Antoun Issa
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I'm a Lebanese-Australian journalist and current News and Opinion Editor at Lebanon's Al-Akhbar English. My personal website is antounissa.com and I can be followed on Twitter.
Latest posts by Antoun Issa
17 September 2011
Lebanon: Sabra and Chatila Massacre Remembered 29 Years On
September 16, 2011, marked the 29th anniversary of the most grueling moment in the six-decade long Arab-Israeli conflict - the massacre at Sabra and Chatila. The blogosphere was swarming with tributes to the victims of the massacre.
5 August 2011
Lebanon: Protest Against Syrian Regime Attacked by Loyalists
A small protest in the front of the Syrian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon ended in violence on Tuesday, 2 August 2011, when pro-regime loyalists stormed the gathering. Syria has always had a polarising effect on its smaller neighbour Lebanon, and Lebanese politics is often divided between pro-Syrian and anti-Syrian camps.
28 July 2011
Lebanon: Musician Arrested for Mocking President in Song
Lebanese musician Zeid Hamdan was detained briefly this week for allegedly defaming President Michel Suleiman in a song he released in 2010. Lebanese newspaper Assafir has since reported the Hamdan...
Lebanon: Maritime Dispute with Israel Escalates
Hezballah leader Hassan Nasrallah has exclaimed that God had given Lebanon an opportunity to rid itself of a crippling debt, and become a "rich country" by providing it lucrative offshore oil and gas reserves. However, the reserves potentially lie in a disputed maritime border zone with Israel.
28 June 2011
Lebanon: Bloggers Fight Negative ‘Looks Like Beirut’ Jibe
We've all heard it before. Perhaps at the glance of an untidy bedroom, or even on a television sitcom, the ‘looks like Beirut' jibe has widely become a common phrase to denote a chaotic mess. A Twitter and blogger stir was caused last week when a headline in Australia's The Age newspaper invoked the infamous phrase.
14 June 2011
Lebanon: New All-Male Government Formed Amidst Continued Wrangling
After almost five months of protracted negotiations and political bickering, Lebanon's Hezballah-led March 8 alliance finally announced a new exclusively male, 30-minister government to be headed by Sunni billionaire Najib Mikati.
23 April 2011
Syria: Blog Interview with Opposition Activist Ammar Abdulhamid
American blogger and Syria expert, Joshua Landis, conducted a video interview with exiled leading Opposition activist Ammar Abdulhamid on the Syrian unrest. Speaking on Landis' blog, Syria Comment, Abdulhamid was questioned on a variety of topics concerning the Syrian revolution, from the dangers of a sectarian breakdown, to the regional implications of a potential collapse in regime.
29 March 2011
Syria: Complexity Behind the Protests
Unrest in Syria enters its second week, as anti-government protests continue in their bid to oust President Bashar al-Assad. Whilst it may seem that the unrest in Syria is a natural progression of the Arab revolution spreading throughout the region, there are unique dynamics in Syria that distinguish it from other Arab states.
18 March 2011
Lebanon: Is Politics a Social Media Taboo?
Are Lebanese bloggers politically apathetic? Bloggers react to a Global Voices article that claimed a rally organised by former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri on Sunday 13 March was "snubbed" by bloggers.
16 March 2011
Lebanon: Bloggers Snub Hariri Rally
Inspired by uprisings across the Arab world, former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri held a rally in Beirut on Sunday calling for the disarming of the powerful Shi'ite Hezballah movement. Despite attracting thousands of supporters to the rally, Hariri failed to make an impact online as the Lebanese blogosphere largely snubbed his demonstrations.
Perchance, immaturity creates distrust.....