I think it was about a year and a half ago that I noted how strange I found it that so few Arab bloggers existed, even though Persian-speakers constituted the third-largest community of bloggers out there, with numbers in the tens of thousands. As it transpires, things have changed since then, and not just within Iraq: here is a page with a list of a few non-Iraqi Arab blogs well worth checking out; my favorite of the lot is that by Mahmood, whose forthright liberalism and easygoing manner is a refreshing change from what one usually hears in the news media. The fanatics don't speak for everyone in the Middle East, even if they do have an uncomfortably large constituency.
PS: Another blog from the Arab world worth taking a look at is "Amarji - A Heretic's Blog", written by a Syrian living in Damascus who's been profiled by the NYT; anyone tempted to sympathize with the poor little Syrian government being threatened by the evil neocon warmongers ought to take a look at what this guy has to say, and maybe learn a thing or two about the sort of regime they're defending from Bushitler™.
Just to get in on the list..
http://mohammad.abdulfatah.net/mohammad/
For a Saudi Arabian programming blogger.
Posted by: Factory | February 18, 2005 at 10:49 AM
He seems knowledgeable enough about technical issues, but he doesn't seem to talk much about Saudi life, though, not that I can entirely blame him, given the dangers of talking too freely about "political" matters in that country.
Posted by: Abiola Lapite | February 18, 2005 at 11:39 AM
Yeah I remember reading reports about tunisian bloggers being beaten up because of their political views. I also know that the internet is censored in saudi arabia, so bloggers over there may not be very encline to talk politics. And forget syria.
As for the other countries, well I guess the blogging culture hasen't gotten there yet. But you're talking a year and a half! I'm sure things has changed. I have searched google for "egyptian blog" and got 422 hits!
Posted by: lebanese guy | February 26, 2005 at 04:10 AM
see lebanese blogger forum
http://lebanonheartblogs.blogspot.com
peace out,
liminal
Posted by: liminal | March 05, 2005 at 01:31 AM