It is a wonder that Egypts master novelist, Naguib Mahfouz — the first Arab writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature — survived the attack on his life by an Islamic fanatic in 1994. More wondrous, indeed, that he kept writing, though often dictating his work to others.

CAIRO -- Almost two months after Amal Soliman became the gem child of Arab world feminists when she was appointed as the Islamic worlds first female maazun (notary), the men in Egypts Ministry of Justice still have not given their seal of approval.

BEIRUT -- Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah is a prominent Lebanese Muslim scholar and author, and a spiritual guide to millions of Shiites around the world. In an exclusive interview with Sana Abdallah of the Middle East Times at his residence in Beiruts southern suburbs, Fadlallah, 72, spoke about his relationship with Lebanons Islamic group Hezbollah, the Iranian-U.S. face-off in the region, the Lebanese political crisis, and sectarian struggles in Lebanon and Iraq. Following are excerpts from the interview, translated from Arabic.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met Hamas leaders in the West Bank Friday for the first time since the Islamists routed his forces in a bloody takeover of the Gaza Strip in June.