Featured stories about Middle East & North Africa
Stories about Middle East & North Africa
14 January 2020
‘An interplay between Western and Eastern Cultures': Two art exhibitions on cultural collisions
In October 2019 in Brooklyn, New York, two women artists from Iran and Pakistan exhibited new bodies of work in which they portrayed the interplay between Western and Eastern cultures
30 December 2019
Data protection policy void threatens privacy rights of citizens and refugees in Jordan
Jordan is considering a data protection bill. Will its adoption reinforce privacy protections in the country?
20 December 2019
Scenes from Ma'shour: On the brutal suppression of protests in an Iranian city
"In the days after the horrific incident, the stench of charred corpses in the marshes remained so strong that it reached across the city."
10 December 2019
‘Creating Suspension Between Contradictory States': An interview with artist Parastou Forouhar
"I try to create the potential for suspension between contradictory states that will emotionally and psychologically engage viewers and make them ask questions."
9 December 2019
Multiple measures failed to control mis- and disinformation in Tunisia's 2019 elections
In light of the lack of transparency from Facebook and a legal void characterizing the regulation of political ads on social media, measures to counter disinformation were inadequate.
Will Algeria disrupt internet access as election day nears?
With protesters taking to social media to spread information about what is happening on the ground, the Algerian authorities repeatedly resorted to disrupting access to networks and social media platforms.
4 December 2019
Join Global Voices’ #WritingTowardFreedom Twitter chat on December 11, 2019
How has ethnic hate speech, mis- and disinformation and internet shutdowns become insidious threats to online freedom of expression in Africa? Join us for this discussion in a Twitter chat.
20 November 2019
Iran protests: Flying bullets and internet shutdown
The current protests are more widespread, more diverse in terms of class, and characterized by a brutal government response that includes a near-total shutdown of the internet.
12 November 2019
US withdrawal from Syria tests Russian soldiers’ social media use
New footage from Syria shows that despite new information security measures, the Russian military is willing to weaponise its soldiers' social media posts when it is timely to do so.
11 November 2019
Beirut demonstrations honored in a map showing protest as a process of live ‘city-making’
“Maps are important additions to the visual "magma" we're being exposed to because they allow us to summarize, reflect and put things in perspective."
Wake-up call or smear campaign? How an ad for sanitary pads is dividing Turkish public opinion
In Turkey, a top sanitary pad brand comes under fire after it releases a feminist ad.
10 November 2019
Netizen Report: Domestic worker abuses in the Gulf expose tech companies’ failures to protect human rights
Tech companies grapple with abuses against domestic workers, Iraqis face another internet shutdown, and Russia gets ready for a 'sovereign internet.'
7 November 2019
Bangladeshi migrant domestic workers are returning from Saudi Arabia with shocking tales of abuse
900 female domestic workers have returned from Saudi Arabia in 2019 accusing their employers of physical and sexual abuse -- more than 100 have died.
5 November 2019
Why is Pakistan trying to broker Iran-Saudi peace talks?
Despite many unresolved domestic issues, Pakistan's role towards brokering an Iran-Saudi peace talk is being widely criticized at home and abroad.
28 October 2019
Netizen Report: How are protests in Lebanon affecting digital rights?
Protests continue in Lebanon, phone service is back in Kashmir (but the internet is still down) and Egyptians are getting censored on Twitter.
25 October 2019
Iran’s drive to block international services continues with Google Play ban
The decision to block Google Play is consistent with the authorities' strategy to foist home-grown Iranian apps and services on Iranian internet users and limit the availability of international services.
21 October 2019
Ahead of Tunisia elections, social media was flooded with mis- and disinformation
In the months leading up to the elections, mis- and disinformation spread widely across social media platforms, Facebook in particular.
12 October 2019
Algerian government cracks down as demonstrators protest presidential elections
The Algerian government has tried to stop peaceful marches, but failed. Protesters stop at nothing to reach their stated goal of ending the post-independence political system.
11 October 2019
Netizen Report: Iraq and Ecuador face network shutdowns amid public protests
Networks are down in Turkey, Iraq and Ecuador; US tech companies are cutting off Venezuelans; and gatekeepers continue holding back content related to Hong Kong protests.
4 October 2019
From Syria to the world: Notes on tyranny, war and despair
Based on actual events and stories, these Notes send the message that Syrians deserve to live in peace, dignity and freedom—just like everyone else in the world.
About our Middle East & North Africa coverage
Afef Abrougui is Advox Editor for the Middle East and North Africa. Email her story ideas related to freedom of expression online.
