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Lebanon: Power outages · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

“…getting stuck in the ascenseur [elevator] is a rite of passage here. You cannot delay the inevitable indefinitely. Its risk factor has to be taken into consideration every time you are getting off the ground aiming for higher floors. Grocery shopping, garbage collection, wakes, tea time, and other social gatherings are scheduled around possible outage times,” writes Jamal on the regular and sometimes untimely power outages in Lebanon.


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Macedonia: 11 questions for Greece · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Say: Macedonia asks 11 questions to Greek politicians and mainstream media since according to them “ethnic Macedonians inside and outside Greece are ‘non-existent’ “.

source: news-globalvoices

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Elia Varela Serra


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Morocco: Burgeoning Mollywood · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Morocco has long been a mecca for foreign filmmakers.  Iconic films like The Last Temptation of Christ and Lawrence of Arabia, as well as more recent films Rendition and Black Hawk Down, use Morocco as their backdrop.  Other films like Babel utilize more than Morocco's landscape, taking its culture and people into account as well.  Morocco's own burgeoning film industry has produced international hits over the past few years as well: Nabil Ayouch's Ali Zaoua, prince de la rue made waves abroad, drawing comparisons to the inimitable Brazilian film City of God, while 2006's MaRock was particularly notable for its female director, Laïla Marrakchi.
Morocco's film industry hasn't escaped the blogosphere.  European expat Marrakech Xanthe Pat shares a bit of Morocco's film history:
After a bit of research, I was surprised to find that movies had been being made here from as long ago as 1897 ??? ( The Moroccan Knight by French Director Louis Luminere) admittedly a second isn’t noted for about 20 years, but after this there is a steady, almost yearly film being made by French, Spanish and German directors traveling down here to make all kinds of exotic sounding productions.
The blogger concludes by suggesting Morocco's film industry be properly named:
But what is it about Morocco…. Is it the diverse countryside the fact that we have mountains, dessert, staggering coastlines, fantastic historic architecture or the beautiful light and sunny climate that draws these film makers and artists here. Should we start using the title MollyWood. Are we becoming the new tinsel town of North Africa?
Morocco's blogosphere even has its own cinema blogger, Allal El Alaoui, who blogs at cinema and movies.  In a recent post, the blogger profiles the Meknes-Tafilalet film festival:
Although the festival of Meknès-Tafilalet 2008, spearheaded by Hassan Aourid,the Wali of Mekness, is deprived from technical backgrounds such as artistic director and technical co-ordinators for the benefit of the festival, there are things that are remarkably handsome and symbolic about this artistic event especially artists who show their talents upon the prison of Kara named also Qobat Assoufara which is something very iconic for the openess that Morocco is having, states Leila El Baaj, the president of Mekness association.
Morocco's film industry doesn't show any signs of stopping.  The View From Fez recently reported that Prince of Persia has started production in Oukaimeden, best known for being Morocco's (and perhaps Africa's) largest ski resort:
Icelandic actor Gísli Örn Gardarsson is currently in Morocco to play one of the main parts in the new Jerry Bruckheimer movie Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Shooting began yesterday. The film is based on the video game, which follows an adventurous prince who teams up with a rival princess to stop an angry ruler from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the world. He is expected to visit Fez during breaks in the shoot.
Next time you're at the cinema, keep an eye out for Morocco in the background!

author: Jillian C. York


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Morocco: The True Story of Andalusia · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

die blog van toons expresses frustration at an Al Jazeera documentary and clarifies the history of Andalusia.


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Myanmar: Bloggers and Cyclone Nargis · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Ashin Mettacara notes that aside from Buddhist monks, bloggers have been consistent in helping the cyclone victims of Myanmar by raising money from blogs.

author: Mong Palatino


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Myanmar: Jade and Beijing olympics · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Activists urge visitors to the 2008 Beijing Olympics to boycott souvenirs and jewelry made of Burmese jade in order to avoid supporting Burma’s “abuse-ridden jade mining industry.”


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Nigeria: ChallengeIT Camp 2008 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Oro blogs about ChallengeIT Camp 2008 in Nigeria. ChallengeIT is an information technology camp for senior secondary school students and post secondary students who are not above eighteen years old.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Pakistan: Dr Afia Siddiqui · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

All Things Pakistan on Dr. Afia Siddiqui, wanted by FBI on alleged links with Al-Qaeda.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Pakistan: Grey Lady of Bagram · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

CHUP! on Dr Siddiqui, who was described by the British journalist Yvonne Ridley as the Grey Lady of Bagram being extradited to a US Court.


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South Africa: Facebook Guide for South African Businesses · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Andy produces a guide for South African businesses intending to use the popular networking site, Facebook.


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Southeast-Asia: Tallest waterfalls · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Bisean lists Southeast Asia's tallest waterfalls.


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Sri Lanka: Monitoring Mobiles · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

A mobile telephony provider in Sri Lanka wants all users to include photographs in their registration documents. LirneASIA doesn't see the point of such a move.


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Sri Lanka: No Pornography · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Made in Sri Lanka and LirneAsia discuss the censoring of pornographic material.


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Syria: Religious Ties · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

qunfuz remarks upon the complex origins of the Abrahamic religions.


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Taiwan: China Taipei! · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Michael Turton from The View from Taiwan comments on the recent debate about Taiwan's status in Beijing Olympics. The blogger points out that the term Taiwan has disappeared in the recent naming debate, now it is a choice between Chinese Taipei or China Taipei.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Tajikistan: Olympics Blogwatch · Global Voices
Vadim Sadonshoev

One of the major events in the world of sports is going to happen in Beijing during the coming month. Almost all the countries are proudly sending their sportsmen to take part in different competitions and win in the name of their nations. Tajikistan is one of those countries which is proud to send its sportsmen to Olympic Games. This time we have 14 sportsmen and we hope they will win at least one golden medal. I think that sportsman will be a hero of the country.
Shannon is reporting on the departure of Tajik sportsmen to Beijing.
Judging by the deserted stands at the Tajikistan/Turkmenistan football match in the AFC Challenge Cup opening round, all eyes are already focused on the Beijing Olympics as the ultimate sporting and political event of the year. As with many other delegations, the Tajik Olympic team left for Beijing today.
Neweurasia is doubting that Tajik sportsmen can win any medal.
They are financed on leftovers by Sports Committee of Tajikistan and National Olympic Committee. I saw with my own eyes in what terrible conditions they got trained and prepared for the games. I can say for sure that their results are not on international level. Most probably they will bring no medals with them. But this is not their fault. Both of the committees allocated very little resources. Most of the sportsmen received invitation for participation in the Olympic Games very late and had not time for preparations.
Firuz revises an article in Financial Times and reports in Tajik about the bad ecological situation in Beijing and what the government is doing to manage the situation [tj].
According to Financial Times, despite the allocation of billions of dollars for improvement of ecological situation in Beijing, the results are barely seen. Even after removing almost 50 per cent of cars from the center of the city, the amount of exhaust fumes in the air is not decreasing.
But the Olympics is not only about games and entertainment it is also about the national security of China. Tterrorist attack before the Games was conducted near the border with Tajikistan. And according to some sources, the attackers were Tajik nationals. Certainly this does give a credit to Tajikistan at all.
Shannon reports on that.
News is beginning to spread of an attack in Kashgar, Xinjiang province of China that resulted in the deaths of 16 Chinese Border patrol officers.  Some sources are reporting that the two attackers crossed over from Tajikistan, but the NYT and AFP aren’t yet making that assumption.  The AP on the other hand identifies the men as Uighurs and ambiguously refers to their origin as “across the border.”
Also posted on neweurasia.net

author: Vadim Sadonshoev


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Thailand: Prime Minister hides in a public toilet · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Mangozeen reports how the Thai Prime Minister evaded reporters by hiding in a public toilet for 30 minutes. The leader criticized the media for not giving him privacy.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Spillage and Spin  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A spirits manufacturer whose factory is located in a low-income area of Trinidad and Tobago has a molasses spill, causing Attillah Springer to comment: “I wonder if their factory was in a different neighbourhood if they would have waited so long to engage their spin cycle, not to talk about cleaning up that blasted mess.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Turkey: Dailymotion blocked · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

Access to the french video-sharing website Dailymotion.com has been blocked in Turkey since August 2nd 2008. According to Erkan Saka, an Istanbul-based blogger, “the decision to ban the site came without any explanation.”

author: sami ben gharbia


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Uruguay: Application for XO Laptop · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Gabriel Eirea introduces the application called “Conozco Uruguay” (I Know Uruguay) that was specifically created children using the XO Laptop [es]

author: Eduardo Avila


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Uruguay: Listing of Podcasts · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Tan Conectados [es] has begun to collect and list the various different podcasts made in Uruguay.  The site hopes to motivate more people to create these podcasts.


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Vietnam: Top “sex” online searcher · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Comical Hat writes that since 2007, Vietnam has topped the internet chart in searches with the word ’sex’, passing out the likes of Egypt, India, Morocco and Indonesia.


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Western Sahara: A Tribute to a Hero · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Occidental – Sada Assahra al -Gharbiya [ar] has posted a poem entitled “Another Poem from the Occupied Territory: My Hero!”
استتشهد لانه بطل
للانه ما ارادالاستعمار
وكان يحمل فكر وافكار
نعم اغتيل عزيز الدار
واصبح الان في قائمة شهدائنا الابرار
اطفئ نوره لكن بقيت انوار
وعدت بان تكمل المشوار
وتصبر صبر كباار
بان تغسل الذل والعار
وعدت بان تتماسك وان لا تنهار
فقط من اجلك اايها البطل االمغوار
ومن ااجل انصارنا الثوار
Just for you our hero
And for our supporters, the revolutionaries.


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Armenia: Blogger Interviews Acting U.S. Ambassador · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Blogian interviews the acting U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Chargé d’Affaires Joseph Pennington. In an extended entry, the blog details some of the main points from the interview which includes reference to Armenian-Turkish relations, the post-election situation in the country and a recent visit by Pennington and his wife, The Economist's Amberin Zaman, to the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bahrain: 225 Jailed Demonstrators Released · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahrain's King has pardoned 225 people arrested for taking part in demonstrations, reports blogger Mahmood Al Yousif. “His majesty might also consider the fact that without such social justice, many of those released and others might continue to demonstrate to express their chagrin at the iniquitous circumstances they find themselves in,” he adds.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Bahrain: Undesirable Visitors  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif claims the country's Ministry of Information, responsible for censorship, has been visiting his blog, where he maintains a list of banned blogs and sites.


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Balkans: No Progress for Minorities in EU-Integration · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Romano Them discusses why the countries of Southeast Europe make little or no progress in improving the lives of marginalised minorities – at least judging European Union reports.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Bangladesh: Local Elections · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Unheard Voices poses some questions in the context of the local government elections held recently in Bangladesh.


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Barbados, Jamaica: Nice Is as Nice Does  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living in Barbados maintains that the Smile Barbados campaign, aimed at “encouraging people to show greater respect for each other” is a failure – and goes on to relate his experiences at the airport, “which is the first and last port of call for many visitors. It's where…good and bad impressions are made.”


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Belarus: Closing in on Elections · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

The 8th Circle discusses the political situation in Belarus for the upcoming 28th of September parliamentary elections.


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Belarus: Restrictive Media Law Confirmed · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Vitaly Portnikov comments on (RUS) the new and restrictive Belarusian media law that has now been confirmed by the country's president, Alyaksandr Lukashenka.


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China: More Opening Ceremony sneaked footage · Global Voices
John Kennedy

An indignant French-writing journalist has, along with a lengthy rant, posted video taken this week during an opening ceremony rehearsal inside the Bird's Nest. Hong Kong entertainer Jackie Chan and Tibetan singer Han Hong can be seen on stage. Note that in the comments one reader shares the most popular rumor as to who (or what) will be symbolically wrapping up this year's Olympic torch relay…in just over twelve hours.

author: John Kennedy


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China: Pollution levels around Olympic venues · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Off the Map blogger Sean Gorman and friends have taken Chinese government pollution data and made a mashup map of pollution levels in the areas surrounding Olympic venues in Beijing. Code to embed the map here.


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China: Second Olympic terrorism threat video released · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Following last month's Olympics terrorism threat/confession video claiming to be from a group called the Turkestan Islamic Party, another video has been released. Judging from the look of it, this clip will be even less convincing than the one before it. See the Xinjiang-based The New Dominion and The Opposite End of China bloggers for details and analysis of the larger situation.


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Cuba: Hunger Strike Over  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Uncommon Sense reports that four Cuban political prisoners have ended their hunger strike.


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Cuba: Role of the Media  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As one Havana-based blogger, Circles Robinson, is optimistic about Cuban media charting a new course, another, Yoani Sanchez, criticizes the media's complacency in reporting on issues like domestic violence:  “How can a woman, who flees home to avoid the fists of her husband, know how to find a refuge where she can spend the night if not through information in the media…”


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Czech Republic: Prague Churches · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Strog's Prague pictures & opinions diverses [French] has been writing about several churches in Prague, including many pictures. Most recently, he has described in great detail the Gothic church of sv. Václava na Zderaze, the Baroque sv. Jana na Skalce (in French St Jean -de Népomucène- sur le rocher) and the Roman St Longin.


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Dominica, Antigua: One Caribbean?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Following news of the murder of a honeymooning British couple in Antigua, Danielle Jones at Dominica Weekly says: “While some of us may be inclined to brush this incident off as an Antiguan problem, in reality it has implications for the wider Caribbean.  It comes just weeks after our CARICOM leaders decided to market the region jointly as part of a ‘One Caribbean’ marketing campaign.”


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Estonia: City Spirits · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Itching for Eestima compares the different spirit of the citizens of Estonia's two biggest cities – Tallinn and Tartu.


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Estonia: Hemingway and Promotional Storytelling · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Vello Vikerkaar advocates for the substitution of Estonia's inane slogan ‘Welcome to Estonia’ for a story worthy of Hemingway, who once said “In every port in the world, at least two Estonians can be found”.


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Guyana: For the Record  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Signifyin’ Guyana supports the call for the government to publish a collection of the speeches of the country's first Executive President, Forbes Burnham: “They are a valuable part of Guyana's history and should be treated as such.”


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India: No team, only coaches at the Olympics · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

While the Indian Hockey team didn't make it pass the qualifiers for the Beijing Olympics, but as Smoking Signals points out, four hockey coaches are being sent.


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Iran: Syria plays with Iran card · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mohmmad Ali Abtahi, former vice president and blogger, says[Fa] that Syria plays with Iran card for its own interests. Contrary to Syria's policy, Iran supported this country when it was in trouble.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:Iran suspended the punishment of death by stoning · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

A judiciary spokesman said that the punishment of death by stoning has been suspended in Iran.Amatour, an Iranian blogger, calls[Fa] this decision a very good news and remind us that several high ranked clerics have been against stoning.


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Iraq’s Jews · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi blogger Wameeth draws our attention to Iraqi Jews. “Iraqi Jews are one of the most sensitive topics in Iraq, one of largest markets in Iraq in the center of Baghdad trade market is called the Jew market ,it was the center of all the trade in Iraq till the beginning of the sixties of the last century, one of the biggest history and religion thinkers in Iraq is Ahmad Sosa he was a Jew and later became a Muslim,” he explains.


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Jamaica: Independence Day  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaica just celebrated its 46th year of Independence from Britain and several bloggers marked the occasion with posts that ranged from thoughtful critiques to excited celebration…
To put the milestone in its proper context, YardFlex.com began with a brief history lesson, while Abeng News Magazine published the full content of the Prime Minister's Independence Day message, part of which alluded to the challenges Jamaica is facing:
These 46 years have produced varied results. There have been successes and failures, positive achievements and disappointing setbacks. We must take time to take stock of ourselves. We must resolve to build on the achievements we have made and to make up ground where we have fallen behind….for the dream and hope that inspired us at independence, must never die.
Stunner's Afflictions, however, was not one to get on the merrymaking bandwagon:
I am not so big on Jamaica's Independence. Don't get me wrong, I am proud of my country and do feel a sense of patriotism as do most Jamaicans. However, based on the current state of our country and the developments it has made since gaining independence I often wonder if… well think I might have been a better country if we were still a dependent of Britain.
He goes on to justify his position:
We are one of the worst Caribbean countries economically, we have a very high rate of illiteracy and very few professionally trained people in our dwindling work force, and of course one of the highest crime rates in the region (and the world). Our country's infrastructure, legal system and political guidance (are) much less than to be desired for the most part.
We have the examples of other islands that did not seek independence, such as Cayman, and they are doing a whole lot better than our country! They have facilities close to a first world country like the United States and their citizens enjoy certain luxuries most Jamaicans only dream of. On the other hand though, there are other Caribbean islands that have gained their independence, but have been successful and…escaped the quagmire that we have succumbed to. A good example is Barbados, which has one of the strongest economies in the Caribbean.
This makes one wonder, what is the problem with Jamaica? Why did we fail?
Dennis Jones, a Jamaican living in Barbados, was thrilled to be back in his homeland during the Independence Day celebrations, but agreed that:
Forty-six years on, we should have a country that is truly grown up. Many would argue that the country's development has been one of stunted growth, if you look at the way that the economy, with its potentially strong base of mining, mineral processing, agriculture and tourism has struggled to produce enough wealth and jobs to really nurture the majority of the people.
Still, he found a lot to praise:
Jamaicans have much to be proud of in their political systems.  We have justifiably enormous pride in our cultural achievements since independence, including…gracing the world with a completely new musical form in reggae. We have founded a new religion in Rastafarianism. Connecting those two phenomena we have, of course, Bob Marley. We can take immense pride from our sporting prowess. We produced many heroes in the region's favourite sport, cricket. We led the region in soccer status by getting a place in the World Cup Finals and not looking too out of place.
We have cultural icons in literary and intellectual fields…to me, “Miss Lou” (Louise Bennett) stands out the most. We have beauty and grace. I remember the thrill as a pre-pubescent boy in London when I heard that Miss Jamaica (Carol Joan Crawford) had become Miss World in 1963, right there in London's Lyceum Hall.  Things like that put your little country more visibly on the world map…
But noting those achievements only seemed to underscore Stunner's point:
Jamaica is a country that has been blessed with so many resources, best coffee, bauxite, reggae music and has such a strong presence in the world, there is no way our country should be in the state that it is in.  We are a great nation with awesome power, but it seems we just do not know how to use it to better ourselves.
Those sentiments did not dampen the spirits of either Moppet On The Go or Living in Barbados, who quoted the National Anthem:
Knowledge send us Heavenly Father,
Grant true wisdom from above.
Justice, Truth be ours forever,
Jamaica, land we love.
Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica land we love.
In the end, Stunner's Afflictions remained hopeful:
Hopefully, Jamaica will do better and be a stronger country when 47 comes. Have a great independence Jamaicans both home and abroad!


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Japan: Atomic Bombing Anniversary · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Yesterday was the the anniversary of the atomic bombing in Japan, Tokyogenso expresses hope for world peace. Martin from Kurashi quotes from the NHK documentary about the effects of atomic bomb to the victims.


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Japan: Tama Art University · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chiemi from Pink mag wrote a feature story about the creative pedagogy in Tama Art University.


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Jordan: Polygamy is Rare and Accepted  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian The Black Iris discusses polygamy in the kingdom – a practice he admits is rare, “yet relatively accepted to some extent.”


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Korea: Threatening Books and Their Popularity · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

Several days ago, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) in Korea categorized 23 books as threatening books and decided to forbid those books in libraries in the army units because they could ruin soldiers’ minds. Since the announcement, it led to an interesting reaction – sales of those books have been increasing fast among common people. For example, one of the books that was sold 9-10 copies per day is selling 50 times more per day at present. What the MND did seems to lead more attention to those books from ordinary people as well as from soldiers and to encourage more people to read them. A smart online bookshop uses this chance on behalf of its marketing. Netizens’ reactions are below.
A netizen emphasizes what this consequence proves.
국방부는 불온서적으로 규정하는데, 알라딘에서는 잘 팔린다는 말이 들립니다. 경영 경제서만 읽었더니, 도무지 아래에 있는 책은 단 한권도 읽지 않았군요. 금서라는 개념이 아직도 존재한다는 것 자체가 아직은 우리의 체제가 불완전하다는 것에 대한 반증이 되어 버리는 역설을 국방부 담당자가 알고 계시는지 모르겠습니다. 물론, 군대는 국가를 지키는 최후의 보루인만큼 사회와 동일하게 모든 권리가 인정되기는 어려울 것입니다. 명령과 지휘 계통이 엄격하게 서야만 유사시에 군대가 일사불란하게 움직이고 통제되겠지요. 하지만, 우리 젊은이들의 생각에 대한 이해를 배격하고, 무조건적인 명령과 복종을 요구하는 것은 요즘 젊은 세대의 감수성과는 잘 맞지 않을 것 같습니다. 여하간, 덕분에 오히려 책이 많이 팔려 버리는 역효과를 거두었으니, 아이러니합니다.촛불시위도 지나고 보면, 경찰의 강력한 진압 이후엔 항상 더 많은 참여자가 발생하는 것처럼 억누르면 눌러지는 시대가 아니라, 합리적인 설득이 중요한 시대인 것 같습니다.
Many netizens appreciate the MND and make jokes.
고맙다 국방부. 침체되어 있는 도서시장에 활력을 불어 넣은 국방부.[…]하지만 이번 불온서적 리스트에  들어가지 못한 <88만원 세대>의 저자 우석훈 박사는 “국방부의 금서 목록에 내 책이 들어가지 않은 것을 보고 이 시대착오의 세상에 너무 말랑말랑하게 쓴 것이 아닌가, 정말 마음 속 깊이 반성한다.”는 참회록을 보였다.
또한 진중권교수는 국방장관의 해명을 촉구하는 사태에 이르렀다. “제 책들이 국방부 선정 리스트에서 제외된 것은 도저히 납득할 수가 없네요.  국방부는 23권 선정 과정에서 출판사측과 검은 거래가 있었던 것은 아닌지, 도서 선정의 기준과 과정을 투명하게 공개해야 할 것입니다. 이참에 국방 장관께 묻겠습니다. ‘빨간 바이러스'라는 내책이 병영에 들어가 병사들의 정신세계를 감염시켜도 무방하다는 말입니까?” 라고
이에 온라인서점 알라딘에서는 아예 “2008 국방부 선정 불온서적 23선” (작명 센스 죽음) 이벤트까지 한다니, 촛불시위로 지친 국민들의 정신세계까지 채워주기 위해 고군분투하고 있는 고맙다, 국방부!
*********** 국방부가 선정한 올해의 도서 권장 목록 *******************
▲북한찬양 서적으로 < 지상에 숟가락 하나> 외에도 < 북한의 미사일 전략> < 북한의 우리식 문화> < 역사는 한번도 나를 비껴가지 않았다> < 왜 80이 20에게 지배당하는가?> < 북한의 경제발전 전략> < 통일 우리 민족의 마지막 블루오션> < 벗> < 미국이 진정으로 원하는 것은> < 대학시절> < 핵과 한반도> 등이 포함됐다.
▲반정부.반미 서적으로는 < 미군 범죄와 SOFA> < 소금 꽃나무> < 꽃 속에 피가 흐른다> <507년, 정복은 계속된다> < 우리 역사 이야기> < 나쁜 사마리아인들> < 김남주 평전> <21세기 철학이야기> < 대한민국 사> < 우리들의 하느님> 등이 들어있고,
▲반자본주의 서적엔 < 세계화의 덫> < 삼성왕국의 게릴라들>이 포함, 불온서적 ‘딱지’가 붙었다.
In addition, professor, Jin Joong Kwon asked for an explanation from the Minister of National Defense. “I don’t understand why my books were excluded from the list. I would like to know whether there were some bribes between the MND and publishers in the process of selecting 23 books. I demand them to clearly publicize the criteria and process how those books were chosen. I would like to ask the Minister of National Defense, “So you don’t care that my book, ‘Red Virus’ might ruin soldiers’ mentalities.”
What is more, an online bookshop, Aladdin made a special event, “23 threatening books that the Ministry of National Defense recommends, 2008” Thanks to the MND to even be concerned about what peoples should read!
***********Books that the MND recommended for this year (Editor: Some books exist in Korean and therefore English titles here are translated literally)***********
▲As books to praise North Korea: [North Korea’s Missile Strategy]  [Our Culture, North Korea]  [History never evaded me]  [Why is 80% controlled by 20%?]  [Economic Development Strategy of North Korea]  [Reunification, the Last Blue Ocean of Our Peoples]  [Friends]  [What Uncle Sam Really Wants]  [In College Period]  [Nuclear and Korean Peninsula]
▲As books to be against the USA and the Government: [American Solders’ Crimes and SOFA]  [Salt Flower Tree]  [There is blood inside flowers]  [Year 501, The Conquest Continues]  [History of the Republic of Korea]  [Our history]  [Bad Samaritans]  [Our God]  [Kim Nam Joo Biography] [Philosophy in the 21st Century]
▲As books to be against Capitalism: [The Global Trap]  [Guerillas of the Samsung Kingdom]
A netizen compares the strategy of the MND with that of the online bookshop.
패배의 국방부, 승리의 알라딘
며칠 전에, 대한민국 국방부는 병사들이 읽으면 대략 곤란하겠다 싶은 책 23권을 불온도서로 지정했다. 불온의 코드는 대충 1. 반정부•반미, 2. 반자본주의, 3. 북한 찬양. 문제는 그 불온서적이라는 것들에 대한 기준에 대한 국방부의 상식과 네티즌들의 상식이 일부 책들에 한해 크게 다르다는 것이었다!! 넷심에 힘입어 이너넷 서점 알라딘은 무려 ‘2008 국방부 선정 불온서적 23선 공개’ 이벤트를 벌였고, 이후 ‘불온서적'들의 매출은 잘 나가는 책의 경우 무려 10배까지 치솟았다. 국방부는 대변인을 통해, “군 당국이 지정한 23권의 서적에 대해 불온서적이라기 보다는 장병 정신 교육에 부적합한 서적이라고 불리는 게 맞다”, “일부 도서에 대해선 다른 시각이 있을 수 있다는 점을 인정하고, 만약 과도한 부분이 있다면 재검토 할 것”…이라고 해명에 나섰지만, 불온서적 개념 자체를 접을 뜻은 없음을 밝혔다.[…] 진짜 불온이라고 찍힐만한 것들도 있고, (내가 몰라서) 제목만 봐서는 아리까리한 것도 있고 그렇다.[…]
Several days ago, the MND selected 23 books as threatening ones that could cause some distracting thoughts to soldiers in military service. They are categorized as 1. The anti-government and anti-USA 2. Anti-Capitalism 3. Praising North Korea. The problem is that the criteria of the MND and netizens about what books are threatening are very different!!  Believing netizens’ power, an internet bookshop, Aladdin, started an event and the sale of those books has increased to more than 10 times at usual times. The spokesperson in the MND said, “About those 23 books that the MND appointed, rather than being called threatening books, they should be called inappropriate books for giving soldiers mental training,” and “We understand that there could be different perspectives about some books. Therefore, we will reconsider some of them.”[…] There are some books that could be named threatening books, but other books that made me confused.[…]
Not a few netizens are excited in spending their summer vacation and weekends with these books.
국방부에서 참 좋은 책들을 추천해주셨다고 여기저기 칭찬이 자자하더랍니다. 알라딘서점에서는 마침 좋은 행사도 열었더군요. 전 부끄럽게도 위의 목록 중 4권밖에 읽어보지 못했답니다.노암 촘스키의 책은 저도 참 좋아하는데, 국방부에서도 그분을 좋아하나봐요. 그분의 책을 두 권이나 추천해주셨잖아요. 다른 책들도 분발해서 읽어보아야겠어요.[…] 책읽는 사회를 가꾸어나가려는 국방부 여러분들께 다시한번 감사드립니다.다음번에도 좋은 책들 많이많이 추천해주세요.

author: Hyejin Kim


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Kuwait: New Gym Segregation Law Soon  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Writing at ZDistrict, Kuwaiti blogger Marzooq says a new law will soon be introduced to ensure complete segregation in gyms.


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Lebanon: Fires and Global Warming · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Summer forest fires have been erupting in what is left of the Lebanese wilderness for years now. And every year, the blame game is played; starting with parties and politicians blaming each other for not being prepared, to blaming each other for intentionally starting the flames. So, what do the bloggers have to say about this? Read on to find out:
Writing in Arabic, Kadmous discusses the destruction of what is left of Lebanese green areas by fires and blames the institutions of the state for being concerned with less important matters and neglecting such a vital interest:
تتوالى الحلقات السوداء في هذا المسلسل الدرامي الذي لا تبدو نهايته قريبة… وكلّ منطقةٍ من لبناننا نالت حصّةً من التصوير…
النار لا تميّز بين أخضرٍ ويابس… النار لا تفكّر، بل تحرق كلّ شيء لتموت في النهاية مع آخر شجرةٍ تقتلها…
من الذي أطلقها؟ الله أعلم!
كائناً ما كان السبب أو من كان خلفه وأمامه فإنّ ما تبقّى من مساحةٍ خضراء (كي لا نقول مساحات) ينتقل من الحياة إلى الذكرى…
والدولة المشغولة بهموم البيانات وتفسيرها، تخرج عن نطاق صلاحياتها إطفاء النيران… والمال المعطى لوزراء البيئة والزراعة والسياحة والداخلية والعدل والمواصلات والأشغال ولجان مجلس النواب كافةً (منذ الأستقلال وحتى اليوم( لا يكفي لتشغيل ورشةٍ تقطع الطريق على الأسباب التي تجعل كلّ حريقٍ صغيرٍ مدمّراً…
There seems to be no end in sight to the dark episodes of this dramatic sequence… every area in our Lebanon has had its share of photographing… fire does not discriminate between the green and the dry… fire does not think, it burns everything to finally die with the last tree it kills. Who started it? God knows! Whatever or whoever is the reason behind it or in front of it, that doesn’t matter, because what is left of green space (not spaces) is becoming just a memory… and the state that is busy with manifestos and its interpretations, does not have it within its jurisdiction to put out fires… and the money that is given to ministries of agriculture, tourism, interior, justice, transportation, public work, and all parliamentary committees (since independence till today) is not enough to initiate protection projects that will stop small fires from becoming destructive…
Tears for Lebanon too reports on the fires and quotes officials as saying that they were premeditated, in addition to reporting that helicopters from Cyprus were used to help put out the fires:
A huge fire broke out in forests surrounding four villages southeast of Beirut Tuesday consuming thousands of trees.
Civil defense Directorate manager Darwish Hobeika indicated the fires are premeditated, saying they erupted before dawn, which is not normal in summer fires that erupt due to heat.
Civil defense teams, Lebanese Army helicopters and Cypriot helicopters took part in trying to combat the blaze as tongues of flame shot up in the sky and smoke billowed from the slopes overlooking
Beirut.
On a different note, but still within the environment, the Inner Circle writes about how global warming may bring an end to the cedar tree, which is the symbol of the state of Lebanon:
The biggest challenge now for the cedars of Lebanon is climate change,” said Nizar Hani
The cedar’s natural range is now 1,200 to 1,800 metres above sea level, Hani said. A warmer climate would mean cedars could only prosper higher up, where it’s colder.
Cedars once covered vast swathes of southern Turkey, Syria and Lebanon, but their timber and resin has long been in demand, as indicated by the Epic of Gilgamesh, written in the second millennium BC, and by the Biblical tale of King Solomon importing Lebanese cedar wood for his temple in Jerusalem.

author: Moussa Bashir


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Lebanon: The Beirut Spring Family · Global Voices
Nash Suleiman

To cater to different readers, Lebanese blogger Mustapha has tweaked his blog – Beirut Spring. The Beirut Spring ‘family’ is now made up of Beirut Spring Tabloid and Beirut Spring Business.

author: Nash Suleiman


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North Caucasus: Persecution of Journalists · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Dzutsev's Weblog reports that Rosa Malsagova, editor of an Ingush news web site, has had to leave Russia because of alleged political persecution. The blog says that killings of civilians and police happen on an almost daily basis because of the colonial policies of the Russian authorities.


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Pakistan: Impeachment · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

All Things Pakistan on the possibility of the Pakistani President Musharraf being impeached.


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Poland: Endless Celebration of History · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Pawel of Polandian writes about the 1st of August anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, including several photos of the remembrance celebrations in a post titled “Poles must stop living in the past”. He writes: “The fact that we decide to focus all our popular celebrations around history means that we feel we have no achievements in the present”.

author: Elia Varela Serra


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Russia: A Troublesome Autumn? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Windows to Russia! posts a list of worrisome developments in Russia for the coming autumn.


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Russia: Corporate Raiding · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Robert Amsterdam posts a video of a phenomenon that has become commonplace in Russian business in the last 15 years: corporate raiding or hostile takeovers of companies by violent means.


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Russia: Remembering Wilhelm Gustloff · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Copydude reflects upon the sinking in 1944 of Wilhelm Gustloff – history's biggest civilian maritime catastrophy – inspired by a book on Kaliningrad by Isabel Denny.


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Russia: Review of the New Cold War · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

The 8th Circle reviews Edward Lucas’ book The New Cold War.


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Russia: Solzhenitsyn – Hero or Traitor? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user webgolos surveys (RUS) whether Russian bloggers perceive recently deceased writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn as a hero or traitor – or perhaps simply as an author. So far, results are 46% hero, 16% traitor, and 38% simply an author.


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Russia: Who is Fit for Civil Service? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Eternal Remont posts an ironic comment, based on a Financial Times article, about the new drive in Russia to find suitable civil servants.


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Slovenia: A Sunday in Radovljica · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Camille Acey of Adventures in Wheelville posted several pictures of a Sunday in Radovljica, a town in the Slovenian alpine region, including some of a medieval art fair.


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Slovenia: Relaxation and History · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Una española/gallega en Eslovenia [Spanish] describes a visit to the Topolšica spa in Slovenia, where the surrender of the German troups occupying the region was signed in 1945, ending the nazi presence in that part of Europe.


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South Korea: Anti Bush / LMB Protest · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

CINA posts some photos and links of the anti-Bush and President Lee Myung-bak protest on 5 of August.


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Soviet History: Russian-Korean Migration in Central Asia II · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Otto's Random Thoughts expands upon a previous story about Russian-Korean migration in Central Asia from the late 1930s.


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AIDS 2008: Battling AIDS By Battling Homophobia · Global Voices
Juhie Bhatia

As the XVII International AIDS Conference wraps up in Mexico City, one of the many issues participants have been discussing is the international failure to adequately address HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with other men, often referred to as MSM.
SciDev.Net’s blog points out that:
“In the 1980s, when the HIV was identified for the first time, the prevalence of the HIV/AIDS among homosexuals was so high that the disease was called ‘the gay plague.’ The scenario changed, and it showed that the virus and the disease can be – how to say – ‘democratic’ (!), affecting straight men, women and children.
However, scientific data have been showing that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among ‘men who have sex with men’ (MSM) is becoming higher and higher.”
The issue of protecting MSM was brought up by various officials at the opening session of the conference, including leaders from the United Nations and the World Health Organization, and the presidents of Mexico, Botswana, and St. Kitts and Nevis.
It was further reinforced by a report released at the conference by amfAR (American Foundation for AIDS Research). The study shows that globally MSM are 19 times more likely to be infected with HIV than the general population. In Latin America, where the conference is taking place, MSM are 33 times more likely to be infected than the general population, but programs targeting MSM receive less than 1 percent of total HIV/AIDS spending.
The report also found that data on MSM is scarce. Of the 128 countries examined, 44 percent failed to provide any data at all on gay and bisexual men.
Walt Senterfitt, blogging on aids2008.com, speculates about why there's a lack of information.
“A major reason for our lack of knowledge is the same reason why gay men and other MSM are systematically ignored or downplayed in HIV prevention messages and funding and why gay men are subject to arrest, imprisonment, beatings and death in many parts of the globe: Homophobia, stigma, discrimination.
Peter Piot [UNAIDS Executive Director] highlighted the public information campaigns of the Mexican government health department against homophobia as noteworthy exceptions to most government's either ignoring homophobia or actively promoting it.”
Gus Cairns, also blogging on aids2008.com, shares his hopes for how this conference could impact MSM.
“I hoped this conference would be a turning point in the recognition of gay men/MSM in the countries where we officially don’t exist, or are jailed or beaten up or are just plain to scared to be open.
And I very much hope it will, but it’s going to be a struggle. I was reading Elizabeth Pisani’s book The Wisdom of Whores on the way over and she has a lot of things so say about how the world adopted an ‘AIDS affects everyone’ ideology because it was too scary and inconvenient to get politicians to do nice things for the people really affected, namely their ‘vulnerable communities’ or (and I’ll go along with Elizabeth in using the terms that don’t appear in policy pronouncements) their fags, junkies and whores.”
Hope was one of the themes at the first International March against Stigma, Discrimination and Homophobia, which occurred the day before the conference's kickoff to protest discrimination against those with HIV and to highlight homophobia.
Si Soy Gay  describes the march:
“Thousands of people marched against Homophobia, beginning at the Angel of Independence on Paseo de la Reforma Avenue in Mexico City’s gay business and continued down Reforma and ended at the Zocala, in front of the México’s Presidential Palace. This was truly an International march because there were people from all over the world: USA, Central and South America, England, Europe, Asia and Africa.”
Charles Long posts this video of the march.
Gus Cairns says that even though great challenges lie ahead in combating HIV/AIDS among MSM globally, the march gave him hope.
“Just to see the banners on the Mexico march — ranging from the ones saying ‘homophobia is a public health problem’ to the handwritten one carried by a middle aged lady that said, in Spanish and English, ‘I’m proud of my gay son,’ — gives me hope that the thing some of us have been most scared of and yet hoped for most: a re-gaying of the struggle against HIV, but this time drawing in the energies of gay men/MSM from around the world, may be starting to happen.”
Walt Senterfitt also posts reflections on the march.
“It reminds me that we have the power to fight homophobia around the world, if we mobilize, and link with all the other struggles for social justice that are also at the root of ending AIDS.”
Photo of AIDS Ribbon on Sidewalk by new1mproved on Flickr.

author: Juhie Bhatia


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Angola: Countdown to the long awaited elections · Global Voices
Clara Onofre

It is less than a month for Angola to experience one of the most anticipated episodes in its history. Sixteen years since the last elections, Angolans will once again have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming legislative elections, taking place from 5 through 6 September.
The atmosphere is quiet, although there are different feelings among the population. The more affluent people say they are going abroad; some smile and guarantee that nothing will happen because Angolans don't want war and suffering anymore; while others rush to stores to buy staple goods, just in case the devil pays and things go wrong, as happened in 1992. As a reminder, at that time the largest opposition party, UNITA, contested the polls and fighting broke out, leading to a resumption of the civil war that ended ten years later, with the death of the charismatic leader of that party, Jonas Savimbi.
When it comes to foreign businessmen based in Angola, they have no intention of returning to their home countries. The business community is confident that everything will remain the same after the elections and that it is not necessary to change professional commitments. Jotacê Carranca [pt] makes the following reflection on the local atmosphere:
Depois do primeiro processo eleitoral que foi completamente frustrante e traumatizante, aproxima-se a passos largos as segundas eleições legislativas em Angola. Se para muitos este processo é o renovar de esperanças e sinónimo da consolidação da democracia em todo o país, para outros, nas zonas rurais e naquelas províncias que sofreram de forma violenta, directa e dramática as consequências da guerra pós-eleitoral de 1992, penso que prevalece um sentimento de medo, insegurança, pessimismo e incredibilidade em relação aos benefícios que este processo pode trazer para a vida de todos os cidadãos. Nestas zonas há a necessidade de se fazer um valoroso trabalho de descomplexar, um processo que tem influência para além da política, estética, cultura, religiosa e filosófica. Há que transmitir a consciência social e individual.
After the first electoral process, which was completely frustrating and traumatic, the second parliamentary elections in Angola are coming up very fast. If this process is, for many, synonymous with renewed hopes and consolidation of democracy throughout the country, for others, in the rural areas and for those in the provinces who suffered such violent, direct and dramatic consequences of the post-election war in 1992, I think there is a prevailing sense of fear, uncertainty, pessimism and a lack of credibility about the benefits this process can bring to all citizens’ lives. In these areas, there is a need to make a valiant job of simplifying a process that goes beyond the political, aesthetic, cultural, religious and philosophical influences. We must promote social and individual conscience.
Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos has already issued a public appeal for calm and organization on voting days, saying that “it is essential that the safety of citizens and protection of their property is fully guaranteed, because public order is a prerequisite” . The leader added that it is necessary to have “respect for the views and ideas of others” without the use of “verbal or physical violence.”
We hope that the 8.3 million voters will have a peaceful environment to vote in and will do so in a perfectly clear, lucid way. There are more than 12 thousand voting centres throughout the national territory. Meanwhile, Angola is already lively with the election campaign carried out by the nine political parties. For more information about the political line of each one of these political parties please visit Eugénio Costa Almeida‘s blog [pt].
Written originally in Portuguese, translation into English by Paula Góes

author: Clara Onofre


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Armenia: Lesbian Environmentalists · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on Russian media reports that a recent exhibition organized by Armenian lesbians in Yerevan focused on environmental issues.


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Armenia: Oil, Genocide and Obama · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Voices Without Votes takes a look at why many Armenians at home and abroad support U.S. Presidential Election Democratic Party Candidate Barack Obama and how Azerbaijanis and Turks are responding to his campaign promise to recognize the 1915 Armenian Genocide.


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Bahamas: Domestic Violence  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“According to the radio news the death of my friend Bloneva Bethel was the ‘result of a domestic dispute’. Why was it not ‘an unnecessary death due to the failure of the Police to respond to a serious call for help in a timely manner?'” Weblog Bahamas draws attention to the issue of domestic violence.


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Bahamas, Haiti: Migration Nation?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The capture of hundreds of Haitians arriving by boat on the southern coast of New Providence recently focused new attention on our illegal immigration problem”: Larry Smith at Bahama Pundit maintains that “there are two key immigration issues – stabilising the size of the Haitian community, and integrating long-term Haitian residents into the mainstream of Bahamian society.”


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Barbados: Let the Games Begin · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Barbados had its flag raising ceremony on Wednesday…no mention of it was placed on the Barbados Olympic Association’s website. Why? Difficulties getting info from out of China.  Yet I found links on the web on Jamaica and Cuba’s flag raising ceremonies”: Bajan Global Report thinks that “there is no reason in this mighty age of internet technology that a platform couldn’t have been created to allow athletes to blog on their experiences…”


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Bosnia & Herzegovina: Lost London Connection · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Tim Clancy of the blog Pure Intent laments the cancelation of flights between Sarajevo and London. He says: “The city of London has done great things for this country.   Although we do not bare the entire blame of this misfortune, we certainly are guilty of having our heads in the sand.”


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China: 43 Years Ago · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Tiger Temple reminds people that on 8 of August, 1966, the Chinese Communist party has announced “the decision on proletarian cultural revolution”.


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China: Beijing doesn’t love masks? · Global Voices
Bob Chen

On Tuesday, four Olympics athletes from United States showed up at Beijing airport with masks over their mouths and noses. Though they thought it was just a simple “precautionary measure” against the pollution in China, such behaviors were interpreted much differently by the Chinese internet users.
The No. 1 accusation is that the masks were intended to embarrass Chinese as a protest with political implication.
Blogger Gass-rooter(草根情怀） railed against them
美国运动员还真戴口罩来到中国了，一个个黑色的大口罩，戴上好像防毒面具一样难看。
别小看这一个个黑色的口罩，美国这是早就有预谋的，他们声称为了保护运动员的肺部健康，冠冕堂皇的理由，实则是蓄谋已久，为了在世界面前给中国难堪….
首先，美国当年自己举办奥运会的时候，洛杉矶糟糕的空气就远比北京的污染利害，结果他们自己什么事都没有，这次非和咱们北京的空气过不去
The U.S athletes finally put on their masks to China, the black masks, as ugly as gas masks…. The conceit way they wore them disgust us Chinese……
Don’t slight these little black masks. The U.S has planned to do so, to embarrass China in the presence of the world, though slef-proclaiming that they were just taking care of the athletes’ lungs.
Firstly, when U.S hosted the Olympics in Los Angles, whose air pollution was even worse than Beijing’s, they did nothing. But this time they just could not get along well with the air condition in Beijing.
And he furthermore took people living in Beijing as arguments.
其次，且不说中国人口密集，就说北京，多少人在日复一日的生活工作着？我们怎么都没事，我们的生活照样高质量，我们的快乐照样挥洒自如，那怎么他们一来就要弄个什么见鬼的口罩保护自己？
Secondly, not mentioning the dense population in whole China, just in Beijing are so many people there, and we are all living fine and with joy day after day.  Why the hell have they got to put on masks once they arrive?
一个口罩，分明就是在挑衅，分明就是在侮辱，我们凭什么要受这些？
He finally concluded the mask as a sign of insulation. “Why do we have to withstand it?” he questioned.
Compared to this lengthy redicule, some just commented in short words with anger:
他妈的。滚．不要来了！
F**k off! ******
More people thought the athletes impolite.
afhel said:
不过他们这个绝对是对中国至少是对北京失礼的行为。就像和你握手时候带着手套一个道理，嫌你脏。
They were impolite to China, at least to Beijing. It’s just like shaking hands with you with gloves on, which implied you are felt dirty.
不一定1 in Tianya said:
你是客人，你来别人家，对方非常努力的打扫了房间，很热情的接待了你，这个时候，你不应该表现出友好和善意吗？就算对方家里还有不足之处，你不应该表示理 解和宽容吗？
You are guests that come to the home of a host who tidy up his room and welcome you warmheartedly. And shouldn’t you show friendship and kindness at the point? Even if there is a few aspects to improve at the house, shouldn’t you show understanding and toleration?
In senses of these net users, wearing mask is but a chilly rejection to Chinese courtesy, a behavior that “give no face to Chinese”, as translated from the Chinese idiom, 不给面子.
And 誓佐 ‘s comment gave another reason explaining why they feel pissed off by the athletes:
为凹运，为了清洁空气，就差把国人会放屁的屁眼给堵截了，可美国佬还是不给你脸．
For Olympics, for clean air, we nationals almost have to clog our assholes to let no gas out, but the Americans just don’t give you face (give you respect).
This grief is in some way justifiable. To prepare Olympics with good air, over 100 factories were shut down, and in Beijing, over 2 million vehicles were banned to run on way per day, industrial production and transportation affected. Also, the strict security measures in many cities bring abut great inconvenience.
That’s why some suggested it’s a ceremony to flatter the foreigners by the price of the citizens’ regular life; looking on the troublesome 2008 more or less associated with Olympics, it probably makes sense.
Back to the topic, however, there is also voice at the other side no less resonant than the aforementioned.
露珠湿纱壁 relentlessly contradicted the internet users who scolds the athletes:
你有痛骂他们装逼的权利，他们也有戴口罩的权利。
被GD洗脑洗多了，自然就会越俎代庖地替主子愤怒。
真是悲哀啊，这个民族
You have the right to call their names, but so that they can freely wear masks.
Brainwashed too much by CCP, you’ll of course feel piqued for your master, even if it doesn't need you to. What a wretched nation!
On August 6, the U.S athletes concerned, under the pressure of U.S.O.C. officials who were apparently unhappy with their choice (according to New York Times), apologized. The 4 cyclists said it was in no way meant to serve as an environmental or political statement.
On this apology, many Chinese internet users felt it a victory, while still a few thought it not a sincere one. But meanwhile some felt sorry with Chinese.
骑着蚂蚁猎大象 said:
戴个口罩也要道歉，可见中国确实比某些地方好五倍。
另外问一下，中国卖口罩吗？建议明天全国都不准卖口罩，也不准戴，谁戴罚谁。
That people should apologize because they wear masks indeed shows that China is 5 times better than some place. (It alludes to an embassy’s statement that the human right condition in China is 5 times better than that of U.S —- translator)
By the way, are masks sold in China? I suggested the masks being banned tomorrow, and punishing all those put it on.
Wear or not to wear masks, might not be a question for the guests, but the host, a sensitive host.
As龙锋塔said:
一个带口罩的都容不了，还谈什么大国风范？
What a great country is it supposed to be that even cannot stand a man with mask?
（Additional:less than 30 minutes to the Olympics. Regardless of so many controversies, may the ceremony be blessed!)

author: Bob Chen


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China: Monoplized of Charity  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ｇuo Yu-Kuan from my1510 criticizes the monopolized of charity service in China by government organized NGO.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Tweeting the Olympics · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Have you seen the GVO Olympics Twitter account? Check it out for an idea of what's being tweeted about the Olympics in real time.


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Cuba, China: Politics & Sport  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I consider myself a fan of the Olympics…this time around, I just can't get excited about the Games”: Cuban blogger 26th Parallel thinks that the Chinese regime is “as oppressive as the smog that's covering Beijing.”


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Eastern Europe: Trafficking with no end in sight · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Natalia Antonova reflects upon a problem “that won't go away” – human trafficking, and comments on an article about the issue from The New Yorker.


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Estonia-US: Speeding tickets · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

cyrsfarivar.com compares the hustle of getting a speeding ticket in the US and Estonia, with the latter coming out on the positive side.


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Georgia: A few .ge sites down · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Colleen of the blog winthrop360 notes that a few .ge websites appear to be down, including the President of Georgia and the Parliament of Georgia.


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Georgia: Similarities with 1995 Croatia · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Gray Falcon compares the current situation of South Ossetians in Georgia with that of Serbs in Croatia in 1995.


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Georgia: South Ossetia Update · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

See Global Voices special coverage page on the South Ossetia crisis.
With local and international media outlets reporting that fighting is spilling over into Georgia proper, the latest military confrontation with Russia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia looks increasingly like war. Wu Wei reports from Tbilisi that the Vaziani military base just outside the Georgian capital has been bombed. The signs look very ominous indeed.
Reports say Russians have damaged the runway at the Marneuli airport near Tbilisi.
We are wondering what the Georgian airforce is doing.
Nobody has declared war yet, and the Russians are hedging, but when you put it all together, it looks pretty much like it.
It seems some dignitaries are on their way, like President Adamkas from Lithuania. They better land quick.
The same blog says that Embassies are now preparing for the possibility that their citizens will have to be evacuated. However, it is not yet certain whether such a move will be necessary.
It seems in case of an evacuation it will be through Armenia. Our Greek has been told the same. This seems to be a plan agreed at a meeting of all the embassies earlier in the week.
But nobody is expecting this to be necessary. I'm leaving for Lithuania next Thursday anyway, for a long weekend.
A new meeting of diplomats has been called this afternoon which everybody but the Russians have gone to.
A Fistful of Euros examines the situation from Georgia, but also questions whether Russia will risk war over South Ossetia. It also wonders whether Tbilisi received tacit approval for military operations from the U.S. and Europe.
First, what will Russia’s leadership do? It was willing to have Russian planes violate Georgian airspace last week during the escalation, and reports have it that one bomb each fell near the Georgian cities of Gori and Kartveli. On the other hand, this looks like a gesture — if the Russians wanted to have bombs fall on Gori and Kartveli, they jolly well would have. Escalation by the Russian side is of course possible, but Saakashvili’s government has bet that Russia won’t be all that put out about 70,000 South Ossetians. The ruble and the Russian stock market, however, both had big drops today, apparently on the theory that you never know about escalation.
Second, what will the Americans and EU do? A senior State Department figure was here in Tbilisi last week, and I would expect that the Georgian side at least hinted very broadly about what was up. He would have to deny that, of course, in the way of these things. We can assume that the Americans did not warn them off. The German foreign minister was also here, with a plan for Abkhazia. It’s slightly less likely that he was clued in, but the topic of his visit points to the next item on the reintegration agenda.
The same blog also reports that while Russian jets have bombed targets close to the Georgian capital, there has only been sporadic outages in terms of electricity, Internet access and cell phone communication. Meanwhile, other blogs, such as one from Reuters, examine the possibility that Georgian military action is directly related to Kosovo.
Is Kosovo to blame for the fighting in South Ossetia?
When the Serbian province seceded from Belgrade in February, South Ossetia was quick to reassert its own claim to international recognition.
As a spokeswoman for separatist leader Eduard Kokoity told Reuters at the time: “The Kosovo precedent has driven us to more actively seek our rights.”
Those remarks will not have gone unheard in Tblisi and could well have added some urgency to Georgia’s desire to impose its rule over breakaway South Ossetia.
the will to exist also comes to the same conclusion, but says the situation is not the same.
South Ossetia is another Kosovo in the works. 98-99% of Ossetians want independence if you believe the results of their referendum. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality of the world. Independence for South Ossetia is no more likely than say, Vermont seceding from the United States. Either Georgia or Russia will dominate the territory for the foreseeable future.
Writing on Outside the Beltway, James Joyner again draws parallels with Kosovo and is concerned about the situation, wondering if NATO will have no choice but to intervene.
This is still a holdover from the breakup of the Soviet Union. South Ossetia declared its independence from Georgia in the early 1990s and has de facto sovereignty over large parts of its territory. While neither Georgia nor the international community recognizes the secession as legitimate, Russia has been sympathetic.
Tensions came to a head with Kosovo’s declaration of independence and the push to offer Georgia a membership action plan and eventual inclusion into NATO. Russia immediately began throwing its weight around in both South Ossetia and another breakaway province, Abkhazia.  It appears that Russia is now making its play.
Given that NATO all but promised Georgia eventual membership at its Bucharest summit mere months ago, ignoring Russia’s move here is unthinkable.
[…]
This is getting ugly, fast.


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Georgia: War in South Ossetia · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

See Global Voices special coverage page on the South Ossetia crisis.
Following clashes and allegations of the shelling of Georgian villages by separatists in the breakaway territory of South Ossetia, there are fears that war will once again rage in the volatile South Caucasus. With the media reporting that Georgian troops have surrounded the capital, Tskhinvali, all eyes are on how Russia reacts to the latest developments. Writing on BattleForums, Uncle_Vanya says that this is war.
The war has just begun yesterday, Georgia began massive military operations to capture South Ossetia, so far the civilian bodycount is 15 dead. South Ossetian capitol of Tshinvali is surrounded by Georgian forces and is being pounded by Georgian airforce. A few minutes ago Russian Peacekeeper HQs in the region reported that there were direct artillery hits on the barracks of the Russian peacekeepers and there were wounded. Russia is going to war, we haven't moved the troops yet but with our peacekeepers wounded we now have no choice, Russia is at a defacto state of war with Georgia. There is a report by Georgian ministry of Defense of a pack of Russian Su-24 ground attack aircraft dropping bombs of a Georgian city of Karel, the main city police building has been heavily damaged with bombardment, no reports of casualties as of yet. As I said, weeks later Russian forces have already been assembling at the North Ossetian-South Ossetian border and will most likely begin mobilizing towards the conflict zone some time today. […]
Georgia already considers Russian peacekeepers in the territory to be a party to the conflict, and the situation is made even more volatile by the fact that most South Ossetians hold Russian passports. Some media sources also report that Russia is alleged to have struck targets in Georgia proper. B & C Go To Georgia, a Peace Corps blog, already reports there are some signs that this might be true.
Brenden left for Khashuri this morning to go to a session for the trainees […], whereas I remained in Tbilisi. He was supposed to come back to Tbilisi this afternoon, but at some point after they passed Gori, the highway by Gori was blown up (this is my understanding–this hasn't been reported in English language media yet). […]
With all that said, the situation here is worse than it has been in the time we've been in Georgia. This is my own personal opinion (not the opinion of Peace Corps or the U.S. government), but I think this might develop into a full-scale war.
Aid Worker Daily posts a video and ominously titles the entry “South Ossetia – If this isn’t war I don’t know what is,” while Horizons Unlimited advises global travelers to stay away from Georgia.
Its all booting off now in Georgia … The Georgian military have stormed into one of the two wannabe breakaway zones, South Ossetia … and the Russians are vowing to defend their “compatriots”. Russian peacekeepers have been among the casualties. President Medvedev has summoned his security council, PM Putin has vowed there will be a response from Russia. Georgian President Saakashvili has called up all reservists.
Might be an area to avoid.
Nachspiel at Polemarchus’ says that the conflict in South Ossetia is a test for the New World Order, but is unsure whether the United States or Russia will allow it to escalate further.
[…] I’m not an expert on this matter, or even on international relations at all. But I do notice one thing: an absence of the kind of confronational rhetoric categorizing the cold war. Admittedly, the big guys themselves haven’t started commenting yet, leaving the speaking to the diplomats. But that might also mean neither Moscow nor Washington are prepared to let this escalate into a major international crisis.
This is a test of the new world order after the Cold War, as fighting erupts on Russia’s doorstep. Let’s hope this won’t be proof of the new cold war neoconservative Robert Kagan claims is in the making. As yet it’s too early for an uninformed being to make predictions. I’m waiting for European and later American commentators to wake up and tell me what we can expect.
groul as a'housekeeper [RU] is updating its readers on the situation, but also reports that several web sites in South Ossetia might already have been hacked or blocked. But in a region where frozen conflicts and ethnic tensions threaten stability, perhaps the last word should be left to two cups of tea which says that “war is killing beautiful South Ossetia.”
War has come to a new part of our world today. As in all wars, innocent lives are affected in tragic ways. This does not come as a surprise on any of the party’s involved in the conflict.
It is sad however that Georgia, Russia and South Ossetia cant come to a peaceful solution.
[…]
We can only hope and pray peace, brotherhood and the willingness to listen to the people of Ossetia and Georgia, will win over pain and war.
More updates will be posted later.


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Haiti: Child Labour  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Child slavery in Haiti may be the ultimate symbol of a state that has failed its most vulnerable members”: jmc strategies says that “key to ending child slavery in Haiti is creating long-term economic options for parents and access to quality education for children.”


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Hong Kong: I’m Not Ready · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Life is but an empty dream… feels frustrated about all the Olympic propaganda on T.V and expresses respect for the protesters who are speaking out the truth they believe in.


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Jamaica: Bleached Beauty?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“What does the current rage — skin bleaching — tell us about our identity?” asks Jamaican Francis Wade.


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Jamaica: Presumption of Innocence  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

My View of Jamdown from Up So thinks that Jamaicans are not being measured in their response to the crime situation: “Truly things…have become bad when cool-headed, optimistic people are joining in the call for ‘hard policing’; if we don’t address the real disease now, the day will soon come when even stalwart defenders of human rights…will squeal for the Jamaican state to abridge and abuse the rights of the poor and poorly-connected.”


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Jamaica, U.S.A.: Stupid is as Stupid Does  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“It’s the glorification of ignorance, the association of dimness with your degree of blackness that troubles me”: Jamaican Marlon James is troubled by the pressure put on black people to “dumb things down”.


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Japan: Letter to Google about Street View · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

One year after its debut in the United States, Google's Street View has arrived in Japan, where it is already drawing criticism. Despite the company's generally positive image in this country, bulletin board threads [ja] and blogs [ja] are filled with comments questioning the way Google has rolled out its latest service. In the past few days,  the CEO of a major Internet services company has spotted his own wife [ja], others have found images of men urinating outdoors, and others have caught couples entering love hotels [ja] (not to mention birds in full flight). All of this has raised serious privacy concerns [ja].
But as much as reaction has focused in other countries on private information such as license plates and personal identity, in Japan it is as much the less obvious cases of privacy infringement that provoke a reaction: seeing people's clothes out on the line [ja], open windows where robbers could break in [ja], or cars parked in the parking lot [ja].
One blogger, noting the cultural differences between the United States and Japan, realized that there was a need to explain to people at Google in the U.S. what was happening in Japan, and why the company — which generally has a very positive reputation locally — had provoked such strong opposition with Street View. The blogger is IT professional Osamu Higuchi (樋口理) at Higuchi.com, who wrote a post in his blog on August 7th titled “Letter to the people at Google” which starts:
ストリートビューを使ってみて、やはりこれは何か言っておかなくてはいけないような気がしてきたので、書きます。ひょっとして、このサイトがGoogle 八分になって検索空間から消えるようなことがあったら、この記事のことを思い出してください。
最初にことわっておきますが、僕は Google のことが大好きです（みんな大好きだよね）。日本の Infoseek を作るときにゴールとして思い描いていた「世界中の Web に雑然と散らばっている情報と知識を、秩序立てて整理して、だれでも必要な到達できるようにすれば、世の中が大きく変わる」という、僕らは実現できなかった夢を、しっかり会社のビジョンとして掲げて確実に実現している姿を、本当にうらやましく思います。
でもね、この日本でのストリートビューは、僕は生理的にダメ。ここまで無邪気に踏み込んではいけないと思うのです。
きっと、セルリアンタワーの中の人も同じように感じていると信じて、なぜこれがダメなのか、海の向こうの人にも分かりやすいように説明を試みますんで、聞いてください。で、リエゾンとして、正しいローカライズについて、きちんと向こうの人を説得してくれるとうれしいです。
ご検討をお願いしたいことはひとつだけ。
In the following, Higuchi is addressing the people at Google in the U.S.:
日本の都市部の生活道路をストリートビューから外してもらえませんか
以下にその理由を書きます。
日本の都市部の生活道路は生活空間の一部で、他人の生活空間を撮影するのは無礼です
米国、特に西海岸に住んでいる人は自宅のプライベート空間とパブリックな空間の境目は、所有権的にも精神的にも公道と私有地の間にあると思います。というか、みなさんの感覚では公道に面した自分の庭のほうが公的な空間で、自分の庭をきれいにしていないとコミュニティの景観上よろしくないと思っていますよね？
ところが日本の都市部生活者は逆で、家の前の生活道路、いわゆる路地のほうが感覚的には自分の生活空間の一部、庭先なのです。日本の都市部では、家の前の公道を掃いたり、打ち水をしたり、雪かきをしたりするのが居住者のつとめとされています。下町を歩いているとよくわかるけれど、家の前の路地に鉢植えとかちょっとした物置とかをはみ出して置いてあるのもその感覚の表れです。
僕らはそういう路地を歩くときには、路地の周りの家のほうをじろじろ見つめることはしません。ちょっと横を向くと、文字通り鼻の先はだれかの生活空間なので、そういうところをのぞき込むのは失礼なことだという意識が働いていると思うんです。
日本人がアメリカに家を建てるときに、日本の感覚で家の周りに塀をめぐらせて周りからひんしゅくを買うことがあるそうですが、日本の都市部の感覚では逆に通りを歩く人が塀の中をのぞき込むとひんしゅくを買います。
もちろん、塀や垣根の隙間から中を覗こうと思えば覗けます。そういう行為は「垣間見」と言って、源氏物語の昔から、ちょっとはしたないこととされています。
この季節、なにかのはずみで、軒先で下着同然の格好で涼んでいるおじさんと目があったりします。そんなときも、その人が近所の風呂屋でのなじみとかだったら、ちょっと立ち話をするかもしれませんが、そうでもなければちょっと会釈をするような格好をしてそのまま目をそらし、お互いに見なかったことにする、というのが礼儀です。
「公道からの風景だから公開を前提としているはずだ」ではなくて、「公道を通る者はその鼻先の生活空間はのぞき込んではいけない」というのが、日本の都市生活者のモラルなんです。
僕らの生活スタイルは、生活空間の様子を一方的に全世界に機械可読な形で公開するようにはなっていません
そういう文化ですから、東京の都市部で路地を歩きながら10メートルごとに360度周りを見回して歩く、なんていうことをやっていると、確実に30分以内に警察に通報されます。手にカメラでも持っていて通りからの風景を撮りためていたりしようものなら、僕の家のあたりのストリートビュー空白地帯なら職務質問の後、池上署か田園調布署にご同行を願われることうけあいです。
生身の人間が路地から生活空間をじろじろ覗いているとやっかいなことになりそうなことは日本人なら直感的にわかるので、普通の人はそういうことをやりません。そのため、生活者側も路地から生活空間の様子が知れてしまうことに対してわりと無防備です。
ところが、ストリートビューを通して覗くのは、覗かれていることに気がつきませんから通報されることもありません。この非対称性が別の問題を引き起こします。
日本中の、いや、世界中の人が、ケーサツのお世話になるというリスクを負わずに、無防備な生活者の生活空間の様子を見ることができるということは、例えば侵入が簡単そうな構造の家屋を探したり、転売価値の高そうな自動車が公道に面した場所に駐車してある場所などを、誰もが通報されるリスクなしで下見できるようになってしまった、ということです。
そりゃ、通りからじろじろ下見をする人がいれば通報されるはずだから、と安心して無防備に暮らしている我々が悪いのかもしれないけれど、この安心感が一方的に突然乱されるのは、どうにも納得がいきません。
ややこしいことになる前に、ご自身のモラルで判断して行動してください
それにしても、ストリートビューとプライバシーの問題について、意外なほど日本の新聞が何も言わないのはなぜでしょうね。梅田本だか、アンチマイクロソフトのドグマか何かのせいで、彼らの中では「Google＝なんかわからんけど絶対善」ということになっているのかもしれません。右も左も、あの人たち思考停止しているのかな。
[Note: Mochio Umeda (梅田望夫) is a well-known author of books on IT in Japan. See this translated interview for more information.] (note added August 12, 2008)
でも、近い将来、ストリートビューで下見をして空き巣とかクルマ泥棒をやった奴がきっと捕まって、その手口を供述すると思うんですけど、そのときになって突然鬼の首を取ったように「クルマ泥棒、インターネットで下見」とか書き立ててバッシングキャンペーンを始めるのも、その人たちです。そういうことになる前に、常識的なローカル社会のモラルに照らしたサービス設計をしていただきたいと心から願っています。
繰り返しますが、私はみなさんの「世界中の情報を整理し、世界中の人々がアクセスできて使えるようにする」というビジョンを非常にすばらしいと思っていますし、それを実現していることを尊敬し、感謝しています。
でも、公開することを前提としていない生活空間の様子を勝手に公開されるのは、どうにも気持ちが悪い。僕らの「ほっといてもらう権利」をないがしろにしていて、どうも“evil”だと思えてしようがないのです。
お願いですから、僕らのプライバシー感覚と防犯意識が、あなたがたのそれと同じようにアメリカナイズされるまでの間で結構ですから、日本の路地の様子をストリートビューから外していただけませんか。そのために、インターネットがほんの少しだけ不便なものになっても、僕は全然かまいません。
Thanks to Taku Nakajima for the suggestion to translate this article.

author: Chris Salzberg


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Lebanon: An Italian Lesson for Lebanon · Global Voices
Nash Suleiman

What are the similarities between Lebanon and Italy, other than the fact that they both overlook the Mediterranean?
Blogger Antoun Issa, in his latest post at Lebanese Chess argues that his understanding of Italy’s political corruption can certainly be compared – both directly and indirectly to Lebanon’s political corruption as well. He writes:
Like Italy, the Lebanese have for 60 odd years of independence been submerged in a corrupt political establishment that has shown no signs of disappearing despite bloody civil wars and endless economic failures.
Issa starts his argument by pointing to Italy’s Beppe Grillo (an Italian activist, comedian and actor) who has played a role in the unveiling of the Parmalat’s financial fraud (Parmalat is an Italian dairy and food corporation). He says:
The public's anger has catapulted anti-corrupt comedian Beppe Grillo into fame. Perhaps Grillo's most famous achievement was unveiling financial fraud in dairy giant, Parmalat, in 2003.
The blogger then discusses his own experiences by comparing his circumstances as a Lebanese citizen to Beppp Grillo’s statements:
The Italian comedian states that everyone in Italy knows about the corruption scandal, but thanks to a politically-driven media, no one speaks up. Sound familiar, dear Lebanese? Probably explains why The Daily Star never publish my material.
A brief and quick analogy from the blogger's point of view adds more details to his argument by drawing parallels between the Lebanese and Italian societies:
The scenario isn't much different in Lebanon. The sudden obsession with material possession, brand names, and a bubbling Beirut nightlife have contributed to the political fatigue, and soured the call for desperate change. Many Lebanese, like many Italians, prefer to ignore the political corruption stifling their daily lives by indulging in alluring material riches.
Antoun Issa ends his article stating that Italy has found its shepherd in Beppe Grillo, who has moved the masses:
…It is Italy's wake up call.
Now we just need to find Lebanon's wake up call.


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MENA: Obama’s Muslim Outreach Coordinator Resigns · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Mazen Asbahi, the attorney who had volunteered as Barack Obama's outreach coordinator to Muslim and Arab-Americans, has resigned after accusations of ties to Jamal Said, an imam at a fundamentalist mosque in Illinois.  Asbahi briefly sat on the board of Allied Assets Advisors Fund with Said in 2000.
yaman's amateur ramblings, a Syrian student in the U.S., remarks on the Obama campaign's failure to reach out to Muslim and Arab-American voters:
After 8 years of the Bush administration, Muslim and Arab Americans, like others, have been counting on a breath of fresh air to come their way so that they might feel safe and welcome in their own homes once more. When Barack Obama announced that he was committed to change, many felt for the first time that it was possible to hope for something less bleak than the legacy that Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld had left behind. Unfortunately the Obama campaign has shown over and over again that it is more interested in playing along with an irresponsible media and its electoral antics, than it is in building solidarity between Americans from all communities and walks of life. If Obama wants to be the candidate of change, he has to exemplify that change throughout his campaign, not only through promises to be fulfilled after the elections.
The blogger concludes by giving his own suggestions on how Obama's campaign could better reach out to this demographic:
If Obama wants to reach out to the Muslim American community, he needs to do it by standing by them in the face of these and similar smear campaigns which are succeeding in making everything Muslim, and everything Arab, “untouchable” when it comes to politics and campaigning in the United States. He needs to take their concerns about immigration, Department of Homeland Security harassment, and foreign policy in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine seriously. If he does this, it will mean more to Muslim and Arab Americans than the invention of token campaign jobs which look good on paper but might not achieve much–after all, even George Bush appointed an advisor to the White House to represent the Muslim community during his term, but hardly anybody from the Muslim or Arab American communities would call that the kind of “change” they were looking for.
From Morocco, Myrtus asks tough questions:
Why is it that everything even remotely Muslim surrounding Obama always ends up in a controversy?
Is it simply because the Obama campaign is spineless or is the Right just too powerful?
Israel Matzav speculates on how Asbahi was hired in the first place:
But there are two other possibilities as to why this happened. One is that Barack Hussein Obama and his campaign see nothing wrong with employing people who are connected to terrorists. After all, as Ed points out, Obama himself spent a lot more time sitting on the same board with William Ayers than Asbahi did with Said.
The second possibility is that the type of Muslim who isn't a terrorist sympathizer – the Noni Darwish's, the Ayan Hirsi Ali's, the Wafa Sultan's – wouldn't work for the Obama campaign and wouldn't attract many Muslim voters.
Neither possibility bodes well for an Obama presidency or for the future of the United States.
KABOBfest‘s Will, remarking on a story about Gazans buying Obama t-shirts illegally, had this to say about Asbahi's resignation:
This came right when the campaign excised more Arab-Islamic controversy potential. Its volunteer Muslim Outreach Coordinator, Chicago attorney Mazen Asbahi, resigned after 9 days to avoid any unwanted attention to his past associations with groups and individuals some believe to be linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. Yes, it's probably all bull. But the standard is higher is when you're an Arab or Muslim. And it's even higher when 12% of Americans think the candidate is Muslim.
* This article also appears on Voices without Votes.

author: Jillian C. York


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Nepal: Ex-Prince in Singapore · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

IZ Reloaded on the former prince of Nepal getting into trouble at a club in Singapore, provoking a lot of people to respond on his behaviour.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Pakistan: Medals at the Olympics · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

All Things Pakistan discusses Pakistan's chances at the Beijing Olympics that started today.


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Peru: Blogging About Food at Home and Abroad · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Editor's Note: The following is a republished article by Alejandro García of Peru Food, who has been involved with Global Voices Online through translation of some Peruvian blog roundups.
A while back, Peru Food wrote this post regarding the food court restaurant called Lima City in Irvine, California. Now, at Monster Munching,  elmomonster tells us that Lima City is no more, and its stead, there is now a Peruvian Kitchen.
Sounds like the food is still good. Describing Peruvian Kitchen's lomo saltado, elmomonster Edwin Goei writes:
I found a seat and flipped open the lid. When I did, a plume of hot steam carrying the aroma of cumin and soy sauce escaped. It smelled exactly right. Then I took a bite and tasted the best saltado I've had since El Pollo Inka in Lawndale.
The beef wasn't just tender, it melted. Everything that surrounded it — the fries, the red onion, the tomato — was wokked and seasoned perfectly. It was flavorful, crisp, and alive.
Even the rice was spot on. Cooked with a hint of chicken broth in a similar manner as Hainan chicken rice, the starch could've functioned as a standalone dish.
Photo: Monster Munching
Sounds like its worth a trip to south Orange County.
Tessa Cruz is a Filipina blogger based in Atlanta who was recently in Peru, and wrote a post titled Pagkaing Peruano (Peruvian Food),  with lots of pictures at her blog,  Tessa Cruz. We especially liked her photo of alpaca steak, served with a potato terrine, and what looks like a stuffed rocoto:
Photo: Tess Cruz
Rani, writing from Sydney, reviews La Cocina Peruana, a Peruvian joint Down Under, at Gastranimy, but has mixed feelings about eating anticuchos, the beef heart skewers:
I must confess to having waited for everyone else at the table to take a piece of the beef heart from the skewer before I tried it myself, not being a natural aficionado of offal. The texture is quite firm but not chewy in the way that an overcooked piece of steak would be. Again, it is the accompaniment that lifts this entrée from merely being novel meat on a skewer. In a tiny dish next to the skewers is a bright orange ground salsa that offers a big kick of chilli that fades away without taking out the taste buds.
Writing from Arequipa, monkeyspinner is an avid knitter and wool-spinner currently in Peru to learn new techniques, and blogging about her experiences at Wool in the Flyer. We liked the pictures she put up of the pumpkin fritters called picarones, which we wrote about a while back at this link. We also liked how monkeyspinner described the picarones:
After lunch we went and had a tasty treat and I am grateful to Miguel for it. I think he only tells me about local sweets every few days as he fears I will go into a sugar coma. This was fried yeasted dough ( think similar to a funnel cake but not quite) covered in sugar cane syrup. TASTY. In Lima they make them from pumpkin. Bunuelos? Something like this. I’ll find out. But I had four. There are ladies there who each make them just a tad different so families have their favorite ladies.
There are many people who write blogs while traveling in Peru. One such person is Lisa Patel, who is keeping an online journal at Travel Blog and dedicated an entire post to Peruvian food, aptly titled, On Peruvian Food. She also raves about Amazonian desserts and drinks. Writing from one of my favorite Peruvian cities, Iquitos in the Amazon rainforest, she tells us about cebiche:
Cebiche: I was told that it would be a crime, a shameful and unforgivable crime, to leave the country of Peru without having experienced one of the country's most beloved national foods. Cebiche is a dish of raw seafood–fish, shrimp, and stuffed crab in this particular dish–marinated with fresh onion, garlic, cilantro, and lemon juice, all sitting on top of sweet potato, yuca, potato, and my personal favorite: choclos, a type of corn seed that does not pop upon roasting–rather, the inside becomes soft and crunchy, like pop corn, only more savory and a bit saltier.
Finally we came across this post, which mentions a Peruvian food blog, at Zuckervati Missing Links:
Very neat blog about a guy who goes to Peru and talks about the food you can get in Lima. Our Sales rep is from Peru and promises me a bottle of pisco and a bottle of their local rum when he goes back:
I am a creature of habit, and I have a culinary tradition when arriving in Lima which I have kept during the last few years of travel here. On this trip, I was able to maintain my tradition. After checking into our hotel in the Miraflores district of Lima, we had a stroll around Miraflores’ main park, Parque Kennedy, and I picked up the Lima daily, El Comercio, and headed to the Café Haiti, one of the grand old-fashioned Lima cafés to have my first Peruvian meal (lomo saltado and a frothy pisco sour) while people-watching. The waiters are definitely old-school and after so many times there, they know who I am. “In Lima again?” one of the waiters asked me, “Are you ready for your lomo saltado?” You have to love that type of service.
Which guy could that be? Oh, it's me! Until the next time, On The Blogs…

author: Eduardo Avila


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Russia: August Coincidences · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

In reference to the war in South Ossetia starting on the opening day of the Beijing Olympics, Ruslanas Iržikevičius of Lituanica notes that several catastrophes in Russia started while important events were happening in other parts of the world, and that quite a few of those happened in the month of August.


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Russia: South Ossetia – Holding Back the War Mongers? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Osteuropablog [German] discusses an interview with Aleksandr Dugin, leader of the Russian Eurasianist movement, in which he calls for war against Georgia over South Ossetia. Wu Wei elaborates on the escalating conflict, asking “Who is picking the fights?”


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Russia: Sexual harassment good for babymaking? · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Natalia Antonova comments on the case of a Russian judge who dismissed charges of sexual harassment against an empolyer saying that “it is needed for the continuation of the human race”. Eternal Remont also gave his two cents on the strange ruling.


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Russia: Violence on the Southern Borders · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Erik of Sochi Travel comments on two recent disturbing developments in Southern Russia: a blast on one of the Sochi beaches in which two people died, and “Georgia waging new war on it’s breakaway republic – South Osetia”.


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South-Ossetia: Appeal to stop the war · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Suomalais-venäläinen kansalaisfoorumi [Russian] reposted an appeal to stop the war in South-Ossetia by the Russian human rights’ organisation Memorial, reminding us of what tragedies wars in the Caucasus have brought.


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Ukraine: Questions about NATO-membership · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

The 8th Circle discusses some questions surrounding the issue of a future NATO-membership for Ukraine.


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Ukraine: Scary orphan statistics · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

The Gaws reported some really scary statistics on what happens to “post-institutional orphans” in Ukraine.


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Afghanistan: A Social Force or Vacuum Filler · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Sanjar from Afghanistan opines on the role and place of Taliban, saying that it is the harshest form of a resistance movement which is created when the country is in a political vacuum.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Afghanistan: Diaspora in Iran · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

The Rumi tells about Afghani refugees in Iran and a girl, who blogs in English about the life of diaspora.


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Afghanistan: Karzai’s Brother World’s Biggest Heroin Supplier? · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

The Rumi reflects on Daily Mail's investigative article about drug trade in Afghanistan, according to which, Karzai’s brother Ezatullah Wasefi, currently head of the Afghan government's anti-corruption authority is the world’s biggest heroin contractor.


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Afghanistan: Olympics Hopes · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

SunLeaf tells about Nesar Ahmad Bahawi, a 23-year-old sportsman, who will represent Afghanistan in this year’s Olympics.


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Afghanistan: Police Training Course · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

The Rumi reports that the local authorities of Mazar-I-Sharif opened the first training course for female police in Afghanistan.


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Albania: A muslim country? · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

A Nevada Yankee in King Zog's Court discusses the changing role of religion in Albanian society, claiming that “after thousands of years of changing religious affiliations by Albanians in response to their circumstances, […] for the first time in Albanian history, fundamentalists of all stripes are intentionally taking actions to antagonize one another”.


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Arabeyes: Mourning for Mahmoud Darwish  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bloggers around the Arab world mourned the death of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish today. Scores of posts appeared online in Arabic and English even before news of his death was officially confirmed.
The award-winning poet, whose work has been translated to more than 22 languages, is best known for his poems which depict the suffering of Palestinian people, their longing for their homeland and infighting between various Palestinian factions. Born in historical Palestine, in what is now Israel, Darwish leaves behind over 30 volumes of poetry and eight books of prose, and millions of fans.
From Jerusalem, the UN-Truth‘s Marian Houk says news of Darwish's death is:
.. the top news story here. Never mind the Olympics, or John Edward’s affair….
She also describes what makes Darwish's poetry special:
It’s probably true that you need to understand the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in order to really appreciate the poignant and intense economy with which Mahmoud Darwish described how Palestinians see the situation.
The blogger, who has also met Darwish several times, says the world will never be the same without the poet:
I saw Mahmoud Darwish over more than two decades in Beirut, in Damascus, in Washington, in New York, in London, in Paris, in Geneva — and last month in Ramallah. He was part of my life, and part of the lives of every Palestinian in Jerusalem and Ramallah and everywhere. And now, he is gone, and the world is not the same.
She shares her favourite poem with us – a biblical story of Yousef:
Oh my father, I am Yusuf
Oh father, my brothers neither love me nor want me in their midst
They assault me and cast stones and words at me
They want me to die so they can eulogize me
They closed the door of your house and left me outside
They expelled me from the field
Oh my father, they poisoned my grapes
They destroyed my toys
When the gentle wind played with my hair, they were jealous
They flamed up with rage against me and you
What did I deprive them of, Oh my father?
The butterflies stopped on my shoulder
The bird hovered over my hand
What have I done, Oh my father?
Why me?
You named me Yusuf and they threw me into the well
They accused the wolf
The wolf is more merciful than my brothers
Oh, my father
Did I wrong anyone when I said that
I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon
Saw them kneeling before me?
Jordanian Samer Marzouq, writing at Jazarah, says Darwish's death is a big loss for the Arab world.
Bad news, the greatest Arab poet, the Palestinian Mahmoud Darwish has died today in a hospital in Huston in the USA, this is a big loss for the Arab cultural scene, rest in peace Mahmoud Darwish, rest in peace.
Tunisian blog Khil We Lil [Ar] marks Darwish's death saying:
عملاق آخر يمضي
Another giant passes away.
Radwa Osama, from Egypt, is shocked at the news and awaits a message from Darwish – via another poet:
يخبرنى عمرو منذ قليل بلهجة حزينة – محمود درويش مات -أكدت عليه أكثر من مرة أن لا يخبرنى بأخبار الموت مرة واحدة – بعدها بقليل يدير صوت محمود درويش على الكمبيوتر – أسمعه بحزن صافى – لا أجد كلاما كثيرا يمكننى أن أضيفه مرة آخرى – لكنى عن جد حزينة – حزينة جدا – كنت أفكر فى المرة القادمة لزيارة محمود درويش الى القاهرة ، تخيلتها فى الجامعة المريكية ، كنت أحضر نفسى لتلك النشوة – ياااااه منذ وقت طويل لم اسمع درويش – كلما ضاقت روحى ، استمعت الى صوته ، فهو قادر على تهدئتى دوما-يسألنى عمرو “تفتكرى محمود درويش بيعمل ايه دلوقتى”-أفكر بمنطقية شديدة فيما يفعله محمود درويش الأن -ربما يتأمل التجربة بعمق ، ليكتب قصائد عديدة ليرسلها إلينا نحن المشتاقين دوما إلى كلمة حقيقية – بعد قليل سأفقد مذاق الشعر -محمود درويش أمازلت ترى أن الموت يخطئنا؟! -أنتظر منك ان ترسل بقصيدة مع أول عابر عندك – فالشعراء لا يموتون
In a sad tone, Amr told me that Mahmoud Darwish passed away. I have repeatedly asked him not to break such stories to me in one go. A little while later, we listened to Mahmood Darwish's voice on the computer. I can hear his clear sadness. I don't find a lot of words to add but I am extremely sad. I was thinking that next time his visited Cairo, it would be at the American University. I was preparing myself for that event. It has really been a long time since I last heard Darwish. I used to listen to him every time I felt annoyed. He was able to calm me down. Amr asks me: “What do you think Mahmoud Darwish is doing now?” I think logically and say: “Mahmoud Darwish is now contemplating on the experience (of death), in order to write a poem, and send it to us, the people who are eager for the truth. Very soon, I will stop enjoying poetry. Mahmoud Darwish, do you still think that death mistakes us?! I am looking forward for a poem from you, with the first person who contacts you. Poets never die.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Armenia: Beijing Olympic Team · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Armenian Observer reports on the 25 Armenian athletes who are taking part in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bahrain: The significance of a somersault  · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Coolred38, an American living in Bahrain, had misgivings about sending her daughters on a holiday to the US – but she felt she had done the right thing when she saw a video of one of them doing a somersault. Find out why.

author: Ayesha Saldanha