Umma eruptions

While Americans were partying, Islamic nations erupted again and now we have Lebanon added to the mix, and Libya, again.  Things are happening fast and this blog won't be able to keep up--am spending a lot of time on Twitter just to keep up.

Mona Eltahawy has been involved in a controversy over a photo depicting Egyptian police dragging a woman, which some have claimed was photoshopped. Ahram Online, the middle eastern version of Buzz Feed, has been posting frequently about a lot of events as they happen, so I encourage you to click on that link I provided on the lower right side of this blog if you're not reading Ahram Online already.

Here's a video posted on YouTube via Future TV where a live interview was interrupted by a bomb blast.  It doesn't matter if you understand the language or not--the effect of the bomb blast is clear.  Will update as time permits.

The biggest deal involving the United States is the deal where Egyptian military has declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization but via John Kerry, the U.S. has declined to do the same.  Turkey's recent corruption scandal brings to the fore the role that the military seems to need to play in Islamic government, one I'm sure that Egyptian military pays close attention to and seems to be using that as a model. It's clear to me that Islamists of whatever stripe are making the Sinai a problem for not just Egypt but all its neighbors, and it's too convenient to blame a political party because the voters are most likely to buy that line.  Whatever is going on in Sinai amounts to the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party with the Republican Party getting all the blame for what its wingnuts do.

Stay tuned.
To Follow me on Twitter...  I'm not a regular--I'm there only when global snit hits the fan.

Voice of Russia, re: Turkey
Ahram Online, re: South Sudan
Ahram Online re: Russian police station bombing
Al Jazeera: Meanwhile in Iran...
The Guardian re: Kabul killings
BBC reporter's personal take on S. Somalia
FP reporter's take on the role of charities in Egypt

China takes advantage of global distractions too-Karma Tsewang & followers arrested --but this happened Dec. 6 and we're just now hearing about it.

Meanwhile in Thailand...TPP anyone?
Forgot all about Brazil's tiff about the World Cup? Here's another thing...
Guardian: Mugabe strikes again. Australia?

---

Things seem to have quieted down on Twitter, so taking a timely break now...

...meanwhile, back on Facebook, this was posted...

...along with the questions, "Were you read to as a child? If so, what was your favorite bedtime story?"  Answer: Yes--"The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins". Dr. Seuss of 1938 vintage and part of The Children's Hour library.