Stories about Middle East & North Africa from October, 2009
Egypt: Damsels in Distress
Wandering Scarab does not believe that Egyptian women know what they really want; their actions demonstrate that they don't really want equality or freedom; they do not even know what freedom is; they want to be free within cages of their own creation. They love being Damsels in Distress.
Egypt: The top 10 most influential people
Gamal Mubarak, son of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak -- who is expected to succeed his father -- was among the 2009 TIME 100 Finalists. Egyptian bloggers have their say in this post.
Kuwait: Weird Wedding Things
“Do you guys know of any other weird things brides do before their wedding?” asks Kuwaiti blogger eshda3wa after her friends has decided to go into hiding before her big day.
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Woman for California Assembly
A Saudi-born woman, Ferial Al Masry, is running for the California State Assembly, writes Saudi blogger Qusay.
Egypt: Egyptian Male Blogger Orders Artificial Hymen
So much was said and written about the artificial virginity hymen kit - that Egyptian male blogger Mohamed Al Rahhal just had to buy one. Marwa Rakha brings us the story.
Palestine: IDF Torches Palestinian Vehicles
At Do Unto Others, Samuel Nichols writes that Israeli military patrols have started setting fire to cars which are caught trying to cross the border from the West Bank into Israel. He posts a video here.
Morocco: A (Fake) Interview with Ben Ali
Moroccan blogger Al Miraat posts a (fake) interview conducted with Tunisian president Ben Ali.
UAE: Hijab as a marketing ploy
Abayachic questions the use of hijab as a marketing ploy.
Palestine: A Student's Tour Of Gaza
Lina Al Sharif, blogging at 360 km2 of Chaos, describes the trip around Gaza that she made with her university friends, and shows us a video of some of the places visited.
Israel/Palestine: Bloggers Talk
Velveteen Rabbi reports from an Israel-Palestine Blogger Panel in Washington, DC.
Saudi Arabia: Stuff Saudi People Like
Find out what Stuff Saudi People Like on this blog.
Tunisia elections: Fairness and Impartiality !!?
Tunisian President Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali won a fifth term with 89.62 per cent of the over all votes. His party, the Democratic Constitutional Rally won 161 out of 214 parliament seats. Tunisian bloggers have their say in this post.
Syria: Hyperlink Podcast Caters to the Arabic Tech Crave
Hyperlink Podcast is received with enthusiasm among Syrian bloggers as one of the best technology podcasts available in Arabic. Created weekly by two Syrian blogging brothers, Mohammad and Beshr Kayyali, the podcast features a wide variety of technology topics and interviews with influential IT professionals. Syrian bloggers react to the site.
Israel: “Ordinary Racism” In Media Coverage
Approximately 20 per cent of the country's population, the Palestinian citizens of Israel (also known as Israeli Arabs) argue that they are discriminated against in many aspects of life. The media coverage of a recent road accident prompted a Palestinian blogger in Israel to comment.
UAE: Sending a Child to School
Sending a child to school for the first time, could be difficult on many parents. Palestinian Eman, who lives in the UAE, discusses her thoughts and feelings on her son's first day at the nursery.
UAE: Desperate Housewife
Palestinian Eman, who lives in the UAE, discusses her life as a ‘deperate’ housewife, whose life and work rotates around her home.
Tunisia: Al Jazeera and France
From Tunisia, Farhat Al Tunisi remarks [Ar]: “The similarity between the news on Tunisia that the occupying French media and Al Jazeera broadcast has reached a point which makes you think that our country is under French rule.”
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Liberalism
Majid Al Hamdan [Ar], from Saudi Arabia, shares the story of Saudi liberalism in this post.
Bahrain: Bahraini Inventors
Bahraini inventors? Mahmood Al Yousif finds them in this post.
Algeria: The Culture of Rioting
The Moor Next Door takes a closer look at the culture of rioting in Algeria: “A decade of national reconciliation has produce a society where young men riot by night and by day plot escape routs out of Algeria, via suicide or sea.”
Armenia: Twitter counters false media report
After a news item in the local press reported that a British MP had been appointed as rapporteur on Armenia and Turkey, Unzipped says that it used Twitter to check the accuracy of the story. Tweeting a question to the MP in question, it turned out that the report was...
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