Global Voices Online

I, Me, Myself on the train to Pakistan. “I can not help comparing this against the kind of security that was provided by the government of the Pakistani province of Punjab to the ‘Sikh Pilgrim Special' train, aboard which I travelled across the border in April 2006. Each bogie had at least two policemen armed with automatic weapons, guarding the train night and day.”

Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo (recently nominated for a 2007 photobloggie) has two mouthwatering shots of local cuisine.

Summing up today's newbie conference on Linux in Guatemala City [ES], “El Profe” laments the low turnout of students, but says those who did show up were impressed by Beryl on Gentoo.

“No serious debate about socialism can be developed as if we were still in the XIX century, when there still hadn’t been any concrete experience of it anywhere. Not now. It is impossible, at the dawn of the XXI century, to talk about socialism while making an abstraction of what was advanced in its name throughout the XX century. What lessons does history throw our way?” That is the beginning of a four part series by TalCual [ES] editor, Teodoro Petkoff and translated by the prolific Guillermo Parra.

Israeli blogger Yael K gives us interesting information tidbits here, including how Hebrew was a required language at all American universities as the “Puritans who settled the U.S. saw themselves as the “new Israelites” and the United States as the new Zion–and thus the hebrew language requirement.”

Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying on the song of freedom, love and loss. “There is a song that every Bangladeshi knows. It is a song that defines us as a people. It is a song about love and loss. The song in Bengali is called Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano and it means “Painted with my brother’s blood”. The refrain from the song is “Painted with my brother’s blood is February 21st. How can I forget.” The song commemorates the events of February 21, 1952.”

a bengali in TO presents a woman's take on beards. “Call me a firebrand, but I think beards are just ridiculous when they are worn as a sign of being a Muslim. Hijaabs as a gauge for your “Muslimity”, I understand and approve. I understand the moral and practical reasoning and I have seen the wonders it does for you (bad hair day masks). But let's take beards. Why do Muslims feel this compulsion to sport a beard, which btw, is NOT fard.”

Israel-based blogger Anglosaxy continues to battle it out with his boss (who apparently is trying to push him out of a job) here. He even found an advert for his job on his department's server!!!

An Egyptian policeman has been referred to a military court because he refused to guard the Israeli embassy in Cairo, writes Issandr El Amrani in The Arabist.

Ayubowan on Sri Lankan marine turtles - “The present situation regarding the future of the Sri Lankan turtles is moving to an optimistic conclusion with the people of the country taking a more environmental friendly attitude towards these creatures and putting away the superstitions that cause them their reduction in numbers in the first place.”

Sandmonkey entertains us with the tale of an Egyptian university professor who wrote In the Name of America (as opposed to In the Name of Allah) on a board in one of his classes. I really thought blackboards were obsolete. Never mind!

Blogger Abdulmonem Mahmood lists a number of Muslim Brotherhood blogs which have sprung up in Egypt recently here.

Unspun compares the religious moral policing in Malaysia with the relatively liberal attitude in Indonesia.

Tanzanian blogger in France, Aulelia, writes about race issues in Europe,
“Europe is a cauldron of racial problems. Chuck in the kerosene of the 2001 race riots in Bradford in the UK and mix in the ether of the French race riots in the banlieues (suburbs), and you will get the European cocktail of race. Remember, on this continent, it is uttered in hushed tones because people here just do not like to discuss it.”

Ndagha writes about a new radio program about Malawians abroad:
“‘What do people eat there?' ‘How do you manage the snowy weather?' ‘Do you eat nsima?' ‘Is it true school is free?' ‘Are you the only Malawian there?' ‘Can you send us some Dollars please because you guys are rich there,” etc.
These and many more are questions that people in Malawi ask their countryfolk that return home or when they communicate from foreign lands. But now there is a way of answering some of these questions without being in Malawi if you are one in diapora.

Mwalimu George Ngwane discusses youth and politics in Africa, “Language experts, psychologists and political observers would want to give the word ‘youth’ an elastic definition of. ‘Youth is a state of mind’. It is indeed such a blanket definition that has motivated political Methuselahs to stay in power in Africa even after their political menopause.”

Bankele writes about the battle for Africa Online, “Telkom (South Africa) looks to emerge the winner in the battle for Africa Online after the African Lakes board (parent company) have accepted Telkom (SA)’s bid of £9.72 million (£25 per share) beating out Africa Telecoms Company (ATC) [which comprised Wananchi Online, Schneider Media and East Africa Capital Partners] who had offered £5.04 million (£18.50 per share).”

Vusi Mahlasela has released a new album, Naledi Ya Tsela, SoundRoots World Music reports: The new album, called Naledi Ya Tsela in Africa but translated for the March 6 US release to Guiding Star, features a raft of guest artists, including Derek Trucks and longtime Vusi supporter Dave Matthews.

Mong Palatino, Global Voices author from the Philippines, is contesting in the upcoming elections. He is urging young people to participate in the elections. “Analysts doubt the potency of the youth vote. According to them, the youth will not be a significant force in deciding the outcome of the coming polls. This is our chance to prove the skeptics wrong. The youth vote is REAL.”

The Atyrau Informant reports on the story of a woman tormented by a gang of criminals in Kazakhstan. The police refused to look into the matter, citing a lack of evidence. That is, they refused until she started videotaping the people harassing her.

Tolkun Umaraliev reports on the case of Jamshid Karimov, an independent journalist often critical of the government who also happens to be a nephew of the Uzbekistan's authoritarian president. In a throwback to Soviet practice, Karimov has been placed in a psychiatric hospital in Samarkand.

One of the first acts of Turkmenistan's new president was to start the ball rolling on opening up access to the internet in the country. Now that it's arrived, neweurasia looks at what's next and what Turkmenistan must do to catch up with its neighbors.

The CRD/TI Armenia Election Monitor 2007 blog has photos and a report on Barekendan, a traditional Armenian festival comparable to Mardi Gras or Carnival that many activists, including a considerable segment of the Armenian blogosphere, have revived to try to mobilize people to take an interest in the coming parliamentary election.

Letters from China notices that a most popular local newspapers, Apple Daily, has put the “first joss sticks at Wong Tai Sin Temple” at the headline news for lunar new years for three years! No news in Hong Kong?

Hegelchong complains about the universities' language policy in Hong Kong. High ranking university officials have made the decision that from next term onward, all courses should be taught in English, no matter whether it is about Hong Kong society or Chinese modern history. Well, he is teaching a group of local students Chinese writing… because of this language policy, he is supposed to use English for this course!