Stories about Arabic from October, 2015
Mainstream Media Comes Under Fire for ‘Biased’ Coverage of Shia Religious Event
Every year, millions of Shia mark the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain bin Ali, killed 1,300 years ago. Netizens hit back on how mainstream media get it wrong.
Free Alaa Campaign Takes Social Media by Storm on the First Anniversary of His Imprisonment
Alaa Abd El Fattah has spent a year in prison for his activism. He has four more to serve. Netizens are making noise on his first year anniversary calling for his freedom.
Drowning in Refuse, Lebanon's Capital Is Now Zigzagged by ‘Rivers of Garbage’
It rained in Lebanon and Beirut's rubbish, which has been pilling up alongside roads for months, turned the capital's roads into "rivers of garbage." Fears of a cholera epidemic don't seem unrealistic.
Bahrain Government Renews Crackdown on Religious Rituals
Security forces and youth clashed in Bahrain today as police attacked villages, forcefully removing banners placed on roadsides to commemorate Ashura. Several people were injured from buckshot fired at protesters.
You May Not Know It—But If You Speak Spanish, You Speak Some Arabic Too
Joy Diaz speaks English and Spanish. When she met her daughter's Arabic-speaking teacher, she realized how many Arabic words she also knows.
ISIS Gunman Kills Five at Shia Mosque in Saudi Arabia
A Saudi gunman affiliated with ISIS opened fire at Shia worshippers in Saihat, killing five people. Netizens blame sectarian incitement against Shiites for the incident.
What's Personal When You're Syrian?
"How to disentangle the personal from the public in your animosity towards those who want to kill you just because you attempted to assert your personal and public rights?"
Egyptian Facebook User Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Putting Mickey Mouse Ears on Sisi
Egyptian Facebook user Amr Nohan has been sentenced to three years in prison by a military court for adding Mickey Mouse ears to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's image.
Is Beirut the Codeswitching Capital of the World?
In Beirut, most people don't just speak one language, but a mix of three: English, French and Arabic. It's what many in Beirut call Lebanon's mother tongue.
Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet Wins Nobel Peace Prize
Tunisians are over the moon their democratic progress was recognised by awarding the National Dialogue Quartet the Nobel Peace Prize today.
Arrest and Prison Time for Journalists and Bloggers over Facebook Posts in Lebanon
Two Lebanese Facebook users found themselves sentenced to prison for posts they wrote on the social networking site.
Syrian Refugees? Get Your Facts Straight Before You Share Their Stories
Photographs of struggling Syrian refugees escaping death are plastered all over the Internet. Here's our pick of some photographs which are not what they seem. Rami Alhames explains.
Fears for Imprisoned Syrian Bassel Khartabil, Transferred to an Unknown Location
Activists are calling upon the Syrian government to immediately release imprisoned Syrian-Palestinian blogger Bassel Khartabil (Safadi) after he was moved from his prison to an unknown location earlier today.
Kidnapped, But Sameera Is Ever-Present in the Memories of Syrians
Yasin Al Hajj Saleh is a teacher of hope. If he was able to smile in the face of hope, what is your excuse?