Stories about Arabic from November, 2009
Saudi Arabia: Raed on Air
Saudi blogger Raed, who blogs at Falsafat, posts a chat with his nephew Khalid [Ar] as his debut vlog at Raed On Air.
Saudi Arabia: Citizens’ Fury At Flood Deaths
Saudi Arabia's second largest city, Jeddah, was struck by heavy floods last week, and the death toll has risen to more than 100 people. Poor infrastructure and mismanagement of city works construction have been blamed, and thousands have joined a Facebook group criticising the authorities.
Egypt: A fine line between patriotism and chauvinism
The November 14 football match between Egypt and Algeria has turned into an ugly war and it got worse after Egypt's defeat on November 18 in Sudan. From the fury of Egyptian President's son to that of renowned actors and actresses, media figures, writers, and Facebook users, anger has blinded common sense. Marwa Rakha looks at a new initiative to put out the fire.
Algeria: An Open Letter to Egyptians
From a football match for a place in the South Africa World Cup in 2010 to a full fledged face off and diplomatic stand off, Egyptians and Algerians continue to score points against each other on the ground - off and online. One Algerian blogger writes an open letter to Egyptians in his blog.
Egypt: Where are the Algerian Intellectuals?
Egyptian blog Justice for All [Ar] asks: “Where are the intellectuals in Algeria when the nation wakes up..on curses? This is another reading to the question: Why do they hate...
Egypt/Gaza: “Trashy” music video clips
‘I wasn’t surprised to see during my my trip to Egypt and Gaza that no one watches music videos anymore. When I asked few people about their choice of boycotting...
Egypt: President Mubarak and the Egyptian Dignity
Egyptian Facebook users continue to discuss the ramifications of the aftermath of the Algeria vs Egypt football final, which saw Algeria qualifying to the World Cup finals in South Africa next year. Marwa Rakha has the story.
Egypt: Alaa Mubarak for President?
Several names have been thrown in the pool of candidates for Egypt's 2011 presidential elections. Now a new name is being floated. Find out why Alaa Mubarak, the Egyptian President's eldest son, is a current favorite among some Egyptians...or maybe not.
Yemen: A Civil or Proxy War?
The ongoing war in Yemen certainly warrants coverage on Global Voices Online, but Tarek Amr was really shocked when he realized there weren't many bloggers interested in the conflict. Here are some scattered extracts from post written by bloggers from different countries.
Egypt and Algeria: Much More Than a Football Match
Who would have believed that a football match could cause such tension between two nations? The trouble between Egypt and Algeria has now reached an unexpected level and many bloggers believe that the World Cup qualifying match has nothing to do with the troubles on the street. Tarek Amr has the story.
Palestine: Gaza Reading Club Learns About Kindle
In Gaza, the members of the Qattan Foundation Reading Club were recently introduced to the Kindle, and photos have been posted on the club's blog [Ar].
Morocco: War on Press Continues
The Moroccan authorities are ratcheting up their attacks on independent journalists. A week rarely passes without the authorities hitting hard on the press for alleged infractions, cracking down on printed as well as online media. Bloggers have been reflecting on this state of affairs.
Palestine: Twitter Reports Say Israel Bombing Rafah & Khan Yunis
During Israel's attacks on Gaza in January 2009, bloggers and Twitter users took the place of the media, which had been banned from entering, reporting on each event well before mainstream publications. Today, a user raises the alarm saying Israel has just bombed Rafah and Khan Younis.
Syria: Internet Woes Continue
Syrian blogger Rami wrote [ar] a post comparing internet speeds and costs in Syria with those in Romania. He was frustrated with having to struggle to obtain a 256Kbps connection...
Saudi Arabia: We'll Defend Ourselves – For The Right Reason
In recent weeks a longstanding conflict between the Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government has expanded to involve Saudi Arabia, which which has been carrying out bombing raids within Yemen. In this post one Saudi blogger gives his view of the situation.
Egypt: German Justice for Marwa El Sherbini
The killer of Marwa El-Sherbini, the Egyptian woman who was stabbed to death inside a German courthouse by a Russian-German immigrant, Alex Wiens, has been sentenced to life imprisonment, without a possibility for early release. Justice is finally served and the killer is being punished, say Egyptian bloggers.
Egypt: Nidal Hassan – Psychiatrist or Psychotic?
Major Nidal Hassan is the US military psychiatrist of Arab origins who went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Texas, killing 13 people. He is now facing charges of premeditated murder. "Psychiatrist or Psychotic?", ask Egyptian bloggers.
Egyptians! Algerians! Wake UP!
From ferocious marketing campaigns to Facebook wars, hacking, and owl burning, the November 14th match between Egypt and Algeria has turned into an ugly war. Marwa Rakha reports from the battlefront.
Algeria-Egypt: Online Feud Over Football Match
Tension is building between Egyptian and Algerian football fans ahead of a decisive football match due to take place in Cairo on November 14, which could determine which of both teams would qualify to next year's FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Ahead of the Saturday showdown, rival fans have been gearing up offline, as well as online heated exchanges, escalating into a little "war" of intimidation.
Palestine: Frustration With The “Swagger” Of Politics
Last week the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that he would not stand for re-election in January, in frustration at the US failure to stop Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank. In this post we hear the opinion of one blogger who is also extremely frustrated – with Palestinian politics.
Lebanon: Operation: Sex Change
Queer Arab Magazine Bekhsoos supports the Operation: Sex Change campaign, aimed to raise awareness about transgender issues across the world. The campaign started on November 8, the International day of...
