I am a writer, activist, researcher, and blogger. I serve as Director of International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and write for several platforms, including Al Jazeera English and The Guardian.
Latest posts by Jillian C. York from July, 2008
Morocco: 50 Reasons Not to Use Plastic Bags
Everything Morocco discusses reasons to stop using plastic bags. As in many developing countries, the littering of plastic bags is a large problem in Morocco.
Palestine: Selective Journalism
Following a second bulldozer attack by a Palestinian civilian in less than a month, Palestinian bloggers are frustrated by how local and international media has covered both events, and ignored more universally significant issues in the country.
Morocco: Royal Air Maroc causes a fright
A Moro in America tells us about some turbulence on Royal Air Maroc and the (lack of) customer service that followed the incident.
Arabeyes: Moroccan woman refused French citizenship for burqa
Last week a French resident was refused citizenship on the grounds that she was “insufficiently assimilated.” The woman, referred to in the Press as “Faiza M.,” is a Moroccan citizen but has lived in France since 2000 with her husband, a French citizen, and three children, all born in France. The incident has set a precedent and has stirred up the feelings of bloggers around the world, reports Jillian York.
Morocco: The Reality of Prostitution
Prostitution is the oldest profession in the world. Jillian York tunes into the Moroccan blogosphere to see how some students and women make ends meet.
Morocco to send imams to Europe
Daily Maghreb reports that Morocco will send 176 preachers to Europe to “answer the religious needs of the Moroccan community abroad, to protect them from any speeches of an extremist or irregular nature and shelter them from fanaticism and extremism.”
Morocco: A different perspective on Samir Kuntar
Peaceful Vanguard has a different perspective on the return of Lebanese prisoner Samir Kuntar.
Morocco: The Hammam
In Search of Baraka… discusses the traditions of the Moroccan hammam.
Morocco: Bring on the Gnaoua!
Every year in June, thousands upon thousands of tourists from around the world and Moroccans from all over the country flock to Essaouira, a small coastal city about 200 kilometers from bustling Marrakesh, for the annual Festival of Gnaoua and world music. The town, made famous by the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix (Castles in the Sand is rumored to have been written about Mogador), is a year-round hot spot for Moroccan musicians of all kinds, but truly livens up during the festival. This year, many bloggers were in attendance.
Palestine: Obama in the News
Presidential Candidate Barack Obama is making headlines this week in the Palestinian blogosphere: partly for his impending visit to the West Bank and partly for his turn on the cover of this week's New Yorker. Jillian York reviews Palestinian blogs.
Morocco: Fashion Island
Myrtus discusses fashion in the Middle East and tells us about Isla Moda (Fashion Island), a new fashion-conscious community in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Morocco: Abbas Fourak
cinema and movies shares information about Moroccan film director Abbas Fourak.
MENA: Reactions to the Mediterranean Summit
As over 40 leaders from the Mediterranean region gather in France for the inauguration of the new Union for the Mediterranean, the blogosphere is filled with mixed feelings. Jillian York checks up on the Middle Eastern and North African communities, bringing us reactions from Morocco to Syria.
Morocco's Changing Bodies
As in many developing countries, the food landscape in Morocco is rapidly changing. Obesity and body image, two rarely-discussed subjects, are becoming ever-present issues. Jillian York has the story.
Palestine: Murder or terror rampage?
"Only Arabs are terrorists" reads the subject heading on a Palestine's blog, referring to the headlines such as "Bulldozer terror rampage in Jerusalem" splashed across Israeli and foreign newspapers after a Palestinian living in Jerusalem drove a bulldozer down a crowded street in West Jerusalem. See some of the reactions.
Palestine: Journalist Mohammed Omer awarded, then beaten
Mohammed Omer is a 24-year-old journalist from Rafah, on the Gaza Strip. He was recently awarded the Martha Gellhorn Award for outstanding journalism, but upon returning to Gaza, was detained by Israeli officials and beaten. Jillian York shares his story.
Morocco: An Interview with Sandy McCutcheon
The View from Fez is arguably the most popular English-language blog in Morocco, and one which is oft-quoted on Global Voices. Since its inception in 2005, the blog has had over 400,000 visitors from all over the world; they come to learn about Fez, be entertained, and live vicariously through...
USA: Al Jazeera Blackout?
When Burlington Telecom, owned by the small city of Burlington, Vermont (population 39,000), decided to carry Al Jazeera English, debate sparked amongst its residents, leading some groups to protest for its removal. Bloggers in the city and around the world have jumped on the story.
Morocco: No death or rape in Sidi Ifni
Crazy Moor reports that the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) has determined that there were no death or rape cases in Sidi Ifni; television station Al Jazeera had claimed that there were, leading to controversy.
Tunisia: Muslim While Flying
Blogger Tunisianbelle shares a horrific story of being searched, her clothes being torn, and subsequently missing her flight, all due to the way she was dressed.
Morocco: Catching Up With Peace Corps Bloggers
Morocco is host to a vibrant Peace Corps program. All over the country, American Peace Corps members volunteer their time teaching English, sustainable growth, assisting with agricultural and women's projects, and a multitude of other tasks that come along with being a young, active volunteer in Morocco. And Moroccans, known...
