Dealing with non-Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East: Policies and Practices in an Uncertain Environment

Despite the relevance of the issue in Middle Eastern politics,the study of non-Palestinian refugees and their treatment inthe region is a subject that has received little attention inthe academic community. This paper attempts to fill this gapby examining the evolution of refugee policies in the MiddleEast between two of the major events that have characterizedthe region in the last decade, the 1990-1991 and 2002-2003 ‘GulfCrises’, and by critically analysing the factors thathave influenced these developments. In mapping the legal andadministrative provisions that Middle Eastern governments havedevised to address the issue, I observe that no substantialbreakthrough in formal policies has occurred. Overall, refugeepolicies in the region remain far from the standards of theinternational refugee regime. In turning to the ‘politics’of refugee policy in the region, however, I show that this areahas been more dynamic than the sole focus on formal aspectswould indicate. This is apparent if we look at the issue ofrefugees in the Middle East from the perspective of the relationsbetween local authorities and UNHCR, the main players involvedin this policy area. Despite the difficult environmental conditions,negotiations have been ongoing throughout the 1990s, and theyhave led to some limited improvement in the treatment of refugees.Yet, with the deterioration of the regional and internationalpolitical context, such promising developments have recentlycome to a standstill and this fact is reflected in the generalworsening of the condition of refugees in the area.     

Post-9/11 International Artist Exchanges Between the United States and the Middle East

Since 9/11, the U.S. government has gradually increased its budget for cultural exchange to improve its estranged relationship with Middle Eastern ¹ 1. The Middle East, or the greater Middle Eastern region, is frequently labeled with distinctive titles. For example, the State Department identifies the region as the “Near East,” and “North Africa and the Middle East” is broadly utilized by the grant-related organization, the Foundation Center. Additionally, the term “Arab” refers to someone who uses the Arabic language and whose cultural background is Arabic. Thus, to promote consistency and to prevent unnecessary confusion, “the Middle East” will be utilized in this article. countries. However, U.S. private foundations have been reluctant to sponsor international artist exchanges with the region. This article describes the funding trends of both public and private sources; explains the consequences and coping strategies of U.S. arts presenters through a case study of the Kennedy Center's 2009 Arabesque Festival; and examines the effects of the new laws and regulations created after the terrorist attacks that seem to be influencing the activities of private funders.     

Small arms,big guns: a dynamic model of illicit market opportunity

Transnational illicit markets are deeply embedded within legal trade systems and thus should be affected by shifting market conditions. Applying a stochastic actor-oriented model (SAOM), this study tests whether variation in illicit market opportunity could account for changing relations within the small arms trade (2003–2008). Measures of market accessibility – changes in export activity, reporting transparency and the percent of the labour force that is armed – outperformed measures of weapon availability with the exception of involvement in armed conflict. Significant structural change in outdegree density and transitivity suggest the development of trade factions, and decreasing balance hints that leaders are emerging. With the pending de-escalation of US-led conflict in the Middle East, a flood of second-hand weaponry is about to enter the market. Continued research is required to further uncover how the legitimate trade infrastructure facilitates the illicit flow of goods.     

‘Not always logical’: binational/biracial marriages in Britain, 1900–1940

ABSTRACT

This essay explores the intersection of race, religion, and nationality in marriage by concentrating on unions between Britons and ‘Arabs’ (those from North Africa and the Middle East) in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Focusing on this area, most of which was not in the British Empire, allows an analysis of the intersection between the empire and the larger world. Marriage was a nexus in the intertwined prejudices of race, empire, class, and religion. Though the British primarily blamed polygamy for any marital problems, their own gendered law of nationality was equally at fault. Indeed, the centrality of gender was clearest in three circumstances. First, many women refused to be ‘white women in peril,’ instead exercising agency in their relationships. Second, British men who moved to the Middle East, converted to Islam, and married Muslim women, became legal hybrids who struggled to pass on British nationality to their wives and children. Third, British-born women married to Middle Eastern Christians faced similar problems, despite marrying other monogamists. In the 1930s, the British government formed a committee to address these issues, but the committee failed to find solutions, in part because the members, like the British state, supported racial/national coverture for women and thus refused to consider granting women equal rights in nationality. As a result, women married to men of different races and nations remained vulnerable to desertion and divorce in the interwar period. Such issues both confirmed the importance of an imperial frame of mind, but also the fact that the dilemmas went well beyond the formal empire.     

Legal Pluralism,Gendered Discourses,and Hybridity in Land‐titling Practices in Cambodia

This article describes and analyses the tensions, ambivalence, and hybridity that prevail in the nexus between discourses of gender and the legal pluralism of the new, formalized, and customary ways of handling land titles. Based on empirical research in Cambodia, it reveals a number of mechanisms, challenges, and inconsistencies in the practice of land‐titling. Foremost, the practice of titling seems to be highly informed by local discourses of marriage, family, gender, and age, which all affect to whom land is assigned; this leaves a hybrid construction in the nexus between statutory law and customary practices. The article departs from this observation and adds three contributions – on a theoretical level – to existing research: by incorporating the dimensions of discourse analysis and legal hybridity, by linking the concept of legal pluralism to the process of hybridization, and by introducing the notion of hybridity of implementation as a supplement to hybridity of law.     

Criminal justice in the Middle East

Criminal justice in the Middle East conjures up images of severed hands, religious police, and qadi justice. Yet those seeking a more accurate picture find few sources. Conventional treatments of the region focus on Islamic law, although few Middle Eastern states actually base their legal systems on Islamic law. This article argues that in the Middle East as elsewhere, rulers use criminal justice to achieve two related ends: to maintain order generally, and to maintain a particular order — to preserve the regime in power and the interests and values of those who support it. A comparative historical analysis of the emergence of the police and judiciary links these two ends, and these two institutions.     

对民法始于古罗马的质疑

学术界提及古代民法,一般都会谈到古代西方,或者是希腊,或者是罗马,而对古代东方的民事规范却很少关注,甚至认为在古代东方社会,根本就没有民法,或者说不存在比较系统、成熟的民法。针对学术界的这一倾向,本文以古代西亚地区的民事规范为切入点,联系古罗马民法进行一些比较分析,力图说明在古代东方(西亚地区),不仅存在着比较系统和成熟的民事规范,而且它比人类的任何一个文明社会的民法都要早,民法起源于古代东方,起源于古代西亚(两河流域)地区。     

Different countries, different needs: the role of private health insurance in developing countries

This article discusses the role of private health insurance (PHI) in developing countries. Three broad regional clusters are identified that share similar characteristics and policy challenges for the effective integration of private insurance into national health care systems: (1) Latin America and Eastern Europe, where there are already developed insurance industries facing important market and policy failures; (2) the Middle East/North Africa region and East Asia, where there is a projected strong growth of PHI that needs to be accompanied by efficient regulation; and finally, (3) South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, where PHI will only play a marginal role in the foreseeable future while the scaling up of small-scale, nonprofit insurance schemes appears to be of critical importance. Overall, this survey shows that the role of private insurance varies depending on the economic, social, and institutional settings in a country or region. Private health insurance schemes can be valuable tools to complement existing health-financing options only if they are carefully managed and adapted to local needs and preferences.     

The impact of economic growth and good governance on misery index in Iranian economy

Potentially Speaking, Iranian economy is one of the wealthiest one in Middle East and even among other developing countries in the region. In practice, however, mismanagement and bad governance of public sector and some other infrastructural shortcomings have led this economy to its current inefficient situation in which we face with one of the highest misery index, MI, along with one of the lowest economic growth rate in the world. This article is investigating this subject. At, one hand it is analyzing the relationship between misery index, MI, and economic growth in Iran, and at the other hand it studies the impact of governance on MI for 1974–2011 periods. To achieve this goal, vector autoregressive model has been used. We have also used the government effectiveness as a proxy for good governance, which, we think, is meaningful in Iranian case. By using dickey-fuller test the stability of variables, has been examined. We also have applied the Granger causality and Johnson test for considering the convergence among variables. One finding of this paper is that, economic growth has had negative relation with MI. Another result is that there is a significant relationship between type of governance and MI. For instance, during recent administration (2005–2011), we are encountering with the worst good governance indexes, the lowest economic growth, and the highest MI as well.     

Child physical abuse: prevalence, characteristics, predictors, and beliefs about parent-child violence in South Asian, Middle Eastern, East Asian, and Latina women in the United States

The present study examined the prevalence, characteristics, beliefs, and demographic predictors of parent-child physical violence among South Asian, Middle Eastern, East Asian, and Latina women in the United States. Two hundred fifty-one college-educated women from a middle to high SES (South Asian/Middle Eastern, n = 93; East Asian,n = 72; Latina,n = 86) completed a self-report survey on childhood experiences and beliefs regarding physical abuse. Seventy-three percent of the South Asian and Middle Eastern sample, 65% of the East Asian sample, and 78% of the Latina sample reported experiencing at least one type of physical abuse. Significant differences in characteristics and perpetrators of abuse were found across groups. Demographic factors did not predict physical abuse. Experiencing physical abuse was the only predictor for acceptance of physical discipline and as a parental privilege or right across groups. Implications of alternate cultural models of family violence based on beliefs and exposure to violence are discussed.     

伊朗制裁相关法律对航运业的影响及对策

伊朗是中东地区主要的贸易国之一,也是中国在中东重要贸易伙伴之一.然而由于伊朗违反联合国有关不扩散核武器的有关公约之规定,联合国、中国两岸四地、欧盟、美国都在不同程度上通过立法对伊朗实施制裁.在研究伊朗制裁相关法律的基础上,从法律分析和实务的角度,对一些与伊朗贸易有关的实际问题加以探讨.     

Molecular characterisation and population genetics of the DYS458 .2 allelic variant

We recently found a number of intermediate DYS458 alleles, indicated as .2. This allelic variant is distributed in several populations, but currently no information is available regarding the molecular structure and the genealogical correlation of chromosomes with this variant. The molecular characterisation of such allele, its worldwide distribution and the correlated evolutionary history are the subject of the present paper. Molecular and genealogical data are suggestive of a single origin for the .2 variant. Phylogeographic analysis points to either a Middle East or East African origin, but additional data is necessary to clarify this point. Our results suggest that the .2 variants is a stable polymorphism and that it could be used for population studies.     

Public beliefs about the accuracy and importance of forensic evidence in the United States

Recent advances in forensic science, especially the use of DNA technology, have revealed that faulty forensic analyses may have contributed to miscarriages of justice. In this study we build on recent research on the general public’s perceptions of the accuracy of 10 forensic science techniques and of each stage in the investigation process. We find that individuals in the United States hold a pessimistic view of the forensic science investigation process, believing that an error can occur about half of the time at each stage of the process. We find that respondents believe that forensics are far from perfect, with accuracy rates ranging from a low of 55% for voice analysis to a high of 83% for DNA analysis, with most techniques being considered between 65% and 75% accurate. Nevertheless, respondents still believe that forensic evidence is a key part of a criminal case, with nearly 30% of respondents believing that the absence of forensic evidence is sufficient for a prosecutor to drop the case and nearly 40% believing that the presence of forensic evidence – even if other forms of evidence suggest that the defendant is not guilty – is enough to convict the defendant.     

The Triborder–terrorism nexus

The Triborder region of South America, where the borders of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay intersect, comprises a population of approximately 700,000 inhabitants, among them 15,000–20,000 are Arabs, mostly of Lebanese descent. The region has gained a reputation as a hub of illegal activities, ranging from sales of pirated electronic goods and software to trafficking in drugs, weapons and illegal migrants. Also, the Triborder's relatively unregulated financial sector launders tens of billions of dollars of criminal funds and causes flight of capital annually. Reports that the region is a terrorist haven and staging area seem exaggerated; yet Arabs' extensive participation in the Triborder underground economy is believed to generate funds on behalf of Islamic extremists in the Middle East, especially Hezbollah and Hamas. Efforts to crack down on pirate businesses and alleged terrorist financiers have been constrained by government apathy, widespread police and judicial corruption and a lack of effective anti-terrorist legislation. Also, the dependence of many of the Triborder's inhabitants on the underground economy represents an effective constraint on enforcement action.     

证据法学研究用语不规范问题初探

法学研究强调逻辑的严谨性以及语言的规范性,作为法学分支学科的证据法学当然亦莫能外。但是,近年来方兴起的证据法学科,在我国开展的时日尚短,且一直与传统的证据学学科之间纠缠不清,以至于我国证据法学的学科体系迟迟不能建立,甚至连作为学科基础的基本概念都未能达成共识,缺乏统一性和规范性,理论研究和证据实务中用语不规范的问题一直存在,混用、误用基本概念和术语的现象较为普遍。这不仅影响到理论研究的严谨性,甚至干扰到实务操作的实效性。     

Teaching restorative justice: developing a restorative andragogy for face-to-face,online and hybrid course modalities

Teaching restorative justice in an academic setting is different from teaching almost any other academic course. Courses taught in the context of academic criminal justice programs tend to reinforce the structural inequalities in society, replicated and reinforced by instructor driven classroom experiences. In contrast, effective teaching of restorative justice should emulate the values of principles of restorative justice in the organization and management of the course. Teachers of restorative justice must ‘walk the talk’ and apply restorative principles and values to the design and delivery of the course itself. A conceptual framework for ‘restorative andragogy’ is developed that blends principles and values of adult learning with those of restorative justice. Four principles of this approach are identified and applied across three instructional modalities – face-to-face, online only, and hybrid courses. This approach provides a theoretically grounded model for effective teaching of restorative justice courses.     

Cross-sectoral strategies in global sustainability governance: towards a nexus approach

The recent shift from the Millennium Development Goals to the much broader Sustainable Development Goals has given further impetus to the debate on the nexus between the multiple sectors of policy-making that the Goals are to cover. The key message in this debate is that different domains—for instance, water, energy and food—are interconnected and can thus not be effectively resolved unless they are addressed as being fully interrelated and interdependent. Yet while this overall narrative is forcefully supported in the new UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that are the main part of this agenda, many Goals still remain sectoral in their basic outlook. This now requires, we argue, a new focus in both policy and research on the nexus between different Sustainable Development Goals, especially with a view to reforms in the overall institutional setting that is required to sufficiently support such a nexus approach. This article thus examines the nexus approach in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals and identifies multiple avenues for its institutionalisation in global governance.     

Y-chromosome lineages in São Tomé e Príncipe and Cabo Verde islands: Different input of European influence

The Y-chromosome haplogroup composition of the population of São Tomé e Príncipe and Cabo Verde Archipelagos was profiled by using 24 biallelic markers, and compared with populations from Europe, Africa and the Middle East. According to the traditional view, these archipelagos colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century were settled mainly by West African slaves, with the addition of a minor fraction of male colonizers from Europe. Although the major proportion of the founding population of São Tomé e Príncipe cluster in haplogroup E3a (84.2%), very common among sub-Saharans, this lineage was observed at a frequency of only 15.9% in Cabo Verde. Haplogroups I, J and R1, characterized of populations of Europe and the Middle East account for more than half of the paternal lineages of Cabo Verdeans (53.5%). These West Eurasian haplogroups are found at a frequency of only 12.5% in the population of São Tomé e Príncipe. Our findings suggest that despite the sub-Saharan genetic background of these archipelagos, a relevant contribution of European paternal lineages is present in nowadays populations indicating that gene flow from multiple sources have been important in the formation of the diversity of the islanders, nevertheless with a different degree of admixture.     

Solving underwater crimes: Development of latent prints made on submerged objects

Underwater crime scenes always present a challenge for forensic researchers, as the destructive effect of water considerably complicates the chances of recovering material of evidential value. The aim of this study is to tackle the problem of developing marks that have been left on submerged objects. Fingermark deposition was randomly made on two surfaces — glass and plastic whilst the material was submerged under tap water and then left for one to fifteen days before drying and development. For their later development, various reagents – Black Powder, Silver Metallic Powder, Fluorescent Powder, Sudan Black (powder and solution) and Small Particle Reagent – were used and the effectiveness of each of them on this particular type of evidence was then evaluated.The results show the possibility of obtaining good quality developed marks, even under such adverse circumstances. Further and wider research should, therefore, be undertaken in which other variables are introduced such as different substrates, other types of liquids, and environmental or time factors.