[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on the Arabian Peninsula and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Arabian Peninsula Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to ap@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every week.]
Regional and International Relations
Saudi reportedly executes Yemeni gang members A news report on the beheading of five Yemenis and the public display of their bodies in Jizan, on Al Jazeera English.
Saudi Arabia arrests more ‘Iran spy ring’ suspects A news report on the arrest of eight Saudis and two foreign nationals on suspicion of spying for Iran, on BBC.
Reports and Opinions
Exclusive interview with Mujtahid – Saudi Arabia’s most controversial voice William Bauer interviews the anonymous Mujtahid, whose Twitter account covers sensitive political and social topics, and has nearly a million followers, on Your Middle East.
Rich Nation, Poor People: Saudi Arabia by Lynsey Addario Aryn Baker introduces a photo essay on poverty in Saudi Arabia, in Time.
A New Saudi Arabia? Frederic Wehrey discusses questions of reform, the royal family, and sectarianism in the kingdom, on Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Saudi prince to head national guard ministry A news report on the implications of the appointment of Prince Miteb, King Abdullah’s son, as the new national guard minister, on Al Jazeera English.
Kuwait opposition leader al-Barrak’s sentence quashed A news report on the Kuwaiti appeals court’s decision to overturn a fiver-year sentence for Mussallam al-Barrak, a prominent opposition figure in Kuwait, on BBC.
Repression in Bahrain
It is my duty to bear witness to the 2011 shootings in Pearl square, Bahrain An extract of Ali Aldairy’s chapter from Writing Revolution, a collection of essays from people who took part in the Arab uprisings, in The Guardian.
Bahrain sentences 14 activists to 15 years over killing A news report on the decision of the Court of Cassation to uphold the jail term for fourteen protesters who allegedly killed a Pakistani national during the 2011 uprising, in Al-Akhbar English.
Crisis in Yemen
Yemenis protest for release of activists jailed during uprising Hundreds of Yemenis stage a sit-in to demand the release of their detained relatives and friends, in Al-Akhbar English.
Yemeni women make their voices heard Amina Semlali reflects on Yemeni women’s fight for a new constitution that will guarantee more rights and equal opportunities, on Al Jazeera English.
“I just want the U.S. to send my father home” Letta Tayler writes about the family of Abdul Khaliq al-Bhaidani who is still held at Guantanamo even though he was cleared twice for transfer, on Salon.
Human Rights Watch
France: Hollande to Meet Saudi Official The organization calls upon the French president to discuss human rights abuses and harassment of activists during his meeting with Prince Nayef al Saud.
Yemen: Investigate, Respond to Landmine Use Reports The organization expresses concerns over allegations that the Republican Guards laid banned antipersonnel landmines in 2011, which have caused at least fifteen civilian causalities.
Amnesty International
Saudi Arabia: Five beheaded and ‘crucified’ amid ‘disturbing’ rise in executions A statement by the organization condemning the beheading of five Yemenis in Jizan and the execution of a man in Abha, which brings the number of people killed by the state this year to forty-seven.
Saudi Arabia: Appeal for human rights defenders facing up to 11 years in jail The organization calls for the immediate overturn of the jail terms of Mohammad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamid.
Life in the UAE: ‘We expect anything from the authorities - we are afraid of everything’ An interview with two activists who are part of a group ninety-four activists on trial for allegedly threatening national security.
Migrant Workers
Striking Dubai workers face mass deportation A news report on the fate of migrant workers at Arabtec Construction who went on a strike last week, on Al Jazeera English.
Dubai’s striking workers in their own words Chris Arsenault interviews workers who participated in the strike last week, on Al Jazeera English.
Raids on Gulf Migrants: Pictures and Thoughts Mona Kareem reflects on the treatment of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, on Al-Akhbar English.
Culture
Bahrain digs unveil one of oldest civilisations Sylvia Smith reports on new excavations at the archaeological site of the Saar settlement, on BBC.
Meet the first all-Emirati, all-girl rock band Colin Simpson writes on the band Random Stars, whose female members are students at the Higher Colleges of Technology at Al Ain, in The National.
Media
Al Jazeera deletes its own controversial Op-Ed, then refuses to comment Glenn Greenwald examines Al Jazeera English’s decision to delete and then republish Joseph Massad’s article “The Last of the Semites” in light of the network’s entrance into the US market, in The Guardian.
Arabic
السعودية في مستنقع المال والسلطة
Madawi Al-Rasheed examines the combination of money and power in Saudi Arabia.
منظمة حقوقية تؤكد تدهور الحالة الصحية لناشط سعودي مضرب عن الطعام
A news report on the deteriorating health of Saudi activist Muhammad bin Saleh al-Bajadi who has been on hunger strike for weeks.
السعودية تنفذ أحكاما بإعدام خمسة يمنيين وتعلق جثثهم في ساحة عامة
A news report on the public execution of five Yemenis in Jizan.
خدم البحرين 30 عاماً كطبيب .. وعومل كمجرم
An interview with Said al-Samahiji, who is one of twenty medical professionals arrested and jailed on charges of attempting to topple the regime, among others, during the uprising in 2011.
البحرين عاصمة التعذيب
An article on torture in Bahrain since 1976, the year the leftist poet Said al-Uwainati died under torture one day after his arrest.
البحرين: المعارضة تتضامن مع الشيخ عيسى قاسم
The Bahraini opposition announces its solidarity with Sheikh Issa Qasim after security forces raided his house last week.
الوحدة اليمنية رسوخ يستعصي على الاعاصير
Najeeb Ahmed al-Mudhafar argues that Yemen`s unity is solid and unshakable.
اليمن: مشروع الدولة المدنية يتعثر أمام تصاعد القوة القبلية والنزعات المناطقية إثر تراجع هيبة الدولة
Khalid al-Hamadi dwells on the fate of the civil state in Yemen in light of the rise of regionalism, the increasing power of tribes, and the decline of the government`s power.
الكويت: إلغاء حكم بسجن النائب السابق مسلم البراك 5 سنوات بتهمة إهانة الذات الأميرية
A news report on the Kuwaiti appeals court’s decision to overturn a five-year sentence for Mussallam al-Barrak.
المعارضة الكويتية ستقاطع اي انتخابات ما لم يتم تعديل القانون
A news report on the Kuwaiti opposition`s announcement that it will boycott the upcoming election if the election law is not amended.
صلاحية الامم المتحدة لحل الخلافات الحدودية العراقية-الكويتية
Nassif al-Joubori examines the implication of the United Nations` role in re-drawing the Kuwaiti-Iraqi borders.
دول الخليج تدعو إيران للإلتزام التام بمبادئ حسن الجوار وعدم التدخل بشؤونها
Members of the Gulf Cooperation Council call upon Iran to refrain from interfering in the Gulf countries` affairs.
"غرفة عمليات" في الديوان الأميري في الدوحة: قطر تسلح في شمال سوريا والسعودية في جنوبها
A news report on Saudi and Qatari funding of the Syrian opposition.