Stories about Arabic from November, 2011
Egypt: Tear Gas Shipment Raises Questions About the US
A new tear gas shipment to Egypt from the United States leaves netizens confused. Is the United States a friend of Arab revolutions or a supporter of Arab tyrants?
Morocco: Islamist PJD Victory in Post-Reform Parliamentary Election
Moroccans took to the polls on Friday 25 November, to elect a new parliament. It is the first election since a constitutional referendum in July approved a series of amendments introduced by King Mohammed VI.
Egypt: Summing up the Second Wave of Protests So Far
Miran Hosny sums up the recent second wave of protests in Egypt. The death toll is allegedly just shy of 40 and Central Security Forces and police have reportedly continued their attack-and-retreat dance with Egyptian protestors, blasting them with tear gas and other chemical gases that are as yet unidentifiable.
Egypt: Popular Justice Tackles Police Brutality
Social media users in Egypt have revealed the identity of a police officer accused of shooting to target protester's eyes. Tarek Amr reports of the emergence of several popular justice initiatives in the country.
Tunisia: Elected Constituent Assembly Holds Inaugural Session
November 22 marked another turning point for Tunisia. The constituent assembly, responsible for taking charge of the draft of the new constitution, held its first session. Afef Abrougui reports.
Qatar: Opinions Divided Over Sale of Pork
News has been spreading in Qatar that pork products are now available for purchase in the country, albeit only from the single Qatar Distribution Company store, and only to those with alcohol permits. Omar Chatriwala reports.
Yemen: Will Saleh Sign the GCC Deal that the Youth Oppose?
Yemenis have patiently waited ten months too many for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. Now he says he will sign a GCC brokered deal which transfers power to his deputy. Netizens react to the news under the hashtag #No2GCCdeal on Twitter.
Egypt: The Revolution is Back!
Up to 100,000 people are said to be in Tahrir Square now, as police and the army continue to battle with protesters calling for an end to Egypt's military rule. Protesters have had running battles with the armed gunmen serving the Egyptian government since Friday.
Egypt: Revolutionaries Shrug at Cabinet Resignation
The Cabinet of Dr Essam Sharaf has just asked if it could resign and the Supreme Council for Armed Forces (SCAF) is yet to decide whether it would accept their resignation or not. For activists and protesters battling police and the army for the third day in and around Tahrir Square, the news does not bring anything new to the table. Their main demand is for SCAF to leave power and hand over authority to a civil government.
Morocco: Online Debates Rage Days Ahead of Parliamentary Elections
Moroccan are using the Internet extensively to discuss the upcoming legislative elections. Part of the discussion is revolving around the electoral programs of the competing parties, the question of whether to boycott or participate in the poll and the role played by the pro-democracy youth movement, February 20.
Egypt: Battle for Tahrir Continues for Third Day
The battle for Tahrir Square, in downtown Cairo, continues to rage for the third day today. Netizens keep us abreast with the action from the frontlines.
Tunisia: Execution of a Tunisian in Iraq Divides Netizens
The execution of Yosri Trigui, a Tunisian convicted of terrorism, in Iraq has divided Tunisian netizens. A terrorist who deserves what he obtained, or a young victim of manipulation, and a trial that did not meet international standards? Read Afef Abrougui's round up of reactions from Tunisia to find out.
Egypt: Have Activists and Journalists Been Targeted in Tahrir Square Clearing?
Tear gas, rubber bullets and bird shots were used today, injuring scores of people, to clear Tahrir Square of protesters. Egyptians on Twitter were both sad and angry for what happened, accusing the new rulers of Egypt of targeting activists.
Egypt: Ultras Push Police Back as the Battle for Tahrir Continues
Police and protesters spent a day battling over Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the Egyptian revolution. A few minutes ago thousands of football fans, known as ultras, descended upon the square pushing back the police. Here are reactions from Twitter.
UAE: Female Twitter User Rowda Hamed Summoned for Interrogation
Female Twitter user Rowda Hamed, from the UAE, tweeted saying that she has been summoned for interrogation. She is one of the few Twitter users from the country who support five detained activists who recently went on hunger strike.
Egypt: The Question of Election Symbols
A car, a gun, a toothbrush, a spaceship and an eye! Those are just some of the symbols you can see on the election banners on Egyptian streets as the countdown for election day in Egypt nears. Tarek Amr looks up what netizens have to say about those symbols.
Egypt: The Mini-States Of Cairo
So you thought Cairo was a city? Actually it's a series of mini-states that operate independently of each other. In this post, blogger Karim Shafei explains how Cairo really works.
Kuwait: Protesters Storm the National Assembly
Thousands of angry Kuwaitis stormed the National Assembly building on Wednesday 16 November, after police and security forces clashed with protestors. Kuwait's political sphere has been extremely tense in the past few years, and with the Arab Spring earlier this year, the situation took a new turn.
Yemen: Reuters Yields to the Power of Twitter!
Yemeni netizens scored big time when their Twitter campaign 'Shame on Reuters' pressured the international news organisation to stop its stringer Muhammad Sudam, who has also been the Yemeni President's personal translator and secretary since 2009, from reporting.
Kuwait: Video Campaign to Teach Citizens about the Constitution
To mark the 49th anniversary of the Kuwaiti constitution, a group of activists decided to remind citizens of the different clauses of the constitution. Under the theme of Tadry [ar] (Did you know?), Sout Al-Kuwait (Voice of Kuwait) produced six videos, each spanning a few seconds, explaining to citizens six select articles from the constitution.
Egypt: Commemorating 40 Years of Pope Shenouda on Twitter
Egyptian Copts, among others, decided to criticize Pope Shenouda III on the occasion of his 40th Ordination anniversary. The anniversary coincided with the end of the 40 day mourning period after the Maspero massacre, where 27 Egyptians, mostly Coptic Christians, were killed.
