· May, 2013

Stories about Middle East & North Africa from May, 2013

African Union Celebrates 50th Anniversary

  31 May 2013

The African Union (AU), the single largest organization of states in Africa, marked its 50th anniversary from May 25 to 27, 2013 at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, sparking debate among Africans throughout the continent over the organization's relevance and effectiveness.

Qatar: New Cyber Crime Law Could Threaten Online Speech

  31 May 2013

Qatar is looking to shore up its legislation regarding cybercrime, including punishment for accessing sensitive government data, but a draft law recently approved by the country's cabinet also puts limits on online expression.

Yemen: Two Men Killed for Overtaking a Sheikh's Wedding Convoy

  27 May 2013

Two young Yemeni men were killed last week for bypassing a wedding procession of a Sheikh (tribal leader) in Yemen's capital Sanaa. Khalid Al-Khateeb and his friend Hassan Aman were driving in their car when they came across a tribal wedding procession and were shot to death for over-taking the convoy. The wedding convoy belonged to Sheikh Ali Abd Rabo Al-Awadhi, a member in Yemen's Islah party and a member of the National Dialogue. The murder sparked an outrage among netizens and activists.

Hackers in Arab Cities: Slow Internet and Girl Power in Algeria

  27 May 2013

Meet those Internet geeks in the Middle East & North Africa. Global Voices re-posts excerpts of the blog "Hackers in Arab Cities'' by Sabine Blanc & Ophelia Noor. In this article they depict the state of Internet in Algeria with two young geeks from the 'Ecole Supérieure d'Informatique d'Alger' (Computer Graduate School of Algier).

Egypt: “Are you Happy Morsi?”

  22 May 2013

Egyptian Ahmad Khalil tweets [ar]: الكهرباء قطعت من الساعة 9.5 وبالتالى النت قطع ، لعلك سعيد يا ريس مرسى ؟؟ نحن نعيش فى العتمه والقادم اسؤأ @ahmad_khalil:The electricity has been out since 9.50am and as a result there has been no Internet. Are you happy President Morsi? We are living...

KFC Deliveries Smuggled into Palestine Through Secret Tunnels

  18 May 2013

Palestinian Anas Hamra, from Gaza, claims he got his Kentucky Fried Chicken delivered – after a seven hour wait. His story tallies with a recent New York Times report which says that Gazans are getting their KFC deliveries, from Al Arish, in Egypt, where they are smuggled through secret tunnels. The delivery service has since been discontinued, but at least Hamra got his KFC treat and the chance to blog his experience.

Turkey: Syrian Refugees Targeted after Reyhanlı Blasts

  18 May 2013

On May 11th, Reyhanlı [en] small Turkish town on Turkey-Syria border, was under terrorist attacks. This was the biggest terrorist attack [en] in country's 90 year-old republican history. Netizens react to the blast, a government imposed media ban on the tragedy and the targeting of Syrian refugees which followed.

INFOGRAPHIC: The Forced Exile of Palestinians

  15 May 2013

In commemoration of Nakba Day, the ‘Visualizing Palestine’ graphic team have released their latest infographic entitled “An ongoing displacement” which “quantitatively catalogues the multiple dimensions of Palestinian displacement and loss of land.”

Saudi Mobile Company Seeks Privacy Advocate's Help to Spy on Clients

  15 May 2013

Saudi Arabia's second largest telecommunication company, Mobily, has reached for a privacy advocate's help to surveil encrypted communication applications. The advocate went public with the request, publishing email exchanges online, and causing an outcry on social media, where Saudi netizens calls for laws to protect people's privacy and punish those spying on the people.

Lebanon: Blogger Beaten for Taking Photos

  14 May 2013

Lebanese blogger Habib Battah narrates how he was held against his consent, forced to delete photographs of ruins from his phone camera and repeatedly assaulted in this post on the Beirut Report. When he reported the case to his local police station, the officers in charge said it was his...

Yemen: Focus on Education!

  14 May 2013

In a country where the illiteracy rate of both sexes (15 years and above) is almost 40 per cent, education and the empowerment of the women and youth is an imperative necessity for any concrete development in Yemen. Activists argue why education should be a right and not a privilege.

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.