Stories about Arabic from June, 2010
Lebanon: Facebook Group in Support of Gaza-bound Maryam
Lebanese activists formed a Facebook group in support of a Gaza-bound ship called We are All Maryam (Ar).
Middle East: Goodbye Saramago
Bloggers across the Middle East mourned the death of Portuguese writer Jose Saramago. Tarek Amr rounds up their reactions.
Saudi Arabia: Maysoon Azzam is “not a robot”
Why was Al-Arabiya newsreader Maysoon Azzam laughing when reading the news? Saudi Jeans wonders what tickled the newsreader, and why her explanation of the outburst was removed from Al-Arabiya's website in this post.
Egypt: And the First Arabic Domain goes to … President Mubarak
Egyptian President, Mohamed Hosni Mubarak registered the first Arabic domain in Egypt: مبارك.مصر . In her post, Zeinobia expects that Mubarak.Misr would be the official Mubarak 2011 campaign website.
Lebanon: E-transactions Draft Law Postponed
The Lebanese online community celebrated the temporary victory of postponing the vote in parliament for the new proposed E-transactions law for an extra month. More about this law and reactions in this post.
Algeria: Disappointment and Anger After the Defeat against Slovenia
After a 24 years long wait, Algerians have focused their attentions on the world cup, hoping to escape the grind of their daily lives. The disappointment was all the more profound after the defeat of their team against Slovenia.
Saudi Arabia: How a Censored Page Looks Like
On Twitter, JawazSafar shows how a censored page appears in Saudi Arabia here.
Global Voices: We are listening
Soon after Israel's deadly raid on a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza, one post on Global Voices sparked furious critique on Twitter. Tarek Amr in Egypt summarizes the debate.
Arab World: Where the Streets are Quiet During Football Games
Millions of people around the world are glued to their television screens, watching the World Cup's opening ceremony from South Africa - and the scene is not that different in the Arab World.
Egypt: Should Coptic Divorcees Remarry?
The Egyptian Supreme Administrative Court has issued a ruling obliging Coptic Pope Shenouda III to allow Coptic divorcees to remarry. The pope has rejected the ruling. Supporters of the church and promoters of a secular state blogged their opinions.
Egypt: Khaled Said – An Emergency Murder by An Emergency Law
Khaled Said, a 28-year-old Egyptian from the coastal city of Alexandria, was allegedly tortured to death at the hands of two officers who wanted to search him under the emergency law. The story goes: he asked for a reason or a warrant - they killed him.
Egypt: Protests and Policy Changes After Flotilla Raid
News of the flotilla raid in Gaza has sparked an uprising in Egypt. Thousands of Egyptians protested both Israel's actions and the stance of their own government earlier this week.
Maghreb: Overwhelming Support for Flotilla Activists
The global outcry following the deadly Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla has been reflected on streets across the world and throughout the Internet, on social networks and personal blogs. Hisham looks at reactions from the Maghreb in this post.
Palestine: “I am afraid of the sea”
In reaction to the raid on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla on May 31, Gaza blogger Kawther Abu Hani has written a poetic post from the perspective of a child, entitled Sweets Don't Drown.
Israel: IDF Poetry Slam Between Druze, Bedouin Soldiers
Picture this: Druze and Bedouin Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers sitting in a room singing call and response poetry to each other in the ancient Arabic style of Zajal. The video and background information can be found at Nizo's Blog, subtitled “A Gay Palestinian Muses on the Missile East.”
Israel: Demonstrations Outside Prison Where Flotilla Passengers Held
Joseph Dana posts a video of demonstrators waving Turkish and Palestinian flags in front of the prison in Beer-Sheva, Israel, where the passengers of the flotilla were being housed until deportation. Video is in Arabic and Hebrew with no subtitles, but you can still get a sense of the action.
Israel: Flotilla Videos Gone Viral
An Israeli video called "Flotilla Choir: We Con the World" has gone viral on Facebook in the last 24 hours. While it shows no compunction about the violence involved in the flotilla incident, it aggressively illustrates the widely held Israeli belief that Hamas is responsible for the poor state of well-being of the people of Gaza.
Palestine: “I Support Turkey”
The Turkish-led flotilla which attempted to break the blockade of Gaza has strained Israeli-Turkish relations, while gaining Turkey much respect in the Arab world. One Gaza blogger has decided to show her appreciation for Turkey's stance in a practical way - by starting a campaign to buy Turkish goods.
Syria: Lash Out Continues Against Israel's Raid on Gaza Aid Convoy
The deadly Israeli raid on the aid convoy headed to Gaza to break the blockade has once again brought the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza into the limelight. The political and public outcry has been remarkable and has generated a heated global debate on what had happened. Syrian and Palestinian bloggers speak up.
Lebanon: Seen Around Beirut
Graffitti is appearing on the walls of Beirut in the form of signposts pointing in the direction of Palestine. See an example posted by Laila at Like a grain of sand in the univers.
Morocco: Where Some People are More Equal than Others
All Moroccans are equal, but some Moroccans are more equal than others, writes Moroccan blogger Jamal Elabiad. He comes to this conclusion following a corruption case allegedly involving a high ranking official in the cabinet and his son's arrest. Here are more reactions.
