Stories about Middle East & North Africa from September, 2010
Egypt: Cancer Statistics Alarm
“The former head of tumors institute revealed in a medical conference recently held in Cairo that between 150,000-200, 000 get cancer annually because of Insecticides, the carcinogenic insecticides used in our vegetables and fruits!!” writes Zeinobia, at Egyptian Chronicles.
Bahrain: Nabeel Rajab Banned from Travelling
Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab reports on Twitter: “#bahrain I am banned from traveling.”
Bahrain: BlackBerry News Services Banned – Again
“Bahrain’s authorities have ordered a BlackBerry news provider to stop his services, citing violations of the media laws,” writes Habib Toumi. This is the second time this service is banned.
Egypt: RIP Ahmed Maher
“Former Egyptian minister of foreign affairs Ahmed Maher passed away earlier today after a sudden heart attack according to Egyptian media,” writes Zeinobia, from Egypt.
Saudi Arabia: Licence to Blog!
Saudi Arabia first announced plans to have all web publishers and online media, including blogs and forums, to be registered with the government. The following day, it backed down following a storm of protests, saying that only electronic newspapers were expected to register. Saudi netizens have their say.
Israel: Are Peace Activists Harassed by Palestinian Men Being Silenced?
Israeli human rights activists, who regularly join Palestinian demonstrators in Bil'iin and Sheikh Jarrah, are recently blamed for ignoring and even silencing an allegedly common phenomenon of sexual harassment of women activists by fellow Palestinian demonstrators.
Lebanon: March to Save Beirut’s Architectural Heritage
“Beirut used to be a city of gorgeous mansions and gardens and now it has become a boring heap of high-rises and construction projects,” said Yvonne Sursock Cochrane, 88, founder of the Association for Protecting Natural Sites and Old Buildings in Lebanon. Around 150 Lebanese men and women marched late...
Israel: Facebook Tags
David Bogner, from Israel, asks: “Am I the only one who is completely tired of receiving email notifications saying that [insert name of someone you kinda/sorta know] has tagged a picture/video of you on Facebook?”
Morocco: Brutal Death in Police Station
Blogger and activist Najib Chaouki creates a Facebook group to denounce police brutality in his country [Ar] following the death of a young Moroccan in a police station, the blogger says is notorious for the brutality of its officers.
Global Voices Bloggers at UN Millennium Development Goals Summit
Four Global Voices bloggers are currently attending the United Nations Summit on the Millennium Development Goals in New York City (September 20-22). In their personal blogs and on Twitter, they are sharing their initial reactions from the Summit.
Bahrain: Infallible Prophets
Are all prophets infallible? Bint Battuta in Bahrain digs deeper into the issue.
Iran: Roses for Derakhshan
Hossein Derakhshan‘s mother in an interview [fa] said that “Hossein repented and want to be useful for his country…Hossein was moved to a better place [cell] in prison and they planted roses for him…Hossein is very depressed…”.
Egypt: Mubarak Leads the World
A doctored photograph which appeared in an Egyptian paper showing Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak at the Washington Middle East peace meeting has been exposed. Issandr El Amrani, from The Arabist, sheds more light on the situation here.
Egypt: A 210-year-old map on Google Earth
How would a 210-year-old map of Cairo look on Google Earth today? Egyptian blogger Mostafa attempts an answer, with must-see illustrations.
Algeria: Who's in the Cabinet?
Who makes up the Algerian cabinet? The Moor Next Door has the answer here.
Algeria: Women in Parliament
In this post, The Moor Next Door takes a closer look at women in the Algerian parliament, as well as relationships within the Algerian government.
Egypt: Did Gamal Mubarak Order a Blog Block?
Zeinobia, from Egypt, reports that political activist and blogger Amr Osama's blog was allegedly blocked, following a complaint from Gamal Mubarak‘s office.
Bahrain: Doctored Translations
“Some of our illustrious press carried a doctored translation in Arabic of what the US State Department spokesman said when asked about the deteriorating security situation in Bahrain,” writes Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif.
Egypt/Syria: Free Tal
Egyptian Zeinobia reports on a protest held by Egyptian activists in front of the Syrian Embassy in Cairo in solidarity with arrested 19-year-old Syrian blogger Tal Mallohi. More information is available here and here.
Palestine: Family Matters
Palestinian writer Khulud at Life in Fragments blogs about the “importance” of coming from a respected family in obtaining a job offer, and how she would rather be recognised for her own skills than her family background, in this post.
Lebanon: “The City that Never Sleeps”
“I felt safer than I had ever done in London, a city that has one CCTV for every twenty or so people, a city that stands as a beacon of Western capitalism and success. The West was wrong, I thought. This country no longer deserved a reputation of violence and...
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