· August, 2013

Stories about Middle East & North Africa from August, 2013

Egypt Goes Quack Over #SpyDuck

  31 August 2013

Egypt arrested a “duck” - with a spying gadget. There is more to the duck than meets the eye. On Twitter, netizens grab the occasion to quack up jokes.

A Letter on Syria to Western Narcissists

  31 August 2013

From Lebanon, Sean Lee, of The Human Province, pens a letter to Western narcissists on Syria: But please, don't let the conflict in Syria be about opposing America. Let it be about Syria, and what might actually help Syrians – you know, the actually existing people who are dying by...

Lebanon: The Smell of Death

  31 August 2013

On August 23, two bombs exploded in outside two mosques in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. Forty-seven people were killed, and over 500 injured. Joey Ayoub, at Hummus for Thought, shares a must-read testimony of the heartbreak at the hospital of a friend who was in Al Salam mosque...

Iran: Facebook Diplomacy

  31 August 2013

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs, posted a short piece with six questions about Syria on his Facebook page which received 1,100 comments as of Friday, August 30. Some called Zarif on the hypocrisy of criticizing Western intervention as intervention, when Iran has its own presence on the ground.

A Lesson on Dignity from Syria

  23 August 2013

This post is part of our Special Coverage Surviving in Syria. On his Facebook Page, Rebel Painter of Horan expressed his cynicism towards the silence of Arabs silence following the “chemical weapon attack” on Al Ghouta, a Damascus suburb. He shares a drawing of an Arab giving a Syrian child a pamphlet on...

Syria: Photos of Chemical Weapons

  23 August 2013

On Brown Moses Blog more evidence illustrating what is believed to be the devices which have been used in the “Chemical Weapons attack” on 21/08/2013 in Damascus suburbs, Syria, has emerged. The blog claims that they are similar to those previously recorded in the conflict and reportedly launched by government...

Pro-Morsi Supporters Rally Across Egypt

  23 August 2013

Egyptian blogger Zeinobia maintains a live blog here for protests and rallies planned by supporters of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi across Egypt today. (August 23, 2013) She adds: There will be not less than 28 rallies in Cairo and Giza alone. The Pro-Supporters today are not going to street...

Egypt: Caught Between a Zombie and a Bloodsucker!

  21 August 2013

The current situation in Egypt is a challenge for everyone: diplomats, citizens and commentators. The army has used excessive force to disperse sit-ins where Muslim Brotherhood members and sympathizers were camped to support former president Mohamed Morsi. Illustrating this complex situation, Egyptian artist Ganzeer depicts the army as a vampire...

Amina Leaves Femen Because of “Islamophobia”

  21 August 2013

Amina, the Tunisian activist released from jail early August, left the Femen movement. She accused Femen of “Islamophobia”.  Femen confirmed online that: FEMEN confirms its break with the Tunisian activist Amina Tyler because of differences of opinion on tactics in the Islamic countries (…) FEMEN calls for new heroines who are able to...

Iran: Jailed Blogger on Hunger Strike

  20 August 2013

Hossein Ronaghi Malki a jailed blogger who is serving a 15-year sentence in prison started his hunger strike last week.A Facebook campaign has been launched to support him.

Churches Attacked in Upper Egypt

  19 August 2013

David Degner shares photographs from the mobbed and burned churches in Mallawi, Minya, in Upper Egypt here. He writes: Friday two churches in the village of Mallawi, a village in the province of Minya, were attacked and set on fire. After the attack on the pro-Morsy sit in where more...

China: Egypt's Bloody Crackdown Brings Back Memories of Tiananmen

  19 August 2013

Egypt’s bloody crackdown on August 14 reminded many Chinese of the Tiananmen massacre in 1989. Many condemned the violent crackdown and applauded the courage of the Egyptian people to fight for democracy. But some saw the current chaos in Egypt as a result of a blind promotion of Western-style democracy....

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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.