The Layalina Review: Volume VI No. 5 | Layalina Productions, Inc.

The Layalina Review

	The Layalina Review on Public Diplomacy and Arab Media The Layalina Review is a peerless bi-weekly source for monitoring developments in the spheres of public diplomacy and Arab media. Its readers include academics, Foreign Service Officers, students, members of Congress and their staffs, foreign diplomats, and professionals in both the private and public sectors. Published 26 times per year, the review is free to subscribers and available in PDF, HTML, and RSS formats. The Layalina Review is brought to you thanks in part to a grant from The Dr. Scholl Foundation of Illinois.
Statistic of the Week The UAE is the 'most connected' Arab country, followed by Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, in a new study. PDF RSS Twitter Facebook Recent Issues Vol. VI No. 4: 2/12-2/25, 2010 Vol. VI No. 3: 1/29-2/11, 2010 Archives Subscribe to our Publications Layalina Review Staff Leon Shahabian Senior Editor Anne Hagood Managing Editor Lyzz Schwegler Contributor Mirna Oud Contributor Lorraine Jablonsky Contributor Adam Zelaazami Contributor The views expressed here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Layalina Productions, Inc.	VOL. VI NO. 5, February 26-March 11, 2010 Hill Testimony and Biden Trip Feature Public Diplomacy The US Public Diplomacy effort is in full swing. Vice President Joe Biden will visit the Middle East, Under Secretary of State Judith McHale unveiled the administration’s new PD roadmap, and former Under Secretary of State James Glassman testified on the necessity for public diplomacy initiatives to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Clinton Confronts Censorship Amidst Concerns for Privacy Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the United States will support internet freedom around the world and engage in an “open war” on authoritarian states’ control of media access. However, some pro-democracy groups believe that the United States is not doing enough to confront these regimes, especially Iran. Iranian Government Capitalizing on Media Proliferation After the arrest of Jundallah mastermind Abdulmalek Rigi, Iranian officials are taking advantage of the media as a way of promoting the government's political agenda. However, while taking advantage of the media, the government continues to quash dissent, revoking licenses for publications such as Etemad and Irandokht. Pentagon Greenlights Social Media Access After much debate, the Department of Defense has announced that the Pentagon’s non-classified network will have access to social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook. DoD officials applaud the department’s embrace of the new media, while others are concerned that this access may result in new security breaches. Cartoon Controversy Continues Politiken broke with other Danish newspapers and issued an apology for offending Muslims by re-publishing the Mohammad cartoon that sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world. The apology has been seen by some as a defeat to freedom of the press, while others say it is a step towards a more constructive dialogue with the Islamic world. Uncovering the Arabian Dream: Global Citizens in a Democratic Society Results of the second annual ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey revealed that the majority of Arab youth prefer to live in a democratic society and are most concerned with the rising costs of living, shortage of affordable housing, unemployment and lack of voting rights. Microsoft's Bing Self-Censors in the Middle East A report released by The Open Net Initiative demonstrates that Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, is censoring its site in the Middle East. The search engine filters keywords relating to sex or LGBT images and content. Technology experts point that the filters are also affecting Arab countries that have no internet censorship, such as Jordan and Lebanon. Egyptian Blogger Tried and Freed, Until Further Notice An Egyptian blogger accused of publishing false information on the country’s military establishment has been released, pending a direct apology to the government’s military academy. International human rights groups condemned the arrest and called for the blogger's release. *The Hurt Locker* Boosts the Jordanian Film Industry Filmed in Jordan over the period of two months in 2007, The Hurt Locker won six Oscars at this year's 82nd Annual Academy Awards, placing the Jordanian film industry and its brood of talented actors in the spotlight. "Sleepless in Gaza...and Jerusalem:" Spotlight on Palestinians A new web series, “Sleepless in Gaza...and Jerusalem,” follows four Palestinian women in their everyday lives. The 90-part series will provide “a human look at the Palestinians.”

The Layalina Review on Public Diplomacy and Arab Media

The Layalina Review is a peerless bi-weekly source for monitoring developments in the spheres of public diplomacy and Arab media.

Its readers include academics, Foreign Service Officers, students, members of Congress and their staffs, foreign diplomats, and professionals in both the private and public sectors.

Published 26 times per year, the review is free to subscribers and available in PDF, HTML, and RSS formats.

The Layalina Review is brought to you thanks in part to a grant from The Dr. Scholl Foundation of Illinois.

Statistic of the Week
The UAE is the 'most connected' Arab country, followed by Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, in a new study.

Recent Issues

Vol. VI No. 4: 2/12-2/25, 2010

Vol. VI No. 3: 1/29-2/11, 2010

Archives

Layalina Review Staff

Leon Shahabian
Senior Editor

Anne Hagood
Managing Editor

Lyzz Schwegler
Contributor

Mirna Oud
Contributor

Lorraine Jablonsky
Contributor

Adam Zelaazami
Contributor

The views expressed here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Layalina Productions, Inc.

VOL. VI NO. 5, February 26-March 11, 2010

Hill Testimony and Biden Trip Feature Public Diplomacy
The US Public Diplomacy effort is in full swing. Vice President Joe Biden will visit the Middle East, Under Secretary of State Judith McHale unveiled the administration’s new PD roadmap, and former Under Secretary of State James Glassman testified on the necessity for public diplomacy initiatives to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Clinton Confronts Censorship Amidst Concerns for Privacy
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the United States will support internet freedom around the world and engage in an “open war” on authoritarian states’ control of media access. However, some pro-democracy groups believe that the United States is not doing enough to confront these regimes, especially Iran.

Iranian Government Capitalizing on Media Proliferation
After the arrest of Jundallah mastermind Abdulmalek Rigi, Iranian officials are taking advantage of the media as a way of promoting the government's political agenda. However, while taking advantage of the media, the government continues to quash dissent, revoking licenses for publications such as Etemad and Irandokht.

Pentagon Greenlights Social Media Access
After much debate, the Department of Defense has announced that the Pentagon’s non-classified network will have access to social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook. DoD officials applaud the department’s embrace of the new media, while others are concerned that this access may result in new security breaches.

Cartoon Controversy Continues
Politiken broke with other Danish newspapers and issued an apology for offending Muslims by re-publishing the Mohammad cartoon that sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world. The apology has been seen by some as a defeat to freedom of the press, while others say it is a step towards a more constructive dialogue with the Islamic world.

Uncovering the Arabian Dream: Global Citizens in a Democratic Society
Results of the second annual ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey revealed that the majority of Arab youth prefer to live in a democratic society and are most concerned with the rising costs of living, shortage of affordable housing, unemployment and lack of voting rights.

Microsoft's Bing Self-Censors in the Middle East
A report released by The Open Net Initiative demonstrates that Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, is censoring its site in the Middle East. The search engine filters keywords relating to sex or LGBT images and content. Technology experts point that the filters are also affecting Arab countries that have no internet censorship, such as Jordan and Lebanon.

Egyptian Blogger Tried and Freed, Until Further Notice
An Egyptian blogger accused of publishing false information on the country’s military establishment has been released, pending a direct apology to the government’s military academy. International human rights groups condemned the arrest and called for the blogger's release.

The Hurt Locker Boosts the Jordanian Film Industry
Filmed in Jordan over the period of two months in 2007, The Hurt Locker won six Oscars at this year's 82nd Annual Academy Awards, placing the Jordanian film industry and its brood of talented actors in the spotlight.

"Sleepless in Gaza...and Jerusalem:" Spotlight on Palestinians
A new web series, “Sleepless in Gaza...and Jerusalem,” follows four Palestinian women in their everyday lives. The 90-part series will provide “a human look at the Palestinians.”