I WAS interviewed this week on the phone by Brooke Gladstone from New York for National Public Radio’s weekly program “On the Media”. I talked about Saudi women bloggers and the recent blocking of Saudi Eve’s website.
To listen to the interview click here. To visit their webpage, click here. The program is airing in the United States this Saturday and Sunday, and will be broadcast by more than 200 NPR affiliates across America. It can also be heard internationally on NPR International, including in Saudi Arabia on Monday morning from 10 a.m. -11 a.m. on FM 100.7 in Jeddah.
This is their introduction on their website to my interview:
The Kingdom and the BloggerThe hope of the internet to usher in free expression is being realized to some extent in Saudi Arabia where bloggers are openly debating the issues of the day. Rasheed Abou-Alsamh has a keen understanding of degrees of free expression – he blogs, is senior editor for Arab News, and writes for foreign papers including the Christian Science Monitor. He joins Brooke to discuss his recent piece about Saudi women bloggers.
I disagree with Brooke’s characterization of Arab News as “conservative”, but I guess it’s all in the eye of the beholder.
i'm looking foward to hearing the interview. it is thanks to NPR that some of us folks in the states can have a chance to hear truly global news.
Your area certainly gets noticed these days. Arab mind, culture, religions, and societies are discussed about, but all I have heard, so far, is a chorus of opinions that are as wide apart as my Uncle Harry's eyes. I am hoping to pick some valuable gems here in your blog!
Very interesting, I like the idea of free speech finally coming to Saudi Arabia. I hope that censorship does not take over like it did in China. I enjoy your articles and hope that you can blog with me ;-)
-R
http://fubarblog771.blogspot.com/