Stories about Middle East & North Africa from March, 2010
Iraq: Seven Years On
With the recent elections still fresh in the news it is all too easy to forget that the anniversary of the start of the war is this week. But this will not pass some bloggers. And, the latest results show that the election on 7th March is still too close to call. In the mean time, I have some speculation from the Iraqi blogs.
Global: Furs And Fashion
Last month the fashion world went literally “wild” during the unveiling of fall collections. They had models strutting the catwalk in so much fur, it was scary enough to make animal rights activists and environmentalists jump out of their skins.
Iran: Opposition leader used You Tube for New Year Message
Mir-Hussein Mousavi, one of Iranian opposition leader, and his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, used You Tube to deliver his new year,Noruz, message. He called Iranian people will face very difficult economic situation next year and country has been very isolated in international community. He praised “Green Movement” [Iranian opposition movement] and...
Iran: Jailed blogger's mother called to release his son
Several news sites reported that Hossein Derakhshan's mother has called on the head of Iran's judiciary to release her son for the Iranian New Year, or Norouz, marked on March 21. Hossein, has been in your prison for more than 500 days. And we have been waiting for him outside...
Saudi Arabia: Call to Demolish the Grand Mosque
“Shiekh (?) Yousuf al-Ahmad from Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh has shamelessly called for demolishing of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and rebuilding it in a way that prevents women from mingling with men during tawaf and prayers,” reports Saudi Jeans, who links to the video in...
Saudi Arabia to mark Earth Hour
“On March 27, Saudi Arabia will take part in Earth Hour by switching off power for an hour,” announced the SaudiEmbassyUSA on Twitter.
Egypt: And the IslamOnline strike continues
The IslamOnline employees sit-in continues in Cairo, Egypt, after 250 employees were given their notice. The disgruntled employees are livestreaming, blogging and using Twitter to broadcast their plight. Mohamed El Gohary brings us the latest update.
Jordan: Third “Blog About Jordan” Day a Success
Jordanian bloggers marked the third Blog About Jordan day on March 12th. As was the case in previous years, the cyber event was organized by U.S.-based Jordanian blogger Qwaider. Ebtihal Mahadeen reviews reactions in this post.
Saudi Arabia: 1,000 lashes for YouTube video
A Saudi man has been charged for morality crimes after a video appeared on YouTube where he is dressed in police uniform, dancing and flirting with the male cameraman. He has been sentenced to 1,000 lashes, a 5,000 rial ($1,333) fine and a year in prison. Katharine Ganly takes a look at some blogger reactions.
Iranian women's rights website wins RSF online freedom award
Reporters without Borders and Google have awarded Iranian women's rights website We-change with a "Netizen Prize" for their work in defense of freedom of expression.
Egypt: #Top50Eg Tweets Make a Difference
Egyptian tweeps are using the #Top50Eg hashtag on Twitter. Tarek Amr takes us on a tour of the Egyptian twittersphere to tell us all about it.
Egypt: IslamOnline Employees Strike
Hundreds of employees, editors, and journalists started an angry sit-in in the widely read Cairo-based IslamOnline news website after 250 employees were sacked. For the first time, strikers are using new media efficiently and effectively to draw all the attention needed to support their cause, from continuous Twitter updates to live streaming.
Jordan: Truck Loads of Creativity
“If you are in the creativity business, look no further than Jordan to find your fix of Inspiration. It comes in the truck loads here,” writes Jordanian blogger Qwaider.
Palestine: Bashing Islam Vs Criticizing Israel
“Bashing Islam is Freedom of Speech, Criticizing Israel is a Hate Crime,” is the title of a post by Mohamed Khodr at Palestinian blog Sabbah Report.
Saudi Arabia: Mating Dates
Dates are a major agricultural export crop in Saudi Arabia. Crossroads Arabia explains how dates are mated.
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Women, Foreign Husbands
“Saudi Arabia makes it complicated for a Saudi male to marry a foreign woman. It’s even harder for a Saudi woman to marry a foreign man,” writes John Burgess at Crossroads Arabia.
Qatar: Paper Apology
‘The local paper, The Peninsula, has just had to issue an apology for a news headline last week which referred to people with Down Syndrome and other genetic disorders as “the ‘lesser people'”‘ writes Marjorie in Qatar.
Qatar: Tent needed for Animal Shelter
The Qatar Animal Welfare Society (QAWS) is in urgent need of a tent. “As the temperature is rising daily we are in desperate need to get some kind of structure up over the runs to provide the animals with air conditioning,” writes Chelsea on Qatar Living.
Saudi Arabia: Journalist Leaves to be with Canadian Husband
From Saudi Arabia, Tara Umm Omar shares the story of a Saudi female reporter who has decided to leave her country to be with her Canadian husband. “Hassna'a will go to Canada where she is not oppressed in regards to her marriage. Isn't it such a shame that a Muslim...
Saudi Arabia: Introducing Saudi Life
Tara Umm Omar, from Future Husbands and Wives of Saudis, introduces us to Saudi Life – a web portal for Saudi expats and those interested in learning about Saudi Arabia.
Egypt: Will Skype be Blocked!?
There are rumours that the Egyptian government is going to block Skype. Bloggers react to the unconfirmed news in this post.
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