Stories about Arabic from June, 2011
Egypt: Khaled Saeed Murder Trial Postponed
Khaled Saeed, a young man from Alexandria allegedly killed at the hands of policemen in June, has been an icon of the Egyptian revolution. His murder fueled discontent among young Egyptians in the weeks leading to the revolution after images of his battered body went viral. The policemen accused of killing him stood trial today. Following are some reactions following the postponement of the case until September 24.
Egypt: The Battle of Tahrir Rages
Mayhem broke out at Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the Egyptian revolution, last night and spilled into today. Various accounts are circulating online on what really happened and how events escalated, all involving the families of the martyrs killed during the protests - and their call for justice, protesters, thugs and battles with the police. Reports speak of police firing tear gas at protesters, and protesters (or thugs) responding with stones and Molotov cocktails - not necessarily in this order.
Lebanon: “Welcome to Lebanon” as Seen By a Migrant Worker
In June 2011, Migrant Workers Task Force responded to three promotional videos launched by the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism with three video clips. The Beirut based NGO parodies the official campaign showing Lebanon as a paradise for foreign tourists (here, here and here). For migrant workers, the situation is far from...
Egypt: Sawiris and the Niqabi Minnie Mouse
Egyptian Christian business tycoon, and recent politician, Naguib Sawiris, posted a cartoon on his Twitter today showing Mickey Mouse with a beard and Minnie Mouse in Niqab. He commented: “Micky and Minnie after…” The cartoon sparked a lot of criticism, forcing Sawiris to remove it.
Egypt: Commemorating the Struggle Against Systematic Torture
As the world marked the International Day against Torture that falls on June 26, eyes were on Egypt where the struggle against citizen abuse has been particularly significant.
Syria: Black Comedy of the Revolution
Black comedy is one of the ways one deals with traumatic events. The recent events in Syria, while bloody and depressing to many people, have also brought about an explosion of blogs, Facebook pages and articles that try to satirize the events, and point out the absurdities in the official narrative - sometimes in very unorthodox ways.
Kuwait: Flip Your Avatar, Show Support to the Bidun!
Kuwait has around 100,000 stateless people or Bidun - meaning without nationality. They have no papers, ID cards, access to government education and health care, birth or death certificates. With Arabs rising this year, the Bidun of Kuwait are making their voices heard, both on the ground and via social media, asking people to "flip their avatars" in support.
Syria: French Embassy Website Hacked
On Saturday, June 25, since at least 3PM GMT, the website of the French Embassy in Syria appears to have been hacked: anyone connecting to the French embassy website is automatically redirected to another site (http://th3pro.pro/fr/), where, to the tune of the Syrian national anthem, a message in French and...
Syria: Blogging Day for Syria
Today marks the 100th day since the protest movement found its foothold in Syria. A 100 days later, more than 1,400 deaths, and three presidential speeches, the protest movement is still in full force. This Friday is being billed "friday of delegitimization".
Syria: “We Support Bashar and Want the World to Leave us Alone”
Do all Syrians hate Bashar Al Assad and his regime? An accusation that our coverage of the Syrian "revolution" at Global Voices Online has been one-sided, has sent us on a fascinating journey on the look out for supporters and their sentiments to developments in their country. Here are some of their reactions.
Bahrain: Opposition Leaders Sentenced to Jail
Opposition movements in Bahrain suffered a blow today after the military court, or National Security Court as it is called in Bahrain, sentenced 21 opposition figures to jail. Eight of them received life sentences. The sentences provoked criticism towards the regime of Bahrain because they came following calls for a national dialogue.
Syria: Protests Break Out Following Assad Speech
Syrian president Bashar Al Assad gave a speech today outlining reform plans, which include forming a committee to form a committee to study reforms and the need for national dialogue. On Twitter, reactions continued to flow as Assad spoke. Assad's promises were met with more protests across the country, calling for him to leave power.
Saudi Arabia: Women Behind the Wheel
Several Saudi women took the wheel yesterday to break the siege on driving in Saudi Arabia, where women are banned from driving cars. The campaign to drive was announced on Facebook, and fueled by conversations on other social media platforms, such as micro-blogging site Twitter. Laila Sindi, from Jeddah, shares her experience in a series of tweets.
Syria: 2.3km Flag at Pro-Government Rally in Damascus
Supporters of Syrian president Bashar Al Assad held a pro-regime rally today, carrying a 2.3km long Syrian flag in Mezzeh, in the capital Damascus, and chanting "The People Want Bashar Al Assad." Here are reactions from social media networks.
Syria: Crackdown Continues Despite International Outcry
Protests are continuing across Syria, as the Syrian regime shows no signs of loosening its brutal crackdown despite an international outcry. Netizens react on Twitter to the latest developments.
Egypt: On Iran's Theological Rule
Egyptian An Arab Citizen (Ar) discusses the model of the theological rule in Iran in this post.
Palestine: Call to Free Khaled Zawahre
Occupied Palestine shares the plight of Khaled Zawahre, who is detained in Ofer prison, allegedly for beating up an Israeli soldier and throwing rocks. Occupied Palestine maintains Khaled's innocence and shares photographs and videos.
Egypt: The Story of the Israeli Spy in Cairo
Ilan Chaim Grapel, an American immigrant to Israel, was arrested in Egypt last Sunday. Grapel has now been detained for 15 days as he is being questioned by the State Security Prosecution over alleged espionage activities in Egypt. Many Egyptians have reacted to the story on Twitter and in their blogs.
Jordan: King Abdullah Shares His Vision for Reform
Abdullah II of Jordan spoke to the country Sunday night about national unity, reform, priorities and his vision for the political future of the country, which will include a constitutional, elected government, and democratic political and economic reform. Jordanian netizens react to the speech.
Tunisia: Protest to Free a Government Critic
Tunisian protesters took to the streets yesterday calling for the immediate release of Samir Feriani, who has been in custody since May 29, 2011, for openly criticising the Interior Ministry. Human Rights Watch and Anonymous both addressed the Tunisian authorities and asked them to free him.
Kuwait: Shia Twitter User Arrested
Kuwaiti Nasser Abul, a young Shia man, has been arrested, allegedly for his posting on micro-blogging site Twitter. This is the first time a Twitter user is held for tweets in the country. The arrest has created a furour on Twitter, where many called for his release.
