· May, 2008

Stories about Syria from May, 2008

Syria: Golan Cherries for Export

  31 May 2008

From Syria, Sasa writes: “Syrian farmers living under Israeli occupation have asked Israel to allow them to sell their cherries inside Syria. Living under occupation means they can not travel to Syria or visit their families, and they certainly can't send shipments of their produce into Syria.”

Iraq: Are the Refugees Returning Home?

  21 May 2008

Alive in Baghdad updates us on the conditions of Iraqi refugees in Syria in this video post. Are the refugees returning to Iraq? Click on the link to find out.

Syria: Crisis in Neighboring Lebanon

  18 May 2008

As the Lebanese leaders go to Doha, Qatar, to resume their "National Dialogue", here is a roundup of what Syrian bloggers had to say on the latest crisis in Lebanon. The Syrian bloggers were as divided as their counterparts in Lebanon about who is to blame for this latest crisis, and what must be done to avoid such events in the future.

Blog for Palestine Day

  16 May 2008

Blogger za3tar has organized Blog About Palestine Day for today, May 15, the anniversary of the Nakba and Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations. Bloggers around the world were invited to blog for Palestine, as noted by Global Voices here. Many bloggers chose to participate in the event; here is a selection.

Syria: Call to Release Jailed Relatives in Saudi Arabia

  15 May 2008

Or Does it Explode reports on a protest in Damascus, Syria, calling for the release of their relatives, who are imprisoned in Saudi Arabia. According to the blog, Saudi Arabia has sentenced to death at least 28 Syrians for drug possession and jailed hundreds more.

Egypt: Sad Day for Syria

  13 May 2008

Egyptian blogger Zeinobia reports that Syrian blogger Tariq has been sentenced to jail for three years for criticising security authorities.

Syria: Longing for Approval

“It just seems that those who are most critical of and most aggressive towards the “decaying west” appear to be, at the end of the day, the most desperate for its approval, at least subconsciously,” comments Yazan from Syria on statements made by politicians on safeguarding the Muslim culture from...

Syria: Americans in Iraq

  7 May 2008

Sugar, from Syria, links to a video featuring footage made by US soldiers in Iraq and comments: “Well, it’s not like it’s the first time we hear or see such videos about those American soldiers who they say are liberating Iraq and protecting America from terrorists. Instead….all what they did,...

Syria: No Golan Anniversary

  7 May 2008

“Remember the big PR campaign run by the Syrian government on the sad 40th anniversary of the illegal Israeli occupation of the Golan? Neither do I. To be fair, they only had 40 years to prepare and are probably saving their best efforts for an eventual 50th anniversary, so why...

Arabeyes: Freedom for Fouad Al Farhan

  5 May 2008

Saudi blogger Fouad Al Farhan is now a free man, after spending 137 days in detention in Jeddah. While bloggers have all along speculated why he has been held by the authorities for this long, Arab bloggers are unanimously excited over his release. And they also share their hopes for the release of other jailed bloggers.

Global: The price of food, the cost of despair

  2 May 2008

The crisis of skyrocketing food prices is affecting all economic groups in every corner of the world. Every day, it seems, high-priced food sends another country lurching through some crisis: demonstrations, riots, rumors of hoarding, falling governments, even deaths. Global Voices is well positioned to follow the nuances of this...

Arabeyes: Looming Food Crisis

  1 May 2008

Inflation and rising food and oil prices are a reality around the world, and Arab bloggers are not only feeling the pinch, but writing about it too. Here is a snapshot of reactions from Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait and Egypt.