Youth of the Gulf, Youth of Palestine

 Still from Jumana Manna's "Blessed Blessed Oblivion" (2010)

A couple days ago a short post I wrote for the Merip blog on youth in the GCC countries and Palestine got published. It's about youth in the Gulf who are civicly and politically engaged, and Palestinian youth who are, mostly, disengaged and who would be considered by pundits and social workers, "delinquent."

Here's the final sentence: "Maybe analysis of Arab youth should start with learning who they are, rather than only respecting them when they conform to our preconceived ideas of what constitutes civic engagement."

Please check it out.

1st anniversary of Bahrain uprising: kufiya over gas mask

Today (February 14) marks the first anniversary of the Bahraini uprising. Although crushed by Bahraini security forces, with the support of Saudi Arabia, and the quiet connivance of the US administration, Bahraini pro-democracy forces continue to protest and to organize and to fight for freedom.

Here's a video showing marchers in Manama, Bahrain, yesterday, heading to Pearl (Lu'lu') Square. Anticipating a confrontation with security forces, they put on their gas masks. And some, including Nabil Rajab, a prominent human rights activist, put a kufiya over the gas mask.

Nabil dons his gas mask

and then the kufiya

(If you watch the vid you'll notice that others do the same.)

The new face gear for the Arab revolts: kufiya over gas mask.

(I got this from the New York Times, from a piece by Robert Mackey on the Times blog, The Lede.)

Kufiya, Bahrain

I can't find the exact source of this. This is from the last week, photo by Matthew Cassel. A demonstrator hiding from the security forces.

Another Haifa Wehbe controversy, this time Bahrain

Thanks to a comment on an earlier post, I've been alerted to the latest Haifa controversy--in Bahrain, where MPs want her performance banned. An excerpt from the BBC report, dated April 30:

A raunchy Lebanese singer is causing controversy in Bahrain, where she is due to perform for the first time.

All but one of the members of the Gulf kingdom's Islamist-dominated parliament have approved a motion urging the government to ban Haifa Wehbe's show.

They objected on the grounds that the pop superstar's performance would be sexually provocative, violating Islamic conventions and Bahrain's traditions.

Organisers had earlier promised she would dress modestly during the show.

And just to remind hawgblawg readers what the MPs are objecting to:



More Haifa posts here, here, here, and here.