· July, 2010

Stories about Middle East & North Africa from July, 2010

Lebanon: Felesteen 2.0

  31 July 2010

Felesteen 2.0 is setting up a series of new blogs as part of their social media project. The new bloggers are residents of the Shatila camp, ranging from 14 – 22 years of age with diverse educational backgrounds.

Qatar: Expats Question Future Plans

  31 July 2010

If you are a long term resident in one of the GCC countries, what are your long-term plans? What will you do when you return home? At Qatar Living, expatriates attempt to answer the inevitable question: What will you do when you return home?

Egypt: Do Egyptians have a natural aversion towards women?

  31 July 2010

Do Egyptians have a natural aversion towards women? Zeinobia is very unhappy with this emerging social trend, Mohaly is wondering where we are going with segregation, Diptychal wonders why they want to shut them up, and Eman Hashim is begging mothers to love their daughters!

Palestine: A Possibility of Military Conscription?

  31 July 2010

The Hamas government's Interior Minister, Fathi Hammad, earlier this week announced that he was considering expanding Gaza's military force, initially with volunteers and eventually with conscripts. Bloggers in Gaza have reacted with astonishment to the idea.

Morocco: Agharass's New Photography Blog

  28 July 2010

Moroccan blogger Agharass is known for having an eclectic blog with posts (in French) on a variety of subjects from Palestine to pop culture, often peppered with the blogger's own photographs. Agharass now has a photo blog, entitled Portfolio de Agharass!

Egypt: Is Egypt Sinking?

  28 July 2010

The Economist has published a special report on Egypt and its future after President Hosni Mubarak, who has now been recognized as the 21st century sick man of the Middle East. Egyptian bloggers have their say.

Israel: Rape by Deceit or Racism?

  28 July 2010

The recent conviction of rape by deceit of an Arab posing as a Jew to seduce a Jewish woman to engage in sexual intercourse has sparked conversations across the Hebrew blogosphere about the dire inequality between Jews and Arabs living in Israel. Gilad Lotan translates some of the reactions from Hebrew.

Israel: “Oliver Stone is a Nutcase”

  27 July 2010

“Oliver Stone is a nutcase,” announces Yael, from Life in Israel. “Oliver Stone has come out with some virulently anti-semitic comments, claiming that Jews control the media, downplayed the Holocaust, defended Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and complained about Jewish influence in the United States…” she continues.

Iraq: Going Back to America

  26 July 2010

Ice Cold, from the Kirkuk Air Base in Iraq, tweets: “It's official… we're here in Irq another 4 more weeks… Nothing cam be finer than gettin’ back to Carolina!!!”

Lebanon: Tweet Up Date Set

  26 July 2010

A tweet up (a meeting for Twitter users) will be held in Hamra, Beirut, on July 28, from 7pm to 10pm local time. Here are the details.

Iraq: Ban on topless women?

  26 July 2010

After France imposed a ban on the veil, Iraqi Layla Anwar tweeted: “I am looking forward to see a ban on topless Western tourists on Muslim countries beaches…”

About our Middle East & North Africa coverage

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