Stories about Middle East & North Africa from November, 2008
Oman: Flying Cigarette Butts
From Oman, Kay writes: “Things I have seen in the last few days: sharks in a mall – Dubai mall Aquarium, a chihuahua in a lady’s tote bag in Muscat City Center), a dvd of my friend’s knee surgery, the most beautiful sunset, half a dozen lighted cigarette butts flying...
Bahrain: ‘Censoring Free Speech is Like Blocking the Sun’
Boundaries and censorship cannot stop written words from spreading, says a Bahraini blogger. Those attempting to block the free flow of information are only trying to block out the sun, he says in this post written in Arabic.
Michael Jackson ‘Converts’ to Islam
The King of Pop Michael Jackson has done it again and stories about his alleged conversion to Islam are keeping blogs in the Middle East abuzz with snark comments. Is Jackson's conversion a part of an American conspiracy "to destroy Islam from within," is it a media stunt or has he finally found his true calling?
Syria: A Blogosphere Divided
The Syrian blogsphere has been embroiled in a heated debate over the weekend. It is a debate that is quite reflective of some of our modern disagreements as Syrians, over a wide range of basic issues: identity, religion, state and personal freedom. Yazan Badran gathers the different threads of this controversy here.
Jordan: The Queen's Vlog, Internet Socio-Economics and More
In today's review of the Jordanian blogosphere, Mohammad Azraq links to posts celebrating Queen Rania's latest Vlog, the socio-economic implications of a faster Internet, a new idea for social networking, and a competition open for Jordanians to vote for their favourite city logos and icons.
Egypt: First Human Rights Film Festival
Seven films about human rights are being showcased at the first Cairo Human Rights Film Festival, which continues until Thursday (November 27). Marwa Rakha previews blogger reactions on the event.
Bahrain: Apartment Blocks
Ian Hamza, from Bahrain, posts a number of photographs featuring apartment buildings.
Jordan: How Not to Cook Tongue
Jordanian Hareega lists 10 ways in which you shouldn't cook beef tongue.
Bahrain: Charity Stamps Question
Redbelt from Bahrain questions the purpose of the charity stamp, people have to purchase when mailing letters abroad and wonders: “Shouldn't charity be optional?”
Israel: Why isn't Twinning Week held in Saudi Arabia?
From Israel, Yisrael Medad writes about the Week of Twinning, in which mosques and synagogues across the US joined forces to confront Islamophobia and anti-Semitism and asks: “Well, why can't all of this interfaith coziness take place in…Saudi Arabia?”
Jordan: Spotlight on Atlantis Opening in Dubai
Jordanian Jazarah posts photographs and videos from the opening of the world's most expensive hotel ($1.5bn), Atlantis Resort, in Dubai, UAE.
Israel: Straw and Mud Mosque to be Demolished
International and local activists spent the night waiting for demolition crew to come and destroy a new straw and mud mosque built in an unrecognised village of Wadi el-Naam, Israel. One blogger gives us a detailed account of what happened on the eventful night while another wonders what the reaction would be had it been a synagogue that was being threatened.
Iran:”No blog action for Gaza”
Iranian FarsNews, a conservative and semi official site, reports[fa] that Iranian bloggers including Islamist ones, did not cover news about humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip.
Egypt: Uproar as Lawyer Suggests Raping Israeli Women
Voice of Egypt is ashamed of Egyptian Lawyer Nagla Al Imam, the same lawyer who made Egyptians angry, for encouraging Arab men to sexually harass Israeli women during her interview on Al Arabia TV (Ar). Marwa Rakha translates from Arabic.
Egypt: The InterFaith Conference and Arab Israeli Relations
Saudi Arabia's King Abdulla sat in the same room with Israeli political leaders for the first time ever, during the UN Interfaith conference, held in New York, US. How will this impact the Arab Israeli peace process?
Saudi Arabia: Showing true support
Nzhinga has been trying to persuade her young son that he should study and not rely on becoming a famous soccer star; after all, he might get injured and not be able to play. But her son has a solution. Jihad: “I know what I'll do! My wife will have...
Saudi Arabia: Dreaming of change
Hala, a Saudi blogger currently in the US, was invited to give a talk about the kingdom: “I wanted to say that we are moving in the right direction, faith practices are not forced on people, women are treated equally to men, we have money and we use it correctly...
Palestine: No point in blogging?
Heba, a blogger in Gaza, has decided to call it a day: “Since I do realize that writing about the situation is not actually contributing to changing any of it at the decision making level, I decided -in my blog second birthday- to end this beautiful fulfilling experience.”
Jordan: List of controversial figures
From Lebanese singer Haifaa Wahbi to Libyan president Moammar Qaddafi to Hizbulla commander Hasan Nasrallah to Egyptian leader Jamal Abdil Nasser, Jordanian Hareega shares his list of the 10 most controversial figures in the Arab world.
Egypt: Shaaban Sings for Obama
Shaaban Abdel Rehim, the illiterate Egyptian singer whose songs are mainly about political and social issues, has released a new song about the new American President-Elect Barack Obama. Tarek Amr looks at the blogosphere's reactions to Abdel Rehim's newest hit.
Egypt: Noodles Cultural Invasion
Bluelue wrote a good post here about Noodles and how the Far Eastern culture is spreading all over the world.