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The power of social media became very clear in the events following the Iranian elections. Twitter gave early real-time information about the postelection backlash. Blogs, YouTube, Flickr, and Facebook were used to access information, organize political action, generate local news reports, and promote citizen journalism. As means of communication are being redefined, so are the dynamics of human interaction. How is the Muslim world adapting this new technology?
Mona Eltahawy is an Egyptian-born columnist and an international speaker on Arab and Muslim issues. Her columns can be seen in Egypt’s independent daily Al Masry Al Youm, Qatar’s Al Arab, and Israel’s The Jerusalem Report. Her opinion pieces have been published frequently around the world.
Ms. Eltahawy was the first Egyptian journalist to live and work for a Western news agency in Israel and knows both sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict. She reported on the terrorist campaign in Egypt in the 1990s and is familiar with the groups and ideology behind the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and other subsequent Al-Qaeda operations.
Eltahawy received the European Union’s Samir Kassir Prize for freedom of the press for her opinion writing and the Next Century Foundation’s Cutting Edge Prize for distinguished contribution to the coverage of the Middle East. |
