Enas Hamed on why she writes

Al-Monitor contributor Enas Hamed shares her thoughts on journalism.

Egypt

10 Middle East artists to watch

Many female artists in the Middle East and North Africa are redefining their mediums.

Bahrain

Egypt closes 27,000 places of worship

The Egyptian Ministry of Religious Endowment has shuttered 27,000 local places of worship under the pretext of fighting terrorism, while awarding 400 preaching permits to Salafists.

Egypt

Egypt’s terrorism law whittles down opposition

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a new decision regarding Egypt’s anti-terrorism law, running the risk of labeling most opposition groups and human rights organizations as terrorist entities.

Egypt

Egypt's Faten Hamama was more than movie star

Egyptian actress Faten Hamama, who died Jan. 17, was behind the amendment of the Egyptian Personal Status Law, allowing women to file for divorces.

Egypt

Qatar rejects Egypt’s war on terrorism

The Egyptian request to carry out, under international cover, airstrikes against Islamic State strongholds in Libya was rejected by Qatar, which reveals the emergence of new alliances in the Middle East.

Qatar

Are Egypt's women really better off under Sisi?

Life for women in Egypt has improved significantly under the reign of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi compared to the era of the Muslim Brotherhood, although some female activists say that women still have a long way to go toward emancipation.

Egypt

Sinai residents feel betrayed by Egyptian media

The Egyptian media has been accused of trivializing the situation in Sinai, which either castigates or ignores residents while they are being beheaded by Islamic extremists for cooperating with the army in its anti-terrorism campaign against them.

Egypt

Is Congress backing Sisi's battle against Islamists?

Lawmakers declined to grill Secretary of State John Kerry on military assistance to Egypt.

Egypt

Female genital mutilation persists in rural Egypt

Although the practice of female genital mutilation in Egypt has decreased, the phenomenon is still omnipresent in villages, prompting civil society and the government to initiate a campaign to raise awareness.

Egypt

Congress starts to question UN arms embargo on Libya

The shift follows a heavy push by Egypt and Jordan after the Islamic State beheading of Coptic Christians.

Egypt

Regional events have Hamas in political limbo

Various events and unresolved regional crises have fed Hamas' reluctance to forge regional alliances and take decisive positions on developments in the Arab world.

Saudi Arabia