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Silencing online speech in Tunisia

Sami Ben Gharbia · 02:19, August 20th, 2008

Blocking web 2.0 websites (Youtube, Dailymotion, Facebook) and barring access to local outspoken websites and blogs is the most obvious way of cracking down of the online free speech in Tunisia. It should be emphasized, however, that this is only one tool in the regime’s hand. Tunisia has adapted to the web 2.0 revolution by developing a broader strategy composed of a wide range of instruments 1 comment · »»

Turkey: Bloggers Banning Themselves?

Deborah Ann Dilley · 16:18, August 18th, 2008

lingua → mk

If you are a long-time follower of the Turkish blogosphere you will have undoubtedly heard about the Turkish ban on Wordpress....and the periodic bans on YouTube, and on the social-networking widget site Slide, oh..and now on Dailymotion as well. I think that is all? Isn't it? It is hard to keep track now-a-days and frustrating. Turkish bloggers feel the same way too, and are protesting the constant banning of sites by voluntarily banning their own. 3 comments · »»

Stories

August 20th, 2008

Egypt: Parliament on Fire

Amira Al Hussaini · 00:26

Egyptian bloggers are in a daze, after the country's iconic Parliament Building, went up in flames earlier today. And while an official reason has yet to be announced for the cause of the fire in the 19th century palace, which houses the lower parliament or Shura (consultative) council, bloggers are seething - though not lost for words. 0 comments · »»

August 19th, 2008

Saudi Arabia: It's all in the name

Ayesha Saldanha · 23:41

It is common practice for converts to Islam to adopt Muslim names. But is it necessary - and what kind of name is appropriate? One Saudi blogger ponders the question, while some others are thinking about the use of aliases in the blogosphere - and yet another encourages the government to 'name names'. 0 comments · »»

Egypt: Death of Three Arab Cultural Icons

Lasto Adri · 22:18

The Arab world lost three of its cultural icons in the spam of a month. They are Egyptians philosopher Dr Abdelwahab El Mesery and film maker Yousef Chahine and Palestinian poet Mahmood Darwish. Egyptian Blogger, ElGharep, or The Stranger, reflects on the loss in this post [Ar]. 0 comments · »»

North Africa: Bringing Home the Medals

Jillian York · 16:40

In the run up to the 2008 Olympic Games, there was much speculation on how the Middle East and North Africa would fare. Although Turkey is the only Middle Eastern country to medal thus far (in athletics, weightlifting, and Greco-Roman wrestling), North Africa is enjoying great success. So far, Egypt's Hesham Mesbah and Algeria's Soraya Haddad and Amar Benikhlef have all medaled in Judo (bronze, bronze, and silver, respectively), Morocco's Hasna Benhassi took home a bronze in the women's 800m dash, and Tunisian swimmer Oussama Mellouli scored gold in the men's 1500m freestyle. 0 comments · »»

August 18th, 2008

Arabeyes: Third World War in the Making?

Amira Al Hussaini · 15:11

lingua → bn

Bloggers in the Middle East are closely following the developments in Georgia, with some saying it could usher in World War Three. Here's a quick review of what bloggers in Yemen and Jordan are writing. 3 comments · »»

August 17th, 2008

Blogger of the Week: Lydia Beyoud

Amira Al Hussaini · 20:39

Today's Blogger of the Week is Lydia Beyoud - a writer and listener at heart, and a thinker, who has recently become a doer. This is how the blogger, who has five languages under her belt, describes herself. From Portland, Oregon, Lydia covers Moroccan blogs written in French. What is her relationship with blogging and Morocco? Read on to find out. 3 comments · »»

Links about Middle East & North Africa

August 20th, 2008

Stop war on Iran informs us that demonstrators in different cities in the USA asked Bush administration not to attack Iran.

Yahoo mail website had removed Iran from the list of world countries in its signup page for several months. Kourosh Ziabari informs us that Yahoo mail added Iran again to the list.

According to[Fa] several bloggers including Akhbare Jahan, two student activists, Bahare Hedayat and Mohammad Hashemi,were released, after being in jail for more than one month. They were accused of acting against “national security”.

August 19th, 2008

Lebanon presence in the Beijing Olympics might be in small numbers, but it is interesting to note that the Lebanese athletes were only absent once since 1948. Ajnabiya gives us a refreshing overview on the Lebanon's participation in this year's event in her latest post.

While the political situation in Lebanon is undeniably taking over the media’s focus, blogger Rami at Land and People turns his attention to a critical and rarely addressed issue: Waste water treatment.

American Bedu, an American living in Saudi Arabia, reviews some Saudi blogs written in English in this post.

British blog Hijab Style shares photographs of Olympians who wear hijab, including Bahrain's Ruqaya al Ghasra and Yemen's Waseelah Fadhl Saad.

Hicham, who just returned from a teacher training in the United States, shares his experience living in America.