Latest posts by Amira Al Hussaini from November, 2012
Is a Hamas/Israel Ceasefire on the Table?
News is spreading like wildfire online that a Gaza ceasefire will be signed between Hamas and Israel in Cairo tonight [Nov 20, 2012], following a week of violence.
Moroccans Beaten Up for Protesting the King's Budget
Moroccans protested in the capital Rabat against the royal budget today. Their protest was violently repressed by police, who beat up activists as well as journalists who turned up to cover the demonstration. Reports claim that the royal palaces of Morocco cost the kingdom's coffers 700,000 Euros a day, in a country where the number of poor people has increased dramatically over the past few years.
In Gaza, Children are Paying the Price of War
Heartbreaking photographs of dead Palestinian children were splattered across social media today, calling attention to the on-going tragedy in Gaza, as Israel and Hamas continue to exchange fire. Today, the fifth day since Israel started bombing Gaza round the clock, an Israeli missile hit a house in Gaza City, killing at least 10 civilians, including five children. Online, this tragedy has drawn condemnation from netizens.
Arab League on Gaza: “Blah Blah… Blah Blah Blah”
The Arab League is meeting at its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss Gaza - and netizens aren't holding their breath or being optimistic about a strong reaction. Sultan AlQassemi tweets: "Live update from Arab League meeting on Gaza aggression by Israel: We will not tolerate blah blah! We must stand with blah blah bah."
Why is the GCC Quiet about Gaza?
“Gulf countries awfully quiet about Gaza,” tweets Foreign Policy editor Blake Hounshell. Lebanese journalist Antoun Issa adds: @antissa: Amazing how eager GCC are to arm Arabs to fight each other,...
Egyptians are Writing their own Secular Law .. on Twitter
Egyptians are drafting their very own secular law - on Twitter. It all started when Mahmoud Salem - aka Sandmonkey - suggested writing such a law after noting that Islamists have no respect for secular people and consider them to be both un-Islamic and controlled by non-Muslims. On cue, the hashtag #شريعة_العلمانية [ar] (Secular Law) soon came up, and was populated with suggestions on what this new sharia (law) for secular people should be.
Is Israel Planning a Ground Invasion of Gaza?
Gazans braced themselves for another day of continuous shelling, as news trickles in of the possibility of an Israeli ground invasion. Like yesterday, Palestinian bloggers in Gaza have been keeping followers updated on social media, around the clock.
Palestine: Israel Bombs Gaza after Rocket Attacks
Greek blogger Asteris Masouras uses Storify to collect the first reactions to the latest Gaza-Israel face off.
“Bombs are Falling Like Rain in Gaza”
Gazans stayed up all night as Israel continued to pound the Palestinian enclave. The situation flared up when Israel and Gaza exchanged fire - which still continues now - after Israel killed Hamas military leader Ahmed Al-Jabari during an air raid on Gaza yesterday. According to Press reports, the current bout of fighting has left up to 13 Gazans and three Israelis dead.
Why is the Arab League in a Hurry to Meet over Gaza?
The United Nations Security Council called for and held an emergency meeting Wednesday night to discuss the latest Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, and consequent Hamas rocket attacks into Israel. The Arab League, on the other hand, said it would meet on Saturday [Nov 17, 2012] to discuss the latest tension, drawing ridicule and anger from netizens around the Arab world - for it's [lack of] action.
Worldwide Protests Planned in Support of Gaza
On Twitter, Egyptian Nora Shalaby shares the link to a document which contains a constantly updated list of demonstrations being planned in support of Gaza worldwide. The list is being...
Jordanians Want to Overthrow the Regime
On YouTube, ThePrbj shares this video of a protest in Amman, Jordan, last night, in which protesters are chanting: “The people want the downfall of the regime.”
Is Expired Tear-Gas being used Against Protesters in Jordan?
Protests continue across Jordan for the second night, after a hike in fuel prices. Jordanian Ali posts a photograph of what he describes as an expired teargas canister used against...
Israel and Alqassam Brigades Exchange Threats on Twitter
Alex Yudelson shares a screenshot of tweets in which the account of the Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson and Palestinian Alqassam Brigades exchange threats – on Twitter.
Cairo's Metro Strike a Success
The metro is back in Egypt - after a four hour strike. Train services, which ferry up to 2 million people across Cairo daily, came to a standstill as drivers stopped work in protest against the chairperson of the metro board of directors, who is being accused of corruption. On Twitter, netizens cheered the strike.
Arab World: What will Change with Obama's Re-Election?
Barack Obama has won a second term as US President but how does he fare among netizens across the Arab world? Here's a snippet of the conversation on Twitter following his re-election. Reactions were divided and while many were not pleased with the US foreign policy in the region, others were happy Obama won.
Egypt to Ban Porn Sites
Egypt has announced [ar] today that access to all porn sites will be banned. Netizens discuss the move on Twitter, saying any kind of censorship will have dire consequences on free speech - as it opens the door to abuse by the authorities and the muzzling of voices online.
