…unless they are from the Middle East region, in which case their entry towards the Eighth Annual Weblog Awards has been slightly curtailed as the category of ‘Best African or Middle Eastern Blog’ has been replaced by ‘Best African Blog’.

The removal of an entire region is  further confounding when one reviews the remaining geographical entrants – in addition to the aforementioned Africa, accompanying categories include Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Europe, Latin America, Canada, and America.

When placed alongside the recent publication by The Observer of The World’s 50 Most Powerful Blogs, the conspicuous absence of Middle Eastern bloggers is acridly tangible.

Earlier this morning, while reading Michael Keren’s 2006 publication, Blogosphere: The New Political Arena, I found myself expostulating quite rabidly at the tedious nature of a number of blogs that dominate the global blogosphere.

As I traced the parallels between the entries of one cyber-celebrity and that of Dostoevsky’s Underground Man, I found my eyes glazing over and my ire rising at the absence of Middle Eastern blogs from global awareness.

Devoid of wit, passion, and sagacity, the day-to-day meanderings served more as a neighbourhood watch log, rather than the belly-laugh inducing accounts by writers such as Rambling Hal.

The cyber-feats achieved on a daily basis by blogs such as The Black Iris, Angry Arab, Tololy’s Box, and Sasa - to name but a very few – in informing those that reside both within and out of the region on the developments and injustices that the media all too often succeeds in masquerading should be celebrated.

I wouldn’t quite say I am addicted, but certainly my day would not be complete without a morning passed perusing these sites.

Starting with Roba and Dave, my journey through the Middle Eastern blogosphere has grown longer and more entrenched in my daily routine, and I have yet to find blogs that encompass such a diversity of issues - from the personal to the political – within such a visually and linguistically appealing manner.

Blogs such as Moeys and The Black Iris make me sigh at their luscious design; Kinzi never fails to provide a profound experience; Sasa’s and Qwaider‘s are educating; while Hani, Dave, and Hal consistently provide a pick-up on those dark winter mornings.

The rise and rise of iToot, the Arab blog network, provides a veritable orchard of engrossing blogs that make it all the more difficult to accept the relative global apathy towards Middle Eastern blogs.

As the media devours stories on the conflicts afflicting the region, it is all the more crucial that such blogs are not side-lined by international award bodies such as the Bloggies.

The blogosphere has revolutionised the way we see the world and the way countries and individuals can be portrayed.

Indubitably, many retain a degree of bias, but equally there are an innumerable number who provide a glimpse of reality and provide the reader with an insight into the hardships, joys, traditions, and views of a highly misunderstood and cultured region.

Of course, there is no impediment to the submission of regional blogs towards the remaining categories:

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And so the list goes on with a plethora of categories.

Unfortunately, the competition for 2008 has already ended, with some already much-loved entrants scooping up prizes, including Dooce, Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, and Overheard in New York.

But looking to 2009, is it possible some of the highly-talented bloggers from the Middle East region could feature?

As readers nominate their favourite blogs towards the awards, is there a chance that the Middle East category could make a come back by popular demand? I certainly hope so.