Brought up in the UK and France, a graduate of Arabic and Law from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London.
Has lived and worked happily in Europe, Malaysia, Syria and Egypt.
Katharine has currently returned to study as a graduate medical student at University of Nottingham, UK.
She thinks that if we all knew a bit more about each other, we would treat each other better.
Katharine tweets rather sporadically here
Latest posts by Katharine Ganly
Aleppo: Urban Exploration
“It’s amazing to feel like a tourist in your own city, to get to see a place many call home, to know that Aleppo means different things to different people.” The Diadochi shares with us some urban exploration of Aleppo, along with some lovely photographs in this post.
Palestine: Autumn in Gaza
Lina, who blogs at Live From Gaza gives us a view of the brooding autumnal sky from her window.
Saudi: Female-only hospitals
American Bedu discusses the idea of female-only hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Read the blog post and the numerous comments on it here.
Lebanon: TV Shows on Homosexuality Create Buzz
"A gay killer has the passion of a woman and the aggression of a man," states Zaven Kouyoumjian, Lebanese host of Siree Wenfatahet, a program broadcast by Future TV and one of the highest rated TV shows in the Middle East. Following are reactions from the LGBT community in Lebanon on this show and others dealing with the gay community on television.
Lebanon: This morning in Beirut
Shalabieh finds a strange pair of eyes watching her from her neighbour's Beirut balcony.
Palestine: Family Matters
Palestinian writer Khulud at Life in Fragments blogs about the “importance” of coming from a respected family in obtaining a job offer, and how she would rather be recognised for her own skills than her family background, in this post.
MENA: The Bigger Picture Behind Eden Abergil's Facebook Photos
When ex-Israeli soldier Eden Abergil's Facebook photo album "IDF-the best days of my life" was revealed to contain pictures of her posing mockingly alongside blindfolded Palestinian detainees, the blogosphere was outraged. In this post, Katharine Ganly takes a look at some of the different reactions from the MENA region.
Jordan: Reema, We Refuse to Let You Die in Vain
A 35-year old mother of three was shot by her husband during her sleep in Jordan. The reason for this murder? Her husband believes that his wife was a "victim of sorcery" and that she would kill him first. A heartfelt obituary has been written online by her nephew, a blogger, and appeals are being sent so that her death may not be in vain.
Jordan: Royal Conversations
What would a confidential meeting between King Abdullah of Jordan and his extended family be like? Mab3oos gives us a fly-on-the-wall view in this humourous post, the first of a series of tongue-in-cheek glimpses into what goes on behind closed doors.
Beirut: 10 things to do under $10
Think visiting Beirut is expensive? Shalabieh at Shalabieh's World gives us suggestions for 10 things to do in Beirut for under $10. See the ideas, and maybe add your own suggestions here.
Jordan: An Ode to the White Plastic Chair
“My dear white plastic chair: without you, the world wouldn’t be the same,” Roba at And Far Away writes an ode to the ubiquitous white plastic chair, complete with photos to illustrate its presence in the world.
Lebanon: Hiking from Rachaya Al Wadi to Ain Ata
Rami at +961 details his hike with footprints nature club, a 4-hour cross-hill trek from Rachaya to Ain Ata, Lebanon. Read more and see photos in this post.
Morocco: Petitioning for the decriminalisation of homosexuality
Moroccans are petitioning for the decriminalisation of homosexuality by the repeal of article 489 of the Moroccan Penal Code, which criminalises “lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex.” See more at GayMaroc [AR], or visit the Facebook group here.
Lebanon: Felesteen 2.0
Felesteen 2.0 is setting up a series of new blogs as part of their social media project. The new bloggers are residents of the Shatila camp, ranging from 14 – 22 years of age with diverse educational backgrounds.
Lebanon: “Looks like Beirut” Award
Lebanon News: Under Rug Swept periodically awards the “Looks Like Beirut” Award “in recognition of the work done to keep the overused, worn-out, tired cliché “…looks like Beirut…” alive. It is awarded to Hull and East Riding here, a Weymouth resident here, and a resident of Strabane here.
Israel: Conviction of “rape by deceit”
Sabar Kashur, an Arab resident of East Jerusalem, was charged with rape for posing as a Jewish bachelor in order to seduce a woman. He has been convicted to 18 months prison. His conviction has proved controversial with many outraged at the judge's decision; others feel it is the correct application of the law. In this post, Katharine Ganly presents some of these opinions.
Egypt: The Beginning
“Welcome all to ‘Bedayaa‘ (which translates to ‘The Beginning’ in Arabic) a long-awaited project, a special place for gays and lesbians in the Nile Valley- Egypt and Sudan”: A new online space has been created where LGBTQI from the Nile Valley can meet, talk, discuss issues, and share experiences. Take...
Lebanon: Don't kill your language!
Is the Arabic language being murdered? Dany Awad comments on a new awareness project taking part on the streets of Beirut, imploring passers-by not to kill their language. See photos of this innovative project in this post [AR].
Baghdad: Interior Ministry raids beauty parlour
Iraqi LGBT reports on a raid on a Baghdad male beauty parlour, resulting in the arrest of five gay men. Iraqi media reported the parlour raided was used for prostitution; witnesses say this was not the case at all. Read more here.
Saudi Arabia: Maysoon Azzam is “not a robot”
Why was Al-Arabiya newsreader Maysoon Azzam laughing when reading the news? Saudi Jeans wonders what tickled the newsreader, and why her explanation of the outburst was removed from Al-Arabiya's website in this post.
Lebanon: Outrage over Blocking of VoIP
A recent move by the Lebanese government has led to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services being blocked within Lebanon. Citizens are outraged by the move. Katharine Ganly rounds up some of the blog reactions to this issue.
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