I am a Global Voices author and Arabic Lingua Translator, Wikipedian, TED Talks Translator, blogger and teacher of English from Tunisia. You can reach me at @salahalmhamdi
Latest posts by Salah Almhamdi
Egypt: Decoding Morsi's Ousting of the Generals
Mohammed Morsi's recent decisions to terminate the jobs of Mohamed Hussein Tantawi as Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and Sami Anan as the Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces created mixed reactions. The president also issued a new Constitutional Declaration that give him constitutional power. Morsi was first perceived as weak and torn between the Muslim Brotherhood and the SCAF but the latest decisions have asserted his position and enabled him to rebrand himself.
Egypt: Essential Academic History Book Banned
The Egyptian authorities have banned the import of A History of the Modern Middle East by eminent academics William L Cleveland and Martin Bunton without giving reasons for the ban. On Twitter, @Milllyz reacts: “Now that they have banned William L. Cleveland's “A History of the Modern Middle East”, all...
Arab World: Curiosity Rover and Arab Scientific Decay
Following rover Curiosity's successful landing on Mars, Arabs on Twitter lamented the miserable state of science in the Arab world: little scientific output and very few patents.
UAE: Dress Code Campaign Urges Extra Inches of Clothing
Two female Emirati nationals have launched a Twitter campaign to urge expatriates and tourists to respect the cultural sensibilities of the Emirates regarding dress. Their campaign has pushed the Federal National Council to propose a law regarding dress code.
United Arab Emirates: Anger at Risqué Madonna Concert
Madonna kicked off her MDNA Tour on June 1, performing her debut concert in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The concert prompted controversy for the sexual themes and Madonna's revealing costumes. Netizens slammed Madonna on Twitter.
Tunisia: Baccalaureate Exam Leaked
Netizens were struck by the leak of the Arabic test of the national baccalaureate examination, criticising the government for the fail. Salah Almhamdi rounds up reactions on Twitter.
Saudi Arabia: No to Fundraising for Syria
Saudi religious scholars used Twitter as a sounding board to express their frustration at being banned from raising funds for Syria. Salah Almhamdi explains what happened.
USA: Walters Art Museum Collection Online
The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, US, has published more than 19,000 images from its collection in the Wikimedia Commons thus putting them under a creative-commons license. The museum has a collection of Roman art and some European paintings.
Qatar: Deadly Blaze in Shopping Mall
On May 28 a fire broke out at Doha's Villaggio Mall, leaving 19 dead, 13 of whom were children. The children were trapped in a nursery within the mall, and they and four teachers died of smoke inhalation. Two firefighters died as they attempted to rescue them.
Palestine: Remembering the Nakba
May 15 is Nakba Day, when Palestinians commemorate the displacement and dispossession that took place at the time of Israel's establishment in 1948. In this post we look at how the day was marked by Palestinians on blogs and Twitter this year.
Egypt: The Resurrection of Ahmed Shafiq
The initial results of the first stage of the Egyptian presidential election indicate that Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq will take part in the runoff vote. There has been widespread shock at the reemergence of Shafiq, one of the “feloul”, or “remnants” of Mubarak's regime.
Tunisia: First Local Open Data Website Launched
Local open governance activists in Tunisia have launched the first open data website showing the municipal budget [ar, fr] of the city of Sayada for the current fiscal year. The Tunisian open governance community [ar, fr] has had some success in increasing the government's transparency; they have already convinced the...
Saudi Arabia: Censorship of Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia, one of Reporters Without Borders’ Internet Enemies, has blocked access to many articles on the free encyclopedia Wikipedia. The Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission has censored over 130 articles in Arabic and English, including articles relating to sex and sexuality, the human body, and the theory of...
Proposals for Union of Arab Gulf States Prompt Concern
The governments of the Gulf are discussing transforming the current Gulf Cooperation Council into an EU-style union. The move comes in an atmosphere of tension caused by the Arab uprisings and Iran's growing influence. As a first step, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain might seek closer union.
Saudi Arabia: May 7 Marked as Saudi Liberalism Day
On May 7 Saudi liberal activists gathered online to celebrate Saudi Liberalism Day, an initiative to acquire recognition and acceptance for liberal ideas.
Tunisia: TV Station Chief Sued for Broadcasting ‘Persepolis’
On May 3 Tunisian courts will announce the verdict in the trial of Nabil Karoui, owner of the private channel Nessma TV, who has been prosecuted for broadcasting the animated film Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.
Tunisia: Clashes Over Future of State Television
On April 25 a sit-in outside the offices of Tunisia's state television network that had lasted almost eight weeks came to an end. Protestors demanded the “cleansing” of the network of Ben Ali supporters, and also opposed suggestions of its privatisation.
Egypt: Time for Televised Presidential Debates?
As the time approaches for the Egyptian presidential election, there have been calls not only in Egypt but also around the Arab world for televised presidential debates.
Bahrain: Tear Gas, Violence Surround F1 Grand Prix Race
Bahrain hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 22 but the run-up to the event has seen huge protests. In clashes police have been firing tear gas and stun grenades at protesters, and one protestor, Salah Abbas Habib, was found dead.
Tunisia: Police Clash with Jobless Protestors in Radès
On April 13 police clashed with a group of young protestors from Cité El Mallaha in the port of Radès, just south of the capital Tunis. The protesters were staging a sit-in, demanding a share of some jobs which had been recently created in Radès port.
