Stories about Arabic from August, 2007
Arabeyes: Who is Using the Tunisian Presidential Airplane?
The Tunisian presidential airplane and the 'unofficial' trips it takes to Europe and the fashion capitals of the world has attracted the scrutiny of the country's most outspoken bloggers. Who is using the president's plane? Who approves the trips abroad and how much is it used for official business? These are some of the questions being raised in Arabic and French, which I am translating today into English.
Bahrain: Editor in Court
A Bahraini newspaper editor is in court for defamation, writes Mahmood Al Yousif.
Morocco: The Death of Butcher Basri
Driss Basri, one of Morocco's most powerful figures during the past 50 years, has died in Paris at age 69. Jillian York brings us the latest reactions from Moroccan bloggers writing in Arabic, French and English.
Kuwait: Crazy Week for Bloggers
Kuwaiti bloggers had a crazy week, which started with an earthquake, or rather a small tremor, early on Saturday morning. The next day a blogger was arrested for a comment an anonymous reader left on his online forum. The week culminated with a fire at a local hospital and the resignation of Kuwait's first female minister.
Arabeyes: It's All in a Sign
Signs are an important means to get first-hand information or advertise messages necessary for everyday life. But what happens when the signs are misleading and don't serve the purpose they were put up for. Amira Al Hussaini takes us on a tour of blogs in the Middle East which take a closer look at signs.
Bahrain: Getting Into Gear and Going All the Way…
Our topics range from the highbrow to the lowlife this week, with an exhortation to read more books from across the Arab world, a child’s misunderstanding of a word in a cartoon, and an encounter with a prostitute. A new blogger has just arrived in Bahrain, and another blogger has just returned from a holiday in Iran – where he experienced rather more than he had bargained on during a taxi ride... Read Ayesha Saldanha's take on Bahraini blogs for more.
Bahrain: Thoughts on Sectarianism
Bahraini blogger emoodz shares with us this thoughts on sectarianism in this post I am translating from Arabic today. From a discussion over lunch, Mohammed Al Maskati discusses sectarianism and its impact on society, ending his treatise with a question with no answer: Will we Arabs ever wake up?
Egypt: Blogging for Civil and Religious Freedoms
The struggle for personal freedoms is ongoing in Egypt and the nation's bloggers continue to demand the liberty of citizens. Whether it be religious freedom or freedom from the wrath of a brutal police state, Egypt is speaking out against the inhumane treatment of her citizens this week. Plus a veteran blogger gives us a rare look into the inner workings of Egypt's most historic remaining cities.
Syria: On Expatriates
Medaad [AR] brings up the topic of an expat's sense of belonging. “Maybe we forgot that most of us are expats in our own countries, as is the case for most of our Arab people. And maybe we forgot that expats don't eat with golden spoons, that they also have...
UAE: online forum administrator sentenced to prison
Earlier this month, on August 8th, Mohamed Rashed al-Shohhi, an online forum administrator in the Emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah (UAE) has been sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of nearly US$ 13,600 (Dh50,000) for content deemed defamatory published by anonymous on the popular forum board he moderated...
Kuwait: Jailed Blogger Released
Following a local and regional outcry, jailed Kuwaiti blogger Bashar Al-Sayegh was released in Kuwait earlier today. While some bloggers celebrated the release, others warned that it could be a signal of more restrictions which could curtail freedom of speech in Kuwait. Another blogger expresses his disgust with men in...
The US Accuses Oman of Trafficking in Persons
Sama Oman wonders about what gives the US the right to accuse Oman of trafficking in persons.
Kuwait: Blogger Bashar Al-Sayegh Arrested
Kuwait yesterday joined the ranks of countries with jailed bloggers, following the arrest of Bashar Al-Sayegh. How did bloggers in Kuwait and around the region react? Here's a quick review.
Bahrain: Poetry Slammed!
This week Bahraini bloggers express their concerns about the country's electronic identity cards. With the school year about to begin, education is a hot topic. Be careful what you write when you send a job application – you might unwittingly become one of the new superheroes, The Employables! We finish with some strong opinions regarding the literary scene in Bahrain.
Beyond Borders: Bloggers Face off over Jordanian Treatment of Iraqi Travellers
The treatment of Iraqis at the Jordan's Queen Alia Airport has triggered a storm in the Middle Eastern blogosphere. What at first seemed to be a straight forward story of refugees being ill-treated by their neighbour's security guards has spawned into a Pan-Arab spat (the type of which is normally reserved for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict), writes Mohamed Nanabhay, who sifts through blogs to bring us what the uproar is all about.
Jordan Bans Chicken Shawarma
The Jordanian blogosphere is mourning a ban on the sale of chicken Shawarma - chicken or beef, tossed salad and tahini - all rolled in delicious pita bread. In another warning, a Jordanian blogger is calling on Israel to keep its hands off Arab food.
Child killed in Egypt
Abdulrahman Mansour was horrified to report that Egyptian police brutally tortured and killed 12 year old Muhammad Mamdooh Abdulrahman who they “arrested” for petty theft.
Syria: US Afraid of Arabic
Syrian blogger Yaman asks: Who is afraid of the Arabic language, following an outrage in the US over a T-shirt which has the Arabic inscription Intifada written on it.
Algeria: The Last Jew of Babylon
Nouri from Algeria links to a video which tells the story of the last Jew of Babylon here.
Lebanon: Fatwa to Ban Honor Killings
From rules on how to handle men in Lebanon to the meaning of the name Lamia, we end this round up of Lebanese blogs to a fatwa (religious edict) by a top Shia clergyman which bans honor killings, which he describes as a "repulsive act."
Morocco: Is Co-Education Better?
Is co-education better than girls-only and boys-only schools? Moroccan blogger Mohammed Saeed Hjiouij shares with us his insight in this post I am translating from Arabic.
