Stories about Middle East & North Africa from July, 2009
Syria: Sexual Misconceptions
Syrian blogger Marcelllita [ar] blogs about sexual complexes young people in this part of the world suffer from, such as misconceptions and wrong information.
Palestine: Egypt and Israel and Humanitarian Aid
Writing on Arab-American joint blog Kabobfest, Will notes his disgust with Egypt's stalling of humanitarian aid entering Gaza. “Though we have seen Egypt’s role as essentially Israel’s sidekick before, the machinations around the Viva Palestine really exemplify how much it shares Israel’s sick agenda of collective punishment in Gaza,” he...
Bahrain: Swine Flu Awareness
Bahraini blogger Khalid [ar] blames Bahraini health authorities for not handling the H1N1 or Swine flu virus properly and creating public awareness about the disease. He goes on to provide information about it.
Egypt: 77 Egyptian Prisoners in Israeli Jails
On Twitter, Egyptian blogger Noha Atef [ar] notes: “I didn't know that there were 77 Egyptian prisoners in Israeli jails!! 41 of them are held on criminal charges, meaning smuggling and illegal entry.”
Bahrain: No to Eating Corn in Shop
On Twitpic, Bahraini Twitter user Hussein Nasser posts a photograph of a sign posted in a boutique which reads: “You are not allowed to eat sweet corn inside the shop.”
Bahrain: Learn To Live With Israel?
The Bahraini Nationalist is pleased that Bahrain's Crown Prince has written an op-ed in the Washington Post asking Arabs to talk to the people of Israel: “Shaikh Salman is trying to tell Arabs that Israel is a reality and won’t disappear. Learn to live with it!!” Yet a Facebook group...
Palestine: Fear Of Flying
At the Moments of Gaza blog, Professor Abdelwahed writes about a couple taking their children out of Gaza for the first time in 13 years, and discovering that they were terrified to fly: “Their persistent question was on their situation if the airplane bombed somewhere and killed innocent people like...
Jerusalem: Discovering The Old City
Glenn Strachan has been working temporarily in Nazareth, and is now visiting Jerusalem for the first time: “What I quickly discovered is that Nazareth is to Jerusalem what hamburger is to filet mignon.”
Israel: Does Violence Pay?
Israeli activist Joseph Dana compares the way the Israeli state treats ultra-orthodox rioters with its treatment of anti-occupation protestors: “The ultra orthodox have succeeded in exerting force against the state – one could say that violence in this situation has proven successful – while non-violent leftist Israelis are often attacked...
Morocco: First Femal Mayor Loses her Seat
The View from Fez reports on how 33-year-old Fatima Zahra Mansouri lost her council seat as the first female mayor of the city of Marrakesh, after a controversial administrative court ruling disallowed the vote on the basis of alleged irregularities. “Mansouri's Party for Authenticity and Modernity (PAM), which swept the...
Iran: “Death to Russia” at Friday Prayer
At a Friday prayer at Tehran University led by former president and cleric Hashemi Rafsanjani today, crowds of Mir Hossein Mousavi supporters defiantly chanted "Death to Russia" instead of "Death to America", referring to accusations that Russia has been involved in training regime forces of repression.
Egypt: What's good for the goose is NOT good for the gander
When Marwa El Sherbini was shot dead in a German court Facebook users and the Egyptian blogosphere mourned her as the victim of the veil, the victim of racism, and the victim of her beliefs. But when a heap of bones wrapped up in a blanket named Ibrahim El Sayed Ibrahim was shipped back to Egypt from Libya - no one lifted a finger in his defense.
Turkey: Finding an Apartment as an Expat
Turkish Muse details her recent experience as an American trying to rent out an apartment in Izmir. “We were aghast. How could she ask for that much? That's ridiculous!, we thought. Then we were incensed. I immediately assumed she was asking for such a high amount — and in dollars,...
Iran: Protesters’ film in You Tube
Protesters chanted down with dictator after Friday Prayer in Tehran. Watch the film here.
Iran: Video on Friday Prayer and Slogans
Freedom Messenger has posted on FaceBook a video film on Friday Prayer in Tehran and people who chant slogans.
Iran: Slogans after Friday Prayer
Green Vote says that people chanted slogans to support Mir hussein Mousavi,opposition leader and against [fa] Ahmadinejad's government. One of the slogans was [fa] “my martyr brother I will take back your vote”.
Palestine: Israeli Settlers Set Farmland On Fire
The Palestine Solidarity Project blog reports that Israeli settlers were seen setting farmland on fire near Beit Ummar in the West Bank.
Iran: Friday Prayer and a “video trick”
Jadi tweeted that “TV is showing a 5 sec view of Friday Prayers. Many people are wearing a glowish blue shirts! Shoulb a video trick to convrert green to blue.” Iranian opposition uses green colour and was present at Friday Prayer.
Iran: Rafsanjani calls political prisoners to be freed
Hadi Nili tweeted that Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani at Friday Prayer called Iranian authorities “to free [political] figures and not let enemy be happy of our behaviour.”
Iran: ‘Down with Russia Slogan’
GreenVote tweeted [fa] that Iranians chanted down with Russia slogan at Friday Prayer in Tehran University. Iranian opposition says that Russia trained Iranian security forces to repress the protest movement.
Palestine: Second Humanitarian Convoy Enters Gaza
Gazan blogger DR – LION reports on the second Viva Palestina humanitarian convoy to enter Gaza, accompanied by the British MP George Galloway [Ar].
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