Global Voices » Layal Al Khatib

Arab World: Pan Arab Web Awards Academy Scam

Layal Al Khatib — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 20:11:28 +0000

Lebanese blogger Rita exposes the terms and conditions of the “Pan Arab Web Awards Academy” competition which makes the participants “buy” their award in this post.

Lebanon: Interview with the “Brofessional Review”

Layal Al Khatib — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 13:13:49 +0000

Nine months ago, a group of three designers and two advertising graduates teamed up to start a blog tackling everything related to design: advertising, fashion and media; they called it the “Brofessional Review”. Now, with more than 100 reviews in their archive, readers look forward to their posts/opinions whenever a new brand, advertising campaign or promo hits the market. Global Voices Online interviewed them to know more about what they do.

The “Brofessional Review” Team

Global Voices Online: First of all, who are the Brofessional Review team members?

Brofessional Review: We are a team of 3 aspiring Graphic Designers and 2 Advertising
graduates, relatively contributing to the blog. Some members are more active than others but the whole team shares a set of principles regarding design related subject matters, and how to interact with the field. We agreed to be transparent and fun, a mix between cynicism and criticism, the ‘Brofessional’ way.

GVO: What inspired you to start the blog?

BR: Admin I : Nothing in particular; Being very active as a designer and very opinionated as a person, I somehow reached a phase where I had so much to say but lacked the right platform. It was a random intuitive moment when the idea came up and got reformulated to reach its present stage.

GVO: Have you ever received an official or unofficial response from an
agency/brand you talked about?

BR: We receive responses almost constantly. It only took few weeks that the blog started getting a good amount of exposure. Agencies started knowing about us and we got in contact with many brands’ marketing
managers. Responses varied between hate, hate and a reasonable amount of objective interaction. After almost 8 months we’ve held meetings with many agencies discussing their work and we’re still exchanging emails regarding such matters without affecting our tone or credibility.

GVO: Based on the ads/campaigns you see and review, how do you describe the advertising business in Lebanon?

BR: The advertising scene in Lebanon is in desperate need for design. Design is not a technical medium; it’s not a tool, but a thinking process. The majority of our agencies tend to disregard process and go for the fast commercial work that lacks creativity and innovation. To be fair, advertising in Lebanon is hypocrisy blended with clichés except the very few daring individuals trying to break through.

GVO: What's the next step for Brofessional Review?

BR: We are aiming to add more daring insights regarding design, featuring well-known design thinkers expressing their minds informally – The ‘Brofessional’ way. Design is our main concern, whether talking
advertising or fashion. The next step will focus on interactivity with a higher dose of guts!

Thank you!

You can follow the Brofessional Review on Twitter @BrofessionalR and on their Facebook page too.

Lebanon: Segregation against Migrant Workers at Beaches

Layal Al Khatib — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 13:08:08 +0000

Following the first video released by the Anti Racism Movement showing blatant segregation at one of the Lebanese beaches, another video is published and this time is featuring 10 more resorts clearly discriminating against migrant workers.

Lebanon: Complete Blackout

Layal Al Khatib — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:03:46 +0000

Two of the major power plants, Zahrani and Deir-Ammar, in Lebanon suffered from “unknown” technical difficulties on Monday 18 June, 2012, which plunged most of the country into complete darkness. Lebanon already suffers from a severe shortage where it barely generates half of its daily consumption.

In protest, citizens from various areas blocked main roads. Netizens as well expressed their anger (and sometimes sarcasm) towards the situation they called #DarkLebanon. Below are some of the reactions:

Many Twitter users expressed their frustration with the situation [ar]:

@daywood:الشعب لا يريد بواخر لتوليد الطاقة الكهربائية بل ينتظر بواخر تحمله خارج #لبنان #DarkLebanon #LebanonOnFire

The people doesn't want fuel ships to generate electricity, they want ships to take them away from Lebanon #DarkLebanon #LebanonOnFire

@3antar: #DarkLebanon!!! This is NOT a life!

@dimamasri: #darklebanon it went from being #lebanon to LebanOFF

@MahdiBerjaoui: I think Lebanon is literally a failed state. Electricity Off #Lebanon #DarkLebanon

@walidfreiha: Everyone traveling to #Lebanon this summer: Make sure you pack lots of candles, matches, batteries and flashlights. #DarkLebanon #لبنان

Khadija sympathized with high school seniors, who are taking their finals this month [ar]:

@khadijaomari:مع احترامي للجميع الا اني اكاد اجزم ان طلاب الشهادات الرسمية هم اكثر المتضررين من قطع الكهرباء #darklebanon #bac2

With all due respect to everyone, but I'm sure that the senior high school students are the most affected ones by this blackout #darklebanon #bac2

Many Twitter users blamed the Minister of Energy Gebran Bassil [ar]:

@marxist92: ويل لأمة كان جبرانها خليل وأصبح باسيل #DarkLebanon @GEBRAN_BASSIL

I pity a nation whose Gebran was Khalil and is now Bassil.

@Marxist92 was referring to Gebran Khalil – a very well known and respected Lebanese writer.

@khadijaomari:ما اضرب من باسيل الا مافيات المولدات…العمى بياخدوا اكثر من الدولة ويادوب تجي الكهربا لان “المازوت غالي” #tfehhh #darklebanon

Nothing is worse than Bassil but the generators mafia! They take more than the government and we barely get power because of the “expensive fuel” #tfehhh #darklebanon

Abir blamed all of the politicians for the power fail [ar]:

@AbirGhattas: هي مش واقفة بس على جبران باسيل. الكل عم بعرقل، يعني بدكن تشوفو الكهربا متل شي وحدة فاتحة اجريها و الكل محروم و مهييج. #DarkLebanon #Lebanon

It's not just Gebran Bassil. Everyone is blocking any progress. You can say that the electricity sector is like a woman spreading out her legs and everyone wants her.

Some netizens still managed to find a bright side in this blackout:

@eltooks: On the bright side of #DarkLebanon I've recorded the fast Internet speed yet at my place! #مصائبقومعندقومفوائد

@walidfreiha: Lebanon is such a romantic country Every1 is spendin the night either under the moonlight or by the candlelight #DarkLebanon

The very popular Facebook Page “Lebanese Memes” published some funny memes about the situation. Here are two of them:

Free Internet. No electricity. Source: Lebanese Meme page on Facebook

You didn't have to cut us off. Another meme shared by the Lebanese Meme page on Facebook

The technical difficulties are reportedly resolved, bringing the country back to the existing severe shortage. Stay tuned to the hashtag #DarkLebanon for more updates and reactions. You can also check the initiative Nawwartuna[ar](a Lebanese slang for “welcome” which literally means: “You've lightened us up”) for updates.

Lebanon: Questions to Expats

Layal Al Khatib — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 07:28:18 +0000

Lebanese blogger Liliane asked Lebanese expatriates some questions about their stories of how and why they left their country. Check the questions at her post and the answers in the comments.

Lebanon: Distortions to the Domestic Violence Draft Law

Layal Al Khatib — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:32:50 +0000

Lebanese blogger and Nasawiya activist Nadine posts a translation of Farfahinne's post[Ar] about how the law to protect women from family violence is facing horrible distortions.

Lebanon: How Facebook Makes us Miserable

Layal Al Khatib — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:31:42 +0000

Lebanese blogger Adon (at Ninar) starts a series of posts on his blog entitled “Living as a Photo: How Facebook Makes us Misrable“[Ar]. He has published four posts so far: “Can you Survive without Facebook for 30 Days?“[Ar], “Why I Quit Facebook“[Ar] and “Does Facebook really helps us to Communicate?[Part 1 and 2]“[Ar]

Lebanon: Why is Horsh Beirut Closed?

Layal Al Khatib — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:23:14 +0000

Lebanese blogger Rami(at +961) shares his opinion about the state of Beirut's public park Horsh Beirut, which has been closed for decades for unknown reasons in his latest post.

Lebanon: Jeita Grotto… To Vote or Not to Vote

Layal Al Khatib — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:08:46 +0000

A few hours are left to vote for the New7Wonders of Nature today (11.11.2011). And since the famous Lebanese Jeita Grotto is a finalist, online and offline campaigns (check this clip and two ads) are flooding the country encouraging people to vote for the Grotto.

However, some Lebanese are calling upon people “not” to vote and an online debate emerged now on whether it's a national duty to vote for the Grotto or not. Below are some of the reactions of Lebanese netizens.

Many netizens voted and urged people to vote continuously through Twitter:

@BeirutTalks: Today is one of the last chances to vote for our one and only solution against lebanese stereotypes. Make it real! Jeita to 1070(0.1$/vote)

@MJGharios: Voted 160times for Jeita now !!!

@KarimAbiSaleh: you gotto love the “vote for Jeita” movement. I just hope that Lebanese can feel patriotic for important issues as well… #Lebanon #Posers

Jeita Grotto, Lebanon. Image by Flickr user Hibr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).

Even Prime Minister Najib Mikati and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri voted and asked people to vote through their Twitter accounts:

@Najib_Mikati: Hopefully, #Jeita #Grotto will become 1 of the #New7Wonders of nature. Keep voting: results are expected tomorrow 11.11.2011 (#Lebanon)

@HaririSaad: Everyone please vote for jeita, I did already but I want everyone to do their best good night everyone

Many others were skeptical and some even urged people “not to vote”:

@Plus961:You just need to google “new 7 wonders scam” to see the wonders

@saraHsh:I really am so sick of this whole Jeita mania! ياريت بتعرفوا تصوّتوا لممثلين الكن بمجلس النواب احسن من هالبهايم يلي مبسوطين فيهن!

I really am so sick of this whole Jeita mania! I wish you people know how to vote to better parliament members than the morons you're currently happy with

@arzleb:lets say Jeita won… what next? Lebanon's debt is paid? we get our salaries doubled? our future is secured? watermalons grows on trees?

@LebaneseVoices:I'm sick of every radio host, tv host, figure, cat, and sticker that tells me to vote for #Jieta! #Lebanon #Fail

Bloggers against voting shared many reasons. Gino said that the competition is a scam and that Lebanon should get itself out of it immediately and listed his reasons:

Why Is It a Scam?
Multiple Votes
[...]
Voting Since 2009
[...]
UNESCO does NOT Support It
[...]
The Maldives Have Withdrawn Their Entry Because N7w Wanted HUGE Sums of Money

Racha declared that she won't vote in her post and said that all of this effort made by the people and the government should be wasted on more useful things:

Jeita Grotto’s revenue won’t save our crumbling economy, however some hard work and less wasting money on useless sms-ing would! Of course, some government care, laws and actually work would be savior as well, but who are we kidding!
The Lebanese obsession with world records has got to come to an end!

Mustapha actually thinks that this whole energy and attention to the competition serves the dormant government:

Actually, that’s precisely why everyone is in such a lather over Jeita. Politicians love Jeita because it creates an illusion that they’re working on something. The Lebanese people love Jeita because it creates an illusion that their vote matters, and the media loves Jeita for the same reason they love reality TV shows where the viewers vote: Everyone wants to tune in to see if they won.

Khodor also said he won't vote and asked his readers not to vote as well. He stated his reasons in his post [ar]:

لن أصوّت لجعيتا، لأن رسم الدخول اليها يقارب العشرين ألف ليرة،يضاف اليها كلفة الوصول اليها التي تقارب تنكة بنزين واحدة تفوق الثلاثين ألف ليرة، ما يجعل كلفة الزيارة تقارب الخمسة بالمئة من دخل اللبناني العاديّ جداً، ولن أصوّت لجعيتا، لأن حكومات الطائف الحريرية الممضية بخط يد المعارضة أيضاً، سلمتها لشركة خاصة بقوانين مبتكرة تخالف نص القوانين اللبنانية، يستنفع منها أزلام النظام. [....]

صّوتوا يا أصدقائي لكهرباء لبنان المقطوعة الغالية على قلبكم، عجيبة، ولاتصالات لبنان الغالية على جيبكم، عجيبة، صوّتوا لمعارضة تقبّل الموالاة في صفقات الفساد، عجيبة، ولرؤساء ثلاث، يخرجون في فوضى المنطقة والمنعطفات التاريخية التي نمر فيها، والحالات المأساوية المعيشية، والغلاء العارم، والفوضى الأمنية، يخرج رؤسائنا الثلاثة مع موظفيهم ليعلنوا موقفاً تاريخياً واحداً: صوّتوا لجعيتا.

I won't vote for Jeita because its entrance fee is about 20,000LL, adding to it the fuel cost which exceeds 30,000LL for one gallon, making the visit fee cost almost 5 per cent of the average Lebanese citizen's income. And I won't vote for Jeita because the government and the opposition as well handed the resort to a private company with made up laws against the Lebanese ones so the regime people are the only ones with benefits.

Vote my friends to the dear non-existent electricity in Lebanon for this is a wonder. Vote for your dear and expensive telecom system, this is a wonder. Vote for your opposition which becomes friends with the government when it comes to corruption, this is a wonder. Vote for your presidents who come out ignoring the chaos, horrible living conditions, security problems just to tell you “Vote for Jeita”.

Seif, on the other hand, said the competition will eventually bring the country tourists and revenue. He visualized it in his post “Dear Lebanon, Grow Up“:

So I have something to say. Who cares if it’s $20 to enter Jeita? Most of you have been to Jeita, just like me, twice in your life – 4 times MAXIMUM, so complaining about this is just RIDICULOUS. It’s owned by a private company someone tweeted. Big deal. I think there is something that people are forgetting, whoever owns it or not – it is still Lebanese. Bringing recognition to Jeita, brings recognition to Lebanon, which in turn would bring tourists and revenue to the country. I will show you how.

Elie as well voted and stated to his readers “13 Reasons to Vote for Jeita” in his blog. He also disagreed that the competition is a scam and gave his proof in this post in response to Gino's post.

People are criticizing the whole “Vote for Jeita” campaign, with about 3 weeks left on the vote. They can’t even accept that the competition is NOT scam.
“Jeita doesn’t deserve to be a wonder,” is one of the things I’ve heard. “Why charge for the SMS to vote?” is another. “If the government wants Jeita to win, why don’t they vote?”

All of us need to want Jeita to win. Not the government. Not anyone else. We, as a people, should be proud that our country has something that has gained enough international recognition from international panels that judged Jeita as being worthy of being one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

Everyone today, -against or with the competition- is waiting for the results. Will the Jeita Grotto win a place among the new seven wonders of nature? And if it does win, will the country's economy get better? You can follow the hashtag #Jeita for live updates on Twitter.

Lebanon: Gender Discrimination while Buying a Car

Layal Al Khatib — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:23:52 +0000

Lebanese blogger Rita Chemaly was shocked to be discriminated against by another saleswoman while buying a car with her boyfriend. She shared her story in this post.

Lebanon: The Ridiculous Increase in Wages

Layal Al Khatib — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:23:24 +0000

Lebanese blogger Rami thinks the increase which the cabinet agreed to issue to the wages in Lebanon is ridiculous and unfair. He explains why in his latest post.

Lebanon: New Blog about Football

Layal Al Khatib — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:22:46 +0000

Disappointed to discover that there were very few, if any, English-language websites or blogs dedicated to soccer in the land of the cedar tree, Fitzroy Morrissey hopes to rectify this situation through this new blog, Football In Lebanon.

Lebanon: Public Transportation Do's and Don'ts

Layal Al Khatib — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 10:13:14 +0000

Lebanese blogger Racha at Lebanese Voices posts a list of Do's and Don'ts for tourists for taking taxis in Lebanon.

Lebanon: New Internet Prices

Layal Al Khatib — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 10:12:47 +0000

A new decree has finally passed by the Lebanese cabinet to create new internet packages and lower prices. Here's how Ontornet saw it in their latest post.

Lebanon: Thousands of Old Photos of Lebanon

Layal Al Khatib — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 08:39:43 +0000

Lebanese blogger Rami at +961 posts about his new finding: Thousands of old photos of Lebanon and the Middle East.