Stories about Middle East & North Africa from October, 2009
Morocco: A Lenient Sentence
In September, we learned about Zineb Chtit, the young Moroccan girl who was severely beaten while working as a maid. Last week, it was announced that Zineb's attacker Nawal Houmin, the wife of the couple who had hired her, was to be punished for the crime with a sentence of 3 years imprisonment and a $13,000 fine. Jillian C. York shares reactions from the blogoma.
Algeria: An American Political Cartoonist's Account
American political cartoonist Daryl Cagle recently sojourned to Algeria for a comics convention; he shares his experiences on his blog.
Lebanon Ups the Ante in the Hummus War
As many as 300 Lebanese chefs gathered yesterday in Beirut to make the largest ever plate of hummus in an attempt to claim the reigns in ownership of the popular chick pea dip. The new world record is part of an ongoing campaign in Lebanon to reaffirm the country's claim to a number of dishes being produced in Israel - with the ownership of hummus being one of the main quarrels.
Saudi Arabia: Blogging Milestone
Blogging from Saudi Arabia, American Bedu will soon be reaching a milestone on her blog. Find out what.
Jordan: Halloween Dilemma
Jordanian Moey is considering Holloween costumes in this post: Lady Gaga is in, Michael Jackson is out.
Israel: Why I don't want to be a man
Batya, at Shiloh Musings from Israel, never wanted to be a man. Click on the link to find out why.
Saudi Arabia: Lucrative Laundry Business
American Bedu, who blogs from Saudi Arabia, remarks: “One of the very marketable and therefore competitive opportunities in Saudi Arabia is owning and operating a cleaners (laundry).”
Jordan: Serious about +18
Jordanian Ola Eliwat, from Cinnamon Zone, notes:'Seriously, when you receive an email titled “+18″, does anyone in his right mind seriously believe that someone who's under 18 will go, “Oh, I'm underage, I'd better not check that one out”‘
Iran: Visiting ‘Hyperstar’ in Tehran
Bar Saheleh Salamat , an Iran based blogger,visted Hyperstar,the brainchild of Carrefour, in Tehran. The blogger says [fa] marketing to attract the clients is great in this store and parking is free.
Iran: A leading cartoonist arrested
Several bloggers such as Nikahang reported [fa] that Hadi Heydari, a leading Iranian cartoonist was arrested last week in Terhan.
Bahrain: Burning Tyres 101
From Bahrain, Satrawicool posts the following video on YouTube, which shows young men burning tyres on streets in protest against the arrest of activists and youth in connection to other riot acts.
Saudi Arabia: The Future Husbands and Wives of Saudis Revamped
Future Husbands and Wives of Saudis is introducing new changes for its readers.
Syria: 80 Year-Old Human Rights Activist Arrested
Omar Mushawah reported [ar] the arrest of Haytham al-Maleh, a Syrian lawyer and human rights advocate who also spent 6 years in prison in the period between 1980 and 1986 for demanding constitutional reforms. Al-Maleh is also a co-founder of the Syrian Human Rights Society.
Activism and Motherhood in Asia
What does a woman sacrifice for the cause she fights for? How are her children affected by persecution taken against her? This post explores briefly the lives of women activists in Asia who are also mothers.
Morocco: Education Under Bloggers’ Scrutiny
Torn between insistent calls for modernization and a powerful conservative drive; caught in an excruciating debate over which languages to include in its programs; overburdened by an opaque and centralized administration, the Moroccan education system has long been the target of passionate critiques, not least among bloggers.
Egypt: No to Succession
Political forces in Egypt are rallying against succession. Zeinobia writes about how politicians are campaigning against President Hosni Mubarak passing on the torch to his son Gamal. Dalia Ziada has more here.
Egypt: Meet the Carpoolers
Blogging from Egypt, Maryanne Stroud Gabbani reports: “A young friend of my daughter's recently sent me a link to a webpage started by one of her friends to encourage carpooling in Egypt. Cairo reputedly has 20 million inhabitants and I'm willing to bet about 10 million cars.”
Egypt: Dictators and their wives
After seeing pictures of Cameroon's first lady, Egyptian Zeinobia remarks: “I do not how much money she spent on her hair and her looks but I know the people of Cameroon need this money more.”
Bahrain: Finding her feet
Bahraini-German Mariam, who blogs at On Top of the Box, is finding her feet at university in England. Click here to find out how she is coping.
Bahrain: T-shirt wanted
Bahraini Ali Abdulemam needs a T-shirt. He doesn't know where to get to from.
Algeria: Poor News Coverage
The Maghreb region is not being given prominent coverage in the Press, complains Algerian blogger The Moor Next Door.