mideastmessenger.com

PHOTO: Internet Cafe in Cairo. Paul Nendick, flickr. 
Facebook could be an Arab leader’s worst nightmare. An open forum for discussion, networking and planning that’s not easily controlled? The prospect would make the most ruthless dictator shudder.
That’s what Egyptian officials did recently when they detained Esraa Abdel-Fattah, a Facebook user and founder of the site’s group “6 […]

PHOTO: Young women in head scarves in Cairo, Angela Rutherford, flickr.
The use of the head scarf in the Middle East has gotten a lot of press lately, especially with the recent constitutional amendment in Turkey that would allow women to wear head scarves, commonly called hijab, on public university campuses.
A salon in Egypt that caters to […]

On a recent afternoon at Peet’s Coffee in Evanston, IL, Professor Kristen Stilt of Northwestern University’s School of Law and Department of History discussed the recent vote in Turkey that would change the constitution to allow women to wear head scarves on public university campuses. The complex issue has stirred passionate feelings about Turkey’s secularism, Islam […]

PHOTO: Egyptian Kids, E. Zarwan, flickr. 
Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world. Movies sometimes comment humorously, or not so humorously, about the fact that Cairo has become so populated that some Egyptians have resorted to living in graveyards. Check out this thoughtful post on graveyards in Egypt.
A recent report from the Cabinet’s Information and […]

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: 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: 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: Palestinian women and children in south Hebron. flickr creative commons. 
Researchers at Israel’s Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry say that Arab women are the most exploited force in the Israeli work force, according to an article in Ha’aretz. Long working hours, low wages and cultural expectations are all factors to consider.
According to the researchers, Arab working women […]