The front page offered some welcome relief from coverage of the conflict in Libya. The photograph of a beaming Prince William, captioned with news of his pre-wedding nerves, was appropriate for the weekend and diluted the disturbing lead story on increasing court injunctions.
Libya (rightly) was not denied the spotlight long; the “Islam and democracy” leading article was riveting and set up a useful if a little reductive perspective on democracy in the Middle East. This stance was forcibly contested on page 4 with a compelling interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
However, instead of detracting from the article with a little box in the top right hand corner discussing the blossoming relationship between her and Niall Ferguson, some attention could have been paid to the Libyan woman who has been charged with deformation by her government because she claimed to have been raped by 15 of Gaddafi’s men. Focus here would have tested the perspective offered in the leading article section and the interview.
The Saturday review offered refreshing uplifting sentiment from Bob Geldof, while the entertaining extract from Judy Golding’s memoirs was coupled with a beautiful photograph of an animated William Golding.