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Stories about West Asia & North Africa from September, 2016
An Iranian-Canadian Academic Is Released, but Iran's Crackdown on Women's Rights Activists Continues
Efforts to increase women's participation in February's parliamentary elections were met with a campaign of repression from hardline institutions in Iran.
I Am Lucky to Have a Syrian Passport
"Do I appear fidgety? Maybe it is because I don’t understand how someone would ever answer “Yes” to the question: 'Are you a member of a secret banned organization?'"
Kuwait Detains Activist Sara Al-Drees for Insulting the Country's Ruler
The pro-democracy activist has previously served jail time for the same charge.
The Week That Was at Global Voices Podcast: We, the People
This week, we speak to our contributors Elizabeth Rivera, Giovanna Salazar and Juan Tadeo about popular discontent with politics in Mexico.
Jordanian Government Ignores Public Backlash, Signs Gas Deal With Israel
Despite significant opposition, Jordan signs controversial gas deal with Israel. Protests planned for this Friday could determine the agreement's future.
A Lavish Iranian TV Series Revises the History of the 1953 Coup for the Post-Nuclear Deal Age
Iran's 1953 coup d'état is widely depicted as a rupture in the modern history of Iran. It is also a Pandora’s box filled with contested narratives.
Jordanian Authorities Impose Media Gag After Writer's Killing
Jordanian authorities have banned media coverage of the assassination of Nahed Hattar, a writer who was shot dead on September 25 by a gunman in the capital Amman.
Two Palestinian Ex-Prisoners Open Up Ramallah's First Food Truck
After spending years in an Israeli prison, these two Palestinian men are hoping their concept for an urban food truck catches on in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Yemen's ‘Forgotten War’ Intensifies After Saudi-Led Air Strike in Al Hudaydah
Earlier this week, Saudi-led airstrikes struck Yemen's key port city of Al Hudaydah, killing at least 30 people.
Iran Executes Hundreds of People Each Year in Its UN-Funded War on Drugs
Those who are executed are often individuals who are marginalized in Iranian society, such as undocumented migrants and refugees from neighbouring Afghanistan and ethnic and religious minorities.
Reformist Editor Arrested Ahead of Iranian President’s Trip to the United Nations
Sadra Mohaghegh, the social affairs editor of the reformist Shargh newspaper, is well known for his reports on environmental issues and informative social media postings.
Netizen Report: Internet Shutdowns Are Ever-Present in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula
While telecommunications cuts continue in North Sinai, Russians contemplate a porn-free Internet and a Kuwaiti royal faces jail time for insulting the emir on Snapchat.
In Bulgaria, an Example of How Refugees Need Not Be a Problem, but a Solution
Refugees can help solve shortages of workers—if they're given the chance.
Expelled by Assad's Forces, Daraya Residents Receive a Hero's Welcome in Rebel-Held Syria
"You’re from Daraya, sir. You have everything. You’re our teachers."
The UAE Has Avoided an ‘Arab Spring’ by Systematically Repressing Critical Speech
Wary of an Arab-Spring like uprising within its borders, the UAE government launched an unprecedented crackdown on critics and activists.
He Supported Bombing Syria a Little Too Eagerly, Now RuNet Pioneer Faces Prison
Anton Nossik faces two years in a penal colony for saying that Syria should be "Wiped from the Face of the Earth."
A 10-Year-Old Girl Makes Her Pitch to Western Powers for Peace in Yemen
One-quarter of the civilians killed in the Yemen war have been children.
Egyptian Mothers Take On Female Genital Mutilation, Pinning Hopes on Younger Generations
Mothers are leading the fight against Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt, pinning their hopes on younger and future generations.
One Syrian Photographer's Last Letter to the World
Shamel Al-Ahmad was a photographer from Aleppo who chose to stay behind to tell his city's story to the world. This was his last letter.
Commemorating Biljana Garvanlieva, a Macedonian Filmmaker Who Gave Voice to Marginalized Women
"As an engaged documentary author my motivation is to break the existing image about women in Macedonia."
Algerian Court Upholds Conviction of Activist Jailed for Insulting Islam on Facebook
Despite having his sentenced decreased by two years, Bouhafs will still remain in jail for expressing his views.
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