Stories about Middle East & North Africa from March, 2008
Morocco: Tourism Demands Pig Farms
“One of the last things you would expect to find in Morocco is a pig farm. Given that the consumption of pork is a religious taboo it may come as a surprise that this is a growth industry. And the reason? Tourism,” writes The View from Fez.
Syria: I Blog, Therefore I am
Syrian Abu Fares explains why he blogs in this post. “I blog therefore I am,” he concludes.
Iraq: Raed Jarrar's Interview with PBS
Iraqi blogger Raed Jarrar shares an interview conducted with him by PBS news hour.
Jordan: Delicious Pickings
Naseem Tarawnah, from Jordan, shares with us some of his “delicious pickings” in this post.
Brazil: March for the end of the Gaza Strip
“It is said that each Palestinian expelled from their land – and not just since 1948, when it the state of Israel was created – keep a key which they always carry with them. This is not the key for their car, office or a shed lost somewhere between Jordan,...
Egypt: Human Rights Defenders Harassed
Or Does it Explode… links to a report submitted by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies to the United Nations Human Rights Council which says there has been “huge harassments of human rights organisations and defenders have been increasingly subject to abusive and suppressive actions by government actors… in...
Israel: Three New Jerusalem News Websites Launch
Interested in knowing all the happenings of the Holy City? Look no further. Three English-language Israeli websites have recently launched to bring you news of Jerusalem. Check out Jerusalem Blueprint, Janglo (Jerusalem Anglo), and Go Jerusalem.
Bahrain: Scorn for inflation package
To alleviate the effects of inflation in Bahrain, the government has introduced a BD40 million (USD105 million) aid package – and Bahrain's bloggers are unanimous in questioning how effective it will be, writes Ayesha Saldanha.
Lebanon: On censorship
Beirut Spring posts about “good censorship” versus “bad censorship” and on the difference between censoring the Da Vinci Code and censoring Persepolis in Lebanon.
Lebanon: Genetic origins of Lebanese
A genetic study on Lebanese origins reveals chromosomes left by Phoenicians, Crusaders and Arabs, reports finkployd in detail.
Lebanon: Un-Banning “Persepolis”
“French Minister welcomed the news that Lebanon decided to reverse the ban on “Persepolis,” the award-winning animated film …” reports Bilad Ash Sham.
Lebanon: Banning “Persepolis”
“Marjane Satrapi’s ‘Persepolis’ [the movie] is the latest victim of our very “intellectual” General Security Censorship Department,” writes Bachir Habib
Israel: Yafo Residents Protest Corporate Greed
Yudit of Occupied writes about Land Day in Yafo (Jaffa), Israel: “Over one thousand people marched in Jaffa, against the ethnic cleansing carried out by big money in close cooperation with the public housing companies and the municipality… Jaffa's people, women, men and children, marched together for the future of...
Israel: Israeli Vietnamese Poet is Rising Star
“Vaan Nguyen, the 26-year-old, Israeli-born daughter of Vietnamese refugees… is being hailed as one of the country's provocative and innovative young poets,” Dion Nissenbaum reports.
Israel: New Technology Will Improve Organ Transplants
Israeli biotech company Core Dynamics may have found a way to improve organ transplants. A new technique in cyropreservation will change the way organs are frozen and thawed, enhancing their viability until time of transplant. Israel Start-Up News has the details.
Lebanon: Facebook Suicide
SLH shares this letter that he sent to his “facebook friends” explaining the reasons behind his decision to leave Facebook forever and to “rejoin real world interaction”.
Iran:”Defending animal rights =Westernization”
Mojgan Jamshidi, an environmentalist journalist and a leading blogger says[Fa] in Iran some believe defending animal rights is a kind of westernization. The blogger writes even reformist deputies while dominating Iranian parliament, considered animal rights is not a topic deserve to be discussed. She also published a photo of a...
Iran:Supporting Earth Hour
Mohammad Darvish, a leading environmentalist from Iran, asks[Fa] Iranians to support Earth Hour,an international event that asks households and businesses to turn off their lights and non-essential electrical appliances for one hour on the evening of 29 March.
Iran:Beautiful Mountain
Kosoof, a leading photo blogger from Iran, has published a photo of Mount Damavand,a dormant volcano and the highest peak in Iran.
Bahrain: Blogger in Jail for Four Months
Bahraini blogger and human rights activist Abdulla Mohsen (Ar) has been behind bars for more than four months, according to Nido, who calls upon bloggers and online activists to show support for his jailed comrade, who is still awaiting trial.
Libya: Killing Time at Weddings
From Libya, Khadija Teri takes us along with her to a wedding in Tripoli – where she discovers a new way to kill time.
About our Middle East & North Africa coverage
Mariam Abuadas is the editor for the Middle East & North Africa. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
