Many failed to realize that Haftar amassed a large base of support among former members of the Libyan army who had fought against Gadafi in 2011 and who felt threatened as the Islamists began to “purify” the state of elements of the “old regime.” Haftar portrayed himself as Libya’s saviour (“Libya’s Sisi”) from Islamist organizations spreading chaos.

“I felt strongly – even at that age – that with an education I could become anybody and do anything I wanted,” writes Yemeni film director Khadija al-Salami in her book The Tears of Sheba. At the age of 11, she was married off to an older man, but freed herself from her shame-fearing conservative family and landed herself a job as diplomat in France.

Rachid Nekkaz, algerian businessman, activist and former presidential candidate, is one of the few opposition leaders who currently enjoy popularity among young voters. His unconventional initiatives have not only positioned him as a man of the people, they have also increased his understanding of Algerian society, countering frequent criticisms that he is a rich, out-of-touch foreigner. However, many doubted his intentions, given his lack of success in French politics, and accused him of being out of touch with the realities of ordinary Algerians.

Marwan Muasher is the former deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Jordan. In the lectures he delivers and the debates he takes part in, Muasher criticizes the slow pace of reform, politically, economically, and socially, and he recently criticized the deterioration of higher education in the kingdom.

Tunisia has come a long way since Ben Ali’s repressive rule, but it still has a long way to go to become a country where human rights are fully respected.

Yaalon (1950) was born into a working-class family affiliated with the Labour Party, and grew up on a left-leaning settlement. The combination of a distinguished military career, promises of tackling the real issues in Israeli society, support of officers who speak their mind and Netanyahu’s waning popularity will prove to be a successful formula for Yaalon’s attempt to win the next election.

In addition to his work as a taxi driver, he served as an unofficial messenger between citizens on the one hand and officials and government departments on the other, and then decided to run in the elections for Shura Council, a decision the people of Bawshar welcomed warmly.

Through his role in the island case, Ali has become the face of Egypt’s secular revolutionaries, who were the driving force of the Arab Spring protests in 2011. His detention follows a spate of arrests targeting media and opposition figures, in what rights groups have called Egypt’s harshest crackdown on dissent in decades.

In fact, what made this era exceptional was the fortuitous coming together of great musical talent – composers, singers and lyrical poets/songwriters. Together, they propelled this artistic engine and left a great legacy behind.

For more than 80 years, the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia has fluctuated between belligerence and cooperation.