Stories about Middle East & North Africa from October, 2008
Egypt: Swingers Use Internet to Arrange Rendezvous
There are secrets behind closed doors. But to say that Egypt was shell shocked as news about its first swingers club emerged would be an understatement. And there is a small technicality - the couples first met online before arranging to meet face to face in cafes.
Palestinian Football History
Palestinians made their own football history, being the only team - in the words of one blogger - with a stadium but no country. It was a day of national pride and despite the setbacks, bloggers hailed it as a day of victory.
Jordan: News Sites Banned in Municipality Offices
Greater Amman Municipality staff will not be able to access news sites from their work computers, reports The Black Iris, from Jordan.
Libya: Too Much Info on the US
Anglo-Libyan, who lives in the UK, confesses that his children know more about the US than the UK and Libya.
Kuwait: For Ladies Only
Chillnite, from Kuwait, shares a link ‘for the ladies.’
How to Drive in Morocco
From Warp to Weft writes some rules on how to drive in Morocco.
Morocco: Halloween Not Just for Expats Anymore
The Halloween tradition is a muddled one; with traditions in an ancient Celtic celebration, Halloween started in Europe and made its way to the United States, where it has been embraced as a holiday for children. In recent years, however, the American version of Halloween has spread to the rest of the world, with Morocco being no exception.
Israel: Heading Towards General Elections
The leader of Israel's ruling party, Tzipi Livni, gave up her attempts to form a governing coalition. Livni has been trying to put together a government since she replaced Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as head of the ruling Kadima party last month. Elections are now set for February 10. Gilad Lotan reports from Israeli blogs.
BOBs: Global Videobloggers Compete for Award Part 1
The BOBs, Deutsche Welle's yearly contest for online products: blogs, podcasts and videoblogs has already chosen 176 nominees for the 16 different categories. In the video blogging category, participants from different parts of the world compete for the honor to be considered the best in their group, and voters will have until November 26th to choose their favorite.
Morocco: Habib Belkacem, Producer Extraordinaire
Cinema and Movies talks about female Moroccan film producer Habiba Belkacem.
Western Sahara: Educational Success
Western Sahara Echo remarks upon the success of the educational system in Western Sahara,
Morocco: Barça Fan Jailed for Superlative Statement
Many bloggers were shocked last week to learn that a young Moroccan man had been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for what seemed like such a minor "crime." The young man, a Barça (FC Barcelona, a soccer team) fan, allegedly wrote “God, Nation, Barça” on the blackboard at his school. Morocco's motto is "God, Nation, King."
Iran: Blogging from the Smallest School in the World
Here is another story about how blogging can change lives in a positive way and attract attention to invisible parts of this world. Abdul Mohammad She’rani, a young Iranian teacher in a very remote village in Iran, blogged about his very small school and his four students in a small...
Turkey: Blogspot.com Banned
In another long string of website services blocked in the Republic of Turkey, yet another blog service has been blocked Blogger/Blogspot.com. A court in Diyarbakir Turkey has banned Blogger in relation to an intellectual property infringement case. Adam Klempner, translates some of the Turkish bloggers' reactions.
Morocco: Tangier Experiences Massive Flooding
For the past few years, Morocco has been experiencing a significant drought. Unfortunately, recent rain storms have brought little relief, as Northern Morocco experiences massive flooding, claiming the lives of at least 13 people. The View From Fez recently reported on the floods: Thirteen people have been killed in northern...
Lebanon: Saturday Security Briefs
Blacksmiths of Lebanon updates us on the security situation in Lebanon in this post entitled Saturday Security Briefs.
Jordan: Creative Commons Amman Date
Ahmad Humeid, from Jordan, announces: ” Creative Commons is coming to Arabia and they’re holding a lecture in Amman. Creative Commons CEO Joichi Ito will be the speaker.”
Jordan: Qwaider Planet Celebrates
Qwaider Planet kicks off its third year, boosting the number of blogs it aggregates posts from 250 last year to around 400 this year. The aggregator was set up by Jordanian Samer Qwaider, who is also responsible for Jordan Blogs and GirlyGator.
Palestine: Nahr el-Bared Update
It's been a year since the first Palestinian refugees were allowed to return to the Nahr al-Bared camp in Lebanon. Palestinian Haitham Sabbah has an update and videos in this post.
Jordan: Blognesia?
Jordanian blogger Naseem Tarawnah suffers from Blognesia. To find out what that is, click here.
Morocco: 8th Marrakech international film festival
“The 8th Marrakech international film festival (FIFM) will pay tribute to two world-famous actresses, American Sigoureney Weaver and Asian Michelle Yeoh. The festival runs from November 14th to 22nd,” says The View from Fez, in Morocco.
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.
