Global Voices Online

Lina Ejeilat, from Jordan, encourages her readers to read a controversial book called Sultana by Jordanian author Ghalib Halassah, whose works were banned in Jordan.

Iraqi blogger Faiza Al-Arji posts pictures from her last vacation to Syria and Lebanon here.

Ahmad Ghashmary, from Jordan, writes about how a Jordanian MP from the Muslim Brotherhood was attacked and had half his beard shaved after he spoke out against the Jordanian government.

The Democracy Coalition Project has warned Bahrain that the progress to democracy has slowed down considerably and in some regard has actually regressed especially since 2005, writes blogger Mahmood Al Yousif.

Felix, from Morocco Times, is dismayed that some Moroccans living abroad don't feel the need to take part in their country's elections.

Khadija Teri, from Libya, had a ‘weird dream' and needs help in interpreting it.

Blogger Nzingha, who lives in Saudi Arabia and is expecting a new baby, writes about her experience giving birth to her first daughter in 2004.

The Glory of Carniola writes about Boris Kobe's playing cards, illustrated with scenes of life and death in a Nazi concentration camp. Also, a photo edition of the Best of the Slobs roundup.

Sean's Russia Blog translates excerpts from an interview with another member of the pro-Putin Nashi youth movement.

“Moscow’s Historical Mosque has launched a new Internet site as part of its outreach effort, but in an indication that Muslim leaders anticipate that the site will be hacked by opponents of Islam, the site’s organizers have linked it to three different addresses,” Window on Eurasia reports.

Window on Eurasia writes on the deportation of a Buryat lama from China.

Window on Eurasia writes about Ramzan Kadyrov's “systemic separatism”: “his efforts to sharply limit Moscow’s control over his republic while not seeking independence as such.”

Marko Bucik writes about Slovenia's presidential campaign, which is “much more about personalities than beliefs.”

Ultra Violet on the wraps on women's sexuality in India. Like sanitary napkins bundled in newspaper packages.

Towards A Utopia on the results of the drinking water tests in the village of Sooriyapokuna.

All Things Pakistan on the various version of the 1965 war between India and Pakistan.

Stylestation of being American, six years in the US and nationality.

In its latest report, the Human Rights Watch made the point that Hezbullah did not use civilians as human shields while fighting against Israel in the war during summer 2006. The report rebukes Israel for the unjustified bombing of civilian areas leading to more than 1,000 civilian deaths. Beirut Spring, Remarkz and Les Politiques reflect on this report.

Coffeewallah remembers the late Trinidadian artist, Carlisle Chang.

Geoffrey Philp's Blogspot features Joseph McNair as he talks about his first novel, O Şe Şango.

Living Dominica finds out about the hurricane history of the island and adds to a Grenadian blogger's advice on how to be prepared.

“Grenada's ruling New National Party admitted they received campaign financing from a failed offshore bank but denied that the funds ever went directly to its leader,” writes The Bajan Reporter, as he details how the case increased pressure for the passing of legislation to govern campaign financing on the island.

Pull! Push! breaks down the reality of Barbados' national debt into “terms and figures that the average man or woman on the street can easily understand and appreciate.”

Exegesis says the concept of Trade Balance should not be used in a negative way. The blogger is responding to an Indonesian news paper article that is lamenting Indonesia's trade imbalance with Russia.

Rick Lowe at WeblogBahamas.com thinks that the island's residential garbage collection “is ripe for privatisation.”

Singapore researcher and entrepreneur Bernard Leong has some theories on why Apple created the iPod Touch music device.

Marisa Treviño of the blog site Latina Lista focuses on the difficulties faced by Mexican families during the mine disaster in Utah.

Michael Turton wrote an elaborative report on the “Second International Workshop on the Conservation and Research Needs of the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins, Sousa chinensis, in the waters of western Taiwan”. The workshop had some detailed discussion about politics in environmental impact assessment.

One Laptop Per Child News takes a look at the detailed account of the OLPC pilot project in Arahuay. Carla Gomez Monroy documents the entire process and adds her thoughts at the OLPC Wiki page.

According to a recent article in the Buenos Aires newspaper Clarin, there are approximately 260,000 bloggers in Argentina. Blog Pasa en Buenos Aires [ES] takes a closer look at the data, which among other says that nearly 45% of the bloggers are under 20.

The Peruvian National Police has decided to purchase 200 horses to help patrol the city. Pospost [ES] notes a study that demonstrates that the horse patrols has help reduce crime in some districts.

En Tu Ciudad [ES] writes that September is month of contrasts for the city of Santiago, “It's a month with few work days, with a lot parties, a lot of fun, but hate on the other hand, a lot of festive spirit and with unity, with a lot of joy for celebrating and a lot of pain to suffer through.”

El Pais de las Maravillas [ES] criticizes the Unión Juvenil Cruceñista for their behavior in the streets of Santa Cruz and shows a picture of members of the UJC in a car with a swastika on the door.

Josie Liu from China in Transition blogged about the Chinese Government's effort in banning sexual implication content in T.V and radio broadcast. Despite the bans, there are more and more sexual implications in the media.

Imagethief writes about a soft drink brand called Wang Lao Ji, which turns herbal tea into popular soft drink and is supposed to be healthy for the body. However, looking into the ingredient, it is more a sweet soft drink than herbal tea.

ESWN and Zhaomu posted a series of photos to show how a security guard in Chongqin beat up a rural migrant worker who was taking a rest outside the shopping mall.

Ampontan writes about the long-time “nexus of money, politics, and government” in Japan, translating a blog post on a book about the late Agriculture minister Matsuoka Toshikatsu, whose career famously ended in suicide. After highlighting numerous money scandals in Japanese politics, Ampontan notes that: “All the people we discussed for their involvement in scandals have either kept or recovered their Diet seats. […] As the saying goes, people get the government they deserve. And this is what the Japanese electorate deserves.”