· May, 2006

Stories about Middle East & North Africa from May, 2006

Turkey is Typing….

  21 May 2006

Blogging is one of the ultimate expressions of free speech, although it has been questioned as one of the deadly sins (as it serves the writer's vanity): blogging and the conversation that it creates about free speech is paramount in our modern world. This week an event in Turkey occurred...

Flying over the Iraqi Blogodrome…

  20 May 2006

…almost literally (I'm plane-blogging again). I thought about this again and again and there is no other way to describe what passes for government in Iraq. Today I give you some snapshots of a failed state. And this is the subject that dominates the Iraqi blogs. If you read only...

Arabisk – The Arabic Bloggers Ken

  19 May 2006

The following is an abbreviated translation from some of the Arabic-language blogsphere. Music… Amal, in her latest cartoon: “See my Wawa, kiss my Wawa.” The Wawa is the little tiny hurt “ouch”.. In this cartoon; a poor bleeding Palestinian child is begging from a wealthy Arabian man who seems not...

African Diaspora: Victory for Sarkozy's Immigration Law

  19 May 2006

” [French Interior Minister] Sarkozy's immigration law [CESEDA] passed in the French National Assembly! ” says (Fr) Aimafrica . “For a country like Mali, this could be the beginning of an economic catastrophy. France … after having looted our riches and our people, wants business as usual. She no longer...

Iran: From Hostage taking to Blogging

  19 May 2006

Abbas Abdi, reformist politician & a hostage taker in US embassy, has launched his blog. He says if human being does not communicate, he/she becomes weaker than animal. Blogger adds at present situation internet is a very good instrument which helps citizens to communicate (Persian).

Iran: Professor in Danger?

  19 May 2006

Samimanetar writes that it seems Dr.Ahmad Naghibzadeh, Professor of Political Sciences in University of Tehran, is under pressure (by government). Blogger says recently Kayhan, a very conservative journal, talked about Naghibzadeh's relation with foreigners (Persian).

Iran: Fashion Talk in TV!

  18 May 2006

Cafe Naseri says that there was a talk about dress fashion in Iranian TV. Blogger has taken a photo from her own TV to show who discussed dress fashion. She adds you can realise people who were involved in this discussion were a cleric and two veiled women.

Senegal: Tiff with France over “Chosen Immigration”

  18 May 2006

Commenting on a recent tiff between French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy and Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade over France's new policy of “choosing its immigration,” Forum Realisance says (Fr): “Wade is dead on because it is evident that France wants its pick of the best of African elites and takes for...

Kurdistance: Finding Rebirth in Grief

  17 May 2006

For my regular readers, I apologize for my absence, I lost a much beloved Uncle to Cancer of the Esophagus and was away dealing with family matters. In reading through the Kurdish blogs this week, I found a posting From Holland to Kurdistan with a similar situation: I feel sorry...

Iran: Women & Make UP

  17 May 2006

Salakhi Migerist writes some people say Iranian women use a lot of make up products! She adds but same people forget to say the only visible part of Iranian women are their faces and Iranian men just care about their beauty and nothing else (Persian).

Iran: Diplomacy & War

  17 May 2006

Rajabali Mazroi, reformist politician & blogger, says diplomacy is the best way to solve nuclear crisis. He writes that he does not agree with Iranian President's policy concerning nuclear issue. Blogger adds he believes USA and other big powers have not been on a right diplomatic path to negotiate with...

Lebanon: Chomsky's visit

  17 May 2006

lebanon.profile thinks that the American University of Beirut, the institution that paid for Chomsky's visit, should provide a more rounded view of the United States rather than present only the opinions of – what in the United States is deemed – the radical left.

Africa: Clandestine Emigration

  17 May 2006

Seckasysteme would like to see (Fr) “a summit of West African heads of state so that clandestine emigration can be uprooted and so as to find a durable solution to the problem.” “Hundreds have died since the beginning of the year for having simply tried to escape misery,” continues the...

Iran: Dogs & Men

  16 May 2006

Sharh, a photoblog, has published a photo of two dogs and their owners. Blogger says having a dog can create opportunities to get new girl or boy friends in Iran.

Ahmadinejad's Letter & Tehran Book Fair

  16 May 2006

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to his US counterpart, George Bush, has attracted a lot of attention in international media. Several leading journals such as Washington Post or Le Monde, in France, published letter and tried to analyze that. This 18 pages letter has been a hot topic among Iranian...

Iraq: Raed, Richard Perle, Iraq and Iran

  16 May 2006

Raed corners Richard Perle over Iraq and his support for “Iranian Chalabis” while out shopping. Perle gave Read his personal contact details and asked for information on any non-violent Iranian groups. If you know anybody, please tell Raed.

This Week In Palestinian Blogs: Al-Nakba Continues

  15 May 2006

Al-Nakba (or ‘the catastrophe’), the day Israel declared its independence on May 14th 1948, has been the main topic of this past week. For many Palestinian bloggers Al-Nakba means remembering this important moment in history, which set the stage for an ongoing struggle and tragedy; where both past and present...

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Mariam A.
Mariam A. is the editor for the Middle East & North Africa. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.