Asharq Alawsat
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Palestine-Israel
Rumi's Masnavi, part 1: World figure or new age fad? | Franklin Lewis | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
'Whirling dervishes', followers of Rumi's mystical teachings, perform at Abdi Ipekci Arena in Istanbul, Turkey, 15 December 2007. Photograph: Sedat Suna/EPA He died in 1273, but his poetry, his depth of feeling, and his mystical insight made "Our Master" (Mowlana or Mevlana) Rumi the most celebrated mystical poet in the Islamic world, from the Balkans to Bengal and everywhere else Persian was used as a literary, historical and learned language.When you see Iraqi policemen salute the grave of Saddam Hussein, you start to realize how much more needs to be achieved before Iraq is on the road to true peace and stability. There are Iraqis who long for the past, especially in Tikrit, the hometown of the late Iraqi leader. A few moments later, a family arrived at the gravesite which has become a shrine for many. A woman kissed Saddam's grave and cried out: "Abu Oday, where are you? I wish you were here. Since you have been gone, we have been humiliated."
Longing for Saddam in Tikrit | Al Jazeera Blogs
The Beirut Spring | A Lebanese Blog
Should the Lebanese government pay for a new bridge in Jaleldib? The bridge, despite slowing drown traffic on the main highway, made life easier for many of the residents in that area. After it was dismantled, people started getting inconvenienced daily with an additional 20 minutes or so of driving to reach the main highway. But does that mean that the government should foot the bill for a new bridge?Algeria