A R A B I C A ???????
ON THE GROUND
*Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi barraged the western city of Misurata as allied airstrikes entered their fourth day. An item on the BBC’s Arabic page warns that “the specter of Iraq looms over Libya crisis.” Foreign military intervention in both countries is leading “many to think that the goal [in both cases] is the same: regime change.” Still, the article concludes: “it is clear that both Washington and London want the overthrowing of Gaddafi to come from home, not outside the country,”.
IN THE POLLS
*An informal poll on Al Jazeera’s website asks readers whether or not they support military intervention in Libya. With more than 62,000 votes cast, a total of 61.9 percent voted yes, and 38.1 percent voted no.
ON THE WEB
*Administrators from the “We are all Khaled Said” facebook page that helped launch the popular revolt in Egypt are asking its more than one million fans which direction the group should take now that they have reached their primary goal of bringing down Mubarak and his regime. Readers are asked to submit feedback about whether the page should continue to focus on making political demands or raising awareness about human rights and related issues.
*Wael Ghonim, the Google employee who secretly founded the FB before famously being imprisoned in Egypt during the uprising, adds “What is happening in the Arab world is not a foreign conspiracy but rather the result of an internal one by the people whose rulers conquered them, stole their wealth and destroyed their dignity.”
*Jordanian Hashem Tal tweets that calls for reform will only continue: “These demands are the result of a lack of seriousness toward reform. The more reform is delayed, the more the demands will grow, which the government does not understand.”
IN THE ARTS
*Al Arabiya reports that calligraphers, painters and other artists in Morocco are in high demand as protesters seek to creatively vent their anger during protests. Protests are entering their second month in Morocco, largely unnoticed as large-scale protests unfold elsewhere in the region. But flag vendors and other revolutionary symbols, such as images of Che Guevara, are being snapped up across Morocco. “The work of a calligrapher is usually restricted to special occasions,” says calligrapher Mohamed al-Daryoush. “Now, I am earning more money writing banners for protesters.”
March 22, 2011
photo credit: illustir
