The turmoil in Iran - a key power broker in Lebanon and main supporter of the powerful Lebanese Shia group Hezballah - has received mixed reactions.

Whilst many of the bloggers are resisting to choose a side in Iran's dispute, they have plenty to say on other fronts.

Asad Abu Khalil at the Angry Arab News Service has slammed the UN, Western governments and media for their double standard approach to Iran's elections:

There is so much hypocrisy in the Western coverage and official reactions to the developments. Most glaring for me was the statement by the secretary-general of the UN who insisted on the respect of the will of the Iranian people. Would that US designate utter such words, say, about Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and other dictatorships that are approved by the US?

Asad continues by criticising both Mahmoud Ahmedinejad and Mir Hossein Mousavi for their failures, instead highlighting the plight of the Iranian people as his main concern:

Typically, I support neither side in the Iranian situation: but I support those Iranians who are struggling against both sides. I have worried before about the impact of Ahmadinajad's stupid rhetoric on the Iranian public attitudes toward the Palestinian question. I worried that in the long run it will move the public away from solidarity with the Palestinians.

but I am in no way sympathetic to Moussavi. He is a man who suddenly discovered the virtues of democracy. When he was prime minister back in the 1980s, he presided over a regime far more oppressive than Ahmadinajad's. And why has no Western media really commented on his rhetoric during his own campaign: the man kept saying that he wants a “return” to the teachings of Khomeini. I in no way support a man who wants a “return” to the teachings of Khomeini. But Western media are always quick to pick villains and heroes: especially when one side is identified against Israel.

Sursock points to the Ahmedinijad-Mousavi dispute as a deep internal struggle within the ruling establishment that is tearing the Islamic Republic apart:

The elections in Iran have revealed the deep divisions at the heart of Iran’s ruling class.

The country is internationally isolated, faces a growing economic crisis and is ruled by a faction associated with the “hardliners” that want to be the main beneficiaries of privatisation of state-owned companies.

This faction has coalesced around the incumbent president Mahmud Ahmadinijad. They see his populist appeal as an important bulwark against the deep discontent that is sweeping the country.

A second section fears that the widespread corruption at the heart of the system is undermining popular support for the republic. They want the economy opened up and strip from power those they see as lining their pockets.

This faction, that includes many senior figures in the religious establishment, has put its hopes in Mir-Hossein Mousavi.

Mousavi and other reformers want to harness the growing disquiet in the country to oust one faction of the ruling class from power. They want Ahmadinejad and the hardliners removed, but also limit the scope of popular anger.

The danger is that this movement could quickly run out of their control.

Meanwhile, Abu Muqawama has ridiculed rumours that Hezballah has sent 5,000 paramilitaries to support Ahmedinejad:

A friend of mine raised a good point regarding the Spiegel/VOA claim that 5,000 Hizballah footsoldiers were on the streets of Tehran. 1) Hizballah had approximately 1,200 full-time fighters in 2006. So unless they have beefed up their ranks much more rapidly than anyone could have guessed and 2) have left southern Lebanon now completely defenseless, the odds that they have deployed 5,000 to Tehran to put down some popular revolt is just silly.

Joseph el-Khoury at ArabDemocracy compares Iran's theocracy to the Soviet Union, but warns the West on expecting a friendlier Iran should a regime change occur:

The Iranian theocracy is a regime ‘against nature’; one that defies the basic aspirations of human beings for freedom and emancipation. In a way, it is no different from the Soviet illusion, which seemed unshakable for decades only to collapse overnight like a pack of cards. These regimes shared a similar path, from popular revolutions against a Western backed Monarch they turned into authoritarian leviathans promoting the interests of a small group of self reproducing autocrats.

The demonstrations are inevitably the start of something, an awakening perhaps that will hopefully be followed by a process of political maturation. But talk of a pro-American ‘democratic’ Iran is wishful thinking limited to western powerhouses and their media outlets…these same outlets who brought us the ‘liberation’ of Iraq and the ‘pacification’ of Afghanistan.

Finally, a supporter of Lebanon's pro-American March 14 bloc has posted bloody images of Iran's violent protests on his blog, Blacksmiths of Lebanon. He finishes his post with a quote that summarises the fear of many pro-March 14 Lebanese:

As level of chaos rises in Iran, worries grow that Hizballah will act to create a distraction in the region, sparking Leb bloodshed.

Algerian blogger Bilad Talisman [Ar] wonders why Arabs are bystanders in the current “missiles” war:

From Saudi Arabia, American Bedu, an American married to a Saudi, asks why Saudi Arabia hasn't embarked on its own space programme:

I am curious why a rich country like Saudi Arabia has not chosen to have its own indigenous space program, instead depending on reliance and collaboration with allies? To date only one Saudi national has made it into space, Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud.

[…]

So why do you think Saudi Arabia with its resources and abilities has chosen not to have an indigenous space program of its own? I asked one Saudi for his take on this subject. His response was “Saudis can’t drive on the roads yet so how do you expect them to navigate space?” (of course that was said in jest but does make one wonder…

Egyptian prolific blogger Zeinobia broke the news:

On May 21, Judge Muhammadi Qunsuwa announced the case will be referred to Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, the nation's highest religious official, who will rule on Moustafa's death sentence on June 25.

Shocking as it is to everyone, the verdict left the convicted in awe. Journalist Ahmed El Desouky was among the first who reported the reactions from the court to the Egyptian online community saying:

Reactions fluctuated, between approval and support to the verdict to sympathy and sadness. In her post, Desert Cat was surprised that both Moustafa and El Sokary received the same verdict:

Ahmed Shokeir answered her question in the comments section of this post saying:

The Egyptian real-estate tycoon’s supporters on Facebook, reacted to the verdict on “Free Hesham Talaat Moustafa’ group as well.

Ashraf Elmanwaty said:

I still have hope HTM will be free… This is an over reaction judgment

While Miral El Ramlawy wrote:

90% of Egyptians do NOT believe he did it and the court owes it to the Egyptians to announce what they based the verdict upon!! Phone calls that don't have any explicit message is NO PROOF…we are waiting for justification!

After the shock, analysis took place. Zeinobia explains:

• when the judge says that that the papers of the convicted will be sent to the grand Mufti for consulting means in most situations that that convicted will face the death penalty. The death penalty needs the opinion of the grand Mufti to support it from the religious point of view ,the Sharia point of view to fulfill justice.It is not everyday that you order the death of someone.
• In most cases if not all of them the grand Mufti approves and supports the judge’s verdict.

She then continues:

• Second in case of Hisham and Sokary,the judge will announce the final verdict on the next 25th of June 2009 ,which is nearly about month and 5 days ,I believe it is a long period to stand in the death row.
• Third when the judge announces the final verdict , the lawyers of the convicted will have the right to [appeal].

So there might be a second round which is what we will figure out on June 25th.

Meanwhile, there are questions and doubts about Hisham’s high profile real estate business. The Mideast Institute Editor's blog reports:

The Talaat Mustafa Group (TMG), a huge real estate conglomerate through which Mustafa made his billions, doesn't want any stockholders to worry just because the company's founder and namesake is under a death sentence. A TMG official reassures investors:
Sawaftah said that TMG’s corporate structure prevents “the absence of one individual” from affecting its activity

Roba Al Assi from Jordan is shocked with people's reactions towards the disease:

OpusP remarks on Egypt's decision to cull swine saying:

aaalana, from Aleppo, Syria, is excited the disease has not been detected in that country:

Meanwhile, Lebanese habibh sees the disease as a blessing in disguise, hoping it would curb some traditions, like the exchange of kisses when greeting people:

Still in Lebanon, QifaNabki brushes off swine flu as a smaller concern, noting:

And this post will not be complete, if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not dragged into the matter. NewsatEleven jokes:

One of Queen Rania's Tweets

Not only is she giving us a sneak preview of her private life as a Queen and mother with messages like this and this [see image above], but has also agreed to conduct her first Twitter interview, according to the World Economic Forum Blog:

On the occasion of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East held at the Dead Sea in Jordan from 15 - 17 May 2009 Her Majesty has agreed to answer five questions from the general public via her Twitter account. Since she will not be able to answer all questions we put the questions to a public vote and Her Majesty will reply to the top five questions. Vote on the questions below to be put to Queen Rania here.

With 41,217 followers so far (she is only following 31), reactions from around the region on the Twittering Queen's adventure pour in.

Observations of a Jordanian praised the move, saying:

I have a LOT to complain about when it comes to how our country is run, but one thing I love is how the Royal Family are humble and try to stay connected with the people, especially technologically speaking. First a YouTuber, now Queen Rania has moved on to the next popular internet craze, Twitter […] It's the real deal, in case you're wondering, her account has been confirmed by the Royal Court.

The Arab Observer is evidently ecstatic and writes:

Isn't Queen Rania the coolest Queen ever?

First she establishes herself as a stylish elegant highly regarded Queen among the world leaders, then she creates a youtube channel to address the stereotypes against Arabs in the west and try to open a dialogue among the two sides, then she APPEARS on Oprah and gives a great interview and impressions about Jordan, and now she seizes the change of the Pope's visit of to Jordan to start her twitter account that instantly became an industry news that would give a bigger volume to the visit and to Jordan as a country.

We can listen now to 140 character wisdom messages from our Queen. A great tool for the leaders of the 21th century to use and build on. Well done Queen Rania, we are so proud of you, really so so proud :)

And ArabCrunch, also from Jordan, follows suit:

It seems the Queen is personally who is tweeting, since we are seeing personal tweets like this one, she is also using twitpic where she posted a pic of her and her son.

Moving over to neighbouring Syria, Sasa, from the Syria News Wire, takes the opportunity to draw a comparison between the Queen and Syria's first lady Asma Al Assad:

Queen Rania is on Twitter (@queenrania). She’s been flying around in her husband’s helicopter, meeting the Pope, talking about changing the world. But Syria isn’t far behind.

First Lady Asma Al-Assad may not be on Twitter, but she’s on Facebook. While her southern counterpart has been having fun doing acrobatics in helicopters and calling her husband a “real life action hero” (tell him to put the Playstation down then), Asma has been doing charity work.
She’s just launched the Massar-E project, which helps disadvantaged children learn about technology.
We know which of the two can be seen wondering around their city without hundreds of bodyguards.
I know Rania has just signed up for Twitter so maybe it’s not a fair comparison - but if numbers mean anything, Asma has 9000 fans, Rania has 4000.

And US-based Lebanese Dr Asa'ad Abu Khalil, at the Angry Arab News Service, is just that … angry. He rants:

“Thank u 4 followin! Looking 4ward to hearin ur thoughts and ideas on using social media 4 social change.” Oh, you want ideas for social change? I want to use social media (whatever you mean by that) in order to overthrow the Jordanian government and send you and the Hashemite royal family to exile in some remote European city. You may then chat with exiled survivers of the Egyptian or Iraqi royal families. And please use twitter in exile to amuse me. And somebody on your staff who writes your twitter and youtube texts for you need to tell you how uninteresting and uninspiring you are. Somebody needs to tell you that they only like you in the West because Israel approves of your PlayStation husband.

Egyptian activist and blogger 3arabawy shares similar sentiments, and here are messages (click on image below) he Twittered to the Queen:

Tweets by Egyptian blogger 3arabawy

And that is not all. A controversy is also brewing in the background regarding a fan page created by an Egyptian blogger for Queen Rania on Facebook.

TripleM claims that he has been kicked out as an admin of the page he has created for the Queen. He says:

I was surprised to find out that I’m no longer the admin of the Queen Rania’s fan page on Facebook. The fan page “Queen Rania” is the largest fan page for the beautiful Rania Al Abdullah the Queen of Jordan. The page I created two month ago, attracted more than 17 thousand fans and it has one of highest hit rates among Fb fan pages…

…Anyways, I was a bit shocked to find out that I’m no longer able to edit or share information on that page, that’s when I decided to tweet about it. By the time I tweeted everyone I know was talking about how successful the page is and that they didn’t know that I was the mastermind behind the page.

Jillian at American-Palestinian group blog KABOBfest picks up the story saying:

Queen Rania of Jordan (or as I tend to call her, Queen YouTube) seems to be taking the social media world by storm…and by force. Shortly after joining Twitter, the Jordanian royal hopped on Facebook, having the admin rights of the user who created her fan page taken away.

She also quips:

I guess it's only a matter of time before Qaddafi finds the fan page I made for him and takes over…

And, at Kermit the Blog 2.0, Kamel Al Asmar notes:

After 14 months on YouTube, I was wondering if Queen Rania wants to discover the power of social media and networking tools on the web one after the other when I saw her on Twitter a week ago (now with more than 40,000 followers). Apparently I was mistaken, Queen Rania is working on her online presence using more than one social media at once.

Al Asmar adds:

When I checked HM’s page on Facebook, I figured out that I was missing something that’s happening on the background. A page with more than 21,000 fans who are increasing rapidly. In addition to adding her twitter updates on the page’s status, Queen Rania is starting discussion topics there, mentioning on of them: “How can we build and broadcast cross-cultural dialogue?”. She also uploaded and still uploading some collections of photos on that page.

The interactivity factor on the Facebook page is impressive, and I’m regretting the couple of days I missed without being there. But the question that I and the people around me are asking; who is updating those media tools?! Is she Queen Rania personally who’s doing so or there is a team that is taking care of it, I’m really curious about it and I hope to have the answer one day.

On a different note; today I realized that the Queen’s page on Facebook was owned by my cyber friend, Mohammad Mansour AKA TripleM and one day he found that he’s no longer the admin of that page. Basically Queen Rania stole her page as it’s supposed to be her property

The four Lebanese nationals were all are generals who headed the Syrian-backed Lebanese security and intelligence departments at the time of Hariri’s murder, according to Press reports.

Sasa from The Syrian News Wire is thrilled to see the verdict as he was reporting it on his blog and Twitter feed as the events unfolded. He writes:

Although they could still be indicted at a later date, this essentially clears Syria and renders the UN Special Tribunal meaningless.

The four men have been held without trial for three years. Lebanon thought they could fish for some evidence - the UN says there are no grounds for them to face trial.

And 3abdulsalam is critical of the entire tribunal and the March 14 team that was demanding it. He says [ar]:

After the announcement, Lebanese blogger Qifa Nabki tweeted hearing “celebratory gunfire” in Beirut:

The issue is far from over, but indicates a move toward normalized relations between Syria and Lebanon.