Global Voices » Moussa Bashir

Lebanon: Proposed Law to Regulate the Internet

Moussa Bashir — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 15:32:17 +0000

“I’ve previously called bullshit on the claims that the government wants to protect us. Oops, I just wrote “bullshit” and broke clause #1 of the proposed law,” blogs Mustapha in his post lambasting the Lebanese Ministry of Information's plan to discuss a draft law which aims at “regulating websites and protecting their owners”.

Lebanon: Is Social Media Useful?

Moussa Bashir — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 15:31:41 +0000

“I always ask myself whether the Lebanese online community is actually making things better by raising awareness or is just trying to reach out to more people?” writes Najib questioning the usefulness of social media in inciting action rather than just being concerned with tweeting and blogging. His post was in reaction to a video in which a man is shown abusing a foreign worker in front of the embassy of her country.

Lebanon: Bloggers Get Together

Moussa Bashir — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:07:52 +0000

The first Get Together for Lebanese bloggers organized by LebAgg took place on February 9, 2012. ”It was a pretty casual one, the sole purpose was to kick-start a series of more get togethers for bloggers. We were hoping for some brainstorming and bloggers suggesting ideas, but the settings didn't really help whereas there was food and drinks and the bloggers were having fun..” wrote Liliane, who spearheaded this event.

Lebanon: Her Veil

Moussa Bashir — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:53:13 +0000

“And when I made up my mind and ran to my mom screaming ”baddi it7ajab” [I want to wear the veil] she looked at me and said if you wear it now will you ever take it off ? I paused and asked her ”Are you ever going to take it off mama?” she said no, well I will never take it off either I said. And that is how I wore my veil,” says Esraa in her blog 7ijabi [my veil] which she started to raise awareness about the discrimination that she, as a veiled woman, faces.

Lebanon: Snow Haiku

Moussa Bashir — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:52:01 +0000

As snow falls on Lebanon's mountains, Haiku from Lebanon posts its latest:

“The tender snow
Has wiped away
The weeping willow's tears”

Lebanon: Building Collapses in Ashrafieh

Moussa Bashir — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:50:28 +0000

Najib is reporting about the collapse of a building in the Ashrafieh neighborhood of Beirut. Rescue workers are removing rubble while trying to save about 30 inhabitants who were in the building when it fell.

Lebanon: Blogosphere Facts & Figures of 2011

Moussa Bashir — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:34:23 +0000

Lebanon Aggregator posts its annual “Facts and Figures” about the Lebanese blogosphere. In it you can get, among other things, figures on the increase in number of blogs, facts on blogs becoming books, various specialized blogs and who is reading these blogs, among other tidbits.

Lebanon: Non-Political Blog Stories of 2011

Moussa Bashir — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:04:27 +0000

In an end-of-year post, Mustapha compiles a collection of top non-political Lebanese blog posts he wrote during 2011. He introduces the collection by saying: “The Arab spring and the turmoil in Lebanese politics dominated the 1,210 posts in this blog in 2011. But this year also witnessed other stories and off-beat, quirky little Lebanese memes that helped shape the year in their own way.”

Lebanon: Saad-eddine Al-Hariri the Cab Driver

Moussa Bashir — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 09:28:30 +0000

Salman Andary interviews (Ar) Mr. Saad-eddine Al-Hariri in Beirut! But this interview is with Mr. Saad-eddine Al-Hariri the cab driver and not the ex-prime minister of Lebanon (who is known as Saad Hariri and who has not been in Lebanon for months now).

Lebanon: “Live For The Moment” Attitude?

Moussa Bashir — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 09:26:25 +0000

“The only thing that came to my mind is how can we be labelled as people who live for the moment, while at the age of 22-23, the young Lebanese is compelled to think about buying an overly expensive house which he/she has to pay in installments for, for 20 or 30 years, and that is in order to secure their future with a future partner,” writes Liliane as she questions the conclusions of this video by CNN which highlights Lebanese nightlife and claims a Lebanese ”live for the moment” attitude.

Lebanon: Smoking Banned

Moussa Bashir — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:29:32 +0000

“The Lebanese Parliament endorsed a law that bans smoking in public or closed spaces. The law also bans any sort of tobacco advertising and promotions….” reports Moudz, who added that “Non-smokers have been overjoyed today with the news filling up the social timelines with their expressions of approval.”

Lebanon: Special Tribunal Unseals Indictment

Moussa Bashir — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:16:16 +0000

“The first question that comes to mind is: is this it? After nearly six years of investigation, does the case truly rest solely on telecommunications data? What about witness testimony? Forensics? DNA analysis? Magnifying glasses and trench coats?” asks Qifa Nabki while summarizing the indictment and posting his first reaction to the unsealing of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon indictment of the suspects in the murder of Rafic Hariri.

Lebanon: Tips for Tourists

Moussa Bashir — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:10:45 +0000

“We still have seriously no clue how our country is still going, while we're still sure it's a great place, to be in,” writes Toom Extrain a humorous post of sarcastic tips for tourists visiting Lebanon. Toom Extra (Ar) translates to Extra Garlic.

Lebanon: Checkpoint Detention

Moussa Bashir — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:09:39 +0000

Danielle at This is Beirut writes about her experience during the detention and release of her friend (for a couple of hours) at a security checkpoint, as they were returning to Beirut after a day at a winery in the Bekaa Valley.

Lebanon: On Mahmoud Abbas' Upcoming Visit

Moussa Bashir — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:07:50 +0000

Bissan writes (Ar) that because she believes in, among other things, the Palestinian Right to Return and that Palestine belongs to the Arab nation, she therefore opposes the upcoming visit of Mahmoud Abbas to Lebanon as well as the prospective Palestinian state intended to be voted upon at the UN.