Stories about Middle East & North Africa from June, 2010
Egypt: And the First Arabic Domain goes to … President Mubarak
Egyptian President, Mohamed Hosni Mubarak registered the first Arabic domain in Egypt: مبارك.مصر . In her post, Zeinobia expects that Mubarak.Misr would be the official Mubarak 2011 campaign website.
Algeria: Still Hoping with a Lucky Dove on their Side
After the defeat against Slovenia, the Algerians have regained some strength on June 18th by drawing against the English team. They have given hope again to millions of fans who hope to see the green team go through the first round.
Iran: “9 file sharing sites got filtered”
Conservative Fars News site reported 9 “file sharing sites” including sharingmatrix،rapidshare،megaupload got filtered in one day in Iran.
Iran: A leading weblog service got filtered
Several Iranian bloggers including Persianweblog reported that Blogfa, a leading free Persian weblog service got filtered.
Israel: World Cup Bonanza – Back to the Game
Maya Norton's attempts to find World Cup reactions in Israeli blogs are being foiled by a minor dilemma - it seems that most Israeli World Cup fans are too busy watching the games to blog about it. Here's a sampling from bloggers who found the time.
Israel: Dubious Thanks to USAID
JoeSettler posts a photo of a sign he often passes that reads, “This [road] is a gift from the American people to the Palestinian people.” “What I think that USAID overlooked,” he comments, “Is that Jews also use this road regularly.” According to their website, USAID has donated $1 billion...
Israel: Storing Water for Emergencies
When you live in the Middle East, water is essential to your daily survival. Israeli Kitchen recommends ways to store water in preparation for an emergency and what water sources you can use if your standard stores dry up.
Israel: A Woman's Power to Name Herself
“I’ve noticed that whenever a woman defends having taken her husband’s name… it’s invariably stated, ‘After all, feminism is about choice.’ Well I’m not pleased with having women who choose tradition, or patriarchy, telling me what feminism ‘is about,'”
Sri Lanka: Reflections On The Problems In Gaza
Sri Lankan MP and blogger Rajiva Wijesinha reflects on the adjournment of resolution on the problems in Gaza: “the world is desperately in need of consensus based on universally accepted principles of justice, rather than continuing indulgence to old victims by old victimizers.”
Lebanon’s Sex Industry
“We all know it exists but one reporter actually went into the trouble of investigating how ‘super night clubs’ work,” Lebanese blogger Mustapha at Beirut Spring writes in this post.
Lebanon: E-transactions Draft Law Postponed
The Lebanese online community celebrated the temporary victory of postponing the vote in parliament for the new proposed E-transactions law for an extra month. More about this law and reactions in this post.
Algeria: The Provisional Government of Kabylia – A Threat to National Unity?
The creation of a provisional government of Kabylia (GPK) has caused a great deal of controversy in Algeria. Bloggers wonder what are the implications of this new development for the country's unity.
Egypt: My Name Was Khaled and I Was Not a Terrorist
Demonstrations and rage continued in Egypt following the death of a young Egyptian, allegedly at the hands of police. The anger on the street is evident online, where citizen journalists speak out.
Lebanon: Outrage over Blocking of VoIP
A recent move by the Lebanese government has led to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services being blocked within Lebanon. Citizens are outraged by the move. Katharine Ganly rounds up some of the blog reactions to this issue.
Algeria: Disappointment and Anger After the Defeat against Slovenia
After a 24 years long wait, Algerians have focused their attentions on the world cup, hoping to escape the grind of their daily lives. The disappointment was all the more profound after the defeat of their team against Slovenia.
France: Reflections on Being Part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla
Miloud was on board of a Greek ship sailing to Gaza with the Freedom Flottilla that was raided by the IDF. Back in his home town of Marseilles, he tells [Fr] Marseille Bondy Blog about his experience.
Saudi Arabia: How a Censored Page Looks Like
On Twitter, JawazSafar shows how a censored page appears in Saudi Arabia here.
Bahrain: Spying on Citizens Using New Number Plates
Bahrain is introducing new car number plates with technology which allows police to monitor the movement of every vehicle. Blogger Mahmood Al Yousif remarks: “Must we be followed, spied on and harassed by the state in every single facet of our miserable lives to end it now with a completely...
Egypt: Iara Lee's Flotilla Attack Footage
Egyptian blogger Zeinobia posts Iara Lee's one-hour footage from the Gaza-bound flotilla on the night it was attacked by Israeli commandos here.
Algeria: Cabinet Reshuffle
The Moor Next Door takes a closer look at the Algerian cabinet reshuffle here.
Egypt: A Tweeting Government
If you can't beat them, join them. Egyptian Chronicles comments on how the governing National Democratic Party now has a presence on Twitter.
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