With a dash of harissa, naturally. Mulukhiyah: looks questionable, tastes amazing: And perhaps the strongest test of a man’s resolve come dinner experimentation time. Which The Man passed with flying colors. Even if the meat was as tough as an old boot… Read Full Story

I’ve been enamored by PostSecret for almost two years now, but despite the length of time, the profundity of certain submissions still draws a gasp. And today I believe I read one of the most beautiful of all: It gives shivers of delight. Read Full Story

Well, five at the last count and given the burgeoning numbers of bloggers and activists being censored it seemed the natural next step to start a catalogue, nay, a scrapbook of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s illustrious forays into ‘democracy’. This week’s case invariably involves a critique of the President, a questionable trial and a subsequent jail sentence: A prominent critic of Tunisian leader President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has been jailed for six months a... Read Full Story

This subject is raised time and again, yet progress is virtually non-existent. As a woman whose final weeks in Jordan were marred by a similar incident, I cannot support such a call for action enough: Despite the ratification of CEDAW, it is evident that the Jordanian government continues to fail to take this convention seriously. Researchers should focus on analyzing: the notion of GBV and the dynamics of acts of SV in the Jordanian society, with the aim of providing feedback for a comprehen... Read Full Story

The arbitrary persecution of activists and students continues unabated, even if developments have all but disappeared from Western news coverage: Iran: Crackdown on Students Ahead of National Student Day 24 November 2009 Scores of Iranian students have been arbitrarily arrested and prosecuted in recent days, as authorities apparently seek to stifle protests expected on 7 December, National Student Day, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported today. Detentions of students ... Read Full Story

…to go even further: A ban on the construction of minarets would breach Switzerland’s obligations to uphold freedom of religion, Amnesty International said ahead of a referendum on Sunday 29 November on a constitutional amendment on the issue. The proposal, which was initiated by members of two Swiss parties, will ask Swiss voters if they wish to add the sentence ‘The construction of minarets is forbidden’ to Article 72 of the Constitution. The initiators of the refer... Read Full Story

There’s always one: A London university union has cancelled a talk by an Islamic preacher who allegedly endorses killing homosexuals. Abu Usamah, recorded by Channel 4 saying gay people should be “thrown off a mountain”, was due at University College London Union (UCLU) next week. A university spokeswoman said: “UCLU has decided to cancel this event due to concerns that the health and safety criteria cannot be met.” In 2007, the Channel 4 programme Undercover Mos... Read Full Story

Until recently, I never fully grasped the phrase “I need a vacation to get over the vacation”. After four days in Krakow I shudder to recall the events and accordingly this post shall be but brief, lest I descend into foam-mouthed furious ramblings. It was, in short, shambolic. But as another saying runs, when you are given lemons, make lemonade – and in Krakow, it is a pretty easy thing to do. The food – pierogi – is a lasting favourite and all the more delicio... Read Full Story

Try though I might to refrain from blogging, when I stumble across gems like this, I simply must share: Plus, it is work – I will be incorporating the clip into the lecture to demonstrate the work of the Christian Peacemaker Teams in the region. During my stay in Jordan I was fortunate enough to meet CPT members and they are, as this gentleman testifies, quite a remarkable bunch. Their ethos of providing witness is so utterly honourable that I only wish there were more. Quite inspirati... Read Full Story

This week is one long series of deadlines and to say I am stretched would be an understatement. On Wednesday I leave for Poland for the second time this year, this time to give a lecture on evangelism in the Middle East. It should prove interesting and has already generated a peculiar amount of attention, which increases the pressure to ensure the argument and theories are water-tight. Which, given time constraints, could be challenging. Nevertheless, I am deeply excited about the prospect o... Read Full Story