A small blogosphere overview: Ethiopia/Somalia to Saudi Arabia
The Union of Islamic Courts in Somalia seem to signify a trend of jihadism turning inwards. In a drive to cleanse the power structures and to establish some order in a chaotic weak state they use more and more violence and while at the same time maintaining their support because of the already existing chaos and corruption.
Of course the BBC has, as always, a very good coverage of the recent events in Somalia but interesting are also the different blogs (with excerpts at Global Voices). Many bloggers warn that a situation may arise comparable with that of Iraq. Of course there are also differences. No embedded journalists in Somalia, which may result in less respect for human rights according to Zenobia. And of course this war results in many refugees seeking shelter in the region which may in turn cause new conflicts Headheeb warns us. Just Thinking gives us some insight in the local reactions in Ethiopia.
The internet is not only a niche for political commentators but also a platform to discus themes and issues that are difficult to debate offline. One of such debates concerns homosexuality. Interesting, although not new, is the emergence of two blogs from Saudi lesbian women: Two Dykes and a Closet, and Saudi Ballerina. (Hat tip Fahad Albutari at Global Voices). Other interesting Saudi blogs are: The Borderless Saudi Arabian, Independent Thoughts, Saudi Jeans and Serendipity
