· July, 2009

Stories about Middle East & North Africa from July, 2009

Palestine: A Gazan Haircut

  24 July 2009

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 hair.”

Egypt: “Fifty-seven years after the coup and we still are not able cope”

  24 July 2009

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

  24 July 2009

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”

  23 July 2009

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

  23 July 2009

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 all Islamist political groups…it exposes the hypocritical way these groups approach the issue of Palestine.”

Israel: A Belief In Coexistence – Interview With Activist Ibn Ezra

  22 July 2009

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.

Syria: Erdogan's Visit and Iran

  22 July 2009

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 visit and whether the Israelis are trying to find out Syria's position on a possible strike against Iran,” he asks.

UAE: Dubai Bashing Continues

  22 July 2009

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 solely about what's wrong, with no balance, but at least it isn't the sort of inaccurate and often patently untrue...

Turkey: The Turkish of Dr. Oz

  22 July 2009

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 a ‘foreigner’ when he speaks Turkish. But the reality is; for a man born and raised in the U.S., he...

Libya: Rugby anyone?

  21 July 2009

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 to work out your aggressions.”

Lebanon: No He Can't!

  21 July 2009

“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 detention camp.

Syria: Focus on Ability

  21 July 2009

Syrian blog Common English Mistakes Podcast continues its series of podcasts [Ar]. This episode focuses on the use of the word ability.

Turkey: Kurdish Newspaper Confiscated

  21 July 2009

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 was raped by men claiming to the be the police. Reportedly, there have been more than 10 complaints of police...

Bahrain: Keeping Apart

  20 July 2009

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 of thought here which doesn't allow interaction with non-relatives of the opposite sex, in any way, shape or form.”

Bahrain: Be Positive

  20 July 2009

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, are allergic to positivity.”

Morocco: Electoral Boycott Campaigners Acquitted

  19 July 2009

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 last month's communal election when they publicly campaigned for the boycott of a poll they deemed undemocratic.

Kuwait: Swine Flu and Health Officials

  19 July 2009

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 are not up to the responsibility,” she writes about health officials.

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Mariam A.
Mariam A. is the editor for the Middle East & North Africa. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.