POINTS OF VIEW: Tunisia Two Years After Its Revolution

Tunisians just marked the second anniversary of the toppling of long-time president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, an event which unleashed an entire wave of popular uprisings across the Arab world. Ben Ali’s ouster did pave the way to free elections and the formation of a new government in Tunisia, but it left millions of its More »

Points of View: What Should Obama Do to Solve the Arab-Israeli Conflict?

As President Obama enters his second term, experts warn that his administration must radically rethink ways to achieve an Israeli-Arab peace deal or risk seeing his goal of a two-state solution slip away. Yet, while they agree that the old approaches will not work, there is a range of possibilities of what might achieve More »

Points of View: Will Egypt Have a New Constitution?

Egypt’s draft constitution is supposed to be ready by December 12; however, many political forces are already rejecting the draft constitution and the deadline may not be met. Amr Hamzawy, founder of the Free Egypt Party and former liberal member of the Egyptian People’s Assembly, explained at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington More »

العرب والمسلمون الأمريكيون يتخلون عن الحزب الجمهوري

 لماذا انحسر تاييد العرب والمسلمين الأمريكيين للحزب الجمهوري؟ بماذا يمكن تفسير التوجه المعادي للإسلام بين اليمين المحافظ في الحزب الجمهوري؟ كيف يمكن للعرب والمسلمين الأمريكيين استثمار مساندتهم للرئيس أوباما في الاعتراف بهم كقوة More »

العرب والمسلمون الأمريكيون وانتخابات الرئاسة الأمريكية

كيف ينظر العرب والمسلمون الأمريكيون إلى مرشحي الرئاسة الأمريكية؟ مالذي يمكن أن يجنيه العرب والمسلمون من فوز الرئيس أوباما بفترة رئاسية ثانية؟ كيف سيصوت العرب والمسلمون الأمريكيون في انتخابات الرئاسة الأمريكية ولماذا؟ كيف يتوقع العرب والمسلمون الأمريكيون شكل العلاقات الأمريكية مع العالمين العربي والإسلامي لو فاز More »

Points of View: Fighting Prejudice with Humor

Welcome to a frank  and funny conversation with Dean Obeidallah, an award-winning American comedian. He is bridging the cultural and religious divides between Muslims and non-Muslims with comedy routines based on his own Islamic upbringing in the U.S.  There are far too many reminders that Muslims in America still face discrimination and fear from More »

Points of View Podcast: What is it Like Being a Muslim in America?

Global Voice Hall uses social media and town hall meetings to bridge the gap of misunderstandings between the Middle East and the West. Their recent forum near Washington, D.C. looked at the volatile issue of being a Muslim in America. What’s the reality of problems and opportunities? I spoke with Cheryl Montavlo, a co-founder More »

Points of View Podcast: Morsi’s Ramadan Surprise

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has taken a series of dramatic steps meant to reconfigure the Egyptian political landscape, not only for the transitional period, but over the long-term. This edition of Points of View features a discussion with Egyptian political scientist Amr Hamzawy and Michele Dunne, director of the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the More »

Points of View Podcast: U.S. Policy Options in Syria

The United Nations General Assembly voted on a Saudi-drafted resolution on Syria Friday, just a day after Kofi Annan announced his resignation as U.N.-Arab League envoy to the war-torn country. Annan blamed a lack of international support and “finger-pointing and name calling” in the Security Council. The White House also placed blame on the More »

Points of View Podcast: Dictators are Fighting Back

The Arab Spring was an incredible moment in the battle between dictators and democracy but, in his new book “The Dictator’s Learning Curve”, author William Dobson argues that the Arab Spring is just the latest front in a worldwide struggle against repression.  To examine the tools dictators learn to use in order to hold More »

Points of View Podcast: Exploring Options the US Has in Syria

This time on Points of View, host Mohamed Elshinnawi examines options the United States has in dealing with the ongoing crisis in Syria. He speaks with Ambassador Edward Djerejian, former Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs and former U.S. Ambassador to Syria, and Robin Wright, an award-winning journalist, author and foreign policy More »