Stories about Middle East & North Africa from November, 2008
Morocco: Thanksgiving Away from Home
Elizabeth, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco, writes about celebrating Thanksgiving so far from home.
Morocco: Caring for the Blind
The View From Fez writes about caring for the blind in Morocco.
Is Secularism the answer to Egypt's Sectarianism?
Egypt has always been known as an Islamic country where Muslims, Christians, and Jews peacefully co-existed. Today this is no longer the case. Is secularism the solution? Following is an outline of the discussion taking place on Egyptian blogs today.
Saudi Arabia: Inspirational encounters
Sabria Jawhar tells us about her experience meeting the Saudi Ambassador's wife, and a group of Saudi women studying in the UK on scholarships: ‘I have come to learn that Saudi women are real fighters and they deserve society’s care, respect and trust.’
Saudi Arabia: Lessons in morality
According to Saudiwoman's Weblog: ‘This month the Education Ministry instructed all religion teachers to spend five minutes of every class they teach to lecture students on how to dress properly and avoid western clothes.’
Saudi Arabia: Must-read blogs
Saudi Jeans gives us his 10 must-read Saudi blogs.
Saudi Arabia: Age of adulthood is now 18
Crossroads Arabia reports on legislation that has just been passed in Saudi Arabia – opposed by some religious scholars – raising the age of adulthood from 15 to 18.
Bahrain: Ancient burial mounds
Nzingha gives us a tour of the pottery and the ancient burial mounds in the village of A'ali in Bahrain.
Saudi Arabia: Rocking the boat
Muslimah Media Watch introduces us to an all-girl rock band – in Saudi Arabia.
Middle East: Mumbai Terror Attack “Crazy and Inhumane”
Bloggers in the Middle East woke up this morning to news of terror and mayhem in Mumbai, India, and are still coming to terms with the size of the calamity. One blogger describes the attack as "crazy and inhumane" while another the other wishes for God would "obliterate the enemies of peace."
Israel: Sending Help and Sympathy to Mumbai
Western countries awoke today to news of a widespread attack on the city of Mumbai, India that occurred Wednesday night and continued through Thursday, killing 101 people and wounding hundreds more. Many Israeli bloggers are following the events in Mumbai with an all too familiar apprehension and are posting regular updates of the hostage situation, writes Maya Norton from Israel.
Middle East: Shock and Anger at Mumbai Terror Attacks
Bloggers from the Middle East were quick to respond to the Mumbai terror attacks with shock and anger. Following are immediate reactions from bloggers in Israel and Egypt.
Congratulations Pour in on Queen Rania's Youtube Award
Bloggers from across the Middle East and North Africa are tipping their hats to Jordan's Queen Rania, and her visionary initiative on YouTube, after she was awarded YouTube's first-ever Visionary Award for launching an interactive online channel to combat stereotypes and misconceptions associated with Arabs and Muslims.
Iran: Art gallery was shutdown
Several Iranian news sites and blogs such as Haftan reported[fa]that Iranian authorities, a couple of days ago, accused an art gallery to expose “immoral” photos and closed it. The photos were the creation of Peyman Hooshmanzadeh. Here are some of these photos.
Iran:Beautiful carpets
in Irannegah we can watch a video film about Iranian carpets in a fair.
Egypt: Getting High on Obama
Barack Obama's popularity in Egypt reaches a new high - with the introduction of a narcotic to the market bearing the President-elect's name. According to bloggers, dealers in the Mediterranean town of Marsa Matrouh are selling Obama branded hashish.
Egypt: 89% of Youth Support Internet Censorship Law
Eighty-nine per cent of Egyptian young men and women surveyed recently stated that they are in favour of an Internet censorship law. Bloggers Times shares the most recent statistics on Egyptian internet users in this post, translated by Marwa Rakha from Arabic.
Saudi Arabia: A Lesson in Buckling Up
Saudi blogger Ahmed Omar BaAbood is proud of his handiwork. He has taught his daughter Joori the importance of safety and buckling up and is collecting the dividends today.
Bahrain: A Day at the Dog Walk
Umm Naief in Bahrain takes a dog, Henry, to the Bahrain Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals annual Dog Walk and tells us all about her adventure here.
Bahrain: Blast from the Past
Bint Batutta in Bahrain links to photographs from Bahrain in the 50s from LIFE magazine's photo archive.
Syria: What About the Palestinian Human Rights?
Majd Syria (Ar) writes: “Western countries show off their support for human rights.. at the time they turn a blind eye to the most basic rights of Palestinians – their right to live in an independent free state, with sovereignty, an army, a currency, language, identity and capital.