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Issue XXIX

May 2008 – Issue XXXIX fast forwards to 2048 to see if peace is possible by Israel’s 100th anniversary, asks why men can’t be feminists, considers how Ukraine is grappling with finding its place and identity in Europe, follows the trials and tribulations of the annual Big Sneeze, and tries to extinguish old flames. Read on

 

Issue XXXVIII

April 2008 – Issue XXXVIII proposes a radical overhaul of the Olympic Games to make it less political, reads the signs of the times in New York, visits an independent Ghent, asks who the real Muhammad was, goes in search of Arab novelists and fleshes out the lives of Moroccan women. Read on

 

Issue XXXVII

March 2008 – Issue XXXVII looks at the critical mess Iran’s nuclear ambitions have caused the country; reminds the self-righteous faithful that health hath more fury than they could ever muster; argues that we need diversity, not adversity, when it comes to integration; asks why Egypt is clamping down on the HIV-positive; invites readers to ad liberate themselves; and decodes the DNA of our true political colours. Read on

 

Issue XXXVI

February 2008 – Issue XXXVI argues that Britain needs political wisdom more than the intelligence services to deal with the terror threat, squints to find the glimmers of hope in Gaza and asks questions about how to make democracy more visionary. It also looks at Belgium’s uncertain future, follows the exodus of young professionals out of Egypt and introduces a type of migrant that no cultural or political frontier can hold back. Read on

 

Issue XXXV

January 2008 – In issue XXXV, Khaled Diab outs Comment is Free’s angels and demons, embarks on strange journeys home to Egypt, engages in the country’s virginity dialogues, looks back at Belgian politics in 2007 and plots its uncertain future, reflects on death in fast motion, and offers everyone season’s salaams. Read on

 

Issue XXXIV

December 2007 – Issue XXXIV delves into the Annapolis conference, meets brave cluster bomb survivors campaigning to ban this deadly weapon, examines what effects cancer has on young people, and takes a laugh at Muslim humour. Read on

 

Issue XXXIII

November 2007 – Issue XXXIII questions the client state model in the Middle East, outlines the perils of the moral high ground in global politics, dissects intransigence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, casts light on the case of a jailed Egyptian blogger, proposes to empower the average Mo and hears the voices in the wilderness of a group of eco-worriers. On a lighter note, it visits an American harem and takes a trip to the continent where the Sun never shines. Read on

 

Issue XXXII

October 2007 – Issue XXXII examines Ahmadinejad’s image problem, Middle Eastern cult heroes, pursues Egypt’s perfect spy, takes up the case of four jailed Egyptian newspaper editors, apprehends the villains of the pax, meets Beirut’s caramel women and leaves the car at home for car-free day. Read on

 

Issue XXXI

September 2007 – Issue XXXI delves into the art of peace in the Middle East, finds out why multicultural love is blind, goes to the frontline of the war of words in Belgium, examines the scars caused by female genital mutilation, wonders why the Arab sexual revolution did not happen, and proposes to fight fire with water in Darfur. Read on

 

Issue XXX

August 2007 – Issue XXX takes a look at the threat of a ‘Christian jihad’, dedicates a song to the deaf to those who claim Muslims are silent in their criticism of terrorism, advocates a cap on earnings to limit the excesses of the global marketplace and explores the issue of apostasy in Islam. Read on

 

Issue XXIX

July 2007 – In issue XXIX, Khaled Diab goes head to head with Uri Avnery over whether the best solution for the Israeli Palestinian conflict is a the two-state solution currently on the table or a single state. It also explores the history of ‘jihadi’ violence in the UK, meets the Muslim faithless, discusses the other right of return, gauges the prospects of an Arab sexual revolution and returns to Cuba. Read on

 

Issue XXVIII

June 2007 – Issue XXVIII launches a War on Error; explores why cluster munitions are small bombs which cause big trouble; and argues that the real challenge facing minorities in Europe is marginalisation not integration. Read on

 

Issue XXVII

May 2007 – Issue XXVII ventures ‘Behind the Zion curtain’ to see the situation on the ground in Israel and Palestine, reaches a pint-sized peace and explores non-violent Palestinian resistance at a time of growing violence. Read on

 

Issue XXVI

April 2007 – Issue XXVI introduces Khaled Diab’s ‘Without a road map’ tour, explains why the Arab League should enter uncharted territory with Israel, urges that we fight fire with water in Darfur, introduces train commuting for dummies and describes how rotten Apple killed an iPod. Read on

 

Issue XXV

March 2007 – Issue XXV reflects on the status of women in Egypt, meets the deniers of Egypt’s dark past, speaks the language of unity in Belgium, and flies south to Havana and north to Oslo. Read on

 

Issue XXIV

February 2007 – Issue XXIV examines how Arabs and Israelis are being held hostage by a common enemy, proposes a ‘Madrid for the People’, and showcases an exchange of friendly rhetorical fire between an Arab and an Israeli. The fiction section highlights an excerpt from Khaled Diab’s new story Courting terror. Read on

 

Issue XXIII

January 2007 – Issue XXIII analyses the significance of Saddam Hussein’s execution. X Pat is invited to a Star Trek convention but winds up in a maternity ward where he midhusbands an infant half Vulcan. Meanwhile, Haflatoun and Victoria Vectra jump on a space plane to Geneva and drop in on CERN, the European particle physics lab. Read on

 

Issue XXII

December 2006 – Issue XXII takes a peak under the veil of sexuality in the Arab world, addresses an appeal to Israeli premier Ehud Olmert and go on a Sicilian getaway. Read on

 

Issue XXI

November 2006 – Issue XXI proposes a ‘Madrid II’ conference to herald a new ‘people’s peace process’. Khaled Diab learns to start worry and hate the bomb; he also goes tripping down memory lane. Fatal Footprint, a groundbreaking new report on the human impact of cluster munitions, is profiled. Read on

 

Issue XX

October 2006 – Issue XX provides the latest news on Salom Now!, visits Lebanon in the aftermath of the recent war in a photo essay by Katleen Maes, explores Khaled Diab’s virgin vote at the ballot box, savours Iranian feminist cinema… and also has a bit of footie. Read on

 

Issue IXX

September 2006 – Issue IXX follows the evolution of Salom Now! It also explores how the EU should use a carrot and a stick as it exercises its soft power to help achieve peace in the Middle East. Readers are invited to Gent into the groove with the annual Gentse Feesten and learn more about Belgian culture and social norms. X Pat, while trying to comes to terms with his first name, winds up behind a deranged genius’s chocolate bars. Read on

 

Issue XVIII

August 2006 – Issue XVIII presents the idea of Salom Now!, an Arab-Israeli civil alliance for peace. Badra Djait explains what it is like growing up straddling two different cultures. X Pat, the xpat xtraordinaire and xample world citizen, goes on absurd exploration of the Belgian sociosphere. And more. Read on

 

 

Issue XVII

July 2006 – Issue XVII proposes a course of action to break the impasse in Lebanon, examines the collapse of the Dutch government in the aftermath of the Ayaan Hirsi Ali affair. On the lighter side, it speculates on what global politics would be like if the world were run like the FIFA world cup, and Haflatoun, the delusional philosopher prince, has 24 hours to avert disaster but first he has a date with destiny – and a Brazilian alchemist. Read on

 

Issue XVI

May 2006 – Issue XVI explores the controversy surrounding Ayaan Hirsi Ali and recounts the a racially inspired spree killing in Antwerp. Read on

 

Issue XV

May 2006 – Issue XV explores the issue of homosexuality in the Middle East. It reviews Brian Whitaker’s new book Unspeakable love, interviews the author and explores the literary and cinematic treatment of homosexuality in the Arab world. Read on

 

Issue XIV

May 2006 – Issue XIV examines the tragic murder Joe Van Holsbeeck in Belgium, arguing that it is time for citizens to take on more personal social responsibility. This edition also explores Muslim-Coptic relations in Egypt and suggests a way of restoring faith in national unity. Read on

 

Issue XIII

April 2006 – Issue XIII gets to the grassroots of the Middle East conflict and escapes the winter blues in Morocco. Read on

 

Issue XII

February 2006 – Issue XII presents a number of views on the Danish cartoon controversy, and analyses the Hamas win in the Palestinian elections and how the EU should handle it. Read on

 

Issue XI

January 2006 – In issue 11, Jeff Sommers, Khaled Diab and Charles Woolfson explore the dynamics between playwright and president as American foreign policy stands in the dock. Read on

 

Issue X

December 2005 – Issue 10 reiterates the fact that, despite Belgium’s first white female suicide bomber, conversion is not a crime. It asks converts about their motivation for becoming Muslims and how their lives have changed. DD also argues that the World Summit on the Information Society is misguided in its attempts to level the cyberspace playing field. And ‘tis the season to meet Sinterklaas. Read on

 

Issue IX

October 2005 – A new series of the (odd)ventures of Haflatoun, the philosopher prince. Read on

 

Issue VIII

September 2005 – In this issue, Khaled Diab discusses Salman Rushdie’s proposed Islamic Reformation and Katleen Maes talks about working towards a world free of the fear of landmines. Read on

 

Issue VII

September 2005 – In this special Egyptian pre-election edition of Diabolic Digest, we present a number of diverse views and opinions on the elections and the state of Egyptian democracy. A young Egyptian student decides to put Egyptian democracy to the test. Carlos Tiny explores Mubarak’s vision for democracy. Khaled Diab asks what if the unexpected occurs at the ballot box. KM looks ahead to a surprise twist in Egyptian politics in 2008. And the delusional Haflatoun decides to head the Popular Apathy Party’s presidential campaign. Read on

 

Issue VI

July 2005 – Issue six explores Ethiopia’s hidden wealth, offers a women’s handbook to Yemen, journeys between the grime and the sublime in Istanbul, and examines the notion of national identity. Read on

 

Issue V

April 2005 – This issue investigates whether Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will hold proper multi-candidate elections this September, Turkey’s place in European history, and the clash and mash of Islam and Europe. Haflatoun gets involved in a major saga in Guantanamo. Read on

 

Special issue

April 2005 – This special edition launches Diabolic Digest’s fiction section with a story entitled Losing Face Read on

 

Issue IV

January 2005 – Diabolic Digest casts out a line to the future with a passionate appeal to the Egyptian president to allow his fellow citizens to lose their political virginity. It also explores language politics in multilingual Belgium, analyses the EU’s role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a post-Arafat era, and EU-Israeli ties. Read on

 

Issue III

December 2004 – Diabolic Digest takes a penetrating look far into the horizon. We consider a radical rethink of the Palestinian struggle in the wake of Yasser Arafat’s death. A poem about landmines looks into how these devastating devices rob children not only of their limbs but also of their innocence. We also get the third and final instalment of Andrew Scott’s Hajj adventures, and Khaled Diab meets a celebrity saint. Read on

 

Issue II

October/November 2004 – Diabolic Digest plays bull whisperer and takes the issues that matter by the horns. We find out why David Blunkett is turning a blind eye to his party’s principles, how the Middle East can learn from Gandhi, and why we deserve more Beyoncé for our buck. We get some insight into the Hajj in Mecca from the eyes of a convert, and join Sri Lankan devotees 5,000 steps up a mountain in the footsteps of Adam and Buddha. Read on

 

Issue I

August 2004 – Read about why the latest Egyptian diplomatic initiative to revive the peace process is unlikely to work, Khaled Diab explains why he wants to live in an EU superstate. Join Andy Scott on his pilgrimage to Mecca and find out about the charms of Sri Lanka. And Haflatoun is back! Caught between delusion and general confusion, he resumes his quest on the path to wisdom. Read on

 

 

 

 

ã2005 K. Diab. Unless otherwise stated, all the content on this website is the copyright of Khaled Diab.