The Middle East Information Network, Inc. Mailing List
Volume 1, Issue 2, January 3, 2000
Who are we?
The Middle East Information Network is an American
Non-Profit company based in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. We are
a small group dedicated to providing accurate and comprehensive information
about the Middle East. We are non-partisan, meaning we do not take sides. We
believe that all groups, faiths, and cultures of the Middle East should be given
equal representation here. We strive to break down barriers and stereotypes that
have been created about the people of the Middle East. Our primary mission is
education.
As the Internet grows every day, there has been a lack of comprehensive, accurate information about the Middle East. There are many sites that deal with Arab issues, Israeli issues, Muslim, etc. It is our hope to unite the best of these sites and develop a unique platform for research and general interest. It is our goal to provide you with the best the Internet has to offer in the way of web sites, accurate and clear information about the Middle East, and to provide an opportunity for you to express your idea and thoughts. We use the academic standard definition of the Middle East, which includes North Africa, Turkey, and Iran.
What's new on the site?
We have made some very noticeable changes to the format and
content of the web site in the past few months. The presentation of country
information is being changed, and many new areas have been added to the site.
We are now able to offer Travel information, a travel
bookstore, a map room, a search page and an expanded document room. Information
is constantly being updated or added, so the site continues to grow to meet the
demand of our visitors. To see the changes or additions visit the URL's below:
Travel page: http://www.mideastinfo.com/travel.htm
Travel Bookstore: http://www.mideastinfo.com/travel_books.htm
The map room: http://www.mideastinfo.com/maproom/home.htm
Search the site or the web:
http://www.mideastinfo.com/search.htm
The Future of the Middle East Information Network
In the coming months we will be adding and changing more
and more information. The religion section will be expanded, with a complete
Baha'i page, and new sites added to the Islam, Judaism, and Christianity pages.
The information provided in the Countries area will be modified to allow for
expanded country profiles that include more detailed economic and social
information. Each country will start showing links to the international
organizations that they are members of, as well as links to the pages of their
neighboring countries. All this information will be provided in new easy to
access front pages, examples of which are now on the Israel, Egypt, Iran and
Turkey pages.
We hope to greatly improve the selections available in the
bookstore, including our own recommended readings and our favorite books from or
about the region. This will include travel books, histories, novels, textbooks,
and works about the culture and people of the Middle East.
We are happy to able to provide this information to anyone
and everyone who is interested. It is difficult, though, to maintain this page
without your help. While we are unable to solicit for donations to our
non-profit company at this time, there are ways you can help us already! Through
affiliations with other web sites we are able to earn the necessary fund to
maintain this site free of charge to the user. We have agreements with
Amazon.com, TES Software, GOTO.com, Lycos, Travelscape, and eBoodle. Find out
how you can help:
Through the regular bookstore and our travel book
selections, Amazon.com provides you with the best books there are in the fields
that you are interested in. In addition to this, every time you buy a book
through one of our links to Amazon.com, a small percentage of the price in given
back to us to help maintain this site. This is true not only for books about the
Middle East, but any book or item you purchase through Amazon.com by following
the links from our site. So, if you are a regular customer of Amazon.com please
help us by clicking on any of the Amazon.com logos you see on our site when you
go to buy books, and help keep our site up and running. The prices on Amazon.com
are as listed, no additional charge is added to allow us to receive money from
your purchase.
TES Software is the leading supplier of Judaic and Hebrew
software. By following the links available on the Israel or Judaism pages to TES
and purchasing any of their products, we receive a small percentage of the money
you pay to help us maintain our site. So, if you have any interest in Judaic or
Hebrew software, please visit our site and follow the links to TES. No
additional charge is added to your purchase from TES to benefit us.
GOTO.com and Lycos are two of the leading search engines
available on the web today. By visiting or Search page at http://www.mideastinfo.com/search.htm
and using either of the search boxes provided by GOTO or Lycos, a small donation
is made to the Middle East Information Network to allow us to maintain our web
site. So, whenever you see a GOTO or Lycos symbol on our site, click on it and
help maintain this site!
Travelscape is one of the leading providers of travel
information and services on the web. Through our affiliation with Travelscape,
anytime you follow the links to their site from ours and make hotel
reservations, buy plane tickets, rent cars, etc. a small percentage of the price
you pay is given back to our site. See the Travelscape logos on the travel page
or the travel bookstore. Click through and find out more! There is no increase
in price for the services provided through Travelscape to allow for us to be
paid.
eBoodle is the ultimate tool for e-commerce. Signing up for
eBoodle allows you to manage
on-line commerce accounts, compare on-line retailers, and earn rebates for your
purchases on-line. By signing up for eBoodle, you can help us maintain our site.
Its fast, easy, and free! Follow this link: http://www.eboodle.com/svcs/req/r.a?i=mideastinfo
and help us through this special offer on behalf of eBoodle and the Middle East
Information Network.
Have you visited the Library?
The Library serves our area of personal expression. It is
here that we let you know our views on issues affecting the Middle East. The
Library is made up of editorials, essays, and research projects that we think
might interest you. The opinions expressed in the Library reflect the opinions
of the individual authors. No article posted should be considered company
policy, unless it is stated as such.
As many of you know we are a small company, and trying to
maintain an active web site and keep the Library is a difficult task. But, you
can help! The Middle East Information Network, Inc. is looking for volunteer
writers. We are now accepting writing samples from our readers to be published
in the Library. We are primarily interested in editorials or essays that you may
have written for school or work. There are no requirements, any topic regarding
the Middle East that interests you, may interest others, we will post here for
people to read. Current issues, historical issues and the like are accepted.
There are, of course, rules. Essays should be no more than
10-15 pages printed and must be cited appropriately. Footnotes or endnotes are
preferable and must be clear and accurate. In-work citations are acceptable.
Editorials should cite any large copied sections of other people's works or
comments. Works submitted with obvious citations that do not follow these
requirements will not be considered for publishing.
We are a non-partisan service. This means we do not take
sides. However, we do put limits on what we allow to be published. Written works
should not be hateful, do not attack certain people because of their race,
religion, or culture. Violent or inciteful commentary will not be published. We
maintain the right to refuse any piece that does not match our editorial
criteria. This does not mean you cannot be critical, simply keep it in the realm
of good taste. Ethnic, racial, or slanderous commentary will not be tolerated
and will be grounds for works not to be published.
We prefer your writing to be in Microsoft Word format, but
will accept WordPerfect and text formats. The fastest way to get it to us is to
email our editor at mideast@hotmail.com
. You can also fax your work to us at (01) 617-507-5844. As a last resort you
can mail it to us via ground or airmail, however, it will be a while before such
works can be published on site. Please see our contact page for address
information. The officers and editors of the Middle East Information Network
maintain the right to edit and/or make corrections to errors or format problems
in your works.
This is your chance. If you have something to say, we help
you get the message out. Readers from around the world will see you work. If
you're up to the job, we can get you started...
If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at:
mideast@hotmail.com
We hope to hear from you soon!
Thank you,
Edward Graham
President, Middle East Information Network, Inc.
www.mideastinfo.com