Latest posts by Ayesha Saldanha from April, 2009
Palestine: Palestinians in Jerusalem's Old City Under Threat
Activist Marcy Newman writes about spending time in Jerusalem's Old City with a Palestinian family whose home is partly occupied by an extremist Jewish organisation called Ataret Cohanim.
Bahrain: Who's Calling?
Bahraini blogger Hussein Nasser explains why an Arabic-interfaced phone needs to be told if a caller is male or female.
Bahrain: Sunni v. Shi'i Basketball
Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam writes about a basketball match with Sunni fans on one side and Shi'i the other.
Qatar, Dubai: Responding To British Media “Bashing”
In recent weeks reports in the British media about the Gulf states of Qatar, and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, have provoked debate amongst bloggers in both places.
Palestine: Health Issues On Film
Eva Bartlett, a Canadian activist in Gaza, reports on a short documentary competition held to mark World Health Day, highlighting health issues Gazans face, and medical care during attacks.
Qatar: Media Contradictions
The Qatar Visitor blog discusses the media environment in Qatar, finding that there are contradictory forces at work.
Bahrain: News At Full Volume
Bahraini blogger The Dude is not impressed: “If anyone was ever unfortunate enough to stumble upon the Kingdom of Bahrain's official news agency's website, they'd be forgiven for thinking Bahrain was a backward, angry country. Everything, every single release, is IN CAPITAL LETTERS.”
Bahrain: Signs Of The Times?
In Bahrain, Weld El-ma6aba has noticed some signs he thinks are pretty unusual.
Palestine: A Visit To The West Bank
Intern in Israel has made a trip to the West Bank: “I think what shocked me most was how heavy the Israeli military influence was inside of the West Bank and how large some of the Jewish settlements are. The areas where Palestinians actually have “full” control are very small.”
Bahrain: Celebrating Veganism
Tasha, an American living in Bahrain who blogs at The Voracious Vegan, is celebrating two years of veganism with a special recipe.
Palestine: Separated By A Border
In Gaza, Lebanese activist Natalie Abou Shakra describes the plight of a family able to see each other only across the border fence separating Gaza and Egypt.
Bahrain: Unblock Political Websites
Bahraini blogger Zainab Abdel Amir requests the government to unblock the political websites that are currently banned in the country [Ar].
Palestine: Jerusalem As Arab Cultural Capital
Gazan blogger Abu El Sherif has posted a short video [Ar] he made for a programme called Alli Sootak (Speak Up) shown on Palestine TV about choosing Jerusalem as this year's Arab Capital of Culture.
Palestine: Art Amongst The Ruins
In Gaza, Sharyn Lock writes about art being shown in a destroyed hospital building: “As part of the World Health Day commemorations, three artists are displaying their work in this same building, art that is a response to the Israeli attacks on hospitals and medical workers.”
Palestine: Dialogue in Gaza
Gazan blogger Omar Ghraieb recently attended a workshop concerned with dialogue and reconciliation between the Palestinian political factions.
Bahrain: Airport Stories
Bahraini blogger Yagoob recounts some of his recent experiences in airports – including meeting a Japanese security officer in Nagoya who wanted to practice speaking Arabic.
Bahrain: The Pleasures of Motherhood
Um Naief is an American married to a Bahraini, and she has written a post about why she enjoys motherhood so much.
Palestine: Parallels with Native Americans
Samuel Nichols, an American who works with the Christian Peacemaker Teams in the West Bank, writes about the parallels he sees between the history of the Native Americans and the situation of the Palestinians.
Palestine: Misconceptions Regarding Criticism of Hamas
The Queen of Sheba is an NGO worker currently in Gaza: “I cannot stand the misconception that by being critical of Hamas, one is automatically condoning the international rejection of its legitimacy, and Israel’s desire to remove it from power. … Too many pro-Palestinian foreigners who come here are too...
Jerusalem: Palm Sunday Procession
Intern in Israel describes attending the Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem: “My husband and I participated in the procession from Bethphage to St. Anne’s Church just inside the city gates on Palm Sunday. It was the most fun I’ve ever had on a Palm Sunday… But it was truly sobering...
Palestine: Meeting Hagg Ayoub
Natalie Abou Shakra, a Lebanese activist in Gaza, describes meeting a man known as Hagg Ayoub at a demonstration: “Hagg Ayoub, the voice of 61 years of injustice and crimes against humanity!”
