· January, 2009

Stories about Egypt from January, 2009

MENA: Reflections on Obama's Al Arabiya Interview

It came as a surprise to many people that US President Barack Obama gave his first formal interview as president to an Arab television channel. Some were optimistic with Obama's replies, while others were disappointed. Yet, almost everybody was more concerned about the decision to have the interview conducted for Al Arabiya.

30 January 2009

Erin Brockovich wanted in Egypt

Egyptian Blogger sued for slander and looses. Zeinobia wrote about Tamer Mabrouk who blogs from Port Said and who published a report supported by photography showing how “Trust Chemical Industries” Company was polluting the Lake Manzala with its chemical wastes from their factory. Author of “El Hakika” blog has to pay L.E 2500 as a fine and L.E 40,000 compensation for the company !!

28 January 2009

Arab World: “We Stopped Saying Israel…”

A message on Twitter calling upon Arabs to stop saying Israel has snowballed into a movement across the Arab world, in this latest twist of the ongoing online war following the Israeli bombing of Gaza. Anas Qtiesh reports from the front lines.

28 January 2009

Egyptians are Going Local

Inji, an avid Egyptian blogger and young economist who is distraught by the numerous emails and SMS messages calling for boycotting products, decided to “boycott the boycott” and take it to a positive extent. Nermeen Edrees brings us the story.

27 January 2009

Egypt: Bloggers Divided over Geert Wilders

Amsterdam Appeals Court decided that Geert Wilders, Dutch MP, will be put on trial for his views on Islam. Wilders, and his movie had caused a huge anger wave last year, with both sides denouncing each other. While Perwin Ali thought he deserves to be tried, An Egyptian is blogging for his release.

23 January 2009

Middle East: Boycott as a Political Weapon

Many people across the Middle East have decided to boycott Israeli and American products in response to the Israeli war on Gaza. Tarek Amr reviews what bloggers have to say about this.

22 January 2009

Egypt: Bye Bye Bush

“I admit…it feels very good that George W. Bush is no longer President of the United States of America,” writes The Arabist, from Egypt.

22 January 2009

Egypt: Blogger Facing Lawsuit

“I spoke before about the Egyptian citizen Journalism blog from Port Said “El Hakika”. Its owner and blogger Tamer Mabrook was facing the first civil lawsuit against a blogger for...

22 January 2009

The Egyptian Bloggers Bookfair

With more than 15 new titles, Egyptian bloggers take the 2009 Cairo International Book Fair by storm. Marwa Rakha reports how bloggers are planning to organise group visits to make the most out of the annual show.

22 January 2009

Global: Morocco Closes Caracas Embassy

Morocco announced this week that it would close its embassy in Venezuela due to Venezuela's recognition of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), the territory also known as the "Western Sahara," over which Morocco asserts its sovereignty.

21 January 2009

Syria: Arab Leaders Can't Come Together, Not Even into a Room

As the aggression on Gaza enters its third week, Arab Leaders fail to agree on the need of holding an emergency summit for the member countries of the Arab League which Qatar and Syria have called for. Syrian bloggers are outraged at the political ping-pong going on that highlights what could be described as the greatest political divide in recent Arab history.

15 January 2009

MENA: Israel and the Use of White Phosphorous in Gaza

The world is looking on in shock at the devastating photographs taken of Gaza victims - some of whom are deformed beyond recognition. Human Rights Watch is also calling upon Israel to stop the unlawful use of White Phosphorus in its war on Gaza. Bloggers from across the region react.

12 January 2009

Egypt: Heikal on Gaza

MrEgypt sheds light on the recent interview by Al Jazeera with Muhammed Hassanein Heikal, one of the most important, famous and respected journalists in the Arab world. He summed up...

12 January 2009

Egypt: Reporting Live from Rafah

Egyptian blogger and human rights activist Nora Younis has been watching the situation in Gaza closely and reporting live from Rafah, a Palestinian border town, where she spent her New Year's eve. Nermeen Edrees takes a closer look at Nora's blog to bring us this story.

11 January 2009

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