mideastmessenger.com

PHOTO: Haifa Wehbe, Esam Altuhafi,flickr. 
The Arab League is trying to tighten its control on what is broadcast on TVs across the Arab world. Check out my previous post for more details.
Some notable statements in the charter are that satellite broadcast stations should not transmit  “erotic or obscene material” nor should they damage “traditional values.”
Many, if not most, homes in Arab cities […]

 PHOTO: Satellites in Jerusalem, Jordan Chark, flickr
Al Jazeera has reported that most Arab states have endorsed a charter that would allow states to have more control over satellite broadcasting. That would include Al Jazeera’s channels.
All 22 members of the Arab League were in favor of the charter except Lebanon, which has a rich history in […]

PHOTO: Al Azhar mosque, Eric Olson, flickr. 
The upper house of Egypt’s parliament, the Shura Council, just approved a law that would ban demonstrations in and around places of worship. This has been interpreted as a move against demonstrations that have taken place inside the Al Azhar mosque, a highly respected center for religious teachings and a historic landmark.
The legislation […]

PHOTO: Inside an Al Jazeera studio. Haitham Sabbah, flickr. 
Although the Al Jazeera news network is not readily available to most Americans on TV, its website in English is. Al Jazeera’s show Everywoman offers a variety of stories from women, to women and about women. Their coverage is not limited to the Middle East.
Al Jazeera has not shied away […]

PHOTO: Dubai streets, Patrick Boury, flickr. 
The Middle East is renowned for for its oil. Rich, black oil that powers our cars with gasoline and has added to the deterioration of the earth’s ozone layer.
Dubai is trying to change that image with its latest project: a zero-carbon city.
This comes from the United Arab Emirates, a world leader in oil exports.
Maybe […]

PHOTO: Supporters of Michel Aoun upon his return to Lebanon in 2005, FlickrJunkie, flickr.
Lebanon continues to postpone its presidential election. Lebanon has not had a president since November when Emile Lahoud left office. There is a precarious gridlock in Lebanon’s government caused by the anti-Syrian block and the Hezbollah-led opposition. The secretary-general of the Arab League has […]

PHOTO: Pakistan prime minister Pervez Musharraf at the World Economic Forum in 2006, user World Economic Forum’s photos, flickr. 
Pakistani lawyers were blasted with water cannons at a rally protesting the detention of Pakistan’s deposed chief justice. The late Benazir Bhutto’s husband led a rally attended by 100,000 supporters and urged them to “save” the country. A suspected suicide bomber […]

PHOTO: Turkish women in head scarves, Charles Roffey, flickr. 
Turkey’s parliament voted on Saturday to amend the constitution allowing women to wear head scarves on college campuses.
Turkey’s population is overwhelmingly Muslim, but the country’s secular nature has resulted in a wide range of adherence to religious practices.
The changes immediately brought cries of foul from politicians and Turkish […]

PHOTO: Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem. flickr user FabioHofnick. 
A suicide bomber blew himself up and killed a woman in the southern town of Dimona, where Israel’s secret nuclear reactor is housed. Some American news reports say he killed three people–that would include the bomber himself and another bomber who failed to detonate.
Israel suspects that the bomber accessed the […]

Cyd Mizell, a 49-year-old American, and her Afghan driver have been missing for several days after they were abducted in Kandahar province. Nobody has taken responsiblity for the kidnapping and the Taliban are questioning their own people to see if anyone from their end is involved. They have previously conducted abductions to make a political point.
Political motives […]