Stories about Middle East & North Africa from September, 2013
Kissing on Egyptian Streets
A photograph circulating on Facebook of two young Egyptians kissing in the street stirred both outrage and admiration. Shared by Ahmed ElGohary, a commentator objected to ‘the lack of manhood’ entailed by sharing such photo. Others praised the beauty of it and its revolutionary sense. Public display of affection is...
How Russians Read Putin's NYT Op-Ed on Syria
Many RuNet users have hailed the President’s overture as something of a needed display of Russian moral authority on the world stage.
Jordanian MP Fires Kalashnikov in Parliament
A Jordanian Member of Parliament opened fire on another MP while Parliament was in session today. No one was injured in the fiasco.
Pro-Assad And/Or Anti-War Demonstrations?
Pro-Assad and Anti-war are two things that don't mix together, writes Farah on Twitter.
A Political Solution for Syria
Elias Muhanna, at Lebanese blog Qifa Nabki, shares some of his readers views on a political solution in Syria in this post. He writes: As the Obama administration cracks heads and bends ears on Capitol Hill (with the help of a legion of AIPAC lobbyists) in the hope of winning...
Humour: Potential Targets in the Strike on Syria
The Qnion – or Lebanese blog Qifa Nabki, shares the scenario of the “likely military strike on Syria.” The plan includes: we’re primarily considering two sets of Tomahawk missile strikes (between 8 and 11) launched by the USS Mahan and the USS Gravely against a set of military bases in...
“World is Happy for Assad to Continue Killing Syrians”
Syria has agreed to put its chemical weapons under international control. Activists say the tactic will buy Assad time to continue killing people with the other weapons at his disposal.
Saudi Arabia Monitors its Lawyers Tweets
Saudi Arabia is monitoring tweets by lawyers. Many see this as another blow to freedom of expression and advocating for people's rights in the absolute monarchy.
Egypt's #SpyDuck is Served for Dinner
A stork accused of being a duck and framed for espionage and arrested in Egypt has ended up as a meal for an Egyptian family.
Yemen Mourns the Loss of Shining Young Activist Ibrahim Mothana
Yemeni Ibrahim Mothana died on September 5th, 2013, at the age of 24. He lived a short life but was an inspiration to many who knew him.
Iran: Foreign Minister Tweets with Pelosi's Daughter
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted a new year message to Jews around the world:Happy Rosh Hashanah and exchanged message with Christine Pelosi, daughter of Nancy Pelosi,the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives. @sfpelosi Iran never denied it. The man who was perceived to be denying it is...
“In Damascus All is Quiet”: Russians Report from Syria
"You won't believe it, but all is quiet in Damascus. People sit in cafes, walk the streets, and are far from a universal hysteria"
Drums of War on Syria Getting Louder
The drums of war are getting louder as US lawmakers prepare to vote on a "punitive" bombing campaign on Syria. Online, everyone has become an overnight expert on Syria.
The Influence of Francophone Africa on the French Language
The news site Afrik.com features an article on the way in which African slang has influenced the French language [fr], and informs us that Verlan is no longer a preferred language of rappers : For a long time, there have been certain words, such as [Arabic greetings] “Salam alaykum” or “hamdu’llah”,...
Iran:“Massacre” of 52 unarmed Iranian dissidents in Iraq
Iraqi security forces carried out a “massacre” of 52 unarmed Iranian dissidents early Sunday at their camp north of Baghdad,Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, the Iranian exiles said. Netizens in Balatarin, a popular link sharing site, shared several photos, films and posts regarding this attack.
Iran: RouhaniMeter Site Filtered
RouhaniMeter was launched by Canada based Asl 19 group to monitor the performance of the recently elected president Rouhani by documenting what has been achieved as opposed to his promises. Iranian authorities filtered RouhaniMeter last week.
Saudi Activist Tried, Separated from His Lawyers
The fourth session of the ongoing trial of Umar al-Saeed took place earlier today. Separated from his lawyers, al-Saeed had to speak loudly to consult with them during the trial.
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