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Stories about West Asia & North Africa from August, 2016
Remembering Samad Behrangi, the Writer Who Inspired Countless Iranian Revolutionaries
Remembering Samad Behrangi on the 49th anniversary of his death. More than the author of dark children's novels, he wrote allegories that symbolized struggles of generations of Iranian revolutionaries.
The Refugee Olympic Team Showed They Have Plenty to Offer, in Spite of Tragic Stories
"It is this determination that they show against all odds. I love the athletes in this team as if they were my own children."
August Was Another Month of Tragedy for Turkey's Besieged LGBTQ+ Community
"She would also be very restless sometimes. She had been stabbed and beaten before. This doesn’t happen only to Hande, it happens to all of them."
Daraya, Symbol of Non-Violent Revolution and Self-Determination, Falls to the Syrian Regime
"The people of Daraya paid a heavy price for their dream of freedom. For four years they defended their autonomy from the Assadist state, and kept going despite the siege."
Wife of Persecuted Labour Activist Goes to Trial Over Facebook Post
The wife of a labor activist has been charged with posting “insulting” content on Facebook even though she is not a member of the social media site.
WikiLeaks: From Collateral Murder to Collateral Recklessness
From rape victims to democratic party donors, WikiLeaks' latest data dumps demonstrate a disturbing trend of publishing the personal information of private individuals.
Where’s the Outrage Over Iran’s Exploited Children?
"I dream every night that my parents and brothers and sisters are looking for me. I wake up every morning crying."
ISIS Left Thousands of Mines in Manbij Before Fleeing. It Hid Them Inside Everything.
"Mines were found inside a garlic and onion basket, a staircase, and even normal-looking rocks across the fields."
Ahmad Abughaush, Jordanian Gold Medalist, and the Erasure of Palestinian Identity
To those who know the history of Palestine, Ahmad Abughaush's surname speaks volumes. Yet this information was absent from news reports on his gold medal triumph at the 2016 Olympics.
In Syria and Beyond, Protesters Make Sure the World Doesn't Forget the Ghouta Chemical Massacre
"We must teach all dictators a lesson, that all people will come together against any dictatorial regime in the world."
Breaking the Siege of Aleppo
"The perception is that the US is collaborating with the attackers. If democratic anti-regime forces are crushed by foreign powers and Shia militias, violent extremism will grow in its place."
‘I Want to Appeal to the Doctor Within Assad': One Syrian Medic's Message After Visiting Aleppo
Dr. Sahloul tries to appeal to his former medical school classmate, Bashar Al Assad, to stop the massacres.
The Week That Was at Global Voices Podcast: The Status Quo Has Got to Go
This week we tell you tales of protest, tragedy, and discrimination from Ethiopia, Egypt, Pakistan, Trinidad and Australia.
Nine Years on, Turkey Blames Gulenists for Murder of Ethnic Armenian Journalist
Supporters of Hrant Dink are quietly hopeful that some of those responsible for his death, if not all, are about to face punishment.
‘When They Took Me Inside’ Syria's Saydnaya Prison, ‘I Could Smell the Torture’
A new report reveals the depth of the horrors happening inside Syria's most notorious torture prison, which one well-known Syrian dissident called "the most horrible place on earth".
When Never Forgetting the Attacks on France, Try to Remember the Heroes, Too
Global Voices looks at several heroic stories during the latest mass attacks on French soil.
Israel, One of the World’s Driest Countries, Is Now Overflowing With Water
Scientists and others are looking to desalination as a way to unite longtime enemies in a common cause.
Syria’s ‘White Helmets’ Have Saved Thousands of Lives. Now, They’re Nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
"In a conflict where too many have chosen violence, the White Helmets wake up everyday to save the lives others are trying so hard to take."
Cairo's Rabaa Massacre: Three Years On, the Smell of Death Still Lingers
Three years have passed, but we refuse to forget the Rabaa Massacre.
Turkish Sports Stars Get Caught up in Erdogan-Gulen War
Both retired footballer Hakan Sukur and NBA basketball star Enes Kanter find themselves on the wrong side of a political divide that is ripping through Turkey.
The New Orientalism: Iran as a Political Commodity
The fact that Iran remains for westerners an exotic and mysterious land whose "complex history" requires "untangling" by experts, puts serious limits on the possibilities for genuine engagement.
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