Stories about Middle East & North Africa from August, 2008
Bahrain: Fifth of population living in poverty
Bahraini blogger Mahmood reports that 20 per cent of Bahrainis are living below the poverty line.
Western Sahara: Goodbye Peter Van Walsum
Western Sahara Info reports that the mandate of Peter Van Walsum, personal envoy of the UN secretary-general for Western Sahara, has not been renewed.
Moroccans at the Paralympics
The View from Fez informs us that Morocco will send 18 athletes to the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. The delegation is comprised of 14 runners, 4 weightlifters, and 12 officials.
Turkey: YouTube Un-blocked?
Several Turkish bloggers are reporting the lifting of the YouTube ban in Turkey, including Internation Musings, however it may take up to 72 hours for Turkish web users to see it.
Morocco: Daylight Savings Fail
Nomadic Morocco remarks upon Morocco's decision to roll back the clocks early. The country, which instituted Daylight Savings Time this summer for the first time in several years, is changing the clocks this week just in time for Ramadan.
Morocco: Tanjia, a Marrakshi Specialty
Moroccan blogger LoveFrom1stBite shares the recipe for (and photos of) her favorite Moroccan dish, tanjia.
Saudi Arabia: The history of salons
Saudiwoman explains how many tailors’ shops turned into beauty salons in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia: Criticism for the sake of it
At a social gathering, Saudi blogger Broken Wing meets an annoying woman who is full of criticism of Saudi Arabia: ‘I am not a fan of what Saudi offers to its citizens, but I don’t find sitting around in a place full of people from other countries and start criticizing...
Saudi Arabia: Off the road
Desert Flower, an American Muslim living in Saudi Arabia, is tired of not being permitted to drive: ‘…it gets down right stupid when you have to schedule an appointment to go grocery shopping or to get to the pharmacy or the doctor for that matter.’
Bahrain: Embarrassing Young People
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
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
“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.
Jordan: Hanging On
Jordanian blogger Roba Al Assi pays tribute to a decade old pair of sneakers in this post.
Environment: Energy and Conservation News from Blogs around the world
In this post from GV environment, we check in with bloggers around the world who are writing on diverse topics; from ornithology, energy efficiency to forest preservation. The Bahraini ornithologist blog Bahrain Obs posts pictures and gives an update on bird migration. The migration is in full swing now –...
Jordan: Ramadhan, Prayers and Clean Blogging
With very little to go before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadhan, which is signalled by the sighting of the new moon with the naked eye, Jordan's blogs are already abuzz with greetings, religious observations and personal promises.
Kuwait: Parading Purchases at the Olympics
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.
Lebanon: Maid is Lebanese for Slave
How are some housemaids or domestic helpers being treated in Lebanon? Nash Suleiman sums up the reactions of Lebanese bloggers to this tragedy, following the release of a report on the situation by Human Rights Watch.
Yemen: The Wooden Windows of Seiyoun
Yemeni Omar Barsawad takes us to the picturesque village of Seiyoun, where beautifully adorned doors and windows were traditionally made out of wood. Barsawad posts a few pictures to illustrate the art.
UAE: Favourite Show Host Interview
From the United Arab Emirates, Fahad shares with us an interview [Ar] with his favourite television show host.
Morocco: Giving in the Facebook
Moroccan author and blogger Laila Lalami gives in to temptation and signs up for a Facebook account.
Iran:President's adviser and negative comments
Ali Akbar Javanfekr, Iranian president's media adviser, publishes comments criticizing government in his blog [Fa]. A rare event in Iran.
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