Eshtebak (Clash) defies convenient stereotypes of heroes and villains. There are no comfortable answers, and there is no feel-good storyline; it is unapologetically raw and gritty. Clash compels audiences to doubt their perceptions of conflict and political antagonism, a vexing challenge for an Egyptian public accustomed to propagandist narratives on …

August 9, 2016—Egypt's parliament approved legislation prohibiting police officers from sharing work-related information with media outlets today. The push for reform is due in part to recurrent complaints, many from human rights lawyers, of abuse and torture in police custody.

August 9, 2016—The Cairo Criminal Court adjourned the “Rabaa Dispersal” trial until September 6 during today’s court session. Among the nearly 740 defendants are Egyptian photographer Shawkan and important Muslim Brotherhood figures.

July 31, 2016—Friction between passionate football supporters and their depiction in sports media has developed over the past few years. Ultras Ahlawy, the Egyptian organization under which the fans gather, is at the epicenter of violence and anti-government conspiracy theories.

July 26, 2016—Following a sudden health crisis, Egyptian director and filmmaker Mohamed Khan died this morning at age 73. He changed the face of Egyptian cinema in the 1980s with the expansion of neo-realism. Khan was born in Cairo in 1942 and studied at the London International Film School.

July 19, 2016—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) awarded one of its four 2016 International Press Freedom Awards to freelance photojournalist Mahmoud Abou Zeid “Shawkan” yesterday. The other recipients are journalists from India, Turkey, and El Salvador who have also faced “threats, legal action, and imprisonment” in the course of their work.

July 16, 2016—A local court denied the request for a stay of execution for novelist Ahmed Naji today. Naji is currently serving a two-year prison sentence.

June 27, 2016—Lebanese broadcast journalist and TV host Liliane Daoud was arrested today, mere hours after she ended her contract with Egyptian television channel ONTV.

One way of getting to the “root causes” of terrorism and religious extremism in the Middle East is to examine the thinking of the mother organization of all groups and movements espousing violence and terrorism. Fortunately, the history of the Muslim Brothers is well researched. The revelations of the organization reflect a great deal of inconsistencies between the general and the specific: public pronouncements and specific documents, theory and practice, English and Arabic.

In his most recent book, Mohannad Sabry examines a region that remains a mystery to people around the world. His thorough research and extensive field experience yield profound insight into the complex claims in the territory that have influenced Sinai's history and its present.