] الخطاب المشفّر للأغنية الأنثويّة العربيّة تتبدّى لنا في تجربة المغنية رباب (1958-2010) عراقيّة الأصل وكويتيّة الانتماء، بعد مسيرة تجاوزت الثلاثين عاماً في الحقل الثقافي على مستوى الشعر والموسيقى والغناء، وبعد ... Read More »

Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup (January 8)

by Arabian Peninsula Page Editors

Crackdown on Activists Continues in UAE

by Jadaliyya Reports

[This report was originally issued by the Gulf Center for Human Rights on 5 January 2013.] Urgent Action: UAE - Number of human rights defenders & activists in detention reaches 77 as brutal crackdown continues The numbers of those detained in the UAE as a result of their human rights activities has reached 77 ... Read More »

Calls to Boycott Qatar and the UAE for Labor Violations

by Jadaliyya Reports

[The following is a Migrant Rights post on calls to boycott the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and (possibly) the UAE, if chosen for the 2024 Olympics.] The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) will organize a boycott of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar unless the nation improves migrant worker conditions. The group ... Read More »

Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup (December 18)

by Arabian Peninsula Page Editors

Mission to UAE Supports European Resolution Against Crackdown on Activists

by Jadaliyya Reports

[The following report was issued by the Gulf Center for Human Rights on 10 December 2012.] Mission to UAE Supports European Resolution Against Crackdown on Activists / Free expression rights of sixty-four detainees violated A crackdown in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has violated the free expression rights of ... Read More »

UAE: Cybercrimes Decree Attacks Free Speech

by Jadaliyya Reports

[The following report was issued by Human Rights Watch on 28 November 2012.] (Beirut) – A new federal decree on cybercrimes in the United Arab Emirates effectively closes off the country’s only remaining forum for free speech. The decree poses a serious threat to the liberty of peaceful activists and ordinary ... Read More »

Syrian Population Regression

Population: ~ 22.5 Million

2011: 5,800+ (killed)

2012: 60,000+ (killed) and 500,000+ (external refugees)

2013: 70,000+ (killed) and 1,000,000+ (external refugees)

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Syria Map and Stats

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Population: 22,517,750
GDP: $107.4 billion
Unemployment: 8.3%; Youth Employment (ages 15-24): 19.1%
Internet Users: 4.469 million
Exchange Rate: ~ 98.00 Syrian pounds per US dollar
GDP Growth Rate: 3.2%
Military Expenditures: 5.9% of GDP (World Rank: 10)
Health Expenditures: 2.9% of GDP (World Rank: 180)
Population Growth Rate: 0.913%
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 35.2%; 15-64 years: 61%; 65 years and over: 3.8%
Literacy: 79.6%
Religious Demographics: Sunni Muslim 74%; other Muslim (includes Alawite, Druze) 16%; Christian (various denominations) 10%
Ethnic Demographics: Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%