Stories about Middle East & North Africa from September, 2011
Kuwait: After Three Months in Prison, Court Releases Twitter User
Kuwaiti Twitter user Nasser Abul has been released from prison after serving three months for insulting the Bahraini and Saudi regimes. Netizens react after his release.
Arab World: Nobel Peace Prize for Revolution Netizens?
Twitter is abuzz tonight as the names of Arab netizens are being circulated as possible candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize for the roles they have played in the Arab...
Syria: Official Websites Under Anonymous Attack
Official websites in every major Syrian city have been hacked, as part of hacktivist group Anonymous' Operation Syria. On Twitter, netizens are exchanging screen grabs and views under the hashtag...
Bahrain: Protests on Election Eve
Protesters in Bahrain tried returning to Pearl Square, the centre of massive protests against the regime in February, on the eve of election night. Over two days, the unarmed protesters...
Saudi Arabia: Women Allowed to Join Shura Council
Saudi women, who cannot drive in their own country, will be granted the right to become members in their country's 150-member consultative or Shura council, an advisory body which has...
Algeria: Football Matches New Venue to Air Dissent
Algerians have discovered a novel way to make their voices heard. Spectators in football matches are using the opportunity to voice political views, in a country which has so far...
Yemen: Bloodbath in Sanaa as Saleh Returns
More than a 100 Yemenis have been killed and 700 injured as the government continues its war against protesters calling for a regime change. Yesterday saw the return of president...
Tunisia: Whistleblower Samir Feriani Set Free
A military court in Tunis temporarily released whistle blower Samir Feriani, who spent 117 days in detention after publishing articles criticising the Tunisian Interior Ministry, on September 22. On September...
Iran: Rage Over Video of Tortured Bear Cubs
A video shared by Iranian animal rights activists of a brown bear in Samirom being killed and her cubs tortured, has angered many Iranians and led to calls via blogs...
Israel: Beyond ‘us’ and ‘them,’ Lihi Yona is an Arab Jew
Israeli woman Lihi Yona, a Moroccan Jew descendent, reclaims her Arab roots and complicates local identity politics on a bus ride to Jordan to attend a Lebanese band performance. The...
Jordan: MPs Wage Battle Against the Youth
This week's House of Representatives parliament sessions in Amman, Jordan, have been the center of public discontent, especially among the youth community. Jordan's young population came under fire during the...
Bulgaria: Meeting to Support Palestine's UN Bid
A silent meeting in support of Palestine's bid for a UN seat and independence took place in Sofia on Sep. 20, organized by the Bulgarian-Palestinian Association for Friendship and Development....
Iran: “Justice” in the Islamic Republic
Azadi-Esteghal-Edalat says [fa] with irony the regime released “two American spies” but keeps opposition leaders jailed. The blogger refers to the release of two American hikers who were accused of...
Global: Reflections on Peace Day 2011
To mark the International Day of Peace, celebrated on September 21, female bloggers from The SunFlower Post share their perspectives on world peace by reflecting on the realities of their...
Russia: Google Office Invites Iranian Ambassador to ‘Disperse Myths’ About ‘Contemporary Persia’
“Mr Ambassador [Reza Sajadi] had told us about contemporary Persia: about progress in science and technology in his country, developing tourism, situation of women in the Iranian society, had dispersed...
Qatar: Wadah Khanfar Resigns as Al Jazeera Head
Al Jazeera Network director general Wadah Khanfar announced his resignation today, creating a stir on social networking site Twitter. The Palestinian-born journalist, who was at the helm of the network...
Tunisia: Bloggers Join Election Race
Tunisians will head to the polls to elect a national constituent assembly which will be in charge of writing their country's new constitution on October 23. Afef Abrougui reports on...
Yemen: A Massacre Streamed Live Online
A massacre is being witnessed live, tweet by tweet, in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Yemeni Security forces opened fire on protesters, killing at least 22 and injuring hundreds more so...
Yemen to the Rest of the World: Silence Kills!
Yemenis have been protesting for democracy and dignity since February 11. Their struggle is being faced with excessive violence by the regime and a deafening silence from the world. Noon...
Lebanon: Sabra and Chatila Massacre Remembered 29 Years On
September 16, 2011, marked the 29th anniversary of the most grueling moment in the six-decade long Arab-Israeli conflict - the massacre at Sabra and Chatila. The blogosphere was swarming with...
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