Stories from Quick Reads and Arabic
Moroccan Royal Motorcade Runs Down By-Stander
Moroccans are sharing links for a video showing a car which is part of a royal motorcade ferrying Moroccan King Mohammed VI running over a man in Tangiers during the visit of French President Francois Hollande. Samia Errazzouki tweets: Video footage showing royal security protocol running over a man in...
Second Shia Mosque Attacked by ISIS in Saudi Arabia
On Global Voices Checkdesk, a collaboration project between Meedan Checkdesk, an online news verification tool, and Global Voices Online, Joey Ayoub charts the initial reactions on the bombing of a second Shia mosque in Dammam, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, for the second Friday in a row. Three...
Preparations are Underway for Ramadhan in Jerusalem
Preparations are underway at the Masjid Al Aqsa in Jerusalem for the holy month of Ramadhan, expected to begin on June 17 or 18 this year. Muslims fast from dawn to sunset during the month, the start of which is decided by sighting the new moon. The mosque is the...
Mapping Lebanese Journalists on Twitter
Mustapha Hamoui, aka @Beirutspring is mapping the presence of Lebanese journalists on Twitter. For that he is compiling a list with their Twitter handles. The list includes non-Lebanese journalists who also report on the country. You can access the Google doc or update it here.
Discover Yemen through its Literature: Six Contemporary Authors Worth Reading
On Arabic Literature in English, M. Lynx Qualey presents six contemporary Yemeni authors worth discovering. She points out: As you might expect from a troubled nation with relatively little modern literary output, there aren’t many translations of Yemeni work available in English. However, there are some, as several Yemeni authors have received regional...
‘Western Women Don't Care If They Are Raped on the Roadside,’ Says Saudi Historian
Saudi historian Dr Saleh Al-Saadoon says women in the West drive because they “don't care if they get raped on the roadside.” He made the remarks in an interview with Rotana Khalijia, a Saudi-owned television channel aimed at Gulf countries, in his defense of a Saudi prohibition that bans women...
Bahrain Court Postpones Human Rights Defender Nabeel Rajab's Case to April 15
A Bahrain court today [March 15, 2015] postponed its verdict in an appeal made by leading Bahraini human rights defender Nabeel Rajab against a six-month prison sentence until April 15. The case concerns comments he made about ISIS on Twitter. Rajab was initially convicted of “denigrating an official body” in tweets that...
The Difference Between ISIS and Al Nusra Front
Satirist Karl Sharro draws a stark comparison between two Al Qaeda offshoots fighting each other in Syria: the notorious ISIS and the Nusra front. He tweets: You get the sense that the main disagreement between ISIS and Nusra is font-based. pic.twitter.com/ETq95PlIqx — Karl Sharro (@KarlreMarks) November 28, 2014 Both terrorist...
Poetry Project Bridges Language and Cultural Barriers between Arabic and Hebrew Speakers in Israel
The Two Project is a new collaboration between Israeli Jews and Arabs to connect the two cultures through the language of poetry.
PHOTO: Five Jewish Graves in WWI Gaza Cemetery
Foreign Policy magazine Middle East editor David Kenner visiting the British WW1 cemetery in Gaza and shares this photograph on Twitter. Visited the British WWI cemetery in Gaza today. Thousands of graves – including five Jews. Love this inscription. pic.twitter.com/cuWUchbitP — DavidKenner (@DavidKenner) August 10, 2014 The inscription reads: “In...
Debunking Rumors that Algerian Fans Burned Down a Church in Lyon, France after World Cup Win
On June 22 at the World Cup 2014 in Brazil, Algeria defeated South Korea 4-2 to keep its chance of qualifying to the knock-out round alive. Scenes of joy were numerous in Algeria [fr] but also in France where a dynamic Algerian community resides. The joy was tempered by rumors that...
Moroccan Hackers Attack Mauritanian Government Sites
A group of hackers calling themselves the “Moroccan Secret Agent” have succeeded in breaching and seizing control [ar] of several Mauritanian governmental websites. The group defaced the websites with slogans insulting the Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, and his Algerian counterpart, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, calling the two heads of state “enemies...
Music Collective Beirut Open Stage Launches Online Platform
“To further its vision of showcasing and promoting as best as it can the local talent”, the Musical Collective “Beirut Open Stage” has launched its online platform. Their new website, which compliments their YouTube channel, allows live viewing of performances as well as staying up to date with their latest...
Mauritanian Police Clamps Down on Black Protest
On May 4, 2014, Mauritanian police broke up [ar] a massive gathering in Nouakchott. People were commemorating [ar] the return of a group of Mauritanian blacks [ar] from Senegal in 2008 [en] , after being subjected to forced displacement in the aftermath of the bloody events [en] which occurred between 1989 and 1991. On April...
Egyptian Turns to YouTube to Object to Compulsory Service in Egyptian Army
An Egyptian activist has turned to YouTube to spell out his objection to the mandatory military service in the Egyptian army, compulsory for men aged between 18 and 30. In an email sent to Global Voices Online, Adam writes: I am Egyptian conscientious objector against serving in Egyptian Army because...
Libya Vs Iraq: Who Wins in the Explosives Finale?
This bumper sticker (more of a windshield sticker) from Libya says it all. Egyptian Bassem Sabry explains: Humour as coping mechanism RT @ILPADRINO0 "Two more explosions & Libya will qualify for semi-final with Iraq" pic.twitter.com/uCzkihMi4u” — Bassem Sabry باسم (@Bassem_Sabry) March 24, 2014
Saudi Arabia Controls Babies Names
You are not allowed to name your newborn daughter Eman, or Sandy, or Yara. And if it is a boy, names like Abdelnasser, Amir or Abdulmoeen are a no go. But that's only in Saudi Arabia. On Twitter, Iyad El Baghdadi shares this list of baby names banned in the...
Quran Desecration Sparks Trouble in Mauritania
The Mauritanian capital Nouakchott witnessed violent clashes between security forces and an angry crowd after people tore up a copy of the Quran. One person was killed in the clashes.
e-Booklets for Syrian Activists
Syrian activists are now able to access an online archive which lists tactics for resisting tyranny and peaceful ways to revolt. Dawlaty, an NGO whose name translates to My State from Arabic, provides a series of e-booklets which [ar]: محاولة لتقديم بعض الأساليب والتكتيكات التي استخدمها وما زال يستخدمها نشطاء...
British Mother Yells at Syrian Officials: “Why Did You Kill My Son?”
“Why did you kill my son?” yells Fatima Khan, the grieving mother of British doctor Abbas Khan who was killed in Syria, at regime officials who were in Geneva for peace talks aimed at ending the country's civil war. Dr Khan had traveled to Syria to provide humanitarian aid in...
Human Rights Video: 2013 Year in Review
A video by WITNESS on the Human Rights Channel of YouTube wrapped up some of the most significant protests and human rights abuses of 2013. Dozens of clips shot by citizens worldwide are edited together to show efforts to withstand injustice and oppression, from Sudan to Saudi Arabia, Cambodia to...