<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Habib Toumi &#187; General</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.habibtoumi.com/category/general/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.habibtoumi.com</link>
	<description>Observations from the Arab world and beyond</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:16:01 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Emir extols parliament role in serving Kuwait</title>
		<link>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/emir-extols-parliament-role-in-serving-kuwait/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=emir-extols-parliament-role-in-serving-kuwait</link>
		<comments>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/emir-extols-parliament-role-in-serving-kuwait/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:14:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Habib Toumi</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.habibtoumi.com/?p=7865</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Kuwait’s new parliament elected a veteran politician and three-time speaker Ahmad Al Sa’adoun as speaker of the house Wednesday. Earlier, Kuwait’s Emir welcomed the country’s lawmakers to the 14th legislative term, expressing hope they will serve the nation and its people to the best of their capabilities. “I would like to congratulate everybody on the voting process, which was carried out in an environment of freedom and democracy &#8211; something which was admired and commended by the people as well as Arab and international observers,” Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah said as he opened the session. “We are at the crossroads of a new stage of democratic parliamentary practice. It is not right and it is not acceptable that while we celebrate 50 years of our parliament, we talk about a parliamentary ‘experiment,” he said, quoted by Kuwait News Agency (Kuna). Kuwait should instead highlight its forward-looking progress that has resisted formidable challenges and onslaughts, he said. “It is our duty to work to boost our progress towards grand objectives based on lessons drawn from past mistakes,” Shaikh Sabah said. The Emir said that the unprecedented clashes in the run-up to the elections were not related to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/emir-extols-parliament-role-in-serving-kuwait/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bahrain agreement with Denmark rejected</title>
		<link>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/bahrain-agreement-with-denmark-rejected/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=bahrain-agreement-with-denmark-rejected</link>
		<comments>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/bahrain-agreement-with-denmark-rejected/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:13:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Habib Toumi</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.habibtoumi.com/?p=7863</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Bahrain&#8217;s lower chamber has refused to endorse a bilateral agreement on taxation with Denmark despite clarifications from the finance ministry. Lawmakers, led by Adel Al Mouawda, from Salafi society Al Asala, argued that they could not support an agreement with a country that allowed insults against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). The veteran MP was referring to the controversy sparked by the publication of caricatures of Prophet Mohammad by a Danish daily in 2005. &#8220;We would have rejected the agreement if there had been a negative stance towards our political leaders,&#8221; Al Mouawda said. &#8220;The matter is much more serious when the target is the dearest person in our lives, our Prophet (PBUH), so we must reject the agreement, no matter how economically important it is. God and His Prophet hold the top positions in our hearts,&#8221; he said at the weekly session on Tuesday. MPs Abdul Halim Murad, Ali Shamtoot, Abdullah Bin Huwail and Ahmad Qarata also pressed for the non-endorsement of the agreement, insisting that Prophet Mohammad was a red line not to be crossed. However, a representative from the finance ministry said that the agreement was with a host of European countries and that it was according to international [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/bahrain-agreement-with-denmark-rejected/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bahrain deports six Americans for false information on visa application</title>
		<link>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/bahrain-deports-six-americans-who-joined-protests/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=bahrain-deports-six-americans-who-joined-protests</link>
		<comments>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/bahrain-deports-six-americans-who-joined-protests/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:13:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Habib Toumi</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.habibtoumi.com/?p=7861</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Six Americans have been deported for entering Bahrain under false information, the General Directorate of Immigration has said. &#8220;Kate Raphael Bender, Kristin Razowsky, Patricia Wieland, Michael Anthony Lopercio, Brian David Terrell and Linda Sartor arrived in Bahrain over the past week and applied for tourism visas at the airport,&#8221; the authorities said. &#8220;However, once in the country, they took part in illegal demonstrations. The group was taken to Hoora Police Station for questioning and agreed to leave the country without further legal procedures.&#8221; The six Americans were reportedly in Bahrain as part of a US group &#8220;aimed at providing civilian presence to report and monitor the situation on the ground.&#8221; However, an official said that &#8220;people coming to Bahrain need to understand that giving false information and lying on immigration documents is against the law.&#8221; &#8220;They should appreciate that by lying they have to face the consequences of their acts,&#8221; the official said. On February 11, Huwaida Arraf and Radhika Sainath, two of the group members, were also deported. Reports said that the two arrived on February 6 and gave false information about the purpose of their visit and the names of their hotel. &#8220;Once they were allowed in, they [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/bahrain-deports-six-americans-who-joined-protests/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>King Hamad highlights unity as way forward for Bahrain</title>
		<link>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/king-hamad-highlights-unity-as-way-forward-for-bahrain/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=king-hamad-highlights-unity-as-way-forward-for-bahrain</link>
		<comments>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/king-hamad-highlights-unity-as-way-forward-for-bahrain/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:12:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Habib Toumi</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.habibtoumi.com/?p=7859</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa highlighted national unity and reconciliation as the way forward for Bahrain. “As we celebrate the Day of the Charter, it is necessary to emphasise the spirit of cohesion and reconciliation between all components of the Bahraini society,” King Hamad said in an address marking the endorsement of the National Action Charter, the document that heralded political and constitutional reforms, in a 2001 referendum. “There is no doubt that everyone is looking to achieve this objective, and we are pleased to see today sincere and honest calls from those who are keen on the unification and cohesion of the community. We pray for the success of these efforts in order to overcome the phase experienced by our beloved country, and to start a new phase of hard and honest work for the benefit of the homeland and the citizens,” he said. Bahrain has been rocked for the last 11 months by deep divisions a confidence crisis, mainly between the two major segments of the society. However, calls for new confidence-building measures and talks to reconcile the divergent views have been made over the last two weeks and sparked hope in the country. King Hamad said [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/king-hamad-highlights-unity-as-way-forward-for-bahrain/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Controversial Kuwaiti writer to make public apology over &#8216;disparaging remarks&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/controversial-kuwaiti-writer-to-make-public-apology-over-disparaging-remarks/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=controversial-kuwaiti-writer-to-make-public-apology-over-disparaging-remarks</link>
		<comments>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/controversial-kuwaiti-writer-to-make-public-apology-over-disparaging-remarks/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:11:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Habib Toumi</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.habibtoumi.com/?p=7857</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A Kuwaiti writer who has come under intense fire for &#8220;offensive remarks&#8221; that angered Shiites will make a public apology at a gathering of leading figures from the Sunni and Shiite sects. Mohammad Al Milaifi last week published an article in which he reportedly scoffed at the Awaited Mahdi, venerated as the Saviour of Humanity who will appear during the &#8220;end times&#8221;. Angered by the remarks, protestors staged a public rally to press the government to take action against the controversial writer, including stripping him of his Kuwaiti citizenship. “We will seek to contain the matter,” Ali Al Matrook, a dignitary involved in the move to address the issue. “The gathering on Tuesday evening will be attended by Kuwaiti elite who will express their rejection of any and everything that may undermine our national unity and will condemn any action that targets the beliefs and dignity of other people,” he said, quoted by Arabic daily Al Nahar. Al Milaifi had apologised through a local daily for his remarks. “If some Shiite brothers misunderstood paragraphs in my article as a denigration of the Awaited Mahdi, I would like to apologise to them,” he said. “I have never scorned anyone from the family [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/controversial-kuwaiti-writer-to-make-public-apology-over-disparaging-remarks/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Saudi tweeter&#8217;s supporters may be summoned by court</title>
		<link>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/saudi-tweeters-supporters-may-face-court-summon/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=saudi-tweeters-supporters-may-face-court-summon</link>
		<comments>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/saudi-tweeters-supporters-may-face-court-summon/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:09:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Habib Toumi</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.habibtoumi.com/?p=7853</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[People who encouraged a Saudi controversial columnist facing charges of blasphemy could be summoned by the public prosecutor, a report has said. &#8220;The public prosecutor in Jeddah is filing a lawsuit against Hamza Kashgari on charges of disrespecting God and insulting Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in his Twitter account,&#8221; sources told Al Hayat daily. The sources said that public prosecutor in the Red Sea city of Jeddah was likely to summon people who expressed support or agreed with him on the social network, the daily reported on Monday. &#8220;The public prosecutor, as the attorney for the society, has the right to summon anyone who encouraged the defendant or who is connected to matters that motivated his action,&#8221; Abdul Aziz Al Zamel, a legal consultant, said, quoted by Al Hayat. The prosecutor is based in Jeddah, the city where Hamza Kashgari posted his tweets on Prophet&#8217;s Mohammad birthday anniversary before fleeing to Malaysia, the sources said. According to Saudi daily Arab News, &#8220;a number of Saudis have called for the trial of all those who tweeted support for Kashgari, saying they were equally guilty.&#8221; &#8220;Those who supported the contents of Kashgari&#8217;s tweets are considered criminal exactly like him,&#8221; Khaled Abu Rashid, a lawyer and a legal [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/saudi-tweeters-supporters-may-face-court-summon/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Kuwait imposes blanket ban on public smoking</title>
		<link>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/kuwait-imposes-blanket-ban-on-public-smoking/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=kuwait-imposes-blanket-ban-on-public-smoking</link>
		<comments>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/kuwait-imposes-blanket-ban-on-public-smoking/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:08:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Habib Toumi</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.habibtoumi.com/?p=7851</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Kuwait has banned smoking and shisha in all public places, including airports, cafes, restaurants, shopping centres and recreational areas. The ban issued on Monday by the commerce and industry ministry upon a recommendation from the health authorities covers all forms of tobacco and is applicable in all areas of the country. The ban was attributed to promoting public heath and preserving people&#8217;s safety. Under the ban, cafes, restaurants and hotels have to allocate a secluded area for smokers. The authorities warned that non-compliance with the ban could result in legal action against violators. Inspectors will monitor all public places to ensure full respect for the new rules. http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/kuwait/kuwait-imposes-blanket-ban-on-public-smoking-1.980047]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/kuwait-imposes-blanket-ban-on-public-smoking/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bahrain future depends on inclusive strategy</title>
		<link>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/bahrain-future-depends-on-inclusive-strategy/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=bahrain-future-depends-on-inclusive-strategy</link>
		<comments>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/bahrain-future-depends-on-inclusive-strategy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:07:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Habib Toumi</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.habibtoumi.com/?p=7849</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Muhannad looked upset as he leaned back on the large sofa to sip his green tea. He has been trying to explain that as a Sunni married to a Shiite, he wanted to live like everybody else, away from clichés that have been plaguing him and his wife Hala since Bahrain&#8217;s society has been fractured alongside sectarian faults by the earthquakes that rocked it in February and March and well beyond. &#8220;We feel troubled by what is happening. We have been through a lot, but now that February 14 is almost here, everybody wants to know how my wife and I as well as our families have been faring for the last 12 months,&#8221; said Muhannad, the head of a government department. &#8220;For Hala and me, February 14 is when we celebrate the day we met five years ago at a mutual friend&#8217;s party. It is a celebration of love,&#8221; he paused to finish his tea. &#8220;I know for some Bahrainis, February 14 is the celebration of the National Action Charter, the document that launched political and constitutional reforms. For others, it is the launch of large demonstrations to ask for more freedoms and rights. Regretfully, a miscalculated dimension was [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/bahrain-future-depends-on-inclusive-strategy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Study addresses misconceptions about Gulf women athletes</title>
		<link>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/study-addresses-misconceptions-about-gulf-women-athletes/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=study-addresses-misconceptions-about-gulf-women-athletes</link>
		<comments>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/study-addresses-misconceptions-about-gulf-women-athletes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:05:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Habib Toumi</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.habibtoumi.com/?p=7846</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Middle East women and girls taking part in sports activities are encountering challenges not faced by their Western counterparts, a Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) research indicates. &#8220;Female athletes in the Middle East face pressures that include family, religion, politics, and culture,&#8221; the research said. &#8220;These issues often take place over use or nonuse of the hijab, the traditional head covering for Muslim women.&#8221; In the &#8220;Muslim Female Athletes and the Hijab&#8221; study, NU-Q sociologist Geoff Harkness and his course student Samira Islam shed light on the quiet gender revolution that has been brewing in the region in the arena of sports. The study, published in the latest edition of Contexts Magazine, a publication of the American Sociological Association, is part of ongoing research that Harkness is conducting on women&#8217;s sports participation in Qatar. &#8220;There are a number of misconceptions about people from the Middle East, especially women,&#8221; Harkness said. &#8220;One benefit of this type of sociological research is that it can help reduce some of those stereotypes and paint a more accurate picture of what life is really like here.&#8221; The research is the result of almost a year of collaboration between the NU-Q professor and his student Samira [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/study-addresses-misconceptions-about-gulf-women-athletes/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Trio caught trying to sneak man out under wedding dress in Kuwait</title>
		<link>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/trio-caught-trying-to-sneak-man-out-under-wedding-dress-in-kuwait/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=trio-caught-trying-to-sneak-man-out-under-wedding-dress-in-kuwait</link>
		<comments>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/trio-caught-trying-to-sneak-man-out-under-wedding-dress-in-kuwait/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:04:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Habib Toumi</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.habibtoumi.com/?p=7844</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Four people are in Kuwait police custody following an attempt to smuggle a stateless man out of the country under a heavy wedding dress. On inspecting a car leaving Kuwait at Al Salmi post at the border with Saudi Arabia, policemen were amazed by the size of a white wedding dress lying at the feet of two women riding in the back, Kuwaiti Arabic daily Al Rai reported. Lifting the oversized dress, the policemen discovered a young man, hiding in a foetal position. The two women, a Kuwaiti and a Gulf national, as well as the driver, a Gulf citizen, and the stateless Arab were arrested. According to initial investigations, the man had paid the trio KD850 (Dh11,230) to help him out of Kuwait, claiming that he wanted to look for an employment opportunity after he failed to secure a job. http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/kuwait/trio-caught-trying-to-sneak-man-out-under-wedding-dress-in-kuwait-1.979936]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.habibtoumi.com/2012/02/15/trio-caught-trying-to-sneak-man-out-under-wedding-dress-in-kuwait/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

