Marriage of Love versus Marriage of Convenience

Love and marriage may go hand in hand - but consider the merits of arrangements & convenience in this computer analogy; When 'Marry me' does not disclose the first wife; Is Libya a job well done? Who is next in line to the Saudi throne; 'Foreign' plots to expose Saudi poverty come undone but this blogger is not convinced; And Tunisia's first Arab Spring election.

Celebrating newly-wedded bliss. Whether for love or convenience, the day of marriage does not always tell of the days ahead.

American Bedu [3]

Saudi Arabia: Understanding Marriage

A comparison of love marriage versus arranged marriage, where tradition takes on romance: Take your seats to see the dual play out in this stand-off !

Ivy Says [4]

Will You Be My Second Wife?

The pitfalls of a marriage proposal with missing information and no small print to read: "My former colleague Diana met her boyfriend Hadi on the street. No really, she did. He then chased her down in his car and begged her for her number. Her first impulse was to run away from this stalker but she took one look at his face and was smitten. She stopped at the side of the road and they exchanged numbers. One date led to another and before you know it they’ve been dating for 6 months. They have no mutual friends, both lived on different sides of the country, and although she felt it was right when they were together- something was seriously off."

Suffonisms [5]

Words of Caution and Wisdom: Michael Ignatieff on Libya and the Arab Spring

"As the Conservatives are patting themselves on the back for a job well done in Libya, this Globe and Mail article written by the former Liberal leader, Michael Ignatieff, cautions us against believing that what has happened in Libya has anything to do with us. I do agree that Canada played its role in Libya really well, and for that I will give the government credit. But let’s not let it go to our heads."

West Bengal [6]

Saudi Crown Prince Sultan dies, Prince Nayef next in line

"Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Sultan has died, the royal court said on Saturday, opening the way for Interior Minister and reputed conservative Prince Nayef to become the likely heir apparent of the world's top oil exporter. Prince Sultan, whose age was officially given as 80 and who died in New York of colon cancer early on Saturday Saudi time, had been a central figure in Saudi decision-making since becoming defence minister in 1962 and was made crown prince in 2005."

Lebanon Spring [7]

A foreign Saudi plot to expose foreign poverty in foreign Saudi

"You can call it the carrot and stick policy; Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah recently unveiled a public benefits package worth $37bn, and his authorities arrested three bloggers apparently for a ‘minor’ issue this week."

Inter Aksyon [8]

Tunisia holds first elections after Arab Spring

"Tunisia holds its first-ever free elections Sunday with an Islamic party poised to win, nine months after the surprise toppling of strongman Zine el Abidine Ben Ali that sparked the Arab Spring."

American Bedu [9]

Saudi Arabia: Detention of Saudi Blogger

"Saudi blogger, Feras Bugnah and two production colleagues, Hosam Al-Deraiwish and Khaleed Al-Rasheed were arrested this past Sunday in connection with an online show they have been producing via youtube. The latest episode, “We Are Being Cheated” pertains to poverty in the heart of Saudi Arabia’s capital city, Riyadh."