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China: Let your photos do the talking

John Kennedy · 23:10

While dealing with blocked pages and filter-trigger keywords can get pretty annoying on the wrong side of the internet, for bloggers in China who want some discussion on, say, the highest-level corruption crackdown in ten years, there are always ways to beat the system. This time it just happens that the name—now on the banned list—of one of the key suspects involved is exactly the same as the Chinese word for the yellow chrysanthemum. And who doesn't like the occasional picture of a flower on their blog?

Here's Bullog blogger mic's recent post, textless save the botanically-named title, and the comments that followed:

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Turkey is Typing…

Deborah Ann Dilley · 14:59

Two things have been the subject of debate this week in the Turkish blogosphere…Orhan Pamuk being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature and the passing of a Armenian genocide law in France.

The issue of the Armenian Genocide has always been a hot-topic discussion, with the claims of whether what historically could be considered as genocide or not, and ultimately who is to blame for historical events. For an Armenian point of view on the Genocide and the French Law Banning anyone from saying that it did not happen, visit Thursday's Central Asia Article on Global Voices.

The general Turkish impression of the Armenian Genocide Bill passed by the French government is outrage.
Ignore Me if You Can Says:

And the law went through. I wonder if France knows what it is getting itself into? Protest are being held all over Turkey and citizens want all relationships between
Turkey and France to cease. They’ve stepped right into it.

The Infidel called the bill “disgusting”.

Erkan's Field Diary notes the implications that this has on Turkey's bid for EU membership:
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Pakistan: Blog-o-leader

Omer Alvie · 13:13

With the advent of citizen journalism and the unrelenting popularity of blogs as the main source of honest opinion and news, it won't be long before the world leaders jump on the bandwagon, as President Ahmadinejad has already done, and launch their own blogs to further ensure their own popularity and provide us with an opportunity to laugh out loud uncontrollably as an alternative to the comedy of Fox News.

Let me now, return back to reality for a few moments, and present to you a small collection of very interesting links to some remarkable posts from the Pakistani blogosphere.Fountainhead posts an impeccable piece which also made it to the pages of Baltimore Chronicle. Suspect Paki writes an angered post on the recent report on the new estimate of the Iraqi death toll.

And people around the world, especially the western world, will happily eat their dinners tonight, oblivious, silent, compliant, not even fully aware that they’re alive, but satisfied that Muslims are dead. Yes. White people happy at the death of brown people. Don’t act surprised. Don’t look shocked. It’s been the way for centuries.

PakCast interviews Ambreen Ali on the one year anniversary of the devastating Pakistan Earthquake.

One year later and with a harsh winter beginning, she says, too little has been done and too many are still living in makeshift housing.

In my reciprocal response to this coming trend of Head Of State becoming a blogger, I as blogger have decided to become a Head Of State. For this reason, I would like to announce my candidacy as the next President of Pakistan. I think I already possess the necessary credentials, as I just recently bought myself an ex-army general's uniform with (more…)

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The Week That Was in Bahrain

Amira Al Hussaini · 07:45

It's showtime in Bahrain where bloggers are preoccupied with a new craze - a campaign to wipe out sectarianism started by no other than the kingdom's most illustrious blogger Mahmood Al Yousif.

In response to a scandal which shook the country, Mahmood decided to fight fire with fire and launch a movement to fight sectarianism in the Sunni-ruled kingdom, with an estimated 60 per cent Shia population.

A decision by court to ban newspapers from publishing anything about the scandal, better known as Bandargate, did not go well with the outspoken blogger.

“and he shall be henceforth called: He Who Must Not Be Named [HWMNBN or BOO! for short], as dictated by our completely partial judicial system, further entrenching the age-old custom and tradition of sweeping problems under a carpet and deem them summarily resolved!” writes a very angry Mahmood.

“OOOOOkay then Mr. Senior Criminal Court and illustrious BNA, let me tell you - and I’m a mere mortal mind you and have no degree in lawyering, that the document signed by the Kingdom of Bahrain and submitted to the United Nations dealing with that thing called Human Rights unequivocally states:

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Article XIX

So you can kiss my whatsit. I’ve got PROOF that the country is heading very quickly to be the Darfour of the Gulf in a few years time, and hear me say this as loud as I can:

NO SHI’I AND NO SUNNI…
JUST BAHRAINI

So bugger off and let us solve the problem while you continue to just want to hide (and create) problems rather than face and diligently work toward solving them,” he continues.

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Links

Sub-Saharan Africa

Christina announces (Fr) La Seance des Jeunes Realisateurs, a show on Mauritian television channel MBC3 that showcases local filmmakers. She writes: “Shorts by Mauritian filmmakers are finally being broadcast nationally. An occasion to see what local films are made of, to consume purely Mauritian fiction and documentary. Of course all pioneering films have weaknesses … But this is mostly about seeing what themes preoccupy our creatives and what our imaginary is made of.”

Americas

El Alto blogger Mario Ronald Duran Chuquimia laments the need of Bolivians to migrate to Spain [ES]. Even though internet technologies bring families closer together across the distance, it is not quite the same. He writes, tongue-in-cheek, that it was Bolivia's mistake not to require visas from the Spanish during the time of the conquest. Now, Bolivians, who out of necessity, are not allowed into Spain even though the workers are considered to be hard-working and efficient.

Americas

Avistando Quimeras [ES], a blog from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is excited about the appearance of indie lo-fi singer-songwriter, Devendra Banhart at the launching of the Personal Fest, a music festival sponsored by Motorola. Juan Martín, the blog's author wrote, “Go with the idea that you'll be bombarded with subliminal advertising and an avalanche of savage capitalist messages.” But in spite of all of that, he tells his readers that he'll see them there.

Americas

Francisco Toro imagines what a Manuel Rosales administration might look like, should he beat Hugo Chavez in the upcoming elections. Likely scenarios in “an institutional environment dominated entirely by chavista appointees” all look pretty grim, especially if the leader of the opposition is none other than Chavez himself.

Americas

Christian Espinosa discovers the new blog [ES] of Movimiento Pachakutik candidate Luis Macas [ES]. Espinosa writes that the candidates in the upcoming Presidential elections in Ecuador are using blogs as a new way of campaining, even though the blogs' full potential is yet to be tapped.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Guillaume, an ex-pat in Rwanda, describes how he failed a very public driver's license exam (Fr): “It's a 3 hour drive to Nyatare … We had to wait until 3 pm … I pass the reverse driving test without looking in the side mirrors, without stopping. The crowd cheers hysterically.” But since he failed the very closely monitored and meticulously measured 5pm parking test, Guillaume concludes: “Maybe I'll get my driver's license one day… in another country.”

South Asia

Dina on Dr Yunus winning the Nobel prize, why it fell in the Peace category and what it means for women in India. “His model is being followed in India as well … and the proliferation of Self-Help-Groups (SHG's), typically groups of women who are given access to microcredit to start a small business, has the potential to empower women by enabling them to make economic decisions and help increase family income. “

South Asia

Indian Muslims reflects on the death penalty and its wider perception in India. “Coming to one person at a time, The fact is that most Indians are confused on whether the death sentence should be given in any case or not. I am talking here of the masses, they are not so opinionated and so get swayed away by the rhetoric spread by vested interests.”

South Asia

Moju on whether Sri Lanka needs a new truce agreement. “Sri Lanka needs a new ceasefire agreement to replace the lifeless 2002 Norwegian-sponsored pact and at least 15,000 foreign soldiers in the island’s northeast to ensure its implementation, says a former Finnish monitor of the truce.”

South Asia

Friday the 13th might be lucky for Muslims, Sajjad Zaidi explains. “Today was Friday the 13th, a day considered extremely unlucky by some in the West. Whatever the origins of this superstition, some Muslims have the opposite view (most are indifferent I guess).”

South Asia

Or how I learned to stop worrying on Dr Yunus and the power of an idea. “Dr. Yunus discovered that microcredit can be both commercially viable and an engine for socio-economic change. Grameen Bank has helped millions of Bangladeshis rise above poverty, not through charity, but through hard work and a little faith in their abilities.”