Libya protests: EU wary of influx

Libya: Gaddafi Son’s Excuses for the People’s Uprising

Written by Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.

Posted on Twitpic on February 20, 2011 by salam93

2011-02-21 Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Speaks: What Libyan Cables Say About His Address

An address from Muammar al-Gaddafi?s son, Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi, was aired on television in Libya early on February 21. Saif al-Islam told Libyans he had come without a prepared speech and was going to speak from his heart and mind.

Iran: More Protests, Another Death (Videos)

Written by Hamid Tehrani

Despite large security presence in major traffic intersections, witnesses say protesters have been gathering since early afternoon and continue to swell in Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Marivan and several other cities on Sunday, February 20. Opposition websites reported that security forces opened fire on protesters in Hafteh Tir Square in Tehran, killing one person. Safari-Ali Baratloo, a security official, accused the websites of reporting lies and denied there were any clashes or a death, the semi-official Fars news agency said.

Libya: Amidst Spotty Internet, Some Send Missives

from Global Voices Online by Jillian C. York

No longer thwarted: Egypt’s Hizb al-Wasat finally gains legal status

One of the interesting developments of the 1990s in Egypt was that a group of younger members of the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as other independently minded Muslims and Christians, attempted to create a Party of the Center, or Hizh al-Wasat.  They were thwarted both by the government and the Muslim Brotherhood. Indeed, the leadership of  the Brotherhood was infuriated.  There were several interesting aspects of this enterprise: it revealed generational differences within the Brotherhood, provided visibility to moderate Muslim thinkers (notably Muhammad Salim al-‘Awaa), and presented an attempt to exemplify toleration, women’s rights, pluralism and a circumscribed role for Shari’a in civil law.

Rebranding Egypt?s inspiring revolution by Mamoon Alabbasi

Morocco: Explaining the Protests

from Global Voices Online by Jillian C. York

Morocco: Portraits of a Protest

from Global Voices Online by Jillian C. York

Change in the Arab world: Why now?

Arab World: The Great Social Media Debate

Written by Jillian C. York

This post is part of our special coverage:

• Algeria Protests 2011
• Egypt Revolution 2011
• Libya Uprising 2011
• Tunisia Revolution 2011

For months it seems, a debate has been raging over the role of social media in demonstrations. More recently, that debate has focused on Tunisia and Egypt, where sites like Facebook and Twitter were prominent in the organizing of protests. But now, as demonstrations rage in Libya and Algeria?two countries with Internet penetration under 15% and where social media seems to have played a minimized role?that debate is beginning to shift.

Bahraini army murders peaceful demonstrators

This gut-wrenching video (after the jump) shows peaceful protestors being fired on with automatic weapons by Bahrain’s military. The comment thread on the YouTube video attains a new peak in awfulness, even for YouTube videos, with rage-filled illiterates variously blaming Iranian provocateurs, Israel, the USA, Shiites, Sunnis, and whomever else is handy, interspersed with people convinced that gunshots don’t really sound like that.

Kuwait: Stateless ?Bedoun’ Demand Rights

Written by Amira Al Hussaini

Kuwait’s stateless population, also known as ?bedoun’ (without nationality), has been holding protests for the third day in a row, calling for equal rights and a citizenship in the country many have been born in and know as their only home. The government says they are illegal residents – and that their demonstrations are illegal too.