Global Voices Online

My Voting Dilemma - A poem by Kenyanpoet:
This paradox of how a piece of paper
With X and ticks marks like an exam paper
To examine my literacy and disarm my prayers
Malcolm X and Nike labels
Tick no and X or cancel yes
No I don’t want yes
My answer is no
And so I will cancel

Bahraini blogger Mahmood's Den discusses the ills of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and their inability to implement important monetary policy.

Saudi blogger Nzingha's Soapbox tells the story of dealing with a potential stalker: “Now that freaked me out, it sounds like he is calling from his car and he is asking me if I'm alone. I hung up called security let them know if this guy shows up to have him detained until police arrive.”

Palestinian blog Oranges and Olives notes the hypocrisy of the website Islam the Religion of Peace: “It is supposed to be a sarcastic name, based on the origin of the word Islam. The website has the most despicable news analysis, and op-eds which should all direct you to one conclusion, that Islam is a religion that calls for murder!”

black and gray in conversation with novelist Ravinder Randhawa. “British-Asian writers may traverse all the territory from fantasy to reality, chick-lit to crime novels, but, in general, if a novel is by a British Asian author and has Asian characters it is immediately placed in the category of British-Asian novel. Or, additionally acquires the embellishment of ‘a multi-cultural novel.’”

Jordanian blogger The Black Iris of Jordan points out how using the term “Jew” can feel like it is Anti-Semitic; as well as words like Judaism and Israel. “It is the strangest feeling but it’s like there is an anti-Semitic radar in my head that starts to beep wildly whenever this word approaches.”

Chaar~Max on the extremely exciting game of cricket - SL vs Eng. “Not letting down his captain Dilo held his nerves to bring down the target to 3 runs in the last ball, and when some thought there might be a Draw in the cards the bugger manages to bowl a “You miss, I hit” ball under pressure!”

Indi.ca on the appeal of cricket. “I’ve watched whole games, but it’s hard to stay up till 3 am on a work day. However, the game courses through multiple mediums - the web (CricInfo), the security guard’s radio, casual phone conversations with friends, and the cheers of the people next door. I was replacing my car battery last night and you could reliably tell the score from the noise the neighbors were making. And that is the appeal of cricket, to me, that it is a profoundly social sport, and a modern sport in terms of media.”

The Arabist explains the ties between Venice and the Middle East: “Did you know the first Koran was printed in Venice in 1537? Or that Venetians learned the art of glass-blowing from the Arab world, Syria in particular?”