The Jawaala News Quiz!!!

There has a been a pretty high volume of news coming out of the Middle East lately.  Sometimes it can be hard to know if you are really keeping up with events.  If you are looking to test your knowledge, look no further -- your Jawaala has a quiz on recent news stories from the Middle East!  Answers are at the bottom (NO PEEKING!).  If you like, post your scores to the comments.  Let's see who knows their stuff.

1.     Which of the following dictators was not invited to retire in Saudi Arabia?

a.     Hosni Mubarak

b.     Idi Amin

c.      Zine el Abidine Ben Ali

d.     Zia Ul-Haq

2.     Which of the following features of Tunisian fortunate son Sakher el-Materi’s home reminded U.S. Ambassador Robert F. Godec of Saddam Hussein’s son Uday?

a.     His South African nanny

b.     The infinity pool

c.      The pet tiger

d.     His large staff of servants

3.     Wael Ghonim, a Google executive who has become an icon for the Egyptian pro-democracy protest movement, has NOT been accused of working in league with which of the following?

a.     A plot by the United States that involved paying protesters with KFC fried chicken

b.     A Zionist conspiracy to weaken Egypt

c.      A conspiracy of Islamists and communists to conquer the world and divide it up amongst themselves

d.     Egyptian State Security
e.   Iran, Al-Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Hamas

4.     Before marrying President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia, Leila Trabelsi worked as a:

a.     Hairdresser

b.     Actress

c.      Nurse

d.     Manicurist

5.     Match each Qaddhafi son to the international incident on the right (each son may have several incidents)

                                                                                    a. 6 charges of assault in three different countries over the past 10 years

i. Seif al-Islam                                                             b. Spending approximately $1 million to have the Pussycat Dolls perform privately for a Bulgarian stripper

ii. Hannibal

                                                                                    c. Plagiarizing a PhD dissertation as a student at the London School of Economics

iii. Saadi                                                                      d. Allegedly ordering the death of a false informant on cooperation between Iraq and al-Qaeda

iv. Mutassim                                                                e. Failing a drug test during an audition for a professional soccer club in Italy

v. Seif al-Arab

                                                                                    f. Assaulting a bouncer in Munich and having his Ferrari impounded for excessive noise

6.     Which of the following led to former Foreign Minister of France Michele Alliot-Marie’s resignation on February 27:

a.     Spending Christmas vacation in a Tunisian resort during the winter uprisings

b.     Flying in the private jet of a Tunisian businessman and buying property for her parents in Tunisia during the uprising

c.      A rumored authorization of a tear gas shipment to Tunisia in January 2011 at the height of the revolt

d.     Suggesting that French riot police be sent to Tunisia to quell protests

e.     All of the above

7.     Which of the following has not been a name of a day of protest during 2011?

a.     Day of Unity

b.     Friday of No Return

c.      Day of Dignity

d.     Friday of Departure

e.     Friday of Sorrows

8.     During early march at Rafiq Hariri Airport in Beirut, travelers were surprised to find:

a.     The first Hare Krishna campaign in the Middle East

b.     No on-time flights to an Arab country

c.      A spontaneous dance performance

d.     All runways were fully functional for the first time since Israeli missile strikes in 2006

9.     Which celebrity did MSNBC’s Chris Matthews compare to Muammar al-Qaddhafi on his program “Hardball?”

a.     Glenn Beck

b.     Sarah Palin

c.      Charlie Sheen

d.     Dick Cheney

e.     Mel Gibson

10.  Which country or group has not received arms from Muammar al-Qaddhafi?

a.     Uganda

b.     Hamas

c.      Nicaragua

d.     The Irish Republican Army

11.  Morocco’s Minister of Communication Khalid Neciri has blamed protests in his country on which of the following:

a.     An alliance between the United States, Algeria, and Iran

b.     Radical Islam disseminated through Facebook

c.      Israeli spies working with POLISARIO

d.     Berber separatists working with the CIA

12.  Match the country to the animal it has accused of espionage or general skullduggery for Israel (each country may accuse several animals)

i. Iran                                       a. Sharks     

ii. Palestine                              b. Pigeons

iii. Egypt                                  c. Squirrels

iv. Saudi Arabia                      d. Dog-sized rats

v. Sudan                                  e. Pelicans

                                                f. Vultures     

                                               

                                                g. Wild boars      

Answer Key: 1. d    2. c    3. d    4. a    5i. c  ii. a  iii. e,b  iv. d  v. f    6. e    7. e    8. c (video here)    9. b    10. b  
11.  a    12i. b,c  ii. d,g  iii. a  iv. f  v.  e