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Stories about West Asia & North Africa from July, 2015
Palestinian Baby Burned to Death in West Bank Settler Attack
Israeli settlers have torched two homes in Douma, in the Occupied West Bank, leaving one baby dead and three civilians, including one child, severely injured.
Iran's University of Kurdistan Opens Department of Kurdish Language and Literature for the First Time
Bakhtiar Sajjadi, the new chair of the department, announced last week that 40 students have been accepted to start their studies this October.
#HackingTeam Leaks: Lebanon’s Cybercrime Bureau Exploited Angry Birds to Surveil Citizens’ Mobile Devices
Lebanon's Cybercrime Bureau seems to be conducting surveillance outside the boundaries of local law — and using Hacking Team software to do it.
Saudi Woman Dies After Her Daughter Is Rejected From University
A grief-struck Saudi mother literally dropped dead at The University of Tabuk campus which refused to admit her daughter into its medical school. Netizens react to the news with alarm.
Greece Crisis Propelling Some Ethnic Greeks Back to Their Homeland on a Turkish Island
Greeks and Turks share a love and pride for the beautiful island called Gökçeada by the former and Imbros by the latter.
The 20-Year-Old Activist Who Died Trying to Help Rebuild a City
Most of the 32 people killed in a bombing in Turkey were university students and activists. Hatice Ezgi Sadet, a 20-year-old from Istanbul, was among them.
Brazilian Music Legends Caetano and Gil Will Perform in Israel Despite Calls to Cancel
Ex-Pink Floyd member Roger Waters and former apartheid campaigner and Nobel Prize winner Desmond Tutu have publicly asked the duo to boycott Israel over its treatment of Palestinians.
Talking to Iranian Feminist Author Nina Ansary on the Eve of Change in Iran
Mahsa Alimardani talks to the author of Jewels of Allah, a new book that sheds light on feminism in contemporary Iran.
Protesters Rally Against Iranian Nuclear Deal in Times Square
This past Wednesday a rally gathered in New York's Time Square to oppose the nuclear deal reached between Iran and the P5+1 countries (the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France,...
Peaceful Dissent Becomes Religious Sin as Iran’s Hardliners Reassert Their Power
“To oppose the state is the greatest sin,” said Mohammadi Golpayegani, chief of staff to Iran’s Supreme Leader.
Israel's Business Style: Drop the Niceties, Speak Your Mind
Intel's guidebook on working with Israelis highlights Israel's workplace norms, which value direct communication and action, things that can be interpreted as rude in other cultures.
Blame Game Follows Horrific Violence in Eastern Turkey
"The people who died were humans, is it this hard to value people only by knowing that they have the fundamental right to life... Why are we fighting?"
Bahrain's Government Accused of ‘Gambling With the Future of Its Youth’ by Refusing Scholarships for Its Brightest Students
Bahraini graduates are complaining about discrimination in the selection process of government scholarships for university education. Instead of their grades, authorities are looking at their sect and allegiance to authorities.
Top Bahraini Student Goes to Jail Instead of Medical School
A top Bahraini student is in prison instead of pursuing his dream of becoming a doctor. Faten Bushehri updates us on the plight of Mustafa Mohammed Ismael
Global Voices Checkdesk Training Workshop to be held in Beirut on July 29
Investigative journalists and people interested in social media in Lebanon are in for a treat at the end of this month. Global Voices Online and Meedan are teaming up to...
Eid in the Time of War in Yemen
Despite shelling and the continuing airstrikes, some Yemenis managed to celebrate Eid Al Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.
After 6 Years in Jail, the Iranian ‘Blogfather’ Says Today's Internet Has Changed—for the Worse
Derakhshan, a former Global Voices writer, was incarcerated for six years for his blogging. His first English-language piece since his release criticizes the current state of the Internet.
‘The World Has Changed': Bold Statements From Iranian Newspapers in Reaction to Iran Deal
Even publications that have taken a critical stance on the nuclear negotiations gave the news of an agreement neutral coverage.
Australian Artist Jailed in UAE For Posting “Bad Words” on Facebook
An Australian artist found herself thrown into an Abu Dhabi prison and deported for posting a photograph of a car blocking a disabled parking spot.
Arrests of Sunni Extremists in Bahrain Go Unnoticed
Bahraini authorities have arrested several ISIS members in the kingdom amid a media blackout. ISIS supporters take to Twitter to threaten the government.
Disappeared Juvenile Iranian-Kurdish Activist Resurfaces Months After Scheduled Execution
Saman Naseem, a juvenile Kurdish activist who went through a five month period of disappearance since his scheduled execution in February was able to call his relatives from prison this...
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