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Free Arabs’ co-founder Nasser Weddady – representing the American Islamic Congress – spoke today at an Interfaith Memorial Service in Boston alongside President Obama. To read the speech and watch the video, click here.
Latest stories about Middle East & North Africa
9 April 2013
Syria: Tweeting from the Frontline in Aleppo
Journalist Jenan Moussa is back in Aleppo, Syria, tweeting her experiences as the war between pro- and anti-government forces intensifies. Moussa's tweets are raw and personal, giving readers a snippet of what life is like for those caught in the crossfire.
Iran's Anesthetics Shortage Reaches Alarming Levels
Panic struck in Iranian hospitals as the country's medical officials confirmed a serious national shortage of anesthetics on March 15, 2013 hindering life-saving operations on patients in Iran.
8 April 2013
An Iranian Blogger's Hunger Strike in Question
While many bloggers warn that Mehdi Khazali’s life is danger after 90 days of hunger strike in prison, there are also those who question whether it is really true.
5 April 2013
North Korea Nuclear Threats Draw Arab Laughs
North Korea's threats to attack US military bases, including those on the American mainland, drew laughs from a number of Arab netizens.
Campaign Tackles Migrant Worker Exploitation in Lebanon
Seven NGOs in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs have recently launched the “Fi Chi Ghalat” (Something is Wrong) campaign, denouncing Lebanon's controversial Kafala (sponsorship) System through which all ‘unskilled laborers’ (domestic workers) must have an in-country sponsor responsible for both her or his visa and legal status. That sponsor is usually their employer as well. The online campaign calls for a change of the Kafala system and guaranteeing those workers their rights.
Opening the Black Box of Governance: Alleviating Poverty With Data
Opening the data produced by public administrations is part of an effective approach to poverty alleviation. Despite the huge potential for the public good, this data is rarely released and shared for public use.
4 April 2013
First Saudi Human Rights Association for Abolishing Execution Launched
Following last month's court ruling to dissolve the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) and to confiscate its (nonexistent) properties, a group of activists yesterday announced a new independent association called the Union for Human Rights. Among its stated goals, the association is seeking an end to deterrent executions, an issue rarely raised in the kingdom.
Hackers in Arab Cities: Fab Lab and Tech in Egypt
A new web-documentary about hackers in Arab cities shines a spotlight on the hacker labs and makers spaces emerging in the Maghreb and in the Middle East. In this post, we share an outtake of an interview with Mahmoud el Safty from Egypt.
1 April 2013
Al Jazeera: Amplifying (Global Voices) Women's Voices
Global Voices women rose to the challenge when Al Jazeera's Opinion editor announced he wished to flip the gender ratio that typically rules in the media, publishing 80/20 in favor of women throughout the month of March.
31 March 2013
Lebanon's First Civil Marriage “Approved by Justice”
Lebanon's first civil marriage has been recognized by the Ministry of Justice. Earlier this year, Kholoud Succarieh and Nidal Darwich initiated Lebanon's first civil marriage on Lebanese soil, in a country where only religious marriages could be contracted until then, and where civil status is administered by religious authorities. The couple argues that their contract is legal according to Lebanese law, and submitted it to the Interior Ministry.
China must step in to protect indigenous Mongoloid Asiatic native people & their lands, and...