· April, 2007

Stories about Syria from April, 2007

Arabeyes: On Selling a Palestinian Kidney and Changing the Israeli Flag

  30 April 2007

Do you want to know why a Palestinian wants to sell his kidney, or what had happened to the bicycle of a Lebanese blogger on September 10, 2001? What is more difficult: returning home after living abroad for five years or demanding that Israel changes its flag just as the Kurds want to change the Iraqi flag? And last but not least: why does Ala'a Abdulfattah - the Godfather of Egyptian bloggers - say he isn't and was never a blogger? To know more, read on.

Kurdistance: A Week Like Any Other

  27 April 2007

The news coming out of the Kurdish blogs this week is as varied as the landscape of Kurdistan itself. From predictions on Syrian Kurd alliances with Israel, to censorship in Turkey; from explorations of Northern Iraq, to essays on intolerance, the Kurdish bloggers cover it all. But for this week, I think we will begin with why, to Kurds, April is considered as the "Bride of the Year".

Syrian Independence Day and Elections

  26 April 2007

Syria celebrated it's independence and Parliamentary elections with a lot of official fanfare, but very little excitement from bloggers as a reported two per cent of the constituents turned up at the polling stations. Yazan Badran sums up the reactions as bloggers debate the results and updates us about the jailing of a prominent human rights lawyer.

Syria: Human Rights Lawyer in Jail

  25 April 2007

Syria Comment blogger Joshua Landis reports that Anwar al-Bunni, Syria's leading human rights activist and lawyer, was sentenced to five years in prison on Tuesday – for spreading false information.

Israel: Kill Ahmadinejad

  23 April 2007

Israeli paper Yediot Ahronot published a commentary which says that Israel should not shy away from threatening to kill Iran’s Ahmadinejad, reports Egyptian-based blogger Issandr El Amrani. “I feel that...

Egypt: Inheriting Presidencies?

  17 April 2007

Following the success of former Syrian president Hafez Al Assad of handing down power to his son Bashar, who now rules Syria, Egyptian blogger Zeinobia argues that the inheritance of...

Egypt: Syrian Cyber-Activist Arrested

  12 April 2007

Writing in The Arabist, blogger Tim Seah links to a statement issued by Reporters Without Borders which calls for the immediate release of arrested human rights activist Ibrahim Zoro, 47,...

Syria: Parlimentary Elections

  6 April 2007

Syrian blogger Tajreed talks about the changes in people with the upcoming parliamentary elections: “And last thing I want to talk about are the prospects of change I notice that...

Egypt: Venetian Ties with the Middle East

  5 April 2007

The Arabist explains the ties between Venice and the Middle East: “Did you know the first Koran was printed in Venice in 1537? Or that Venetians learned the art of...

Syria: Kurdish Unrest

  5 April 2007

Kurdish blog From Holland to Kurdistan reports of unrest in the Kurdish region of Syria: “Ciwan Mohammed (25) was killed in a fight in the Assyrian district of Derek by...