Global Voices Digest for March 22nd, 2007
300: More Than a Movie for Many Iranians
Zack Snyder’s film “300″, a Hollywood interpretation of Frank Miller’s comic book series, depicts a fictionalized account of the Battle of Thermopylae in which Sparta’s King Leonidas allegedly resists Persian King Xerxes and his million man army. The poetic license taken by scriptwriters outraged many Iranians, but others wonder if protests should be focused on less cinematic spheres of life.
Sudan: ICC on War Crimes in Darfur, USS Cole, Funky Hairstyle & More
The common view of of Darfur’s violence emanating from an Arab versus African conflict was shattered last month when the International Criminal Court accused two suspects of committing war crimes, including one very dark-skinned Ahmed Mohamed Haroun. According to The Sudanese Thinker, the view that “‘Darfur is a genocide perpetrated by Arabs against Africans’ is an oversimplification of what’s really happening.”
India: New Year Celebrations
One of the greatest parts of belonging to a global community is that there is always a party somewhere. Kamla Bhatt wishes readers a happy Ugadi/Gudi Padwa, a Hindu New Year’s festival celebrated in various states around India. Here is your guide on what to wear, what to eat, and how to behave.
Arabisc: A Mysterious Bug Gnawing at Middle Eastern Bloggers
“Something is amiss on the Middle Eastern blogging scene,” writes Amira Al Hussaini. “In addition to trouble with the law in their countries, which are closing in on freedom of speech and expression, bloggers have another demon to confront.”
Kurdistance: Newroz
Much like Ugadi in southern India, Kurds also celebrate “New Year” or Newroz on the vernal equinox. Deborah Ann Dilley is quick to point out, however, that “while the event is technically a cultural holiday, for the Kurds there is a political aspect to it as well” as “the holiday comes after a period of mourning for the 1988 Anfal campaign where thousands of Kurds died in gas attacks.”
German “Open Music” Band Dedicates a Concert for Peru
If YouTube can launch a truly terrible “techno-folklorist” from rural Ecuador into international cyber-stardom, then surely anything is possible, even a blog-by-blog world tour for Röntgenschall, a small German band with big dreams.
China: Book banned prior to printing
Will the Chinese rule of law save Dai Huang’s book, “A Narrow Escape From Death: My ‘Right-wing’ Life” from censorship? John Kennedy translates a forum posting by civil rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang explaining why he decided to represent Dai and the significance of the case.
Roundups
Estonia, Russia, football, and politics, “South Africa’s Technorati”, music, history, and censorship in Chile, and much more can be found in today’s Global Roundups.