· March, 2009

Stories about Syria from March, 2009

In Love With Syria

  29 March 2009

Global Voices Online Morocco author Jillian York describes [en] her short visit to Syria in this post, where she explains why she had the time of her life.

Lebanon: First Embassy in Syria

  16 March 2009

Blacksmiths of Lebanon report on the opening of Lebanon's first-ever embassy in Syria which seals the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Saudi Arabia: Forty Lashes for a 75-year-old Woman for ‘Mingling’ with Men

  16 March 2009

A 75-year-old Syrian woman was sentenced to 40 lashes, four months imprisonment and deportation from Saudi Arabia, for having two unrelated men in her house. The two men were also charged with ‘mingling' with an unrelated woman and sentenced to prison and lashes, sparking criticism for the country's judiciary and the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Saudi Arabia's bloggers speak up.

Syria: Documentary Film Festival

  9 March 2009

Donatella Della Ratta, an Italian researcher on media in the Arab world, has been attending Dox Box 2009, a creative documentary film festival in Damascus.

Syria: Anti-LGBT Campaign Sparks Heated Debate

  8 March 2009

This weekend the Syrian blogosphere warmed up for a new confrontation. A group of bloggers launched a campaign against the spread of blogs advancing LGBT rights, and the response came quick. LGBT is controversial everywhere, but within a society that is conservative in its majority, the topic gets much more sensitive and hotly-debated, writes Yazan Badran.

MENA: Clinton Does the Middle East

  8 March 2009

Hillary Clinton wrapped up her first visit to the Middle East as US Secretary of State, with stopovers in Sharm El Sheikh, Israel, the West Bank and Turkey. Bloggers from the region discuss Clinton's visit in this post.

Arab World: Birthday Food for Thought

  5 March 2009

Several bloggers from across the Arab World are marking their birthdays online with philosophical posts, describing their lives, hopes, accomplishments and dreams. Here's a selection of posts.

Israel: Cold Front Warmly Received

  4 March 2009

The snow and icy rains that chilled Israel this weekend received a warm welcome from its residents. As the rainy season draws to a close, many fear that this year's low rainfall will lead to dangerous summer drought.

Palestine: Carrying Rocks to Syria

  3 March 2009

Samuel Nichols, who works with the Christian Peacemaker Teams in the West Bank, tells us about a request he received from a Palestinian refugee in Damascus: “Please go to my village just outside of Haifa. Bring me back something. A rock, a handful of dirt, anything.”