· November, 2012

Stories about Middle East & North Africa from November, 2012

Life Sentence for Qatari Poet for Insulting Amir

  30 November 2012

The poem is said to praise the Arab Spring, drawing comparisons to other countries living in repression and under dictatorship. According to Qatari journalist Abdulla Al Athbah, Al-Deeb's poem was seen as insulting to the Qatari Amir, and called for overthrowing his rule.

Syria Plunges Into Total Info Darkness

  30 November 2012

On Thursday, the US-based internet connectivity monitoring firm, Renesys, reported that internet was cut off in Syria. All of Syria's 84 IP address blocks were inaccessible, “effectively removing the country from the Internet.”

In Case of Disconnection: Preparing Gaza for an Internet Shutdown

  20 November 2012

For days, rumors have abounded that Israel—which controls the telecommunications infrastructure of Palestine—plans to shut down the Internet in Gaza.  While thus far the rumors have proven false, various organizations and actors are working to ensure that Gazans are prepared.

Blogging on behalf of Hamid

  18 November 2012

  Antonella has not blogged since long time. Her last blog post was on April 25, 2012 in which she wrote: “Dear Hamid, Every day I discover how vast a...

Anonymous Twitter Account Leads Major Protests in Kuwait

  10 November 2012

Tens of thousands showed up in the areas of Mishref and Sabah Al-Salem protesting the Kuwaiti Amir's amendment of the voting law which allows a citizen to vote for one candidate instead of four. What is interesting though is that an anonymous Twitter account is the one deciding dates of marches and meeting points. Mona Kareem shares Twitter reactions to the march, in addition to photographs and videos.

Egypt: Online Porn, Here to Stay?

  9 November 2012

The ongoing battle over the future Egyptian constitution and the more-than-a-month long strike of Egyptian medical workers are among the most pressing issues in the country at the moment… or are they? The Public Prosecutor apparently decided the people needed more drama and announced Egypt would start blocking porn sites.

Egypt To Block Porn Sites… Again

  8 November 2012

On Wednesday, November 7, the Egyptian Public Prosecutor decided that online pornography was “inconsistent with Egyptian traditions and values.” He ordered a general ban of all porn sites in Egypt.