Jezebel: Middle East

What Awful Things Happened in Syria Last Night?

Katie J.M. Baker — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST

You may have noticed that something terrible happened in Syria last night. More »

Teenage Boy Sent to Jail After Kissing Two Sisters

Erin Gloria Ryan — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:20:00 EST

A 15-year-old Emirati boy has been sent to a juvenile detention center for up to three years after being discovered sucking face with two sisters. A typical hour in the life of a Jersey Shore cast member leads to jail time in the United Arab Emirates. Never have I ever been prouder to be American. More »

Woman Fighting Saudi Arabia's Ban on Female Drivers Killed in Car Accident

Erin Gloria Ryan — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:15:00 EST

This weekend, two people were in a car accident. One was hurt, one was killed. If this had happened in the US, it would be tragic, but it likely wouldn't be news. This incident, however, happened in Saudi Arabia, and the two involved were women. More »

Governments Still Ignore Female Terrorists at Their Own Peril

Erin Gloria Ryan — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:40:00 EST

A new report seeks to elucidate what we're risking when we treat terrorism as a men-only institution and ignore the threat that women can pose. So, what are we risking? Death, basically. More »

Orthodox Israelis Spit On Whorish 8-Year-Old Girl For Going To School

Erin Gloria Ryan — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:40:00 EST

An American girl attempting to walk to her Jewish school in Israel is subjected to daily taunting and physical intimidation so bad that she says it makes her afraid to go to school. Her tormenters aren't fellow children, but rather adult men upset by the presence of the "immodest" girls attending school in their ultra-Orthodox neighborhood. And now, the town's male residents are clashing with police and media over their the gender integration they say insults their faith. Eight-year-old girls can be such whores. More »

Egyptian Women March Against Violence Government Claims Isn't Really Happening

Erin Gloria Ryan — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:50:00 EST

This weekend, a picture of a female Tahrir Square protester having her clothes torn off while a soldier prepared to kick her renewed global concern that perhaps the new government of Egypt isn't being quite so awesome to the ladies. Today, thousands of Egyptian women took to the streets of Cairo to protest the ruling military government's rampant fuckery. And the government? They're denying that what's depicted in the now-infamous photograph is violence; according to them, it's apt response to provocation. In other words, the protesters are forcing them to tear unarmed women's clothes off. Seems legit. More »

Saudi Cleric Claims Allowing Ladies To Drive Will Lead To End of Virgins

Erin Gloria Ryan — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:50:00 EST

A Saudi Arabian cleric has warned his fellow countrymen against lifting the country's ban on allowing women to drive, asserting that letting ladies take the wheel will lead to a complete extinction of virgins within 10 years. Because everyone knows that ladies will only use their newfound freedom to cars to drive directly to a dick. More »

Seven Things You Should Know About Egypt's Elections

Erin Gloria Ryan — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST

Today, Egyptians are heading to the polls to cast their ballots in the first stage of the first truly free parliamentary elections in the country since Hosni Mubarak seized power in 1981. Enthusiasm is tempered by suspicion, and security is tight. But what in the world is going on? More »

Iran Condemns Two Soccer Players For Celebratory Butt Squeeze

Seth Abramovitch — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:40:00 EDT

The Iranian football federation has scrutinized controversial footage of Persepolis defender Mohammed Nosrati (below, left) squeezing teammate Sheis Rezaei's (right) firm buttocks following a goal during the Persian Gulf Cup, and ruled that the two players be fined $40,000 each and "banned indefinitely from all football activities for committing immoral acts." More »

Yemeni Women Burn Veils To Protest Government Crackdown

Margaret Hartmann — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:35:00 EDT

Thousands of women took to the streets of Yemen today and burned their veils, but not because they're against wearing the traditional coverings. For Bedouin tribes burning garments is a symbolic gesture that signifies an appeal to fellow tribesmen for help. The women oppose President Ali Abdullah Saleh's violent crackdown on anti-government protesters, and are hoping to draw the attention of tribal leaders and the international community. More »

Iranian Anti-Abortion Laws Aren't Particularly Effective

Erin Gloria Ryan — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:15:00 EDT

In Iran, abortion is illegal unless the life of the mother is in danger or if the fetus has a birth defect deemed serious enough to warrant medical intervention. Punishment for having a criminal abortion is nothing to sneeze at, either; offenders can find themselves behind bars for 3 to 10 years. So how are Iranian women coping with these restrictions? By getting abortions anyway, and sometimes dying as a result. See? Anti-abortion legislation works. More »

Actress Sentenced To 90 Lashes For Starring In Film Critical Of Iran

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:20:00 EDT

In 2008, Marzieh Vafamehr filmed My Tehran For Sale, an Australian film about an actress whose work is banned in Iran. Now Iranian officials have shown just how accurate the film's criticisms are by banning the movie, arresting Vafamehr, and sentencing her to a year in jail and 90 lashes for participating in the project. More »

Woman Reportedly Killed In Syrian Custody Reveals She's Still Alive

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EDT

It seems there's another hoax involving a young woman in Syria, but we're pretty sure this one isn't going to turn out to be a male blogger from Edinburgh. More »

Saudi Woman Spared From Lashing For Driving

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EDT

A day after Saudi women got the right to vote in municipal elections, Shaima Jastaina became the first woman to receive a legal punishment for violating the ban on women driving. She was supposed to be lashed 10 times, but now King Abdullah has overturned her sentence. There's been no official confirmation, but Princess Amira al-Taweel Tweeted: "Thank God, the lashing of [Shaima] is cancelled. Thanks to our beloved king. I am sure all Saudi women will be so happy, I know I am." More »

Saudi Arabian Women Now Allowed To Vote

Erin Gloria Ryan — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 15:43:41 EDT

Hooray for women! Saudi Arabian King Abdullah has granted women in his country the right to vote and run for public office. More »

The Unsettling Story Of A Lesbian Blogger In Syria

Anna North — Thu, 05 May 2011 12:41:00 EDT

One brave blogger has been telling her story of life as an openly gay woman in Damascus, Syria. But now she's gone underground. More »

Middle Eastern Promises

Erin Gloria Ryan — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST

Cairo, Jan 30: Three women gesture for victory as they attend a demonstration. Minutes before the start of a 4 p.m. curfew, at least two jets appeared and made multiple passes over downtown. (Image via AP)

Know Your Veils: A Guide To Head Coverings

Anne Peterson — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:09:00 EST

Next time you are having dinner with a Bahraini dignitary, don't embarrass yourself by confusing the Queen's abaya with a burqa. More »

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Thinks Girls Should Marry At 16

Erin Gloria Ryan — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 17:55:00 EST

The Ewok of Iran has suggested that younger marriages will help his country's birth rate increase, but it's possible that he's just trying to get the entire country featured on the next season of MTV's 16 and Pregnant. More »

The World Of "Sheikh Romance" Novels

Gwen Sharp, Ph.D. — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:35:00 EST

"In an exotic land where it is rumoured that men still rule, a tall, dark and handsome sheikh meets a white woman who teaches him how to be ruled by love." That's the basic formula of the "sheikh romance." More »

Iraqi Porn Is A Turn-On For Both Neocons & True Believers

Irin Carmon — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:17:55 EDT

An AP writer has a provocative thesis: the availability of porn in Iraq mirrors the level of freedom and security there. Is he right? And what would that look like? More »

A Frank Discussion of Homophobia in the Middle East

LatoyaPeterson — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:30:00 EDT

Looking at title of Salon's "Homophobia on the Rise in the Muslim World," I felt a myself hesitating mid-click. Is this going to be an article on GLBTQI issues or veiled anti-Islam propogranda? Thankfully, the article is the former. More »

Disorder Crossing

Anna Holmes — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:50:00 EDT

[Jerusalem, May 21. Image via Getty]

Up In Arms

Anna Holmes — Mon, 18 May 2009 12:10:00 EDT

[Hebron, May 18. Image via Getty]

Sally Quinn Peddles Offensive Stereotypes About Middle-Eastern Women On MSNBC

Megan Carpentier — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST

Sally Quinn just got back from a Brookings Institute conference in Doha and, judging by her appearance on MSNBC talking about the status of women in the Middle East, she didn't apparently learn much. More »

8-Year-Old Girl Not Old Enough to Divorce Husband, 58

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:45:00 EST

A Saudi court has ruled that an 8-year-old girl who is married to a 58-year-old man cannot divorce her husband until she is older. More »

Dos And Don'ts

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:40:00 EST

The blog American Bedu has started a list of the rules for women Saudi Arabia that highlights the contradictions Saudi women contend with every day. For example, women are forbidden to drive, visit a graveyard, or be alone with an unrelated man, but they are allowed to own a car, work, and make investments. Commenters are asked to add to the list and debate the reasoning behind the rules. [American Bedu via Global Voices] More »

Girls Rock

Anna North — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:20:00 EST

Four young Saudi women are challenging taboos by forming their own rock band. They're called the Accolade, after a pre-Raphaelite painting that founder Dina (band members gave their first names only to protect themselves) likes because "it shows a woman being satisfied with a man." Though Saudi women can't perform in public, and the Accolade currently practices in secret to avoid punishment by the religious police, they hope play real concerts someday, perhaps abroad. “It’s important for them to see what we’re capable of,” Dina says. They're also looking for a drummer. "Five guys have offered," says band member Lamia, but they really want a woman. [NYT] More »

10-Year-Old Divorcee Goes Back To School • Mom Helps Son Create A Weapons Cache

Maria — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:30:00 EDT

• 10-year-old Yemeni divorcee Nujood Ali went back to school this month where she plans to study drawing and math; eventually, she hopes to become a lawyer. • A Pennsylvania mother admitted to helping her 14-year-old son build a cache of weapons to fend off school bullies. • Jason Donovan, a former star of Neighbours and ex-boyfriend of his co-star Kylie Minogue, says that Kylie dumped him in the '80s over the telephone. • Zookeepers in Ukraine have sent abandoned tigers to a nearby pig farm to be nursed by the mama pigs. • More »

Trade Union Speaks Out Against "Sexist" Heels • Iraq War Limits Iraqi Women's Freedoms

Maria — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:30:00 EDT

The Trades Union Congress in England is urging employers to stop making high-heels compulsory for female employees on grounds that it is sexist and can lead to health problems. • Comedian Kristen Schaal reveals that not only is she well-read in British dramatists, she used to practice stand-up in front of cows as a child. • In England a man has been banned from visiting his girlfriend's home after neighbors complained about their noisy sex and the girlfriend's general "nightmare neighbor" behavior. • Another plucky-grandma-fighting-a-thief story? Oh, yes. • More »

Middle East Recruitment Gives New Meaning To "College Girls"

Dodai Stewart — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EDT

A story in today's International Herald Tribune discusses the fate of women's colleges in this country. Specifically: Bryn Mawr, Barnard, Mount Holyoke, Wellesley and Smith. "In the 1960s," writes Tamar Lewin, "there were some 300 women's colleges in the United States; now there are fewer than 60." Sure, these schools boast accomplished alumnae like Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Emily Dickinson, Diane Sawyer, Katharine Hepburn and Madeleine Albright. But most American high school girls never consider applying to a women's college. However: There are a record number of high-achieving applicants, thanks to a recruitment effort by the admissions deans of these schools. The deans went where single-sex education isn't so weird: The Middle East. But! It's not always an easy fit: More »

Cliques Push Brand-Obsessed Teens • Queen Of Hip Hop Soul Starts Foundation For Girls

maria — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:40:00 EDT

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Tween Clique books link popularity/boys with brand name items. Prepare for disappointment, 7th graders of America! • Texas graverobbing teens and one adult make bong out of child's skull. • Professional British wedding planner doesn't believe in marriage. • People spend almost $2,000 a year on "pissed-off purchases," one women suggest couples kiss instead. Uh, okay. • Columnist Kathleen Parker says we should "save the males," oooh because they can lift heavy things? • Reporters without Borders asks Iran nicely to stop harassing "cyber-feminists." • Meanwhile in the Mid-East, Saudi women campaign against inconvenient late-night weddings. • Pro women's boxing comes to Japan. • An antidepressant may help teens with IBS. • Being breast-fed may lower a woman's breast cancer risk. • Penelope Cruz is set to become a stunning blonde. • Mary J. Blige starts foundation to help girls with careers and self-confidence. More »

Jeremiah Wright: Still The Least Of Our Problems, But Our Problems Kind Of Suck

Moe — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:30:00 EDT

"He's obviously a well-educated, sincere man who has done good work in building Trinity United Church of Christ. But, to borrow a phrase that Wright might have used in one of his sermons, his rant at the Press Club demonstrates, that he is also a damn fool." [TheRoot]

Sarah Left Women's Magazines To Try And Learn "Why They Hate Us." She Could Use A Drink.

Moe — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Meet Sarah. She used to live in New York and cover fashion for women's magazines. Then she moved to Yemen. What's Yemen? Just a little country where prisoners go to when they get released from Guantanamo, where Al Qaeda is like the Beatles, where eight-year-olds have to go to court to get their own divorces and where women aren't allowed to laugh in public. They've been trying to blow up foreigners lately in Yemen, and the Embassy and its stash of liquor is gone for the moment, but Sarah is sticking around because the food is cheap and she never really liked showing her hair or speaking in public that much to begin with. Herewith, an IM interview with Yemenista, the only Jezebel reader with ready access to qat. It's nature's adderall. More »

Eddie Murphy Is Loyal — 'Til You Have His Baby

Jennifer — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 19:55:41 EDT

Eddie Murphy is on crack if he thinks a little bling is enough to convince the world that he treats his girlfriends well. Um, remember that you fathered and denied, Eddie? [People.com]

Isaiah Washington Needs To Stick A Sock — Or Some Other Implement — In It

Jennifer — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:10:11 EDT

Isaiah Washington — for the love of God — please keep your mouth shut. The latest from everyone's favorite fired homophobe? That ABC lied when saying that he had gone to rehab since "there is no rehab for homophobia." (Thanks to Slut Machine for this awesome graphic.) [People]

Barneys New York Goes Middle-Eastern: Will The Jews Follow?

Jennifer — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 10:00:59 EDT

The long-anticipated sale of luxury department store Barneys New York finally went down this weekend, going to a Dubai-based investment firm for $832 million and making for what was probably the smoothest Middle Eastern negotiation in modern history. [WWD, sub req'd]

The Celebrity Clothing Line: The Apple Eve Can't Stop Biting

Jennifer — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 10:23:44 EDT

Rapper Eve's clothing line Fetish is having a revival. After suffering bad break-ups with both the Innovo Group and Marc Ecko, it's now reborn under the Signature Group's tutelage. And, like, the quality's going to be really good and, like, Eve is totally involved on a day-by-day basis with the line this time and we stopped listening and...uh, wait, is Eve even actually famous anymore? [WWD, sub req'd]