· October, 2009

Stories about Middle East & North Africa from October, 2009

Egypt: Damsels in Distress

  30 October 2009

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

  29 October 2009

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

  29 October 2009

“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.

Palestine: IDF Torches Palestinian Vehicles

  27 October 2009

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.

Palestine: A Student's Tour Of Gaza

  27 October 2009

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.

Tunisia elections: Fairness and Impartiality !!?

  26 October 2009

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

  26 October 2009

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

  26 October 2009

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

  26 October 2009

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

  26 October 2009

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

  26 October 2009

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.”

Algeria: The Culture of Rioting

  26 October 2009

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

  25 October 2009

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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Mariam A.
Mariam A. is the editor for the Middle East & North Africa. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.