Saudi Arabia on Mideast Revolution

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Saudi rulers are nervous with the ousting of their close ally Mubarak.

‘As pro-democracy uprisings spread across the Middle East, the rulers of Saudi Arabia — the region’s great bulwark of religious and political conservatism — are feeling increasingly isolated and concerned that the United States may no longer be a reliable backer, officials and diplomats say.

‘But the country’s rulers were shaken by the forced departure of the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, a close and valued ally. They are anxiously monitoring the continuing protests in neighboring Bahrain and in Yemen, with which Saudi Arabia shares a porous 1,100-mile border. Those concerns come on top of long-festering worries about the situation in Iraq, where the toppling of Saddam Hussein has empowered Iran, Saudi Arabia’s great rival and nemesis…’
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/world/middleeast/20saudi.html?_r=1&hp

 

Libya Toll Hits 200

‘Moammar Gadhafi’s forces have opened fire on mourners at the funeral for anti-government protesters in the city of Benghazi, where a doctor says at least 200 people have already been slain in days of demonstrations…’ –AP

 

Thousands Start Protest in Morocco
The Mideast ‘fever’ have now reached Morocco.

‘…The demonstrators shouted slogans calling for economic opportunity, educational reform, better health services and help in coping with rising living costs during the march on central Hassan II Avenue in Rabat on Sunday.

‘A protest organiser said the turnout at the rally was more than 5,000. But police said fewer than 3,000 people had marched.

‘Many in the crowd waved Tunisian and Egyptian flags, in recognition of the uprisings that toppled the two country’s long-standing rulers…’
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/02/201122013428971616.html

 

Even China Too!?
‘Jasmine Revolution’ starts in China and protesters were nabbed.

‘Jittery Chinese authorities wary of any domestic dissent staged a show of force Sunday to squelch a mysterious online call for a “Jasmine Revolution,” with only a handful of people joining protests apparently modeled on the pro-democracy demonstrations sweeping the Middle East…’ –AP

 

Now for the brighter side:

First Baby Named Facebook

The Egyptian father wants to honor the site.

‘Cultural relativity is an amazing thing. While American parents worry about their kids being on Facebook, Egyptian parents are naming their kids “Facebook” to commemorate the events surrounding the #Jan 25 revolution.

‘According to Al-Ahram (one of the most popular newspapers in Egypt) a twenty-something Egyptian man has named his first born daughter “Facebook” in tribute to the role the social media service played in organizing the protests in Tahrir Square and beyond.

‘Helmed by now-famous Googler Wael Ghonim, the “We Are Khaled Said” Facebook page showed up within 5 days of Said’s death in June and served as a hub for dissidence against Egyptian police brutality as well as a way to disseminate logistical information about the escalating anti-government protests until Mubarak’s resignation. Other activist pages like one actually called “Tahrir Square” cropped up shortly afterward…’
http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/19/facebook-egypt-newborn/