Syria News Wire

The Dramatic ‘Volte-Face’ of Syria’s Bloggers

The Dramatic ‘Volte-Face’ of Syria’s Bloggers

NEWS FROM SYRIA: The former Chairman of the Syria Computer Society, a certain Bashar Assad, had a lot of support from the blogosphere in his first decade. Not any more.

 Eman-Al-Nafjan

Saudi: The Fundamentalist Mindset that Halts Change

Saudi: The Fundamentalist Mindset that Halts Change

EMAN AL NAFJAN: In September the King announced women could vote in municipal elections. Conservatives are fighting a rearguard action.

 Syria News Wire

ISyria’s ‘e-Revolution’: It’s A Constant Game of ‘Cat and Mouse’

ISyria’s ‘e-Revolution’: It’s A Constant Game of ‘Cat and Mouse’

NEWS FROM SYRIA: At first the authorities in Syria were caught unawares at how ‘new technology’ was used against them. But they caught on quickly.

 Common Ground News Service

How I’ve Been Inspired by the ‘Arab Revolutions’

How I’ve Been Inspired by the ‘Arab Revolutions’

SAMAH HUSSAIN, CGNEWS: Social media has been credited with playing a major role in the revolutions of the last nine months but it’s had a huge impact on my political involvement during that time.

 Alexander McNabb

Internet: The Ramification Beyond Connections

Internet: The Ramification Beyond Connections

ALEXANDER MCNABB: Mai and I were so busy examining the implications for the broadband market we missed the wider implications… This had the ability to bring down governments.

 Alexander McNabb

Gitex: Not Just a Trade Show, Part of Dubai Itself

Gitex: Not Just a Trade Show, Part of Dubai Itself

ALEXANDER MCNABB: The miracle is that it’s still with us at all – all the other great horizontal computer shows barring Hanover’s CeBIT have tanked.

 Juan Cole

Steve Jobs and Barack Obama: Sons of Muslims, Distinctly American

Steve Jobs and Barack Obama: Sons of Muslims, Distinctly American

JUAN COLE: Both the U.S President and arguably America’s most creative entrepreneur provide proof of the value of multiculturalism.

 Rob L. Wagner

Saudi Education: The Power Struggle Heats Up

Saudi Education: The Power Struggle Heats Up

ROB L. WAGNER: A new secondary school textbook highlights the struggle between liberals and conservatives within the Saudi Ministry for Education.

 Common Ground News Service

Saudi Women: The Power & Limitation of Social Media

Saudi Women: The Power & Limitation of Social Media

MAHA AKEEL, CGNEWS: It’s clearly enabled women in the Middle East in particular to express their views more vocally but there are limits to what social media can achieve in effecting real change.

 James M. Dorsey

The Facebook Revolution. Is it really?

The Facebook Revolution. Is it really?

JAMES M. DORSEY: Autocrats – and their advisers – around the region have clearly underestimated the power of social media. But how significant has it been in effecting real change?

 Rob L. Wagner

The Saudi Arabian Electoral ‘Experiment’ Continues

The Saudi Arabian Electoral ‘Experiment’ Continues

ROB L. WAGNER: There has been a lot of criticism of Saudi Arabia’s upcoming municipal elections. Some groups, however, know how best to work the system.

 Common Ground News Service

TweetNadwa: 140 Seconds to Say It As You See It

TweetNadwa: 140 Seconds to Say It As You See It

MEHRUNISA QAYYUM, CGNEWS: Inspired by Twitter a grassroots Egyptian organisation has set up an online forum that limits participants to 140 seconds air time.

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

Saudi Draft ‘Anti-Terror Law’ Evokes Strong Response

Saudi Draft ‘Anti-Terror Law’ Evokes Strong Response

AHMED AL-OMRAN: A leaked draft of a proposed, new anti-terror law has been leaked to Amnesty International. A predictable storm has erupted.

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

Aswany, IPAF, Translators: Daoud Takes Aim

Aswany, IPAF, Translators: Daoud Takes Aim

M. LYNX-QUALEY: In a wide-ranging discussion at the Shubbak festival Hassan Daoud, the Lebanese novelist and journalist, had much to say…

 Alexander McNabb

Overload: Could Google+ Be Too Much, Too Late?

Overload: Could Google+ Be Too Much, Too Late?

ALEXANDER MCNABB: With “too many streams of information to be comfortable” , could Google+ assault on Facebook be too much, too late?

 Common Ground News Service

Blogging to Communicate with ‘the Other Side’

Blogging to Communicate with ‘the Other Side’

ZIAD KHALIL ABU ZAYYAD, CGNEWS: I felt the need to do something that could contribute more substantially to end the suffering of my people and reach peace with our neighbours.

 American Bedu

Saudi Arabia: The Muttawa Embrace Social Media

Saudi Arabia: The Muttawa Embrace Social Media

AMERICAN BEDU: Unfettered by the restrictions applying to mainstream Saudi media the ultra-conservative community are going online.

 Common Ground News Service

Western Views of Middle East & The ‘Gay Girl’

Western Views of Middle East & The ‘Gay Girl’

NADA AKL, CGNEWS: The ‘Gay Girl in Damascus’ hoax reveals much about Western perceptions of the Middle East.

 Mondoweiss

The Damage Done by the ‘Gay Girl in Damascus’ Hoax

The Damage Done by the ‘Gay Girl in Damascus’ Hoax

ELEANOR K, MONDOWEISS: Finally we know the truth. Not Syrian, not female, not gay but a middle-aged American living in Scotland. There are consequences which the hoaxer, it appears, hasn’t considered.

 Alexander McNabb

The Story behind the UAE’s Fuel Shortage Is..?

The Story behind the UAE’s Fuel Shortage Is..?

ALEXANDER MCNABB: It’s yet more bad publicity for the country (the oil producer that ran out of fuel – wait for the internationals to pick that one up).