Miscellaneous

Abir Ghattas

Http://lifeinstillmotion.darkfolio.com/gallery/98023#2

Walid Houri  

Iran has been an object of curiosity and exoticism for centuries – and since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the country's exceptional presence in the Western psyche shifted from the land of Orientalist fantasies to become one of oppression, backwardness and – of course – terrorism.

Iran re-emerged as the superstar of world politics when the “Iranian Nuclear Program” became “international public opinion’s” number one concern. It is hard, if not impossible to talk about Iran without having a set of preconceived prejudices and ideas – whether positive or negative – arising at every moment.

Marc Röhlig

Around 1.5 million plastic surgeries and 10 million liftings are carried out in Lebanon every year – by only 4 million inhabitants. Sculpting your body has become a national sport.

In 2009, 27-year-old Gwen Bou Jaoude founded ANAdiva to fight this mass production of model faces in Lebanon.

Lema Chehimi

‘Said’ used to be addicted to over-the-counter drugs. “I used to take Tramal and Legaflex,” he explains. “I am not taking them now though. I used to go on and off them every three months.”

Said says that he took them to feel better; one drug energized him while the other made him depressed. “But now I completely stopped taking any of them because they are very addictive drugs that I don’t want to get used to,” he insists.

Walking around Beirut you see plenty of flags representing the various nations participating in the 2010 World Cup hanging from peoples’ balconies. We’re also pretty sure you’ll find at least one in every ten cars with a flag attached to its windshield. Everyone is excited about the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and all the energy that the championship brings. Supermarkets, toy shops, internet centers, sportswear stores and even street sellers are selling World Cup merchandise like T-shirts, car accessories, key chains, flags, hats, bracelets and mugs to the fervent Lebanese fans.   

Sarra Grira

Paris - When confronted with free speech as an act of self-expression, authoritarian powers throughout history have tried to assert their legitimacy and remove threats to their rule through censorship. To achieve this, the censor has had to be quicker than the pen. 

This task was relatively easy in the days of the printed word. However, today's Internet revolution - especially blogs and other online social media - has turned the job of censorship into a censor's nightmare.

Lema Chehimi

On Sunday June 27, thousands of Palestinians and Lebanese marched from all over Lebanon to the Lebanese parliament building in Beirut demanding greater socio-economic and civil rights for Palestinians in Lebanon. In Beirut, the organizers of the march delivered a petition to the Lebanese authorities asking for a modification to some laws that discriminate against Palestinians in addition to contradicting the Lebanese constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The march was organized by the Right to Work Coalition Campaign in coordination with the Palestinian Civil Rights Campaign in Lebanon (PCRC).

Over 30 Palestinian organizations, 26 Lebanese organizations and four international organizations organized and participated in the march. Participants, young and old, protested together holding Palestinian and Lebanese national flags and signs bearing the slogan 'Civil, Social, Economic Rights and Living in Dignity are an Essential Step in the Journey of Return.'

Eleena Korban  

On Sunday June 20, fathers, sons and brothers stood alongside their mothers, sisters and daughters as they marched in a scorching 28 degrees for the rights of Lebanese women to give their nationality to their children and non-Lebanese husbands. Around 300 Lebanese citizens and non-citizens gathered in front of Sanayeh Gardens in central Beirut at 11am and marched to the first ever popular mock court of its kind, which was held in Ain Al-Mraisseh.

Farid Kerba

Are you meticulous, perfectionistic, totally absorbed in a particular cause, or otherwise fixated on something or someone on a daily basis? If so, you might be suffering from a mental disorder called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Fatima Farhat (@DohaFarhat)

It was fantastic to see how large a number of people attended the #geekfestbeirut (Geek Festival in Beirut). Please note the hash tag; it is there because Twitter was used to promote the event. 

This event was (un)organized by the #maniachi, a group that gathers together techies, web developers, photographers, bankers and a dentist. Saying that, anyone interested in social media can join the group.

May Abi Samra

“Does anyone have a pen?” asked a student at one of the Beirut universities. No one answered. Then the student asked the teacher if he could lend him one.

Sarah Hilal

“He was known for being angry and cranky all day long; I went to his office [and] made a study. I found out that all what he needed was an aquarium in his office for him to feel better and smile. A month later he was happy; three months later, he started a new business in China.”

This is how Jessica Khudeida, a feng shui consultant in Lebanon, describes one of her cases.

Sarah Hilal

Ghofran Moustafa