Carpet gallery

Usually when I show you photos (not book jackets and things but photos) I have taken them myself and no other attribution is needed - I point out the exceptions, not the rule. Exceptions tend to be more or less obvious also, if I am in the picture, for instance! Now, the above is an exception, because the photographer this time is my husband. I found the above, quite unusual, Afghan carpet in a photo on the website of our neighbouring Stockholm auction house and placed a bid, obtaining it for a very reasonable price. I still haven't seen it myself and cannot vouch for the quality, but my husband approved it on inspection!

Alan Johnston

During his kidnapping ordeal in Gaza last year, I followed the fate of Alan Johnston here on the blog. I found this book on it, by himself, today - and intend to read it has soon as I can.

Happy Valentine's!!!

Well, the theme of the posting will be much similar to the ordinary, but starting by noting the day at least makes the world seem a bit brighter! ;-) The past 2 weeks have been quite full of events and early on, the period was dominated by Internet problems across the Middle East (as reported by BBC).

Culture
I'd like to start today with a Dagens Nyheter-article on the richness of early art in Afghanistan.

On a completely different note, the Swedish children's detective novels on Ture Sventon (featuring a Stockholm in the 50's) are analysed in Svenska Dagbladet.

Turkey
In Turkey, the headscarf controversy has been imminent again. Here Svenska Dagbladet, before the vote in parliament, on popular protests.

Palestine
Dagens Nyheters Nathan Schachar here discusses how people could not see what was brewing in Gaza. This ties in with my own fascination with the region, but of course it is sad that insights and analyses do not empower policies...

Egypt
A New York Times report on what to do in 36 hours in Cairo.

Iraq
A friend recommended this Dagens Nyheter article, on women police officers in Iraqi Kurdistan.

ICG's latest Iraq report here - on the "Sadrist surge".

Saudiarabia
Reform in Saudi-arabia walks in small steps (here from the BBC). Someone said the driving ban for women may be loosened very quietly, does anyone know more?

Valentine's is too much to stomach though, apaprently, here in a Dagens Nyheter report.

Syria
Sey Hersh here from the New Yorker on Israel's attack last year on an alleged nuclear facility in Syria.

Hizbullah leader Mughniyeh died a day ago in a carbomb in Damascus, here reported by BBC.

Iran
Yesterday I could tell you about Parvin Ardalan's receiving the Palme prize. Here Eurasianet asks whether Iran's government fears educated women? Ironically in that case, since (perhaps surprisingly) women's literacy and education has risen quite steeply in Iran in the year's of the present regime. Longterm subversiveness?

Middle East knowledge development
This theme is very poignant here in the Gulf and I have followed it before. BBC here reports on a new World Bank report on Arab education and it's challenges.

Not on education, but on information and freedom of expression is this piece, BBC reporting on Arab broadcasting being curbed...

Other
Light has been shed on how a leading family in Nazi Germany, the Himmlers, dealt with reality through a daughter talking of her experience (here from Svenska Dagbladet).

BBC's Beirut-correspondent thinks about leaving Beirut and what that means for her as a journalist.

Aftonbladet reviews Åsne Seierstads new book (soon to be published in Sweden and Norway, if it hasn't just recently been) on Chechnya, where her journalism-career once started.

Svenska Dagbladet here writes on information warfare.

BBC reports on a Russian film, clandestinely depicting president Putin's love life!

Svenska Dagbladet has some travel tips on Vilnius, where I will make a third visit next month.

This issue is quite a challenging one - a man here writes an op-ed on the need to legislate against enforced marriage. Oh yes, of course! Each one should freely chose one's spouse. But what I have yet to figure out is how such a law be written and enforced so it has a real meaning, outside being either racist or pointless. Advise me, please.

Added on Friday - Dagens Nyheter has photos from the Hariri memorial activities in Beirut yesterday. Svenska Dagbladet reports on the development too, and Hizbullah's reaction to the death of Mughniyeh (featured abve also).

Palme award to Parvin Ardalan

This year's Palme prize has been awarded Iranian women's activist Parvin Ardalan.

Dagens Nyheter reports here on it. Svenska Dagbladet wisely notes that the international attention this prize gives Ardalan and her movement hopefully means greater protection for the activists.

Bastard of Istanbul - recommending Elif Shafak

I have read Elif Shafak's earlier novels and bought "The Bastard of Istanbul" as soon as I could get hold of a copy, but then it's been lying around waiting for a good occasion to read. That occasion came this weekend, and I really enjoyed it! It is by far the best of Shafak's novels (even if "The Saint of the Incipient Insanities" was also terrific), warmly portraying Istanbul Turkish history (even in difficult times) and a Turkish family.

Elif Shafak became very controversial in Turkey with it's publication but the book is really worth it just for the read, without the attention directed to it by the controversy. Daring to brave the subject also deserves an applause, of course!

Exhibition Afghanistan

An exhibition of precious historical objects from Afghanistan is being shown in the Netherlands right now, and apparently later on in the States. Time shows some objects from it in a photo gallery here.

Tuesday update: Aftonbladet started a new special feature on Afghanistan here - with interviews, chats and meetings with ordinary Afghans.

Human Rights Watch - new annual report

The new annual report came out late last week and can be found here.

There as supposed to be special sections on several Middle East countries also (Iraq here), including in Arabic, and special features like podcasts and additional material.

Monday update: Also the Committee to Protect Journalists has a new annual report with a reportedly extensive Middle East-section.

Egypt photography

Hardly surprising to my readers, I am fascinated by early photography. The Museum of Near Eastern Art in Stockholm just now has a photo exhibition with photos from Egypt and Palestine (I believe) by a current young photographer following in the footsteps of his photographer great-grandfather...

The photo above is from the museum webpage on the exhibition. I am so sorry I won't be able to see it, but encourage anyone who has the chance to do so.

Svenska Dagbladet reviewed the book gathering the pictures also, and I suspect I will finger it longingly if I ever encounter a copy! ;-)

Highrises on the creek

The Creek area also has it's fair share of the typical Dubai skyscrapers.

Islamic arts exhibition

At Emirates Palace, the luxurious Abu Dhabi hotel, now has an exhibition all spring (until april I believe) on Islamic arts - it looks superinteresting!