Fun News Roundup

Italy just returned a statue head to Libya.  It's about 2,000 years old and was stolen in the 1960s.

Karbala, Iraq is asking Guiness World Records to visit during the next Arbaeen to verify the high number of Shi'ite pilgrims.

A British company is in trouble for trying to sell a piece of the Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad.  Apparently they have a 2-foot piece of buttock.

Quick News Roundup

A lot of stuff has happened over the past few days:

Big earthquake in Turkey.  Magnitude 7.2  It's been a while since the last one.

The Saudi crown prince died.  So far all the kings have been the sons of Abdul Aziz, the founder of the Kingdom.  Call me crazy, but maybe they should try having a ruler who isn't over 80 years old?  Or maybe even less than 60?

Qaddafi is dead and Libya is "officially" free now.

The United States is leaving Iraq.

Free Press in Libya

This article is a few weeks old, but encouraging.  As rebels take over Libya, a free press is emerging there.  Let's hope is lasts.  (h/t @jessradio)

Protests Protests Protests! Update I

Yahoo!'s Mideast protests at a glance.

Bahrain is in a world of hurt.  More protesters were attacked and injured, overwhelming the hospital.  So far, over 200 people have been injured and President Obama has been speaking to the Bahraini king.  The king has appointed the Crown Prince as a kind of mediator with the protesters, and he has issued his own statement.  There was also a pro-government rally.

Protests in Libya are getting very bloody with over 40 protesters dead, and there are reports that 2 policemen were hung.


Protests in Yemen are on their 9th straight day, and 4 more people are dead.  Journalists are also being attacked.  Protesters in Ta'iz were attacked with a grenade.

Jordanians have been protesting for 7 days straight.  The 2,000 protesters were followed by some pro-government supporters.

Egyptians held a celebration protest.  It's been a week since Mubarak left.

Oman is generally considered the safest country in the Middle East.  When I visited, I found the Omanis very polite and nice.  So it makes sense that when they held a protest today, it was a polite one.  Really.  Read the article.

Protests Protests Protests!

Things are heating up across the Middle East, and the latest is in Bahrain.  Protesters are trying to take over the main square, just like the Egyptians did.  Two people have already died in these protests.  Funerals were held Tuesday and sparked even more protests.  Several policemen have been arrested for the deaths.  These protests are continuing today.


Protests in Jordan have included Bedouin, who want their land back.  And the government recently decided to allow protests or rallies without government permission.

In Saudi Arabia some activists are trying to form a political party.

Protests have started in Libya as well, and several activists have been arrested.  Protesters are calling for their own Day of Anger and numerous people have been injured.  More on the protests.

Activists have called for protests in Syria.  One of them was arrested and just released.  And a female teen-aged blogger in Syria, held for over a year, has been convicted of spying for the US.

What's also interesting is what isn't mentioned online.  For instance, the Gulf Times in Qatar has articles on Egypt, Tunisia, and even Yemen, but nothing about Bahrain.  Whereas the Gulf Daily News in Bahrain does cover some of the protests.  So does the Kuwait Times.

New Flotilla Scuttled by Greed?

A Greek ship is being held in Greece, after leaving Libya.  The story is a bit confusing, but it seems as though there were activists, who gathered in Libya, to send aid to Gaza.  Then something happened, maybe a payment dispute, and the Greek ship's captain decided not to let any more of them on board, but some went ahead and jumped on board.  The ship left harbor and was then followed by the Libyan navy, until the Greek navy took over.  The British aid workers who made it on board are a bit concerned for their situation.  The remaining group in Libya is currently stranded, as their passports were confiscated.  More updates as information becomes available.

Journalism as Jihad

Journalism can be a scary profession in some parts of the world, especially the Middle East.  Gaddafi just ordered that 19 journalists, who were arrested several days ago, to be released.  According to Reporters Without Borders, there are a great many problems for journalists in the Middle East.  Hundreds left Iraq during the war because of death threats.  But even in peace time, journalists are threatened by governments and high-ranking people in power.  Egypt is issuing new licenses for satellite TV uplinks, in an effort to control the media. 

It takes a lot of courage to print the truth when you know you could be arrested and tortured for it.  I feel very lucky to be blogging from America, because many bloggers in the Middle East have also been jailed for speaking their minds.  I include them as journalists quite simply because some of them are, and even those who aren't "technically" journalists, have proven themselves over the long term by staying true to their principles.  Let us not forget those who are currently imprisoned, often illegally.  Reporters Without Borders has information available in several languages, including Arabic and Farsi.

Canadian Freed from Libya

A Canadian man has been stuck in Libya for a while, and is finally able to leave.  It doesn't sound like he was imprisoned, just not able to leave the country.  He was suspected of spying on a planned BP project (but from what I've seen, BP needs somebody to keep an eye on it).

Flotilla, finally...

Well, it's been coming for weeks . . . The Flotilla. Libya sent an aid ship to Gaza, but then it decided to go ahead and dock in Egypt. That was probably a good idea. It's one thing for Turkey to try and break the blockade, but Libya? Here's the Haaretz article. I'm not sure what the status is on the other ships going to Gaza, but I'll keep looking.