Iranian blogger Omid Memarian, currently living in California, explains to his readers the apparent appeal of the current presidential race: Many Iranians are obsessed with Barack Obama. If he goes to Iran, I’m sure he could fill Tehran’s Azadi Stadium, which has a capacity of 100,000. To a large extent this is because of the…
Showing all posts tagged blogging
The independence struggle
Taking apart a US-dictatorship, one step at a time. (Thank you Facebook, blogging and on-the-ground activism in Egypt.)
Human rights, boycotts and nationalism
My following article appears in the Amnesty International Australia’s Uncensor campaign about human rights in China: With only 100 days until the Beijing Games, human rights activists are continuing to pressure the Chinese regime and authorities may be starting to feel the pressure, writes Antony Loewenstein. After months of criticism of its human rights record,…
In bed with Mugabe
My following article appears in today’s ABC Unleashed: The recent rigged election in Zimbabwe has highlighted the impotence of the international community. Bloggers and activists continue to emphasise the need for President Robert Mugabe to relinquish his hold on power, a position shared by Washington. But not unlike the Burmese uprising in 2007 that saw…
How to escape a brutal American friend
A reliable American ally – Egypt continues to repress any kind of political activism – requires creative thinking by anybody caught up in its madness: James Karl Buck helped free himself from an Egyptian jail with a one-word blog post from his cell phone. Buck, a graduate student from the University of California-Berkeley, was in…
Selective outrage at the IDF
Reveal “state secrets” and watch out: A soldier serving in the IDF’s elite 8200 military intelligence unit was sentenced to 19 days in prison on Wednesday for uploading a picture onto the Facebook social networking site. Abuse the Palestinians and human rights group are forced to challenge the rules: Today, … 16 April 2008, The Public…
Letting Iranian women be heard
Only in the Iranian blogosphere: Iranian women talks about their body and sexual desire.
The Saudi godfather is back
Saudi blogger Fouad Al Farhan has been released from prison after more than four months away from family and friends. He is a friend and colleague (more on Fouad here.) The father of Saudi blogging is back, but I wonder how willing he will be to continue writing critically in his repressive regime.
Tibet, Zimbabwe and loving China
My following article appears in the Amnesty International Australia’s Uncensor campaign about human rights in China: The nationalistic genie has escaped the Chinese bottle. Citizens across the world have reacted strongly to the perceived anti-Chinese political and media elite in the West. Protests have mushroomed throughout China against what demonstrators view as a slight against…
Spraying in Tehran
The growing global interest in the Middle East has allowed an Iranian graffiti artist such as A1one to gain prominence. He has to work covertly in the Islamic Republic but his blog provides ample examples of his fine work: