· August, 2010

Stories about Middle East & North Africa from August, 2010

Beirut: 10 things to do under $10

  14 August 2010

Think visiting Beirut is expensive? Shalabieh at Shalabieh's World gives us suggestions for 10 things to do in Beirut for under $10. See the ideas, and maybe add your own suggestions here.

Tunisia: When the Singer Chants “Long Live Netanyahu”

  12 August 2010

The circulation of a video showing Tunisian singer Mohsen Sherif yelling “Long live Bibi Netanyahu!” and inviting Jews to come in droves to Djerba Island for El Ghariba pilgrimage, has triggered a wave of anger and disappointment among Tunisians. In geek speak, the video circulated on Facebook has now created a buzz.

Egypt: Youth using social media to close the gap

  12 August 2010

Thirty young Egyptians joined hands to produce 10 social advertisements, aimed at social reform. Marwa Rakha takes a closer look at the “Closing The Gap” project, and shares some of the videos produced in this post.

Saudi Arabia: Where Women are Dependents Forever and Ever

  12 August 2010

Did you know that Saudi Arabia has a service in place where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sends a text message to a male guardian every time a "dependent" leaves the country? Saudi blogger Eman Al Nafjan opens Pandora's Box when she questions the new development.

Jordan: Honking Horns Mark School Result Announcement

  12 August 2010

Celebrations mark the announcement of secondary school results, known as Tawjihi in many Arab countries. Naseem Al Tarawnah tweets the scene from Amman: “11:20pm. Amman. Honking horns & kids, riding on car windows, screaming. Either Tawjihi results are out or #JO just put a man on the moon.”

Egypt: Know New Blogs

  12 August 2010

Know New Blogs is a new meme started by Moroccan Egyptian Basma Aal at In Between the Lines. “Know New Blogs is a way to explore new blogs that is about different topics from all over the world,” she writes. This month's meme focuses on Arab bloggers, and those writing...

Jordan: Leap in Twitter Users

  12 August 2010

On Arab Crunch, Gaith Saqer writes about the leap in Twitter users around the world.”The Middle-East Africa jumped 142 per cent to 5 million visitors” in the period from June 2009 to June 2010.

Global: Ramadan Memes

  12 August 2010

Every year, web-savvy Muslims around the world share images with each other to celebrate Ramadan. While most images of the sort are solemn, there is often plenty of humor to go around as well, writes Jillian C. York, who shares some of the fun.

Lebanon: Once Upon a Time in Beirut

  11 August 2010

“Once Upon a Time in Beirut” is a sarcastic multi-lingual poem with alternating English, French and Arabic (Lebanese colloquial) lines written by Archangelus.

Lebanon: Top Tweet

  11 August 2010

“Israel should publish a guidebook “How to start a war and blame others 101” #lebanese” was  the Darine Sabbagh's comment on the Lebanese border clash of August 3rd and which became a Top Tweet.

Lebanon: Hezbollah, STL and Jumblatt

  11 August 2010

Friday Lunch Club quotes MP Walid Jumblatt as saying: “Jeffrey Feltman [former US ambassador to Lebanon] informed me, months ago, that the STL [Special Tribunal for Lebanon] was after Hezbollah…” adding that Jumblatt wondered “how can the STL be after justice, when a US official knows of its ‘secret’ decisions...

Lebanon: Unique Summers

  11 August 2010

“Since the beginning of Summer 2010, the Israeli PR machine didn’t take a summer vacation, in fact they doubled the efforts […] to make sure that Lebanese Tourism, which is the living blood of Lebanon’s growth, doesn’t happen,” writes Lebanese Voices on a series of Israeli incursions and about the August 3rd border...

Jordan: An Ode to the White Plastic Chair

  11 August 2010

“My dear white plastic chair: without you, the world wouldn’t be the same,” Roba at And Far Away writes an ode to the ubiquitous white plastic chair, complete with photos to illustrate its presence in the world.

Palestine: The Politics Of Issuing Passports

  10 August 2010

The hostility between the Hamas government in Gaza and the Fatah government in Ramallah has manifested itself in many areas, from education to electricity. Now it is affecting the issuing of passports, and one blogger in Gaza has been caught in the middle.

Iran: Unifying Filtering

  9 August 2010

Iranian authorities announced [fa] that filtering policy will be unified in country. According to Islamic Republic's authorities an Iranian company, whose name was not announced, has won the contract to be in charge of filtering in country.

Morocco: “My Summer With a Book”

  9 August 2010

In a world steeped in digital technology, and where tablets and e-book readers are getting cheaper and more accessible to a larger public every day, will there be a place left for good old printed books? For some Moroccan bloggers the answer is yes and technology is there to prove them right.

Iran: Political prisoners on hunger strike

  8 August 2010

Seventeen political prisoners began a hunger strike at the end of July to protest deteriorating conditions at Tehran's notorious Evin Prison. Iran has arrested hundreds of journalists, human rights activists, and politicians after the protest movement emerged against the results of the June 12 presidential election in 2009.

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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.