Stories about Arabic from May, 2008
Syria: Crisis in Neighboring Lebanon
As the Lebanese leaders go to Doha, Qatar, to resume their "National Dialogue", here is a roundup of what Syrian bloggers had to say on the latest crisis in Lebanon. The Syrian bloggers were as divided as their counterparts in Lebanon about who is to blame for this latest crisis, and what must be done to avoid such events in the future.
Egypt: Torture for Bloggers and Activists
Egyptian bloggers, cyberactivists and activists on the ground continue to pay the price for speaking up against the rising cost of living and calling for higher wages and a better life. What started as a call for a strike on April 6, quickly spiralled out of control, with a face off between rioters, protesters and the police. Here's an account of what has happened and is still happening to some of the activists who have used the worldwide web to spread news of what is happening at home.
Kuwait: Zero Hour for Elections
Kuwait is all set for its National Assembly elections on Saturday (May 17). A total of 246 male candidates and 27 female candidates are running for 50 seats in the hotly contested elections. Abdullatif AlOmar brings us a selection of posts on the elections and other matters from the Kuwaiti blogosphere.
Lebanon: Warlords and not Leaders
Lebanese blogger Maze, who lives in Kuwait, asks: Will peace ever prevail in Lebanon? He appeals to his countrymen: “wake up ..don't let those sick minds who are in power...
Palestine: Sixty Years of Al Nakba
Celebrations are under way to mark Israel's 60th anniversary - but for millions of Palestinians whose grandparents and parents were made refugees in the process, today marks Al Nakba - a day they were forced to flee their lands or were forcefully expelled from their homes as the State of Israel was born. Following is a cross-section of reactions from Arab bloggers.
Morocco: Living with AIDS
Moroccan blogger M S Hjiouij [Ar] writes about Aids, stereotypes and facts in this article entitled Living with AIDS.
Kuwait: Sad for Shaikh Saad
Former Kuwaiti ruler Shaikh Saad Al Abdulla Al Sabah died today after a long illness at the age of 78. Kuwait's online community was moved by the news, as hundreds of messages of sympathy and condolences poured onto blogs, in Arabic and English. The country has declared three days of official mourning - but the parliamentary elections, scheduled for Saturday, will go ahead as planned.
Lebanon: The Lighter Side of War
Breaking the silence, Moussa Bashir, from Lebanon, shares some jokes he has translated from Arabic on the current explosive political situation on the ground.
Kuwait: Elections Getting Closer
Kuwait is gearing up for another round of Parliamentary elections on Saturday (May 17), allowing women to cast votes and nominate themselves for the second time in the country's history. Abdullatif AlOmar brings us the latest reactions from Kuwaiti blogs in this post, including a call for women to use their votes wisely to safeguard the future of their children.
Saudi Arabia: Blog Anniversary
Saudi blogger Milyani [Ar] marks his blogs second anniversary by sharing some statistics: The average number of visits to his blog average 30,000 readers daily.
Saudi Arabia: Just a Bag?
Ibrahim from Saudi Arabia complains [Ar] that while companies mark their anniversaries with valuable prizes for their staff and customers, the company he works with was satisfied with giving their...
Saudi Arabia: Why Are There No Cinemas?
"Why are there no cinemas in Saudi Arabia?" asks Saudi blogger Hayfa [Ar], who offers us her ideas of a workable plan to make cineplexes and movie screenings compliant with her country's traditional and religious outlook.
Palestine Think Tank Launched
A new website, called Palestine Think Tank, has been launched. It provides commentary in English and Arabic, and according to the site: “We believe that the just struggle of the...
Palestine: Moroccan Neighbourhood in Jerusalem
From Palestine, Roba (Ar) writes about the Moroccan neighbourhood in Jerusalem.
Arabeyes: Freedom for Fouad Al Farhan
Saudi blogger Fouad Al Farhan is now a free man, after spending 137 days in detention in Jeddah. While bloggers have all along speculated why he has been held by the authorities for this long, Arab bloggers are unanimously excited over his release. And they also share their hopes for the release of other jailed bloggers.
Jordan: Gearing Up for Strike
Jordan is gearing up for a strike on May 4, according to bloggers. Just like in Egypt, the message to strike was posted on Facebook, and later picked up by blogs, in protest against increasing prices and calling for better living conditions.
Kuwait: Activity Filled Week
It was an activity-filled week for Kuwaiti bloggers, who spent time in a shooting range, doing charity work and weighing their options for the parliamentary elections later this month.
Middle East: Police Meet Workers on May 1
May Day is the day workers around the world rally for better working conditions and higher wages. In the Middle East, bloggers mark the day with posts and photographs reporting what happened, what the day means for them, and why it is a reason for celebration.
Saudi Arabia: Imprisoned in the Office
Have you ever found yourself working late in the office? From Saudi Arabia, Ar6abon [Ar] shares with us this fascinating story about how he was locked up in his office one night.
Morocco: Rage and sadness at this weekend's Casablanca factory fires
This weekend saw two deadly fires, one in a mattress and another in a textile factory, break out in Morocco's economic capital, Casablanca. Dozens of people died from asphyxia after being locked into their workplace by employers. The Moroccan blogosphere responds with questions and expressions of anger and sadness.
