You are probably thinking to yourself that the news spends a ton of time dealing with the Middle East and the peace process. You probably are also thinking that the only reason that anyone cares about the region is that is the chief source of oil for the world, especially the United States. If this wasn't your first thought, then it was probably your second as your first thought was that this is a region that doesn't know how to live peacefully and that religious fundamentalists run wild through the streets and blow up buses. No matter what you know factually about the region, you have probably developed some views on events that are ongoing. This is an area where everyone seems to have an opinion and anyone with a computer account can let everyone else know what their views are with their web pages.
While I think it is great to have a large number of web sites to choose from, not all sites are equal in terms of quality or quantity of information. I have conducted research into Middle Eastern affairs for more than eight years as part of my continuing effort to understand the relations between Arab countries and Israel in addition to learning more about my heritage. Therefore the sites I have selected are a good cross section of views and opinions about the region and the peace process. My goal is to give readers the ability to find out more about the region and the geopolitics, culture and religions that are all interrelated.
Some sites are official national web sites so that you can see what that country's views are of the peace process as well as present their country as a tourist destination. These types of web sites are generally better since they have more resources to present information. Other sites are primarily news oriented and can give up to the minute updates of the situation in the Middle East and others still are policy related sites.
I also implore anyone who visits Suite 101 to take a more active approach to the news. One of the biggest problems in political affairs is that many people are unaware of the issues or do not get involved. Many others accept the news they hear on TV, radio or online as the truth. Yet this is not always the case. Media bias is widespread and affects even large news outlets such as CNN or MSNBC. Therefore, search out a wide range of news sources and evaluate the events ongoing in the region on that basis. I also ask that you think critically of what I say within my editorials and respond via E-mail or through the forums that Suite101 has provided. In this fashion, I hope that we can become better informed and capable of making intelligent choices voting for political leaders and on issues that we find important.
