Stories about Arabic from May, 2008
Egypt: On Caramel
Egyptian Arima has just watched Caramel – and has good things to say about the movie about five friends in Beirut, Lebanon.
From the Diary of a Sinister Egyptian Spinster
Egyptian women have their own set of challenges, ranging from the right to marry themselves off to inequality in marriage and divorce rights. Marwa Rakha sheds light on the thoughts and writings of Eman - a self-confessed spinster.
Saudi Arabia: Thoughts on The Prisoner
From Saudi Arabia, Hayfa [Ar] read The Prisoner by Moroccan writer Malika Oufkir and shares her thoughts about it here.
Syria: Annoying Crows
From Syria, Allosh [Ar] is annoyed with crows, which have decided to make a home in the tree outside his window.
Morocco: Campaign to Support the Unemployed
The Moroccan Bloggers Association has launched a campaign [Ar] draw attention to the atrocities and harsh treatment jobless Moroccan graduates with higher degrees are being subjected to when they protest for jobs.
UAE: Googling what?
UAE blogger Fahad looks at what internet surfers in the United Arab Emirates are Googling and shares his findings in this post.
Sudan: Stranded Palestinians
Sudanese blogger Yahya Jaser Mohammed [Ar] sheds light at the plight of Palestinians stranded in Sudan – and who cannot return to their homes.
Morocco: Calculators are to Blame
Moroccan blogger Essam Aissam [Ar] writes about the educational systems and grades students get in Morocco and Egypt. He concludes that graduates from his country could fare worse than their Egyptian counterparts, who failed miserably in entry exams for jobs in a casino. Aissam blames calculators for the inability of...
Saudi Arabia: Pyschiatric Help for Teachers
Saudi blogger Thamood [Ar] suggests increasing the salaries of teachers because of the harassment they are subjected to from students, who ask repetitive questions. He says the money would go towards paying of psychiatric help the teachers would need.
Syria: Stalling Reform
Syrian blogger Jassas [Ar] blames Syria's ruling elite of stalling development and reform in his country.
Libya: Double Standards
From Libya, Abaalhasan [Ar] objects to the police's inaction against a group of gays who were standing outside a bar and disturbing passers-by and asks: why does the government crackdown on any voice of opposition but not on those who go against the norms of society? It is not clear...
The Victimization of Egyptian Women and Children
Fantasia's World raises crucial issues that hold back the Egyptian society all together; namely women's rights, violence against women and children, and the general misconceptions of male-female relationships in the Egyptian society and in the Arab world. Marwa Rakha zooms into a new post which discusses how Egyptian women and children are being victimized by traditions, law, and the Muslim Brothers.
Saudi Arabia: Being Silly
Saudi blogger Mashi 67 [Ar] affirms he has the right to express himself in any way he wants – even if he decides to be silly and stick to silly topics.
Tunisia: Special needs card
Tunisian Trap Boy [Ar] suggests issuing every Tunisian citizen with a card for people with special needs, saying that such a card would give his people more rights if the United Nations 50-clause declaration of rights for this category were implemented, than what they are getting right now.
Saudi Arabia: Monkeys and Residents
Muqeem in KSA [Ar], from Saudi Arabia, is wondering why authorities haven't taken any measures against the problem residents are having with wild monkeys and asks whether it was because not many citizens live in that particular area.
Egypt: Egyptian Bloggers Union Formed
Egyptian blogger Shokeir [Ar] is surprised that an Egyptian Bloggers Union has been formed.
Saudi Arabia: Dhahran Under Siege
Saudi Arabia hosted the Gulf Cooperation Council's Summit in its Eastern province, bringing the leaders of Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and the UAE under one roof - and holding the residents of Dhahran and Dammam hostage for the duration of their meeting as all the main highways leading to and from the city were shut.
Iraq: Are the Refugees Returning Home?
Alive in Baghdad updates us on the conditions of Iraqi refugees in Syria in this video post. Are the refugees returning to Iraq? Click on the link to find out.
Kuwait: Sad for Hadeel
Kuwait blogger Rawan mourns the death of Saudi blogger Hadeel - and writes [Ar]: “I don't know why I cried a lot over a person I never knew. Why did I tell my mother and brother and a lot more people about her? Why I did not sleep and continued...
Sudan: Sami al-Hajj Released, Khartoum Attacked
This round-up highlights the two most talked about recent topics in the Sudanese blogosphere. We will start with the release of the Sudanese al-Jazeera journalist Sami al-Hajj from Guantanamo Bay where he was held for six years without trial.
Arabeyes: Mourning for Hadeel
Saudi blogger Hadeel El Hadeef passed away exactly a month after her 25th birthday. Bloggers from around the region come together to mourn the death and celebrate the life of the blogger, whose contributions and humanity will continue to remain a living legacy on the world wide web.