Stories about Arabic from December, 2011
Egypt: 2011 in Blog Posts
The year 2011 is coming to an end, and with all the events took place in Egypt, it is important to list the most important or controversial blog posts of the year. Tarek Amr polls Twitter users to decide this year's top blog posts.
Meet Raafat Rohaiem from Global Voices in Arabic
Shams Ahmed interviews Raafat Rohaiem, one of teh first Global Voices in Arabic translators, who joined the team in 2007.
Algeria: What Independence means
Algerian algerianna, at Patriots on Fire, asks readers to share their views on the true meaning of their country's independence.
Morocco: The Tale of the February 20 Movement in 20 Videos
A look back at how the Moroccan pro-democracy movement "February 20" has used videos, as very powerful and viral social media tool to get its message across. Hisham Almiraat shares a selection of the 20 most popular and viral videos that marked the course of the February 20 Movement over the past 10 months.
Egypt: Reaping Legal Victories as the Revolution Continues
Egyptians are reaping victories in the halls of courtrooms. First, blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah has been released by a judge pending investigations, after spending 56 days behind bars yesterday. Then, a court ruled today that conducting virginity tests on women in the custody of the military is illegal.
Syria: Regime Affiliates Try to Frame Muslim Brotherhood for Damascus Car Bombs
Syrian official media outlets yesterday published a statement allegedly issued by the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood taking responsibility for the twin car-bomb attacks that caused heavy casualties in Damascus on Friday. Several irregularities and inconsistencies in the regime's story prompted a few Syrian netizens to investigate the matter further.
Yemen: The Amazing Life March Arrives in Sanaa
Thousands of Yemenis just arrived in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, after marching from the city of Taiz in the south, to call for the trial of Yemeni president Ali Abdulla Saleh. The aim of the 264km march, which protesters undertook on foot, is to demand the that Saleh, who was granted immunity from prosecution for his involvement in an 11-month crackdown on protesters demanding democracy, gets punished for his crimes.
Video Highlights: Protests, Elections, Culture and GV
A selection of Global Voices' recent and interesting stories including video from Middle East and North Africa, Sub Saharan Africa, Eastern and Central Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America, selected by Juliana Rincón Parra.
Egypt: Free Maikel Nabil Sanad – A Prisoner of Conscience
When Egyptians took to the streets at the start of their revolution last January, their chant “The People and the Army are One Hand!” was heard around the world. Today, after the army turned its guns on citizens, netizens are remembering the words of one blogger who had warned that the army and the people were never one hand. This is the story of Maikel Nabil Sanad.
Kuwait: Stateless Protesters Attacked for Demanding Rights
Arrests, beatings and harassment face protesters championing for the rights of 100,000 stateless in Kuwait, struggling to have the rights to documents, education, health care, employment, and most importantly naturalization. Mona Kareem takes a look at protests over the past few days in Kuwait and the police crackdown that followed.
Mauritania: Bloggers Call for the Boycott of Government-Sponsored Conference
Mauritania announced plans it would host Arab bloggers and activists involved in Arab revolutions in its capital Nouakchott. Its bloggers have joined forces to call on their Arab counterparts to boycott the event which is being organised by a military regime, which bans protests in the country, to embellish its image. They also remind activists that their country's regime has stood against Arab revolutions, in support of Gaddafi in Libya and Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
Palestine: Planning a Virtual Funeral
It is extremely difficult for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to visit Israel, and for political reasons it is impossible for most other Arabs to do so. At the same time, Palestinian citizens of Israel are unable to travel to much of the Arab world, because they have Israeli passports. Rasha Hilwi has been reflecting on how these restrictions on movement will affect her – after she dies.
Egypt: Women Rally for Dignity
Thousands of Egyptian women took to the streets of Cairo today to protest for their dignity, after women were beaten up by soldiers during running battles between the army and protesters in and around Tahrir Square since December 16.
Bahrain: #OccupyBudaiyaSt Continues
Bahraini protesters have been continuing with their daily protests despite a government crackdown. This none forceful confrontation with protesters has resulted in two deaths and countless injuries since Thursday. Netizens react to the new developments in the country.
Egypt: Women Against SCAF – Who Wins?
The world woke up today to see that Egypt had made the headlines again with a photograph of military officers ferociously beating a veiled girl and stripping her off her clothes. Nermeen Edrees charts netizen reactions to the way the Supreme Council for Armed Forces is treating women in Egypt.
Syria: Blogger Razan Ghazzawi is FREE!
Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi was released tonight, after spending 15 days in a Syrian prison. Ghazzawi, who blogs under her real name from Syria, was arrested at the Syrian-Jordanian border, while on her way to attend a press freedom workshop in Amman. Her arrest was criticised by netizens around the world.
Sidi Bouzid's Anniversary: Celebrating One Year of Arab Awakening
If you had to describe this year in one word what would it be? Leila Nachwati, who was in Tunisia two months ago to attend the Third Arab Bloggers Meeting, shares her experience in Free Tunisia and polls netizens' opinions on what word best describes the year that was since Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest against tyranny a year ago.
Arab World: Thank You Mohamed Bouazizi! Thank You Sidi Bouzid!
Netizens around the world today commemorate the first anniversary of the Arab revolution, sparked by the self-immolation of fruit and vegetable vendor Mohammed Bouazizi in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. What started as a one-man protest for dignity ignited the Arab world and beyond.
Egypt: Tahrir Square Burning
Egypt's Military Police have set Tahrir Square ablaze and forcefully pushed away protesters demonstrating outside the Cabinet on the first anniversary of the Arab revolution, sparked by the self-immolation of Mohammed Bouazizi in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia.
Morocco: Singer's Performance in Tel Aviv Ignites Debate on Israel's Cultural Boycott
Moroccan netizens are divided as to whether to support a call for a boycott of a Moroccan singer who performed in Tel Aviv despite calls for her to cancel the performance in Israel.
Video: Middle East Responds to Media via Webcam
Talk Back TV Middle East provides a way for people from in the Middle East and North Africa can talk back and give their take on state controlled television and mass media using only a webcam and computer.
