Global Voices Online

Harvard University's Berkman Centre for Internet and Society has released a study of the Arabic blogosphere entitled Mapping the Arabic Blogosphere. About 35,000 active blogs were covered. “The goal for the study was to produce a baseline assessment of the networked public sphere in the Arab Middle East, and its relationship to a range of emergent issues, including politics, media, religion, culture, and international affairs,” announced the centre.

Writing at Baghdad Observer journalist Mike Tharp describes the ritual he went through at the International Zone in Baghdad to get his “U.S. military ID badges so we could be street legal and enter places we couldn't go without ‘em.”

Iraqi Raed Jarrar has concluded a speaking tour in Alaska, where he was welcomed by the “one and only” Sarah Palin. “And yes, her voice is as annoying in person,” he notes.

Arab Lady, who blogs from the UAE, is angered with stories coming out of Iraq on the torture and murder of gays. “I’m not here to defend gays but I’m writing this post to express my disgust of those who appoint them selves as Gods on Earth to spread morality & cleanse people’s sins in the most cruel, inhumane, barbaric way,” she notes. WARNING: This post contains a photograph which is graphic in nature and which may not be suitable for all audiences.

Salam Pax, the Baghdad Blogger, reviews some of his country's leading newspapers front pages, six years later.

Iraqi Pundit comments on US President Barack Obama's visit to Iraq and says: “President Obama, who sounded different from Sen. Obama, did fine.”

Bahraini Jinan [Ar] dedicates a poem to all the mothers in Palestine, Iraq, Bahrain and the world on the occasion of Mother's Day.

Iraqi blogger Salam Pax warns all shoe throwers in this Tweet: “..alert to all shoe throwers.. hide your shoes! 3yrs jail for attacking Bush with shoe, and missing!” Muntadar Al Zaidi, who threw his shoes at President George W Bush during a Press conference in Iraq last year, was sentenced to three years in jail.

Ammar Talk [Ar], in Doha, Qatar, interviews the brother of Iraqi Monthadar Al Zeidi, who threw his shoes at former US President George W Bush during a Press conference in Iraq late last year.