Stories about Ethnicity & Race from November, 2009
Sri Lanka: Future Of Freedom And Democracy
Surendra Ajit Rupasinghe at Groundviews discusses the fate of the internally detained persons and the future of freedom and democracy in Sri Lanka.
Russia: Thousands Protest Against Trading Center Construction
On November 29, thousands of people in Moscow went out on the streets to protest against the construction of a new trading center. This center would replace the “Cherkizovski” market [ENG], which was closed down in June because of many illegal activities on its premises. The photos of the protest...
Egypt: A fine line between patriotism and chauvinism
The November 14 football match between Egypt and Algeria has turned into an ugly war and it got worse after Egypt's defeat on November 18 in Sudan. From the fury of Egyptian President's son to that of renowned actors and actresses, media figures, writers, and Facebook users, anger has blinded common sense. Marwa Rakha looks at a new initiative to put out the fire.
USA: Native American Heritage Day
A new National Native American National Heritage day is being honored in the United States on November 27, the day after most people there celebrated Thanksgiving. Native Americans rejoice - online and elsewhere.
St. Lucia, U.S.A.: New Book of Poetry
From St. Lucia, Caribbean Book Blog interviews Dr. Neal Hall about his new anthology of verse, Nigger For Life.
Greece: Police violence against migrant woman triggers reforms
A migrant woman from Armenia was beaten by police in Athens, Greece this week, leading to renewed promises of police reform from the new socialist government. A minister responds directly to citizen complaints via Twitter for the first time.
Russia: Anti-fascists Mourn Murder of Activist Killed By Neo-Nazis
Hundreds of young anti-fascists gathered in the center of Moscow. They mourned the murder of Ivan Khutorskoy, an activist of “Antifa,” Russian anti-fascist movement. A blogger chtodelat claims [ENG] it's the sixth “Antifa” murder in Russia during the last few years. The photos of the gathering made by lj-user ottenki_serogo...
Yemen: A Civil or Proxy War?
The ongoing war in Yemen certainly warrants coverage on Global Voices Online, but Tarek Amr was really shocked when he realized there weren't many bloggers interested in the conflict. Here are some scattered extracts from post written by bloggers from different countries.
Qatar: Cartoon of maid abusing child raises ire
A cartoon published in a local paper in Qatar depicting a crazed maid abusing a child has raised the ire of Doha bloggers, many of whom are condemning the possible satire for being racist and in poor taste. Shabina S. Khatri has more on the debate.
Azerbaijan: New Year
Azerbaijan might still be a predominantly Muslim country, but Scary Azeri in Suburbs says that many of the trappings of Christmas in the West can be observed in its New Year festivities. The blog details how the holiday is spent in much of the former Soviet world.
Barbados, Guyana: Doctor Complicit?
Barbados Underground suggests that the doctor who examined the minor brutalised by Guyana police “was complicit in the torture…the concealment of a crime against humanity and…he possibly committed obstruction of justice.”
Brazil: Do banks have metal or melanin detector doors?
Most banks in Brazil use revolving doors with metal detectors. But are they being used as an excuse to discriminate against people? A citizen media video reveals at least one case.
Sri Lanka: What Is Your Race?
Mahesan Niranjan at Groundviews shares a personal story depicting how race & nationality is perceived in Sri Lanka leading to further divide.
Bhutan: Shangri-La or Ethnic Cleanser?
What is Bhutan? One camp glorifies Bhutan as the last Shangri-la and the other claims that it is practicing ethnic cleansing. Sonam Ongmo breaks some stereotypes.
Hungary: More on Imre Kertész's Interview
More on the Hungarian reactions to Imre Kertész's Die Welt interview – at Hungarian Spectrum. (Marietta Le's GV post about it is here.)
Impact of ICT on Indigenous Cultures: Rejuvenation or Colonization?
Can ICT truly preserve and protect distinct identities and culture? The cultural debate surrounding deployment of ICT in the field of indigenous/ knowledge and culture simply refuses to die down.
Russia: 1999 Chechen Diary, Part 4
The final part (part 4) of Polina Zherebtsova’s 1999 Chechen Diary – at Sundry Translations and Other Tangentialia. (More links: intro, part 1, part 2, part 3, Russian-language original.)
Finland: The Language Issue
Nordic Voices writes about Finland's “language issue.”
U.S., Europe: Immigrant Writing; Diaspora Mentality
Maud Newton writes about a newly-published anthology of immigrant writing, “Becoming Americans.” Sublime Oblivion examines the views of “Russian political analyst & nationalist Konstantin Krylov” on “international diasporas” and “the diaspora mentality.”
Taiwan: Foreigners face discrimination from banks
Patrick Cowsill writes about the difficulties foreigners face in getting a credit card in Taiwan.
China's Perspective on Xinjiang
TrueXinjiang.com is a Web site that appeals instantly to the western eye. The site, designed specifically to disseminate a Han-Chinese version of life in the remote autonomous region of Xinjiang, China, is free of many of the displeasing characteristics, such as clutter and endless pop-up ads, found on Chinese Web...