NASSER’S LEGACY LIVES ON IN ARAB WORLD: What would Gamal Abdul Nasser make of the state of the Arab world today? The famous Egyptian leader, who is often seen as the greatest proponent of Arabism, died on this day, 50 years ago. A superb orator and folksy leader, Nasser endeared himself to an entire generation of Arabs. His supporters applaud him for his strong nationalist stance against Israel and his pro-poor policies while his detractors deride his populism and hard socialist economic policies. Whichever way one looks at it, the fact is Nasser is one of the few regional leaders who continues to inspire - and polarise - public opinion across the Arab world. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]
AFP