Stories from 21 July 2007
Estonia: Smaller Minorities
Itching for Eestimaa writes about Estonia's “smaller, less vocal minorities [that] usually get lost in the shuffle.”
Czech Rebublic: Same-Sex Partnerships
Belatedly, a link to the post on the first anniversary of legalization of same-sex partnerships in the Czech Republic – at NvB: Bored in Brno?: “[…] 346 same-sex couples were united during the year. Of that number, at least two of the pairs have already divorced.”
Central Europe: Charles Bridge; Carpathian Forests
Belatedly, a link to the post on the 650th anniversary of the Charles Bridge in Prague and the primeval beech forests of the Carpathian – at NvB: Bored in Brno?.
Czech Rebublic: Surgical Castration
NvB: Bored in Brno? writes on surgical castration used to treat sex offenders – something that looks like “population engineering and thinly veiled eugenics” – and on the attitudes toward sex in the Czech Republic in general.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: EU Prospects
Bosnia Blog writes about the country's EU membership prospects.
Serbia: The Upbringing of Children
The youngest of Serbia's current parents were children themselves when the country was in war just over a decade ago. Many had difficult childhoods and now face problems as parents. Zeljko Markovic, a Serbian blogger, writes about this, and Sinisa Boljanovic translates from the Serbian.
Israel: Harry Potter does not observe the Sabbath?
The synchronized worldwide launch of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, fell at 2:01 a.m. local time in Israel, during the Jewish Sabbath, when Israeli law requires most businesses to close. Read Gilad Lotan's translation of Hebrew blogs to see whether the Sabbath was observed.
Bahrain: Does A PlayStation 2 Gun Count As A Weapon?
Bahrain's bloggers have moved on this week to comment on a protest held outside the Iranian Embassy in protest against an editorial by Iranian editor Hossein Shariatmadari, which started that Bahrain should become a part of Iran. Others talk about Embassy interviews for Visas, the release of a Guantanamo detainee, why Bahrain is vying to build the highest skyscraper and preparing for the new release of Harry Potter.
Palestine: Today's Ultimate Sin – Complacency?
"'It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do.' The virtuous amongst us try to identify evil, and not do it. However, how often do we consider the act of NOT DOING as evil?" asks blogger Oranges and Olives. A good question among many from this week's post of prolific Palestinian blogs.
Morocco: A Kingly History
While the His Majesty King Mohammed VI is changing the face of the country, former king Mohammed V has been nominated for the title of Righteous Among Nations. More discussion of the royal family, the city of Meknès, and more in this week's Morocco roundup.
Lebanon: Musings on Home
MMMMMMM from Lebanon posts pictures of his home in Lebanon and muses: “I wonder if one day my children are gonna grow up where I grew.”
China: Dispossessed farmers beaten
The local government wants to build a new administration tower, 240 farmers in Jiangxi province claim, but they don't even have enough to pay us back for the land it will be built on. On July 20 the developer moved on in and the villagers got in the way.
Lebanon: Is France Turning the Tables on Syria?
Charles Malek, from Lebanon, is wondering: Is France turning the tables on Syria?
Jordan: Challenging Women
Wael Attili from Jordan posts a challenging question to women here.
Saudi Arabia: Jeddah Film Festival
The Second Jeddah Film Festival or Jeddah Visual Shows Festival is being held in Saudi Arabia, writes Saudi Jeans.
Syria: Camping in Canada
Syrian blogger Omar enjoyed an unforgettable camping in Canada.
