· May, 2011

Stories about Middle East & North Africa from May, 2011

Lebanon: A Personal Account from Deadly Border Protest

  16 May 2011

“In a nutshell, protesters amassed at the border armed with flags, slogans and rocks from the ground, and Israel responded by opening fire and killing nearly a dozen youths” stated Sean in a detailed post about his personal experience as he took part in the protest held in the Lebanese border town of Maroun...

Africa: African Champions League Results

  16 May 2011

In a post published on May 9 on Afrik.com, Ali Makha analyses [fr] the results of the African Champions League: ” The semi-quarter finals in the African Cup gave their verdict this week-end. In Champions League, TP Mazembe saved the day  against WAC, while in the CAF Cup, FUS Rabat had...

Turkey: Protests Against Internet Censorship

  16 May 2011

Vimeo user Firat Yıldız posted a short video of the May 15 rally in Istanbul's Taksim Square and Istiklal Avenue, where thousands of people gathered to protest the new internet filtering system, to be introduced in Turkey on Aug. 22. A Turkish-language site with the “Stop Censorship” movement's info and...

Lebanon: Two Marches, Sunday 15 May

  15 May 2011

Lebanon is witnessing two different marches today, May 15, 2011. The first is the Seculars’ March Towards Secularism taking place in Beirut, and the second is for the right to Return to Palestine taking place in the border village of Maroun el Ras (South Lebanon).

Kuwait: Bloggers React to the PM's Seventh Cabinet

  14 May 2011

Kuwaiti bloggers continue to discuss how their government is run this week, following the naming of a new cabinet by Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah. The appointment of the country's 27th cabinet in its history drew a lot of criticism from bloggers, who noted that not much has changed.

Iran:Football fans insulted Basij forces

  12 May 2011

Football fans did not let Basij (islamist militia) forces chanted slogans and insulted them in Azadi Stadium in Tehran on Wendesday. One of the slogans was ‘there is no place for politics in sport’. Here is the film.

Arab World: The Club for Arab Monarchies to Get Morocco and Jordan

  11 May 2011

At first, everyone thought it was a joke or just one more Twitter rumor. Soon, netizens realised it was true and the shock made everyone act hysterical with their funny tweets that Jordan and Morocco requests to join the Gulf Cooperation Council have been welcomed and will be discussed.

Iran: Ahmadinejad's “Exorcist” Arrested

  10 May 2011

Twenty-five close collaborators and supporters of Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his influential chief staff, Esfandyar Rahim Mashai, have been arrested, allegedly including “exorcist” or “djinn catcher” Abbas Ghaffari. Many speculate this is due to a quarrel between Ahmadinejad and the Islamic Republic's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

Africa: A Possible Al-Qaeda Redeployment in Africa?

  10 May 2011

On his blog, Dierry Diallo takes up an article [fr] on Slate.fr where one can read: “For the GSPC , the stakes are enormous: it's about controlling a formidable strip of land stretching from the Atlantic and Mauritania all the way to Sinai and the Red Sea. Hence Bin Laden's...

Iran: Dogs Arrested (Again)

  10 May 2011

Iranian security forces are back in the streets for a sequel to their infamous action of 2007: arresting dogs. Iran's government considers keeping pet dogs un-Islamic, but has mostly tolerated it. Now, according to Iranian newspapers, several dogs were recently confiscated in a new crackdown.

France : demonstration at the Syrian Embassy

  7 May 2011

On Tuesday, 3 May 2011, World Press Freedom Day, representatives from Reporters Without Borders demonstrated in front of the Syrian Embassy in Paris. Video of the demonstration [in French and English].

Iran: World Taekwondo Top Title

  7 May 2011

Iran wins world Taekwondo title for the first time.Totefarangi praises Iranian team who stole for the first time the world title from South Korea in history and compares it to the poor performance of Iran's football teams.

Palestine: Demonstrations Against Occupation, For Unity

  6 May 2011

In the last several years, West Bank Palestinian villages have seen their land claimed both by Jewish settlements in the West Bank and by the security wall erected by Israel. In villages such as Nabi Saleh, Bi'lin and Ni'lin, village residents have responded by holding weekly nonviolent protests. The week after Hamas and Fatah inked their unity agreement was no exception.

Tunisia: Police Brutality is Back

  6 May 2011

Tunisians are back on the streets calling for the overthrow of the government, after former Interior Minister Farhat Rajhi announced on Facebook that Tunisia continues to be run by a shadow government, headed by a friend of Ben Ali, Kamel Ltaief, among other things. And once again, protesters were faced with police brutality and repression.

Syria: Reports of Telecom Disruptions as Protests Rage

  6 May 2011

Twitter users in Syria are reporting that mobile internet telecommunications have been disrupted today, as protests continued across the country. Some also report that landlines and electricity have been disconnected in different areas.

Tunisia: Blog Declines Award Sponsored by Bahrain Government

  6 May 2011

Award-winning Tunisian blog Nawaat, which has been instrumental in reporting the Tunisian Revolution, has declined the Arab eContent award, in protest against the Bahraini government's censorship policy and violations of human rights. The Arab eContent event is both organised and sponsored by the Bahrain government.

Jordan: “Bring Raad Home” from Syria

  6 May 2011

Momentum is building up online to pressure the Syrian authorities to release Jordanian Raad Kawar, who has been held since April 19. The 26-year-old was in Syria returning by car from vacation in Beirut to Fuheis, Jordan, where he lives, when he was arrested. Find out what relatives and friends are doing online to push for his freedom.

Kuwait: In Love with Osama Bin Laden

  6 May 2011

Kuwaiti columnist Khulood Al-Khamis has declared her undying love to terror mastermind Osama Bin Laden, saying she looks forward to being united with him in heaven to live out her dreams. On Twitter, Kuwaitis express shock at her column and Al-Khamis' sentiments.

Algeria: Rachad Movement Website No Longer Censored; Radio Kalima Still Is

  6 May 2011

Blocked by the Algerian government on January 1, 2010, without motive or prior notice, the website of the Rachad Movement rachad.org [fr] is once again accessible in Algeria. Now, only the Radio Kalima site kalimadz.com [fr] continues to be censored. The Rachad Movement filed a complaint on May 11, 2010, with the...

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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.