Lebanon: Fatwa to Ban Honor Killings  · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

From rules on how to handle men in Lebanon to the meaning of the name Lamia, we end this round up of Lebanese blogs to a fatwa (religious edict) by a top Shia clergyman which bans honor killings, which he describes as a “repulsive act.”
Rules how to handle Lebanese guys
Our first post today looks into relationships. Lebanon Reporter learned that there are certain rules a girl needs to learn when in Beirut. These are the rules necessary in dealing with Lebanese guys and avoid sending the wrong messages:
Every girl you'll see walking around in Beirut will appear to be very stuck up. But it's not that they're really arrogant… It's more like a facade. If you DON'T act like you're the princess, you won't be able to get anything done or go anywhere. Or worse, you could be sending out the wrong message to a guy.
What to do when a guy you don't like is talking to you:
1) Look extremely bored. Raise an eyebrow, look skeptical, yawn a bit… just get good at using the facial expressions saying: ‘you're an idiot’.
2) Pretend to be busy. Read something, you need to cross this ultra busy street right now, you're meeting your boyfriend, whatever. But don't say you're married. They will think you're looking to have fun with someone else since he's not with you and you're happily talking to another guy right now.
3) Ignore. ‘What's your name’ and ‘where are you from’ might seem innocent questions but before you know it, you won't get rid of the guy.
4) Strut around as if you own the place. Do not make eye contact.
5) NEVER, never ever smile!
Art and Mythology
Einmal-Ist-Keinmal posted the beautiful painting of the half-nude “Lamia”. The name Lamia is popular in the Arab world. Einmal ist Keinmal gives us an idea of the meaning of the name Lamia in Greek mythology as well as its meaning in Arabic. And the meanings are totally different if not opposite:
In Greek mythology:
one of vengeful, bitter mother without children that compensated her children's death by eating other women's children.
In Arabic:
The girl with a beautiful darkness in her lips.
Nice and delicate lips.
Dark and hard spears.
Thick and shadowy trees.
Religion
Finally, the Human Province reports on the fatwa made by the Lebanese Shi'a cleric Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah, in which he banned honor killing or honor crimes as he is calling them. These are the crimes, usually killing, that are carried out against females, by their family members or relatives for what the relatives may consider as unaccepted sexual relationships or behavior:
Lebanon's most senior Shiite Muslim cleric issued Thursday a fatwa, or religious edict, banning honor killings, calling the custom of murdering a female relative for sexual misconduct “a repulsive act.”
The fatwa by Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah was a rare condemnation by a prominent cleric of the practice. Fadlallah's office said he issued the statement in alarm over reports on an increase in honor killings.
There are many more interesting blog posts out there so keep checking back for more!