Stories about Arabic from July, 2010
Palestine: A Possibility of Military Conscription?
The Hamas government's Interior Minister, Fathi Hammad, earlier this week announced that he was considering expanding Gaza's military force, initially with volunteers and eventually with conscripts. Bloggers in Gaza have reacted with astonishment to the idea.
Syria: A Sample of Syrian Proverbs
The Arabic language is rich with proverbs. A sample of Syrian proverbs can be found here.
Egypt: Liberals mourn the death of Dr. Nasr Hamed Abu Zeid
Dr. Nasr Hamed Abu Zeid, a prominent Egyptian scholar once accused of apostasy for his contemporary interpretation of Islam, has died on July 5, 2010. He was 66. Officials at the Cairo hospital where Abu Zeid had been receiving treatment for the past two weeks said he died Monday from a brain infection. Liberal Egyptian bloggers mourn his death.
Egypt: Niqab ban in France stirs controversy
The lower house of the Spanish Parliament is debating a proposal to prohibit the wearing of body-covering burqas and face-covering niqabs in all public spaces in Spain, and the French parliament just approved a ban on niqabs (face veils). Bloggers from across the Middle East react.
Morocco: A Young Blogger Greets the World
Salma started blogging at the age of six to keep in touch with friends and family. Under the supervision of her parents, this young Moroccan blogger likes writing short stories and sharing her daily encounters at school with the rest of the world.
Palestine: A Green Home Away from Home
In this post we hear about two women with a great love of nature: a nun who has found her home in the convent garden, and a city-dwelling mother who has brought her dreams of a village garden to the balcony of her apartment.
Jordan: Has Technology Killed Our Romanticism?
Computers and technology play an important role in our everyday lives. One blogger from Jordan remembers the romanticism of getting a letter in the mail and declares on her blog: "I hate electronics."
Lebanon: The Rule of Dinosaurs
Shortly after the recent cyber censorship incidents in Lebanon, the term "The Rule of Dinosaurs" started to be used by the e-activists in their campaign against this invasion of their cyberspace. Lebanese blogger Tony explains what it means.
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].
Palestine: The Pain of Exile
Palestinian refugees are one of the biggest displaced populations in the world, with the United Nations providing assistance for some 4.7 million registered refugees in the occupied Palestinian territory, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Millions more displaced and emigrant Palestinians live around the world. However, their attachment remains strong to the home they, or their parents or grandparents, left behind. Two bloggers in Gaza have written about the pain of exile.
Algeria: Has Hypocrisy become Fashionable?
Algerian blogger Salim reflects on hypocrisy and asks: Has hypocrisy become fashionable? Let's see what drives him to this conclusion in this post.
Bahrain: Stubbing it Out!
With the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan (month of fasting) fast approaching, Bahraini blogger Tawfeeq Al Rayash is hitting two birds with one stone. He is fasting for three months and kicking off smoking after a wake up call from his daughter.
Palestine: Workshops Inspire Bloggers in Gaza and West Bank
Recently the director of Global Voices Advocacy, Sami Ben Gharbia, gave a series of blogging workshops in Gaza and the West Bank. The workshops were organised by the Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN), which is aiming to increase the number of bloggers in Palestinian society.
Lebanon: Round up of the Lebanese Blogosphere
Lebanese blog +961 posts this week's round up of links from Lebanese blogs here.
Middle East: World Cup Final Thoughts
Psychic octopus Paul was right and Spain clinched the World Cup in the football finals, which ended in South Africa a few minutes ago. In the Arab World, Twitter users shared a few thoughts on the finale and the tournament overall.
Morocco: Controversy Over the Wage of New National Football Manager
Football is a very popular sport in Morocco. But the appointment of Belgian Eric Gerets to coach the national team for a rumored exorbitant amount of money has got the blogosphere talking.
Kuwait: My Blog is for Sale
As expected, news in a local newspaper that the Kuwaiti government is studying a proposal to monitor blogs did not go well with bloggers. One popular blogger decided to confront the news head on - announcing that his blog was for sale. Readers took the opportunity to vent.
Egypt: Kolana Khaled Said Launched
Kolana Khaled Said is a new blog set up following the murder of Egyptian Khaled Said, allegedly at the hands of police officers. Zeinobia reacts to the new site.
Lebanon: Three Arrested for Facebook Postings
Lebanese Naim George Hanna, 27, Antoine Youssef Ramya, 29, and Shebel Rajeh Qassab, 27, have been arrested for posting Facebook statuses against the Lebanese President Michel Suleiman. The Lebanese online community is outraged because of the invasion of their cyberspace and here are some of their reactions.
Palestine: Surviving with Portable Generators in Gaza
The only power plant in Gaza shut down temporarily on June 25 due to a payment dispute between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. During power cuts of 12 or more hours a day, the residents of Gaza now depend even more on portable diesel generators that carry a significant health and safety risk.