Stories from 14 September 2009
Morocco: Rage against the Sandwich
Larbi, in Comme une bouteille jetée à la mer, reports [Fr] on a manifestation that took place on Sunday 13 September in the outskirts of Casablanca, by young Moroccans who decided to organize a picnic braving the ban on eating in public during Ramadan, only to find hundreds of policemen...
Syria: A Week Against Everything and Anything
The Syrian blogosphere is frequently one of dissent. This week, following a post decrying the practice of masturbation and encouraging bloggers to join in a campaign against, the blogosphere exploded in a flurry of opposition, creating their own (often sarcastic) campaigns. Jillian C. York brings us the story.
Lebanon: Lebanese Bloggers React to Israeli film “Lebanon”
Lebanese bloggers have offered a mixed reception to another Israeli film about the Jewish state's 1982 invasion of its northern neighbour. Conspicuously titled "Lebanon", the autobiographical film is set entirely in a tank as it recounts the Israeli military's involvement in the conflict.
USA: 30 New York Mosques in 30 Days
Two young men in New York City, Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq, are nearing the end of their journey to document visits to "30 mosques in 30 days" on their blog of the same name.
Bahamas: educational tourism
Repeating Islands reports on a new “educational tourism” initiative in Eleuthera, one of the Bahamas. “This is travel that unites your purpose and passion and ignites your enthusiasm.”
Cuba: no substitute for beauty
“The economic crisis in Cuba forced us to find substitutes for almost everything, including cosmetics.” Generation Y reflects on the sacrifices ordinary Cubans once made “in their desire to look more beautiful.”
Suriname: Invisible Men
Paramaribo SPAN posts images and text from Invisible Men, a new book by Surinamese artist Patricia Kaersenhout.
Trinidad and Tobago: filmmakers speak
The Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival blog posts short interviews with filmmakers Dalton Narine, Mariel Brown, and Jaime Lee Loy.
Trinidad and Tobago: Anton Nimblett's stories
gspottt posts a review of a new book of short stories by US-based Trinidadian writer Anton Nimblett: “Sections of an Orange is … perhaps the first work of literature to portray Trinidadian men who both love other men and are not psychologically conflicted or destroyed by their sexuality.”
Suriname: a word for freedom
“It’s hard for me to imagine a language or dialect without a word for ‘freedom'”: Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp reviews a new documentary film about the Surinamese poet Trefossa.
Jamaica: uncomfortable silence?
An incident on a minibus provokes Jamaican Ruthibelle to ask: “What is it about being in the silence of their own thoughts that makes people uncomfortable and uneasy?”
China: Army on national day parade
Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated netizens’ opinions and comments from a local forum on the training of army on the national day parade.
China: the 2002 needle attacks in Tianjin and Beijing
Rob from Black and white cat pointed out that the use of hypodermic needles to threaten and rob people is not a new phenomena in China and rest of the world. The blogger reminded readers of two needle attack cases back in 2002 in Tianjin and Beijing, of course the...
Uruguay: Election Season Underway
Uruguay is currently in the middle of a busy election season. With internal elections completed, the entire country is focused on the Presidential election scheduled for October 25 and which party will win.
Arab Diaspora: Shall I Marry a Non-Arab?
Arab women living in diaspora have hard questions to answer. Should they marry non-Arabs, non-Muslims or converts to Islam? Palestinian blogger Mona, who lives in Canada and blogs at Rebellious Arab Girl, opens a can of worms when she asks these questions in a post, which has attracted 162 comments so far.
Oman: Online Activists Questioned
The Initiative for an Open Arab Internet [Ar] reports that a number of online activists have been summoned for questioning by the security and military forces and made to sign declarations that they will refrain from discussing Omani public affairs and the ‘symbols of the Sultanate’ online.
Indonesia: Controversial new film law
Indonesia's Parliament has recently approved a new film law which drew strong reactions from the local movie industry. It is feared that the law would legitimize the government's tighter control over creativity and self expression in the industry.
Palestine: Scenes from Gaza
For uprooted Palestinians, a trip home is a hard and painful experience. Palestinian blogger Ibrahim [Ar] visits Gaza, and finds himself speechless. He leaves us with a photo album to sum up his visit.
Morocco: A Dangerous Flu
At least five Moroccan independent journalists will appear before a judge later this month in Rabat, after having published articles challenging the official announcement about King Mohammed VI's health. It is believed the monarch has contracted "a viral, benign disease." Bloggers have been debating this issue, mostly denouncing the attacks on journalists.
Pakistan: Do Not Link Us With Afghanistan
“Whenever Pakistan is linked with Afghanistan, Islamabad reacts sharply and angrily because Pakistanis have been leading the fight against the Taliban on their own, unlike Afghanistan where Americans and NATO forces are fighting the Taliban,” comments Bilal Qureshi at Pak Tea House while discussing President Zardari's reactions on US President...
Sri Lanka: 1000 XO Laptops Deployed In 9 Schools
OLPC Lanka Foundation is working with the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka and the World Bank to deploy 1000 XO laptops in 9 schools of nine provinces of Sri Lanka. Danishka posts some photos of the OLPC installation in Sri Lanka.
