Qifa Nabki
Qifa Nabki
Alternatives to Skype in Lebanon
The blogosphere is boiling over with rage at the news that the Lebanese government may ban several voice-over-IP (VoIP) services this week in a crass move to boost revenue for the Telecommunications Ministry. Here at Qifa Nabki, we’re wondering what all the fuss is about. Surely there are alternatives to Skype, no? Are we so … Continue reading
Missed Call Nation
Well, it seems the rumors are true. The Lebanese Parliament will be calling a special session tomorrow to discuss banning Skype. Apparently, several other VoIP (voice-over-IP) services have already been blocked, such as Magic Jack, and if all goes according to plan, Skype and Gchat could be next. Imad Atalla breaks it down in the … Continue reading
The Future of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon
I just spent the last hour and a half watching a fascinating webcast of a seminar on the Palestinian refugee situation in Lebanon. It was organized by the Aspen Institute, and featured Nadim Shehadi (former director of the Centre for Lebanese Studies at Oxford, current Associate Fellow at Chatham House, and friend of the blog) … Continue reading
Rima Fakih on Lebanese TV
So, I had no idea that the newly crowned Miss USA, Rima Fakih, could speak Arabic. Am I behind the times? Check out this video I discovered while, ahem, doing some serious research about electoral reform on Youtube. Anyone else impressed by the way in which a regional dialect is preserved by emigration? Had Miss … Continue reading
Damocles’s Armory
I know several foreigners who are traveling to Lebanon this summer, and so I’m routinely asked about the chances of “something happening” while they are there. I usually adopt a thoughtful expression, pause for a moment, and tell them not to worry. This seems to work. Sometimes, if I am feeling mischievous, I adopt a … Continue reading
Qifa Nabki 
And the people say…