Latest posts by Ayesha Saldanha
Jordan: New Website for Short Stories
Project Pen is an initiative to promote short story writing by Arabs and “encourage a new generation of writers, creating new kinds of stories, for a new kind of readership”. By sharing stories across social media, and by connecting writers with each other, Project Pen intends to bypass traditional publishing...
Syria: Appeal by Diplomats’ Wives to Asma Al Assad
“Women from around the world, urge you, Asma Al-Assad, to take up your responsibility as wife of the Syrian leader. Hundreds of children in your country have already died, tens of thousands have been injured and displaced, all of them have been traumatized. We expect you to speak out for...
Lebanon: Palm Sunday and Easter Celebrations
In Lebanon two Christian celebrations took place on April 8, 2012 as churches following the Gregorian calendar celebrated Easter Sunday and churches following the Julian calendar celebrated Palm Sunday.
Bahrain: Celebration and Criticism Greet “Manama, Capital of Arab Culture 2012″
February 2 saw the official launch of Manama, Capital of Arab Culture 2012, which has been both welcomed and criticised by Bahrain's netizens. As the celebration was taking place, opposition protests were broken up elsewhere in the capital.
Palestine: Planning a Virtual Funeral
It is extremely difficult for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to visit Israel, and for political reasons it is impossible for most other Arabs to do so. At the same time, Palestinian citizens of Israel are unable to travel to much of the Arab world, because they have Israeli passports. Rasha Hilwi has been reflecting on how these restrictions on movement will affect her – after she dies.
Egypt: A Baha’i Blogger's Take on the Elections
The Baha’is of Egypt number perhaps only 2,000 people, but over the years the community has faced discrimination and sometimes hostility. Global Voices Online has spoken to Baha’i blogger Wael about the current situation of the Baha’is in Egypt and the changes that the elections might bring.
Ashura Commemorations Around the World
Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is a period of mourning for Shia Muslims. Events reach a climax on Ashura, the tenth day of the month. Ayesha Saldanha reports on Ashura commemorations around the world.
Egypt: The Country Votes
Egyptians are voting in parliamentary elections on November 28 and 29, and despite calls for a boycott, it seems that most people have chosen to participate.
Egypt: The Mini-States Of Cairo
So you thought Cairo was a city? Actually it's a series of mini-states that operate independently of each other. In this post, blogger Karim Shafei explains how Cairo really works.
Palestine: Freedom Riders Challenge Israeli Segregation
On November 15 a group of Palestinian activists were arrested while travelling on a bus carrying Israeli settlers. The activists called themselves the “Freedom Riders”, after the American civil rights campaigners of 1961.
Tunisia: A Rendezvous With History
Today Tunisians have been voting for a Constituent Assembly, the body charged with writing a new constitution and appointing a new transitional government. In the run-up to the elections, bloggers voiced their feelings about the historic moment.
Palestine: Blogger Rasha Hilwi Not Welcome in Tunisia
Rasha Hilwi, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, is a well-known journalist and blogger and was among the Palestinian bloggers refused visas to Tunisia in order to attend the 3rd Arab Bloggers Meeting. Here, Global Voices interviews Rasha.
Trydar y Cymry! The Welsh Language Thrives Online
"Trydar y Cymry" means "the twittering of the Welsh" or "the Welsh twitterers" (the verb "trydar" now being used in connection with Twitter) and is an example of the Welsh language adapting and developing as it is used online. Global Voices has spoken to blogger and researcher Rhodri ap Dyfrig about Welsh-language blogging and tweeting and the challenges Welsh speakers face online.
India: The Future of Wikipedia
Wikipedia celebrated its tenth anniversary this year, and almost 100 cities and towns in India registered to host celebrations, the highest number of any country. This year the Wikimedia Foundation will open its first office outside the United States, in an Indian city as yet to be announced. Global Voices has spoken to Tinu Cherian, an active Wikipedian, about Wikipedia in India.
Palestine: Hopes Dashed as Rafah Crossing Stays Closed
On May 28 Egypt opened the Rafah Crossing between it and the Gaza Strip, supposedly on a permanent basis. However, Palestinians soon discovered that Egypt was limiting the number of people who could pass through the crossing, and thousands were left waiting in frustration. A week later the crossing was closed again by the Egyptians, “due to renovations“.
Palestine: Remembering Murdered Italian Activist Vittorio Arrigoni
Long before the deadline set by his captors arrived, kidnapped Italian activist Vittorio Arrigoni was killed, apparently hanged. Bloggers in Gaza and elsewhere have reacted with disbelief, anger and sorrow.
Palestine: Kidnapping of Italian Activist in Gaza
Italian activist Vittorio Arrigoni was kidnapped on Thursday 14 April, 2011, in Gaza by a Salafi-Jihadi group, who said that they would kill him if Sheikh Abu Al Waleed Al Maqdisi, recently arrested by the Hamas government, was not released. It was reported on Friday 15 April by various international media outlets that Vittorio Arrigoni has been found dead.
Egypt: Taxi Driver Finds Lost Camera Owner via Facebook
What would you do if you found a camera, and wanted to return it to its owner? One Egyptian taxi driver decided to do it the Egyptian way and utilise the internet - with rapid results.
Palestine: Demonstrations For Unity Begin
Palestinians were not at first mentioned on the Arab “revolution timetable“, but a date for protests was indeed set for 15 March. These protests are taking place in towns and cities throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and the focus is Palestinian unity – a stand against the political divisions that have riven Palestinian society for many years.
Palestine: Life in the Eyes of Two West Bank Students
Linah Alsaafin and Heba Awadallah are students at Birzeit University near Ramallah in the West Bank, who started a blog together a year ago. Called Life On Bir Zeit Campus, the blog takes an incisive and entertaining look at student life and Palestinian politics amongst other topics.
Tunisia: What Follows the Revolution?
President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia more than three weeks ago, but clashes with police and protests by people demanding jobs or better wages are still taking place in Tunisia. In this post we hear from Tunisian bloggers on the current situation, some voicing frustration at the lack of order, even as the overall tone is hopeful that everything will work out in the end.
