Latest update: 11/04/2012 

- China - Europe - Islam - Islamism - Russia - Sharia - Syria


Alvaro de Vasconcelos, Director of the European Union Institute for Security Studies

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One year on from the Arab Spring, the rise of Islamist parties across the region is giving some European and US leaders a headache. They are asking a very un-politically correct question - are Islam and democracy mutually exclusive? Alvaro de Vasconcelos, director of the European Institute for International Strategic Studies, says that is the wrong question, and the wrong approach.

THE INTERVIEW

Alvaro de Vasconcelos recently published "Listening to unfamiliar voices – The Arab democratic wave".

Mustapha Ben Jaafar, President, Tunisian National Constituent Assembly
04/03/2013 - THE INTERVIEW

Mustapha Ben Jaafar, President, Tunisian National Constituent Assembly

The president of Tunisia’s Constituent Assembly, Mustapha Ben Jaafar, denies the country is going through a political crisis. He believes a new constitution will be adopted next month and elections will be held before the end of this year. He also says the investigation into the assassination of Chokri Belaid is making progress, and believes the education minister was wrong to launch a probe into students who danced the "Harlem Shake".
Macky Sall, Senegalese President
02/03/2013 - THE INTERVIEW

Macky Sall, Senegalese President

Senegal's president, Macky Sall, tells Marc Perelman that his country is ready to send soldiers to the front in northern Mali to fight the Islamists. However, he says the elections in Mali will no doubt have to be postponed. Macky Sall discusses the danger of terrorism in Senegal and promises that the "ill-gotten gains" probe is nearing its end - and that it is not a witch hunt.
Joumana Haddad, Author, 'Superman is an Arab'
28/02/2013 - THE INTERVIEW

Joumana Haddad, Author, 'Superman is an Arab'

To discuss the issue of the patriarchal system that continues to dominate in the Arab world and beyond, Sean Rose speaks to Joumana Haddad, a Lebanese poet and journalist. She is also the author of 'Superman is an Arab'.
Matthew Levitt, Former Counter-Terrorism Official at the FBI and US Treasury Department
27/02/2013 - THE INTERVIEW

Matthew Levitt, Former Counter-Terrorism Official at the FBI and US Treasury Department

Lebanon’s Hezbollah party is making headlines as the EU mulls whether to add the group to its list of terrorist entities. This comes after Bulgaria pointed the finger at Hezbollah for a bombing that killed 5 Israelis there last summer. For more on this issue, Marc Perelman speaks to Matthew Levitt, a former counterterrorism official with the FBI and US Treasury Department and an expert on Hezbollah.
Gilbert Achcar, author of 'The People Want: a radical exploration of the Arab uprising'
26/02/2013 - THE INTERVIEW

Gilbert Achcar, author of 'The People Want: a radical exploration of the Arab uprising'

As Tunisia continues to reel from the murder of leftist opposition leader, Chokri Belaid, the ruling Islamist party Ennahda is struggling to regain public confidence. Noted French author and academic, Gilbert Achcar, tells Annette Young why he believes Islamist political leaders across the region are set to fail at the job.

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