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Stories about West Asia & North Africa from May, 2013
‘Syria Untold': The Storytelling of the Syrian Revolution
Syria Untold is a new independent digital media project exploring the storytelling of the Syrian struggle and the country's diverse forms of resistance. The project will be partnering with Global Voices Online.
Is Iran's Most Believable Presidential Candidate a Fictional Character?
The iron fist of Iran's regime allows no chance for opposition candidates to run in the presidential election, but in the virtual realm, a new graphic novel character is the champion of a free and fair election.
After Two Years in Hiding, Bahraini Blogger Ali Abdulemam Flees to London
Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam surfaced in London, after escaping from Bahrain, where he has been in hiding for two years. In absentia, Abdulemam, 35 years, was slapped a 15-year prison sentence for belonging to a terror organisation and for seeking to topple the government. Abdulemam's story has been the talk of the netizens since it's details were unveiled.
Egypt: Cairo Urban Initiatives Platform
Supported by Ford Foundation and the British Council, Cluster has recently launched the Cairo Urban Initiatives Platform (CUIP), the first resource of its kind in Egypt.
Iran: SMS Calls for Internet Interruption Protest
Sokhanesabz says [fa] that people send SMS to each other inviting Iranians to protest against internet interruption in front of Ministry of Communication on Saturday 11th May.
Lebanese Police Arrest Four During Gay Club Raid
‘Ghost', a gay-friendly club in Dekwaneh, Matn, Lebanon, was raided by 12 policemen under the order of Antoine Chakhtoura, the municipality's head. Customers were reportedly bullied out of the club and four individuals were arrested in the incident. Online, netizens expressed their outrage.
Yemen: Open Letter to Obama
Yemeni blogger Noon Arabia writes an open letter to US President Barak Obama in which she says: All Yemenis are against terrorism and condemn Al-Qaeda, yet are also against the...
Lebanon's Happy Offshore Oil Billboards
Qifa Nabki writes: “Lebanon’s Ministry of Energy and Water has launched a new [billboard] campaign promoting the benefits of off-shore oil exploration for the average citizen. The ads contain shots of...
Lebanon's Migrant Workers Mark May Day
KAFA (Enough Racism and Violence) posted [Ar] that the migrant domestic workers in Beirut celebrated Labor's Day by holding a demonstration in which they demanded an end to the Kafala...
Social Media and Sarcasm in Lebanon
The Eleventh Room posted some funny tweets about Beirut’s first Social Media Awards event. They said the Social Media Awards hashtag #SMABeirut was going strong on Twitter days after the event....
Lebanon's First Social Media Awards
Najib at Blog Baladi won the “Blog of the Year” award in Beirut's first Social Media Awards event. He wrote this post about the ceremony in general with comments on some aspects of its organization. He also includes comments...
Iran Tightens Grip on Internet Even More
Several reports indicate that the Iranian regime has taken another step to control the already heavily censored internet. Psiphon, Kerio and Open VPN, are no longer effective against the Iranian state's efforts to block websites.
Saudi Activist Refuses Trial: “I Will Not Tolerate Women Degradation”
The fifth session of the ongoing trial of Dr. Abdulkareem al-Khudar, a co-founder of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association, was held today; and as in the previous session, the judge continued to refuse to allow women to attend the public trial, saying that they shall stay at home.
VIDEO: Turkish Police Crack Down on May Day Protesters
Violent clashes between Turkish police and May Day protesters in Istanbul left 25 civilians and 22 police officers injured, including one man who reportedly lost an eye due to a teargas canister and another 17-year-old girl with head injuries who was left in a coma for a short time.
Saudi Authorities Continue Crackdown on Human Rights Activists
Saudi Arabian authorities detained yet another member of the country's defiant leading human rights organisation, the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA). Umar Al-Saeed is the seventh ACPRA member to be detained since the kingdom initiated a crackdown on human rights activists in 2012.
Teargas and Water Cannons for Istanbul's Labor Day Protesters
After three years of peaceful Labor Day celebrations at Taksim square, Turkey's largest city Istanbul was visited by the ghosts of its violent past with the events of May 1st, 2013. Limited by the ongoing construction on site and overzealous measures by the local authorities, protesters and police turned the 15 million strong metropolis into a war zone leaving behind destroyed property and many injured people.
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