Global Voices · Citizen media stories from June 2009

June, 2009

Monthly archive · 160 posts

Stories from June, 2009

28 June 2009

Africa: Bloggers pay tribute to Michael Jackson

Written by Rebekah Heacock · Sub-Saharan Africa

In Africa, bloggers are paying tribute to Michael Jackson after his recent death by posting pictures, music videos, poetry and reflections. "RIP MJ," writes Kenyan blogger WildeYearnings. "You now have the whole sky to moonwalk on..."

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Pakistan: The Hunt For Baituallah Mehsud

Written by Sana Saleem · South Asia

Baitullah Mehsud, a Taliban leader, is currently the most wanted man in Pakistan and is responsible for many recent terrorist attacks in the country. The Pakistan army has recently started an operation against Baitullah Mehsud and his allies but the offensive threatens displacing more people from the region which can lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.

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Iraq: Reflecting on Iran

Written by Salam Adil · Middle East & North Africa

Assuming my dear readers have not been living in a cave for the past couple of weeks, the developments after the recent Iranian elections need no introduction. Here I present,...

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Iraq: Remembering Michael Jackson

Written by Salam Adil · Middle East & North Africa

There was some comment in the Iraqi blogs on Michael Jackson. But first… If you read no other blog this week read this one: A little late in the posting...

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27 June 2009

Iranian officials ‘crowd-source' protester identities

Written by Fred Petrossian · Middle East & North Africa

Iranian protesters appearing in widely disseminated online photos from the ongoing post-election demonstrations in Iran, are now being targeted on website of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It shows images of 20 people with red circles drawn around their faces claiming they have been involved in creating "chaos" in Tehran.

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Honduras: Political Crisis Over Controversial Referendum

Written by Leonidas Mejia · Latin America

The political crisis in Honduras is deepening after the removal of the head of the Armed Forces because of his statements that the military would not support the scheduled referendum to take place on Sunday, June 28. Now there is increased uncertainty regarding the vote. Bloggers are worried about their country's present and future.

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Kenya: The plight of gays and lesbians in Kenya

Written by Haute Haiku · Sub-Saharan Africa

As much as Nairobi is described as one of the more cosmopolitan cities in Africa where a lot of homosexuals find solace, homophobia is widespread. Kenyan bloggers discuss how homosexuals are named and shamed all over the Internet.

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MJ Death Reaction in Kuwait

Written by Abdullatif AlOmar · Middle East & North Africa

After the passing of Michael Jackson there has been a mixture of reactions from the Kuwaiti blogosphere: for some it was memories from their childhood, for others its discussing their own feelings about the artist and their reactions to other people's opinions. Abdullatif AlOmar translates Kuwaiti sentiment in this post.

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Iran: Remembering Omid Reza Mir Sayafi and March 18th

Written by Juliana Rincón Parra · Middle East & North Africa

A few months after the death of Blogger Omid Reza Mir Sayafi, who died in an Iranian prison after allegedly insulting religious leaders, the March18.org site has been set up to remember him and to hopefully keep this story from repeating itself. Following, the first video created for the March18 movement.

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South Asia: The World Is Poorer Without MJ

Written by Rezwan · South Asia

Millions of fans across the world are mourning the sudden death of Michael Jackson, the king of pop, and remembering how his music was associated with their growth. South Asian bloggers are also chiming in with their reactions.

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Updates from June, 2009

30 June 2009

Bahrain

Mahmood responds to a recently issued official report about the standards of education in Bahrain: “Education in this country is a joke, generally. Things will not change unless the decrepit primary and secondary system is gutted.”

• Ayesha Saldanha

Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan blog Scourge comments on a poster that advocates how cruel it is to slaughter a cow and for that we should refrain from eating beef: “how you can be so concerned about cows and not at all concerned about a human life!”

• Rezwan

Sri Lanka

Dayan Jayatilleka at Groundviews discusses about the politics of the post war Sri Lanka.

• Rezwan

Russia

Eternal Remont reports that the editor of a Rostov-on-Don newspaper has died from injuries of a beating last month, supposedly provoked by his paper's reporting.

• Vilhelm Konnander

Freedom of Speech

Upon his arrival from Sweden at the Cairo Airport, blogger Wael Abbas tweets the details of his detention at Cairo Airport. The Arabist reported saying: Egyptian mega-blogger Wael Abbas is being detained at Cairo Airport after his passport was confiscated last night. This is the first time this has happened to Wael, who is currently holding a sit-in with a banner at the airport requesting his passport back.

• Marwa Rakha

Trinidad & Tobago

Diaspora blogger Jumbie's Watch remembers the simple pleasures of growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, saying: “Times have changed.”

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Puerto Rico (U.S.)

Litter mars one of Gil the Jenius‘ favorite Puerto Rican beaches, causing him to comment: “Every piece of garbage–every one of the thousands of pieces of garbage–indicts Us with its clear message of unconcern, of consumerism, of brainlessness, of herd mentality, of disdain, short-sightedness and sheer incompetence.”

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Haiti

Repeating Islands reports that Haitian-born author Edwidge Danticat has won the 2009 Caribbean Philosophical Association’s Nicolás Guillén Prize.

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaica

Upon hearing news that the Jamaican government intends to resume hangings, Iriegal is both sad and fearful that the decision is the right one.

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Guyana

Guyana-Gyal thinks there just might be a little bit of Michael Jackson in all of us: “We might colour that bit a different shade, call it another name, but there it is…only difference is, between he and most o’ we, is that he coulda transcend the pain and sorrow of being human and create amazing works…”

• Janine Mendes-Franco