Founded in December 2003, Middle East Transparent (or Shaffaf for “Transparent”) has been the voice of reformist and liberal currents in the Middle East, spreading the message of secularism, of democratic values and of Arab-Israeli reconciliation.
Contributors to Middle East Transparent mostly live in their native countries, which gives credence to the website’s claim of being a voice of liberal and secularist elites in a region spreading from Saudi Arabia to the Maghreb and even to Iran, Turkey and Pakistan.
Adhering to a strict editorial and independence, Middle East Transparent has been a distinctive name in a region where almost every media is controlled (and, often, handsomely financed) by governments and regimes.
The following 2006 interview with the website’s editor, Pierre Akel, could be a good introduction to Middle East Transparent:
No Red Lines
Interview With Editor in Chief of the Reformist Website Metransparent.com
http://reason.com/archives/2006/02/09/no-red-lines
Notre équipe de rédaction
Pierre Akel, Jane Burns,
Rédacteur en chef Politics
Jack Durant, Rachel Louis,
Religion Magazine
