On July 29th the second largest refugee camp in the world, Zaatari, marks its first anniversary. The camp has come a long way in a year. Initially living in tents, refugees are now increasingly housed in caravans. Winter at Zaatari was especially hard for those in tents, although ironically during the hot summer months many refugees now choose to spend time in these, which are cooler, than the metal caravans where the heat can be intense. The Jordanian government estimates that 554,000 Syrian refugees have arrived in Jordan since March ...

We watch them spend it all over the globe, but do we really know how much mega money our darling Arab celebs are rolling in? Ever wondered how much those celebs earn for appearing on Ramadan TV shows? Well, wonder no more, cos' we've got all those figures out in sight on a blank checkbook for you! Here's a sneak peek inside the holy paychecks of some of your favorite stars. It pays to show your premium face on our TV sets in the holy month. But who makes the ...

Blessed Ramadan is by all accounts already difficult enough. Dawn-to-dusk fasting in summer heat, work stress and social obligations can make for a trying time. But with the added complexities of navigating Israeli checkpoints in the Occupied Territories and Jerusalem, it’s even harder for Palestinians living under occupation. Israel's Ramadan Karim! Israel does however apply some special concessions for the holy month. Ordinarily, Palestinians are not allowed to enter Israel without a special permit. During Ramadan, the occupying power significantly eases restrictions to allow the fasting faithful to visit contested ...

A tale of Egypt's military coup d'etats, from 1952 to 2013. The last half century plus has witnessed two political revolutions that took place in Egypt, both culminating in military coups d'etat that ousted heads of state from power. Egypt at both ends of the time line has felt large scale political and social discontent brewing, whether in rejection of the decadence and corruption surrounding the British installed monarch, or in the face of the havoc and retrograde policies under the Islamist weak link. 1952's July Revolution saw the Egyptian ...

Italians are famous for their pastas, the English for their fish & chips and Arabs, well, they’ve got a medley of colorful stews and brews under their abaya sleeves. From the aromatic and the coarse, through the healthy and decadent, and the rustic to the gourmet, it’s no wonder the world has fallen in love with Middle Eastern fodder. The number of native and foreign foodies flocking to authentic Arabic restaurants in the West has skyrocketed in recent years. If your experience of Arabic cooking is stuck at humous and ...

It’s still early in the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims abstain from food, drink and other worldly pursuits between sunup and sundown. But will there be any abstention from the violence that has plagued the region in recent months? U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on both sides in Syria’s conflict to lay down their arms during the holy month, but so far his pleas have fallen on deaf ears. In fact, the conflict seems only to be deepening as Lebanon’s Hezbollah is increasingly drawn into the war. The ...

Traffic is a heavy, heaving feature of the holy month in the Muslim world. The Iftar rush-hour is notorious for bringing big cities to their knees, and even leaving hungry fasters stranded without food. The Iftar rush starts in some of the region's populous capitals well ahead of the dusk hour. In Cairo for example, crossing the city can take 3-4 hours and the ravenous rush extends hours ahead of the moment of truth and satiation. Fortunately, city groups and individuals thinking outside the box are a few steps ahead ...

The battle on the fractured field of a war-strangled Syria-scape is shifting to a new scene that echews guns and chemical weapons for inflammatory insults and stinging slang. This is not the rheorical rebuttling of the failing diplomats but the dissing and hissing of renegade warriors in their gangsta's paradise: Syria's rapping rebels with a cause. As violence rages across their homeland, Syrian rappers are finding their voice. Over the last 28 months, as the conflict escalated from a national uprising to a regional proxy war, Syrian hip hop has ...

Welcome to Ramadan 2013; the month of fasting, feeding, forgiveness and all round charitable fervor; the time when Muslims up their praying and curb their partying. The dawn to dusk fast includes not drinking fluids, which this year entails no daytime water intake during the peak summer month of July. Nothing fundamental changes about the nature of the Holy Month year in year out. Yet since 2011, the so-called Arab Spring has undoubtedly toned down the revelry and gaiety surrounding the fast. It’s all the region can do to just ...

Ramadan is just around the corner, and while many associate it with yummy food and good behavior, we all secretly know that it's all about the entertainment line-up for the month - namely the good, the bad and the beautiful TV shows it has to offer. Once our tummies are filled-up and our brains slowly begin to function again, we like to kick off our shoes and dive into soap heaven. Click. With hundreds of TV channels airing tens of Syrian, Egyptian, Lebanese and Turkish dramas, each with their own ...

From the superficial to the silicone enhanced, the bold to the beautiful, and the bimbo to the brainy, celebs are like (for the Brits out there) Marmite: You either love 'em or hate 'em! But whatever your personal preferences, when it comes to our Arab pop princesses, you'll lap up the shameless gossip about their best bits! Whether they are the proud owners of newly unveiled hot bikini bods or trademark body parts, you'll not want to turn a blind eye to these scandalous highlights! Being a celebrity comes at ...