Governance
Majority of Lebanese believe in a secular state: survey
BEIRUT: Over half of Lebanese believe that a civil/secular system of governance is best for the country, the latest survey by Arab Barometer has revealed. A thousand citizens were questioned over the phone between July and October on their opinions regarding the country’s political system and the Beirut Port explosion. The survey was conducted by Statistics Lebanon, a polling and…
Lebanon: divided politics, shared discontent
The explosion at the port of Beirut killed at least 150 people, and the subsequent massive protests led to the resignation of the government. However, the protests are not about replacing the figureheads, but about addressing the ‘bankruptcy’ of the political pact that was intended to keep the religious groups in balance. The fear is great that giving up on…
Sudan’s government seems to be shifting away from Islamic law. Not everyone supports these moves.
The latest Arab Barometer surveys reveal some surprises. Last month, Nasredeen Abdulbari, Sudan’s justice minister, announced the end of bans on alcohol and apostacy, and prohibited the use of traditional corporal punishment. These moves are part of a wider effort to shift away Sudan from traditional sharia, or Islamic law, which has been the basis for law in Sudan for…
Egypt after the Coronavirus: Back to Square One
Egypt’s recent security and macro-economic stabilization has been built on weak foundations and Covid-19 has further exposed this fragility. Egypt is now back to a situation broadly similar to that before the 2011 revolution: stable on the surface, but with deep structural problems and simmering social grievances, and little buffers to mitigate them. This paper argues for a major shift…