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Stories about West Asia & North Africa from July, 2009
Palestine: Photos Of Gaza
Antony Loewenstein is visiting Gaza, and is posting photos on his blog.
Palestine: A Gazan Haircut
From Gaza, Erin Cunningham writes on Twitter: “just had my hair cut by a wonderfully gay Gazan stylist whose salon has been firebombed several times by extremists. resilience = good...
Egypt: “Fifty-seven years after the coup and we still are not able cope”
On the 57th anniversary of their revolution, Egyptians are still evaluating and debating how this historic event that started with the military coup d’etat has changed the their lives, and that of many future generations. Until today, bloggers continue to discuss and pinpoint the pros and the cons of the revolution, as well as the decisions of the Free Officers, who led the coup which turned Egypt from a constitutional monarchy to a republic.
Morocco: A Decade with Mohammed VI
When in July 1999, king Mohammed VI of Morocco ascended to the throne, the expectations for change and progress were such that many international observers foresaw an albeit difficult but inexorable march that would lead the country to a prosperous, liberal and democratic future. Ten years later, many bloggers and online news websites commemorate the first decade of the reign of Mohammed VI with hope for a better tomorrow.
Citizens of the World “United 4 Iran”
On Saturday July 25, people around the world will have the opportunity to support Iranians in their struggle for democracy, freedom and basic human rights by attending rallies in dozens of cities around the world.
Bahrain: Accusations of Islamist Hypocrisy
The Bahraini Nationalist read the response by the Olama Islamic Council to the Crown Prince's call for dialogue with Israelis: “It’s the usual, humdrum response we’ve come to expect from...
Israel: A Belief In Coexistence – Interview With Activist Ibn Ezra
While Israel as a whole has moved to the right in recent years, there are nevertheless Israelis who oppose their government’s policies towards the Palestinians. Global Voices Online has interviewed activist Joseph Dana, who blogs at Ibn Ezra, about his involvement with the group Ta'ayush ("coexistence"), the state of activism in Israel, and using social media to get the message out.
Saudi Arabia: The Meaning of Names
In Saudi Arabia, all names have meanings, notes American Bedu, an American married to a Saudi.
Syria: Erdogan's Visit and Iran
Syrian blogger Maysaloon comments on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Syria. “In light of everything that has been happening recently one wonders about the timing of the...
UAE: Dubai Bashing Continues
Seabee, from Dubai Thoughts, says there is yet another article following the fad for Dubai bashing. This one is in the UK Sunday Times. “Once again it's an article concentrating...
Turkey: The Turkish of Dr. Oz
Talk Turkey commends Dr. Oz (of Oprah fame) for his ability to speak perfect Turkish while lecturing to Turkish medical students. “Sure he has an accent. Sure he sounds like...
Democracy Video Challenge Winner Showcase
What is Democracy? That is the question more than 900 participants set out to answer through their videos, in response to the Democracy Video Challenge set up by the US Department of State and many other partners, open for participants from all over the world. Today we show you the winning videos which explain in their own way the phrase Democracy is...
Libya: Rugby anyone?
Rugby in Libya? Khadija Teri reposts an announcement and notes: “Nothing on the brochure is mentioned about gender… do females play Rugby? I guess this would be a good way...
Lebanon: No He Can't!
“No he can't!” chants Sophia from Lebanese blog Les Politiques on the controversy surrounding the release of Guantanamo Bay prisoners, following US President Barack Obama's promise to close down the...
Syria: Focus on Ability
Syrian blog Common English Mistakes Podcast continues its series of podcasts [Ar]. This episode focuses on the use of the word ability.
Syria: Who eats fruit?
Syrian Kinan Jarjous argues against eating fruit in this humourous post.
Turkey: Kurdish Newspaper Confiscated
Children of the Sun reports that the July 8th issue of the Kurdish newspaper Azadiya Welat was confiscated by authorities after it published allegations of a 23-year old woman who...
Bahrain: Keeping Apart
Bahrain-based blogger Shirley Dockerill, who writes at White Girl Arab World, had a male student walk out of her class because she was female: “I'd forgotten there is a school...
Bahrain: Be Positive
Bahraini blogger aMal has decided to rid herself of negative feelings – but that's not so simple: “People, at least maybe in this part of the world, I wholeheartedly say,...
Morocco: Electoral Boycott Campaigners Acquitted
Ibn Kafka reports [Fr] on the acquittal of seven Moroccan pro-democratic activists. He recalls the circumstances and the legal basis upon which the defendants were sued in the aftermath of...
Kuwait: Swine Flu and Health Officials
From Kuwait, Dilli O Milli [ar] is surprised with the way officials are dealing with announcements related to H1N1 or Swine Flu. “We are handing our lives to people who...
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