· August, 2008

Stories about Bahrain from August, 2008

Bahrain: Embarrassing Young People

  27 August 2008

From Bahrain, Lizardo is weary of how young people think. “I really can’t see how our country is going to be developed in the future while i’m seeing how our youth thinks! It’s really embarrassing when you hear them talk near your house, at school, cafes or even on the...

Bahrain: Bloggers are Trouble

  27 August 2008

Bahraini blogger and administrator of the locally banned Bahrainonline [Ar] online forum Ali Abdelemam posts an interview with him in an LA newspaper – on blogging and the how authorities view bloggers as trouble.

Bahrain: Grand Auto Theft Raid

  27 August 2008

“Around an hour ago, at 2 PM today, two inspectors from the Ministry of Information raided a “Euphoria” shop in Seef Mall and confiscated all Grand Theft Auto IV titles, Both PS3 & Xbox 360,” reports Redbelt from Bahrain. The game is also reportedly banned in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

Kuwait: Parading Purchases at the Olympics

  27 August 2008

Arabs really love shopping, they spend hours after hours in malls, and that's why they wanted to show their shopping skills at this year's Summer Olympics. Unfortunately shopping is not included in the games, but this couldn't stop some Arabs from parading their purchases.

Saudi Arabia: Where are the women sport heroes?

  26 August 2008

Saudi girls deserve sport heroes too, says Jillian, at a post on women in the Olympics at Kabobfest. “Little girls in Saudi Arabia (which I will use as an example from now on, given that Qatar's population equals that of Boston) deserve to have strong heroes too,” she notes.

MENA: Veiled Athletes in Beijing

  26 August 2008

Despite the Saudi Arabia's decision to ban Saudi women from taking part in the Olympics this year, Blogger Dilshad D. Ali writes about the emergence of hijab (veil) at the Beijing Olympics. Blogger Jana, also lists the 12 veiled Muslim athletes who competed this year in Beijing.

Arabeyes: The Olympics, Pride, Equality and Hope

  24 August 2008

Millions around the world were glued to their television screens watching their favourite athletes at this year's Beijing Olympics, which just closed. What did Arab bloggers have to say about the world's premier sporting event and their country teams? Following are a few reactions.

Bahrain: Eyes on Ruqaya Al Ghasra

  23 August 2008

She may have placed sixth in the qualifying heats and her dreams of becoming the first Gulf Arab woman to run in an Olympic final may be dashed, but Bahrain's Golden runner Ruqaya Al Ghasra has sure created a stir online. A rough start meant that Ghasra, who was Bahrain's flag bearer at the opening ceremony, was eliminated from the women's 200 metres race - but for tens of thousands of Arab and Muslim women - and men - out there, running her heart out fully covered has brought her more than just gold medals.

Bahrain: Celebrating the Imam Al-Mahdi’s birth

  22 August 2008

In the middle of the Islamic month of Sha’aban, the month before Ramadan, festivities take place all over Bahrain celebrating the date of Imam Al Mahdi’s birth. The occasion is called Nasfa [Ar], and it is not just a Shiite religious feast, but an event celebrated by Bahrainis of all communities.

Bahrain: Code of Ethics Site Launched

  17 August 2008

“In order to consolidate all our efforts regarding the Code of Ethics Against Hate Speech and the mechanisms which will be adopted in the future to effect the Code and oversee it, I have registered and authored a new site [Ar] specifically for that purpose,” says Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al...

Bahrain: The significance of a somersault

  9 August 2008

Coolred38, an American living in Bahrain, had misgivings about sending her daughters on a holiday to the US – but she felt she had done the right thing when she saw a video of one of them doing a somersault. Find out why.

Bahrain: Undesirable Visitors

  7 August 2008

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif claims the country's Ministry of Information, responsible for censorship, has been visiting his blog, where he maintains a list of banned blogs and sites.

Bahrain: 225 Jailed Demonstrators Released

  7 August 2008

Bahrain's King has pardoned 225 people arrested for taking part in demonstrations, reports blogger Mahmood Al Yousif. “His majesty might also consider the fact that without such social justice, many of those released and others might continue to demonstrate to express their chagrin at the iniquitous circumstances they find themselves...