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Stories about West Asia & North Africa from September, 2012
Iran: Alternatives to Google and Gmail
Deputy Telecommunications Minister, Ali Hakim Javadi said to Mehrnews he hoped to launch the Fakhr search engine and Fajr e-mail as alternatives to Google and Gmail in the near future.
Turkey: Prime Minister Signals Negotiations with Kurdish Rebels
The Prime Minister of Turkey has signaled that he will negotiate with Kurdish rebels after months of deadly violence. In the past Turkey has been unwilling to do so despite calls from the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party.
Jordan: Inkitab Group to Hold Second Used Book Fair
After the success of their first event, the Inkitab Group which works to promote reading, will hold their second used book fair in the Jordanian capital Amman on October 1, 2012.
Iran: President Ahmadinejad's Men in Trouble
As President Ahmadinejad addressed the UN General Assembly on September 26, a foreign ministry spokesperson was attacked by protesters in New York and a government press adviser was arrested in Iran.
Iran: Eight Years of Deception
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has released a short video “demonstrating and highlighting systematic cover-ups accompanying the marked rise in human rights violations over the eight years of...
Algeria: Calls for Anti-US Protests Fall on Deaf Ears
Western embassies were targeted by protesters in many Arab nations after an anti-Islamic movie trailer was published online. Yet calls for protests in the capital of Algeria, Algiers, went mostly unnoticed.
Bahrain: Can Democracy and Islam Co-Exist?
Can democracy exist in Islamic societies? This was the topic of conversation between Bahraini bloggers today.
Iran Blocks Access to Google and Gmail
Iran has blocked Google and Gmail from the Internet for nearly all users, allegedly to protest against an anti-Islam film on YouTube. Others say it's part of a plan to prepare the country for a new "national Internet" that offers less access to the outside world.
Saudi Arabia: Families of Uncharged Prisoners Protest on National Day
Imprisonment without charges is the top human rights issue in Saudi Arabia. Families of uncharged prisoners, estimated to be around 30,000 detainees, took the risk to raise awareness about the cause, with a sit-in outside the al-Turfiya prison, near Buraidah. Here's how that sit-in was dispersed.
Iran: New Wave of Repression Against Bloggers
Several bloggers are facing renewed attacks by government authorities, including jail time and physical attacks. Here are updates on four different bloggers whose challenges appear to keep growing.
Tunisia: Civil Society and the Sharia State
Tunisian blogger Lina Ben Mhenni argues that belonging to any religion or culture is a “product of chance.” She says: And when, together with bloggers from my country, we attempted...
Bahrain: A Country for Disgruntled Citizens
Bahraini blogger Ali Al Saeed suggests: @alialsaeed: Perhaps disgruntled citizens from around the world should consider starting their own country? Worth a try.
Egypt: Sex Education for Youth
Egyptian blogger Ahmed Awadalla argues in favour of empowering youth in post-revolution Egypt. He notes: Sex education can be a great tool to change deeply seated patriarchal values in our...
Saudi Arabia: Celebrating National Day in Style
Saudi Arabia marks its National Day today [Sept 24] and young Saudis are celebrating the day in style. On Twitter, the day's events are tagged with a special hash tag #اليوم_الوطني, which translates to National Day. According to accounts on social media, young men took to the streets to celebrate the day, with dancing and street parades in their cars.
Iran: Google and Gmail Will Be Filtered
Abdolsamad Khoramabadi, an Iranian official declared [fa] on Sunday 23rd September, Google and Gmail are going to be filtered in the next few hours.He says people asked us to take...
Iran: Bear's Torture Commemorated with Day Against Animal Cruelty
A video of a brown bear and her cubs being clubbed to death made a big impact on the Iranian public in 2011. Now animal rights activists commemorate the day they shared the video with a Day Against Animal Cruelty and the 'Brown Bear Awards'.
Albania: Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival
The Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival 2012 opens in Tirana today. This is the third time that the festival is being held; this year's theme is “TALK TO ME...
Egypt: Artists Re-Paint Murals Destroyed by Police
Artists are back at work on Mohamed Mahmood street in Cairo, after authorities erased revolution graffiti. @RashaPress shares the photograph above of artists repainting murals on the street, off Tahrir...
Egypt: 1.5km Human Chain Protest Outside Nile University
@Kandily shares this photograph on Twitter, showing a human chain which he says [ar] measures 1.5km made up of students outside Nile University, which has been appropriated to the Zewail...
Syria: The Revolution through the Designs of Wissam Al Jazairy
Wissam Al Jazairy is a young Syrian graphic designer. The suffering of his people is evident in art work he published online as part of his contribution to the Syrian revolution. Here is a selection of some of Wissam's designs.
Iran: Government Offices Logging Off the Internet
Iran is planning [fa] to move the country's 42000 government offices away from the World Wide Web to “national internet” next week,according to the Iranian Minister of Communication and Technology,...
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