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Stories about West Asia & North Africa from May, 2010
MENA: Rage after Israel Attacks Gaza-bound Flotilla
Emotions are running high across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), after Israel attacked a peaceful flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza - and the Twittersphere is ablaze. Also, are tweets commenting on the situation being censored?
Lebanon: Evil challenges against techy women
Lebanese blogger and geek Mir talks about six “evil” challenges women in the IT world face in her latest post.
Bahrain: On German Freedom
Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif attended a 10-day programme organised by the German Federal Foreign Office. His conclusion: “Germany is not that free after all!”
Algeria ,France: Film “Of Gods and Men” Sparks Conversation about Spirituality, Terrorism
Cannes 2010 award-winning film "Of Gods and Men" discusses the killings of the French monks of Tibhirine monastery in 1996. The movie sparks various reactions, from praises to spiritual debates, from bloggers in Algeria, France and around the world.
Iran: Two Bloggers and Student Leader on Hunger Strike in Prison
Two bloggers and one leading student activist - deprived of their pen and blogs in an Iranian prison - are now using a hunger strike to protest prison conditions and defend their rights.
Israel: The Freedom Flotilla – PR Stunt or Humanitarian Act?
Nine ships sailing from various destinations, including Ireland, Turkey and Greece, are headed towards the Gaza Strip, with the goal of breaking the Israeli maritime blockade. Gilad Lotan takes a closer look at reactions from the Hebrew blogosphere.
Lebanon: Elections Vs Football
What's overshadowing the Lebanese municipal elections? Free Thinking Lebanon blames football for stealing its thunder.
Bahrain: Abu Dhabi's Gold ATMs
Gold dispensing machines? Ammaro, from Bahrain, discusses Abu Dhabi's new flashy Gold ATMs in this post.
Jordan: A Day with a Grave Digger
From Jordan, Karabeeb (Ar) interviews a grave digger – and discusses his profession.
MENA: 15m Facebook Users
As of May 2010, Facebook has 15 million users from the Middle East and North Africa (excluding Iran, Israel and Turkey), reports Spot On. Seventy per cent of the users...
Qatar: The Al Jazeera Initiative for Internet Freedom Launched
Qatar-based Al Jazeera Network has announced The Al Jazeera Initiative for Internet Freedom. For more information, click here.
Mauritania: Spotlight on Tunisian Cyberactivism
Mauritanian blogger Nasser Weddady sheds light on cyberactivism in Tunisia with this insightful post, dedicated to the memory of Tunisian dissident and internet activist Zouhair Yahyahoui.
Bahrain: Blocking of Sites Gains Momentum
Bahraini Mahmood Al Yousif comments on the blocking of sites around the world – and the excuses given for that.
Brazil: Bloggers React to Iran-Brazil-Turkey Nuclear Deal
Brazilian bloggers react to the deal reached between Brazil, Turkey and Iran concerning the uranium enrichment of the latter: from optimism to skepticism, here are some thoughts on the role of Brazil in such an international turnaround.
Iran: “Democracy is only the beginning”
“Democracy is only the beginning” is the name of a short film created by Franklin Pham and Arya Ghavamian. Several Iranian bloggers including Kamangir encouraged [fa] Iranians to vote for...
UAE: Dubai Road Stunt Enrages Bloggers
Bloggers in the UAE are outraged after a video was posted on YouTube showing young men driving in a reckless manner in broad daylight on one of Dubai's busiest streets.
UAE: An Encounter with a Camel
If you tell anyone you live in the Arabian Gulf, two things come to their mind - oil and camels. Noora Nasrallah, who tweets as PurpleNano, describes her encounter with a camel in the UAE a series of tweets today.
Egypt: Rima Fakih – What does religion have to do with it?
Rima Fakih, an Arab Muslim immigrant, won the Miss USA Pageant. There are those who considered her award an Arab victory, those who considered her a Muslim disgrace, and others who dug up her past.
MENA: To Draw or Not to Draw Muhammed
The fire ignited by the Everybody Draw Mohammed Day on Facebook, is still raging. Here is a snap shot of reactions from across the Middle East.
Palestine: No Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
Sherine Tadros, whose location is listed as Jerusalem/Gaza, tweets: “The israeli army head responsible for #gaza just told me there is ‘no humanitarian crisis’ in the strip. 80% poverty apparently...
Bahrain: Time Flies
From Bahrain, ammar456 observes on Twitter: “The days just seem to fly by. Things didn't move this fast when we were kids.”
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