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Leading Muslim-American Activists Boycott the Official White House Iftar, Refusing to Break Bread with Obama · Global Voices
Sahar Habib Ghazi

Photo uploaded by Twitter user @whphotos2013 on July 12, 2014
Tonight, continuing a White House tradition started by Bill Clinton, President Obama is hosting his sixth iftar, the meal that breaks the day of fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan.
But this year, as Israel continues to bomb Gaza, and recent revelations proved that the US government has been spying on key Muslim-American community leaders under “secretive procedures intended to target terrorists and foreign spies“, a leading Arab-American rights group and some prominent Muslim-American activists are boycotting the official iftar.
A statement released by the influential Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) today said: “Political engagement is important and having a seat at the table is crucial — but only when that seat is intended to amplify our voice as a community, not tokenize or subdue it.”
Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, an Arab-American blogger, founder of MuslimGirl.net and media representative for the ADC tweeted:
If @WhiteHouse cares about us, let it stop @Israel‘s relentless massacre of Gaza + stop illegally spying on us first. #WhiteHouseIftar
— Amani Al-Khatahtbeh (@amanialkhat) July 14, 2014
The Washington DC guest list usually includes diplomats from Muslim-majority countries, politicians representing American-Muslim constituencies, and key leaders from the 3.5 million-strong American-Muslim community. This year Israel's ambassador to the US, Ron Dermer is also invited.
Wajahat Ali, a prominent Muslim-American activist and lawyer, award-winning playwright and co-host of AlJazeera America's The Stream wasn't invited to this year's iftar, but posted this on his public Facebook page:
I am glad Muslims are attending the White House Iftar.
I am glad Muslims are boycotting the White House Iftar.
I welcome the disagreements.
There can and should be no uniformity of opinion in the most pluralistic religious communities in the most pluralistic society in the modern, globalized 2014 world populated with the most pluralistic identities.
Say Assalam Alikum to Brother Obama from me. And tell him to look outside at the protests and placards so the government can please stop spying on me…unless, of course, they wants biryani recipes and Game of Thrones links.
The US government has been holding iftars to celebrate Ramadan for over a decade, with events hosted by the White House and other government agencies. These events were initially lauded by the Muslim-American community when they started, but the last few years the official dinners have been criticized by many who see these attempts at inclusion ‘hypocritical‘, since the US government continues to engage in policies largely condemned by the Muslim-American community – force-feeding and imprisoning people at Guantanamo Bay, state surveillance targeting Muslim-Americans, and US tax dollars funding the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
“Happening now: #whitehouseiftar”. Photo uploaded by Twitter user @amgh0 on July 14, 2014 at 9:15 pm Washington DC time.
Attending #WhiteHouseIftar this year will give the gov an opportunity to use us as shields to claim approval by our community. 9/n
— Josh Shahryar (@JShahryar) July 14, 2014
In a strongly-worded open letter 100 Muslim-American scholars and activists called for a boycott of this year's White House Iftar:
We are a group of scholars, advocates, activists and grassroots organizers who are outraged and deeply concerned by the violence that the United States has committed under the guise of national security. We are outraged that human and civil rights of Muslims and non-Muslims alike are so callously rejected in favor of a national security state that purports to be a democracy and the leader of the free world, while furthering undemocratic policies and ideals. We are outraged that so many individuals have suffered from profiling, detention, torture, and murder by virtue of specifically being Muslim or looking Muslim.
From the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation Facebook page which was more than 45,000 likes.
One prominent Texas-based Muslim scholar whose Facebook page has more than 250K likes tweeted:
My thoughts on the #WhiteHouseIftar pic.twitter.com/yZrN6x3nZN
— Omar Suleiman (@omarsuleiman504) July 13, 2014
Keith Ellison, the first Muslim-American elected to Congress in 2006 tweeted:
A boycott of the #WhiteHouseIftar dinner tonight won't help advance an agenda on the policy matters we care about http://t.co/DXm5ivcj5a
— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) July 14, 2014
Addressing last year's White House iftar, President Obama said:
Every day, Muslim Americans are helping to shape the way that we think and the way that we work and the way that we do business. And that’s the spirit that we celebrate tonight — the dreamers, the creators whose ideas are pioneering new industries, creating new jobs and unleashing new opportunities for all of us.
Muslim-American writer and civil rights activist Mariam Abu-Ali wrote a moving piece about her brother, a case that has gotten little mainstream media coverage in the US, in a post called, Another White House Iftar, Another Ramadan Without My Brother:
President Obama, just as he has done every year since coming to office, will probably include in his remarks stories of successful Muslims making significant contributions to American society, attempting to show how interwoven Muslims are in the fabric of this country. What he won't mention, and what most in the room would rather not think about, is the growing number of Muslims who are victims of the U.S government's ruthless persecution of Muslims that includes spying, torture, and unfair trials.
I believe that my brother is one such victim. In June 2003 Ahmed Abu-Ali, a U.S citizen, was detained by intelligence officers in Saudi Arabia while studying at the University of Madinah. He was only 22. The Saudi government, apparently at the behest of the U.S government, detained him without charges for nearly two years. Ahmed was then brought home and charged with conspiracy to assassinate then-President George W. Bush. The only evidence admitted in court was a videotape of a confession obtained in a Saudi Arabian prison — a confession that my brother maintained was coerced through torture. He was subsequently found guilty and sentenced to 30 years (and later life) in prison. My brother will serve life in perpetual solitary confinement for an alleged crime that the judge himself stated “did not result in a single actual victim.”


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Palestinian Drones Fly on Israel  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian Al Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, unveiled three models of unmanned drones today, which it said it flew into Israeli skies.
Journalist Dima Khatib tweets:
Al Qassam Brigades say they made 3 models of Ababil drones: A1A, A1B, A1C. Pic v @QudsN of A1B during a mission pic.twitter.com/sTfW0bVS98
— Dima Khatib أنا ديمة (@Dima_Khatib) July 14, 2014
The drones, made in Palestine,  are called Ababil – after a type of birds mentioned in the Holy Quran, which protected Mecca during a war with Yemen in the year 571.
Gaza-based blogger Jehan Alfarra exclaims:
#Israel shocked at the use of Palestinian drones by Palestinian Resistance in #Gaza! So are weee #GameOfDrones مرمطناهم
— Jehan Alfarra (@palinoia) July 14, 2014

source: news-globalvoices

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Putin Tells Rabbis that Goebbels Was “Talented” · Global Voices
Sean Guillory

Vladimir Putin meets with religious officials, July 9, 2014, Moscow, Russia. Kremlin Press Service, Public domain.
When faced with being tactful or truthful, often tact is the more polite of the two. Vladimir Putin, however, chose truth over tact when he called Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Minister of Propaganda, as a “talented man” in the meeting with an international delegation of rabbis. Addressing the falsification of history, the Russian President said,
Вы сказали, что нужно быть глупым, чтобы отрицать то, что было. Вы знаете, мне кажется, что нужно быть не просто глупым, нужно быть наглым, чтобы отрицать то, что было. Но, к сожалению, эта наглость так же, как и 70 лет назад, часто достигает своей цели. Ведь Геббельс же говорил: чем невероятнее ложь, тем быстрее в неё поверят. И он добивался своего, он был талантливый человек.
You said that one must be stupid to deny what happened. You know, I think that one must not just be stupid, but also shameless, to deny what occurred. But unfortunately, just like 70 years ago, this shamelessness often achieves its purposes. After all, Goebbels had said, “The more improbable the lie, the faster people believe it.” And it worked out; he was a talented man.
The context for Putin’s remarks is a law initiated by Duma deputy Irina Yarovaya and adopted in May that made “justifying Nazism” or “rehabilitating Nazism” punishable by five years in prison or fines that go as high as 15 thousand dollars. The law criminalizes any public denial of facts established by the International War Tribunal at the end of WWII, the approval of Nazi crimes, or the spread of falsehoods associated with the activities of the USSR during the war. Yarovaya wrote the law in the wake of the Dozhd TV scandal about a poll asking viewers if the Soviets should have surrendered Leningrad.
Did Vladimir Putin break the law when he acknowledged Goebbels’ “talent”?
The thing is, Putin is right. Goebbels was a talented guy. He excelled at using propaganda to convince millions of Germans to love Hitler and hate Jews. And truth be told, he did live by his maxim of the bigger the lie the more it will be believed. One wonders where the controversy is. But Putin’s positive words for the Nazi propagandist Goebbels nonetheless caused a stir on the RuNet.
Путин не смог удержаться и восхитился Геббельсом на встрече с раввинами. “Геббельс был талантливым человеком и всегда добивался своего”.
— Parkering Forbudt (@che1i0s) July 9, 2014
Putin couldn’t help himself. He marveled at Goebbels in a meeting with rabbis. “Goebbels was a talented man and always made good.”
Значит, для Путина Геббельс – отличный парень, а фашист и бандеровец – это я и мои единомышленники? Ну ок))
— Дмитрий Семенов (@Shprot89) July 10, 2014
Well then, for Putin Goebbels is an excellent guy, but the fascists and banderovtsy—that’s me and the people who think like me. Well, okay. :)
LJ user rovego thought Putin’s comments were in bad taste, suggesting that the 61-year-old leader is showing his age.
Путин, похоже, стареет. Раньше он очень тщательно подбирал слова. Плохой знак.
It looks like Putin getting old. Before, he picked his words very precisely. It’s a bad sign.
Not everyone on Twitter agreed that Putin's remarks constituted a scandal.
Что все на Путина набросились? Да, Геббельс был талантливым пропагандистом и руководителем. Мерзавец не может быть талантливым?
— Аркадий Чаплыгин (@ArkChaplygin) July 10, 2014
Why is everyone jumping all over Putin? Yes, Goebbels was a talented propagandist and leader. Scum can’t be talented?
Some couldn’t resist using Putin’s statement to liken the Nazi figure to Russia’s own propaganda machine. Comparing Goebbels to Dmitry Kiselev, the reigning voice of Russia’s contempoary mass media, one Twitter user had this to say:
Геббельс талантливей Киселева
— Смирнов (@sssmirnov) July 9, 2014
Goebbles is more talented than Kiselev.

author: Sean Guillory


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If I Were A Dictator, I Would Consider You My Enemy · Global Voices
مرسيل شحوارو

This post is part of a special series of articles by blogger and activist, Marcell Shehwaro, describing the realities of life in Syria during the ongoing armed conflict between forces loyal to the current regime, and those seeking to oust it.
#Douma4 poster for the campaign to free leading human rights activists and opposition figures kidnapped by Islamist militants. The poster reads: “The one who kidnaps a rebel is a traitor”.
For you to understand the situation more accurately, allow me to place you in the place and time it happened, and offer some details.
The Time:
October 7, 2013. It was the night my friend Abdulwahab Almulla, a rebel and an artist, was kidnapped. It happened during the period when kidnappings became common, before Syrians had ever heard of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). This was the tenth kidnapping we'd heard of. And this time, we weren't dealing with unknown kidnappers as we were at the beginning of the previous year. The signs clearly pointed to ISIS.
In three months, many things had changed. The cameras of the media disappeared. Some men started to grow beards. Others started wearing Afghan garb. Some refused to discuss ISIS while some others exaggerated their support for this group. To learn more about this period, you need to think about what it would mean if all those around you avoided you like the plague, out of the conviction that you, as a rebel, are more likely to be kidnapped than other people; that you have to live on the run, moving from house to house and to Turkey; that your back is completely exposed, and that they probably know your exact movements with great accuracy.
The Participants:
A group of rebel friends, who have collective memories which protected them during the sad moments of breakdown, and who adapted to the pain they experienced with sarcasm about everything, including themselves.
They all had many questions about how we would protect ourselves, and fear for themselves as well as immense sadness for Abdulwahab Almulla. They were losing hope of ever seeing him again: absence would swallow him just as it had devoured Abu Maryam, Samar, Mohammed. . . and others.
During this period, the prisons of ISIS were as much of a mystery as the Bermuda Triangle, surrounded by speculation, suspense and secrecy.
The Place:
A house in Almashhad neighbourhood where we gathered when the electricity was cut off, where we spent time chatting with friends. The question on everyone's lips was: Who is next, after Abdulwahab? Who will be next to be kidnapped and to disappear?
This spontaneous question would turn into a painful game, one which you could call sick. We would expect the next kidnapped person to be one of our rebel friends. We would claim to be objective, and ask each other: if you were a dictator, or in the process of becoming one, who would you kidnap?
We went through the obvious names. This friend is more likely to get kidnapped because he has values, and would not remain quiet in the face of injustice. Another friend's chances of disappearing are bigger because he is clean, and enjoys the support of the other rebels, who trusted what he said. He's also armed and therefore poses a threat to the ISIS. I was on the list too, because what I was writing could cause me a lot of problems. And this is how we started making lists, at least in our heads, of who would be kidnapped if we were to kidnap the revolution in Aleppo.
If we were to expand the painful game to include the whole of Syria, I would have certainly begun the list with Syrian human rights lawyer and civil rights activist Razan Zaitouneh, who has been banned from travelling by the Syrian regime since 2002. She has been ruthless in defending human rights and has repeatedly called upon the rebels to report any violations, even those committed by the opposition armed forces.
This is what had happened. Five months ago Razan Zaitouneh, Sameera Khalil, Wael Hammadi and Nadhem were kidnapped from the office of the Violations Documentation Centre, in the town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta, by an unknown armed faction.
The statement put out by activists regarding the kidnapping reads: “Razan Zaitouneh is a lawyer, writer and activist, who has worked relentlessly since the turn of the century to defend the rights, freedoms and dignity of our people, however diverse their ideology and political prejudices were. Razan represented a new model for the educated human rights activist, and for Syrian women, in her dedication to her work, her humanity and courage. She was creative, motivated and loved life and people. She is an exemplary model for women, educated people and activists in Syria. Razan's mother, father and sisters have heard nothing about her since she disappeared. And it is not known whether she is in contact with with Wael Hammadi, her husband, who was kidnapped along with her.
“As for Sameera Al Khalil, who was imprisoned for four years for standing up against the Assad regime: she took part in all democratic activities in Syria since the start of the century. She was active on the committees to revive civil society and in the Damascus Declaration gathering, and was among those who took part in the preparatory meetings which culminated in the signing of the Damascus-Beirut/Beirut-Damascus Declaration. She is the epitome of modesty, is dedicated to the national cause, loves people, and is eager to help others. Sameera's husband, Yaseen Alhaj Saleh, has had no information about his wife, nor have her sisters and brothers and children. As for her elderly parents, they do not even know she was kidnapped.
“With the same dedication, Wael Hammadi had devoted himself throughout the last 10 years to opposing the regime, and had been active since the beginning of the revolution on the local coordination committees which provided relief and humanitarian aid to Syrians. Wael was arrested twice, and was tortured by the regime. His mother and siblings have had no information about him, and he does not know that his father died a few weeks ago.
“Had it not been for Nadhem, many families across the country would not have received humanitarian aid. With Wael, he coordinated the distribution of aid, through the active coordination committees network, which almost covered the entire country. The family of this disappeared poet and lawyer's have heard nothing about him either.”
For a group of peaceful activists opposing the regime of Bashar Al Assad to be kidnapped in a “liberated” area without a serious attempt by the armed factions there to look for the kidnappers and hold them accountable, is alarming to all of us. The road towards freedom in Syria is long, and there are many on our side who do not dream of a state of equality and justice. What for many is a quest for freedom—which they are ready to kill for—is in reality a quest for authority, and they are ready to kill for that as well. And what we thought we had liberated is in reality just the first step towards a process in which we write a new social contract which will eliminate the period of suppressing freedoms and targeting people for their opinion and political activities. Perhaps we made the mistake of becoming too lenient regarding security arrangements, which we were keen to focus on when we were living in the areas controlled by the regime.
In Syria today, where arms are freely available and wielded by mad people, thugs and extremists, you need to understand that you are under threat if you truly believe in the Syrian revolution, and that your back is exposed the entire time. You should reassess your readiness to sacrifice all that is dear to you, whether that is your freedom or even your life, in order to pave the way for a Syria which is free from detention, kidnappings and secret prisons.
In Syria today, if you don't feel threatened and worried about your safety and if your friends don't pull you aside and express their concerns and fears for you regarding what you write, you need to ask yourself about the basic concessions you had to make out of fear and about whose plights, amongst those being treated with injustice, you have decided to ignore and look the other way.
In this article, I would like to add my voice to 46 international rights organisations, among them Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, to hold the Islamic Army, headed by Zahran Alloush, responsible for the disappearance of Razan Zaitouneh, her husband Wael Hammada, Sameera Khalil and Nadhem Hammadi.
I will venture further to say that viewed from the other side, the kidnapping of those activists reflects dictatorial ambitions to kidnap an entire nation and suppress its revolution.
I call upon you all to take part with Syrian activists in the campaign to release the activists under the hashtag #Douma4, and would like to salute many of you for volunteering to add yourself to the hit-list which will targeted by all the dictators in this world.
If I were a dictator, or were planning to becoming one, I would consider all of you my enemies, simply because you can read and write, or merely because you can think.
Marcell Shehwaro blogs at marcellita.com and tweets at @Marcellita, both primarily in Arabic. Read the other posts in the series here.

author: مرسيل شحوارو


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The Splendour of the Cave of Lourdes · Global Voices
María Romina Mascareño

Cave of Lourdes. Image by Laura Schneider, used with permission.
The Cave of Lourdes is an astonishing structure located in Puerto Deseado, province of Santa Cruz (Argentina). It's a majestic sanctuary in Cañadón de las Bandurrias, originated in Tellier spot that fows into Ría de Deseado. That's where Laura Schneider went this time. On her blog, she shares the experience of her journey:
No tenía conocimiento de la Gruta de Lourdes hasta que viajé a Puerto Deseado, un lugar encerrado entre paredones de roca rodeado del silencio de la naturaleza o quizás del sonido que nos da la soledad y la fe. Miles y miles de personas visitan este lugar, tan alejado pero tan bello como natural. Mas alla de las peregrinaciones que se realizan, es un lindo lugar para recorrer sin necesidad de peregrinar.
I wasn't even aware of the Cave of Lourdes until I went to Puerto Deseado, a place between rock walls surrounded by the silence of nature or maybe the sound that solitude and faith provide us. Thousands and thousands of people visit this place, so far away, but as beauty as natural. Beyond the pilgrimage there, it's a beautiful location to be tour without having to go on a pilgrimage.
You can follow Laura on her blog and on Twitter.

author: María Romina Mascareño


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Third Festival in Santa Catarina, Tláhuac, Mexico · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

More and more people are sharing their content on Medium, and Ximena Arrieta, consultant in Strategic Communications, is using her content as an additional medium and coverage for the connection between communication, citizen participation and technology, as does the “Movement for the Earth” in Santa Catarina Yecahuízotl, that with its “Festival for the Sierra”, held on July 12, aimed to promote and build connections of coexistence and social cohesion within its community:
El objetivo del Festival es construir un espacio de colaboración, expresión y sobre todo, reflexión de las problemáticas que afectan a la Sierra de Santa Catarina, espacio natural y reserva ecológica del Distrito Federal, constantemente amenazada por proyectos mineros, inmobiliarios, contaminación y sobreexplotación.
Está dirigido a la población infantil y joven de la comunidad, sin embargo, también es un mensaje concientizado para el público adulto.
The aim of the Festival is to build a space for collaboration, expression and, above all, reflection on the issues that affect Santa Catarina highlands, a natural space and ecologic reserve of Mexico City, constantly threatened by mining, real estate projects, pollution and overexploitation.
This is meant for the children and youth of the comuunity, but it's also an awareness message for the adult audience.
You can read Arrieta on her blog in Spanish on Tumblr, Punto Crucial or by following her account on Twitter: @borjaxime

author: Milton Ramirez


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This Woman Marched Thousands of Kilometers Across Pakistan For Her Brother and Balochistan’s Missing People · Global Voices
Jahanzeb Hussain

Screenshot of an interview with Farzana Majeed by Faiz Baluch on Vimeo.
Disappearances are not uncommon in Balochistan, where Baloch nationalists are fighting an armed resistance against the Pakistani state. Yet, the tale of “missing people” in Pakistan’s largest province remains one of the most under-reported stories in the world.
Farzana Majeed's brother, Zakir Majeed, is one of the missing. She has dedicated the last few years of her life to keeping her brother's cause alive, staging protests and spreading the word about his plight and the plight of others.
The bodies of hundreds of missing people have appeared across the province bearing torture marks in the last few years, according to the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, and families like Farzana's blame state operatives.
Pakistan's security services deny allegations of their involvement, saying they are battling a fierce rebellion in the province. Since 2012, Pakistan's Supreme Court has also been investigating cases of missing people in Balochistan, issuing warnings to the government, but little headway has been made.
Farzana Majeed is also the general secretary of the rights group International Voices for the Baloch Missing Persons. Earlier this year, to raise awareness about the missing people, she and her comrades marched 2,000 kilometers from the provincial capital Quetta to Pakistan's federal capital Islamabad. Called the Baloch Long March, it took four months to complete. In comparison, Gandhi travelled only 240 miles for his famous Dandi Salt March.
In the following interview, Farzana discusses the current situation in Balochistan, the genesis of the march, and the role played by Baloch women in the struggle for independence. The interview also appears on my blog Collateral Damage.
How do you feel after completing the march?
Farzana Majeed (FM): When we started the march, we thought that the awareness we would raise might force the intelligence agencies and the state to release our loved ones. But along the way, we received the news that the Supreme Court and the High Court had dismissed some of the cases pertaining to the missing persons. Even more traumatic was the discovery of mass graves in Balochistan as we were marching. Nonetheless, it was still a major achievement that we managed to raise some awareness in Pakistan and abroad about the barbarism of the Pakistani state in Balochistan.
Can you tell us about the circumstances of your brother Zakir Majeed's disappearance?
FM: Zakir Majeed was the former chairman of the Baloch Student Organization-Azad [the largest ethnic Baloch student body in the country, banned by Pakistan in 2013 for being involved in “terrorism.”]. He had the courage to raise his voice against state brutalities, enforced disappearances and other human rights violations committed by Pakistan in Balochistan. He was also one of the members of the committee that pressed for the release of John Solecki, a UNHCR official in Balochistan [who was abducted in 2009 by a previously unknown Baloch Liberation United Front and released after two months]. Zakir also spoke out against the illegal arrests and killings of the Baloch leader Ghulam Mohammad Baloch and his comrades. He denounced the murder by the Pakistani Army of Baloch leader Akbar Khan Bugti.
Zakir was educating the Baloch youth about the Pakistani occupation of their homeland. He was particularly resentful against the testing of the Pakistani nuclear bomb in the Chaghi mountains of Balochistan. Due to his continuous demonstrations, seminars and speeches in schools and colleges all through Balochistan, the Pakistani state arrested him in June of 2008. His goal of uniting the Baloch youth on a single platform was perceived as a great threat. Zakir was the symbol of the national struggle, which is why the state is unwilling to release him from custody.
He is just one of thousands of political activists who have been illegally arrested by the Pakistani state for protesting against the occupation.
Can you tell us about the process of developing your own political consciousness and your decision to come out publicly for your brother and other missing people?
FM: I belong to a politicized family. I grew up watching my mother and many other female activists in my father’s party. Before we began the movement to raise the issue of Baloch missing persons, I was a member of the BSO-Azad. During my studies, I started my political activities on BSO-Azad’s platform. I took part in demonstrations, press conferences, seminars and other activities so that I could educate myself.
It was also my brother’s expectation that I would raise my voice for our national rights. So it was equally because of my commitment to him and our combined struggle that made me launch the movement for the recovery of my kidnapped brother and the rest of the 20,000 missing Baloch persons.
How are the wives, sisters and mothers of missing people dealing with it?
FM: Everybody is in trauma in Balochistan. The families of the missing persons are living in fear and psychological stress. Any given day could be the day they discover the mutilated bodies of their loved ones dumped alongside the highways or in mass graves. But the Baloch women are strong and they have shown great bravery in coming out protesting about the kidnappings and the state’s ‘Kill and Dump’ policy.
What were the stages of the involvement of women in the cause of missing people?
FM: Women, all across the Baloch society, are involved in different activities. Thousands of them are in universities and colleges, either as students or teachers. Many are political activists. As the Pakistani barbarism increased, the involvement of women in the political struggle also increased. Today, every Baloch woman is standing up to the Pakistani state.
Baloch women are now actively participating in the national struggle. How do you see this unprecedented dimension to the Balochistan people's fight?
FM: This is a natural outcome of the love that women have for their children. Baloch women are patriotic in the sense that no woman gives birth to a child and then sit idle as the state tortures and kills that child. Baloch women will never relent from their struggle.
What is the response in the Baloch society? Do you think many other women will follow your example?
FM: In the beginning, I encountered problems because I was a young woman. But soon I won the solidarity of the Baloch society. Throughout the long march from Quetta to Islamabad, I witnessed the great response of the Baloch people. They welcomed and showered us with roses everywhere we went and made a stop.
Other women are following me. It is my confidence that they will continue to resist.
Did you receive expressions of solidarity from the women in Karachi, Islamabad and in other places where you set up your camps?
FM: Karachi has an important Baloch population so we received a great response from the massive number of Baloch people that came out to support us. Many intellectuals and journalists also expressed their solidarity. There were some unforgettable moments in Karachi, especially with Sindhi nationalists. It was great to be reminded that Sindhi nationalists are with us. In Lahore and Islamabad, the National Awami Party and the National Student Federation supported us. Even in the Pastun areas of Balochistan there are groups who sympathize with us. We hope that they will all stay with us in the future.
The English press of Pakistan did talk about your march, but there is little echo in international forums. In your view, how can this issue be brought to the attention of the world?
FM: We have approached many international forums. We did receive a sympathetic welcome from the UN officials in Islamabad at the end of our march. But the UN and the international community need to take more responsibility and make available to us the avenues through which the plight of Balochistan could be highlighted. It is my appeal to the UN to be more attentive. We need international attention.

author: Jahanzeb Hussain


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The Warning Squad Is Here to Tell You About Hong Kong Police’s ‘Repression’ of Pro-Democracy Protesters  · Global Voices
Ellie Ng

A police officer looks at the warning banners and doesn’t “seem to understand what they mean,” says Kacey Wong, the artist behind the protest artwork. Photo by Kitwa Ho with permission to use.
Hong Kong's police used to enjoy a high approval rating among the city's residents because of the low crime rate. Yet over the past year and a half, that approval has fallen from 71 percent to 54.5 percent, a drop due in part to the perception that the police have become a political tool for the Hong Kong and Chinese governments to repress peaceful protests and interfere with media coverage at the scene.
Local artist and assistant professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University's design school Kacey Wong wanted to call out the abuse of power, so he created the “Hongkongese Warning Squad,” a unique protest performance that appeared at the city's pro-democracy rally on July 1.
The “Warning Squad” consisted of several people dressed as police officers holding signs inspired by warning banners used by Hong Kong's police when dealing with protests. The signs included “Love the Party” referring to the Chinese Communist Party; “Fake Commie”; “Party-State” referring to the One-Party regime of China; “Reddening” referring to communist encroachment; “Land Grabbing” referring to the land acquisition for the Northeast New Territories development project and “Corruption”.
Below is a video record of the protest:
Many in Hong Kong, a former British colony, fear China's increasing influence over the city. At the July 1 rally, protesters demanded authentic democratic elections in 2017 for the city's next leader. Beijing has promised a direct vote, but has stopped short of allowing Hong Kongers to choose the candidates.
If the city's government fails to come up with a reform free of pre-approved candidates, the group Occupy Central plans to peacefully take over Hong Kong's downtown later this year. During a sit-in after the July 1 rally that the group called a rehearsal for the occupation, more than 500 people were arrested.
Wong explained the reasoning behind the “Warning Squad” in an interview with Global Voices. There is a “worrying trend of selective enforcement” by police, he said. They go after pro-democracy protesters for “arbitrary reasons,” such as a driver of a demonstration van who was arrested along with four passengers at the July 1 rally. Police said he violated an ordinance against idling vehicle engines.
But pro-Beijing protesters aren't given the same harsh treatment, even when they are violent, Wong said. In many cases when pro-Beijing protesters assaulted pro-democracy protesters, they were given minor assault charges and a fine of a few thousand Hong Kong dollars. For pro-democracy protesters, they were charged with police assault, criminal damage, and illegal gathering, which can mean a few months of jail time.
These measures against peaceful protesters are the result of the police wanting to please the governments of Hong Kong and Beijing, he said. “They are the ones who are controlling frontline police officers”:
Such top-down pressures of selective enforcement will not only affect the morale of junior officers but also lead to the eventual collapse of the system. Recent cases show that the city’s anti-corruption agency and police complaint council are no longer functioning to keep powers in check. In short, the kind of power abuse and authoritarian repression we see in the Mainland is actually not far from our very own reality.
Photos of the “Warning Squad” went viral on social media soon after the rally. “This is protest as art and performance. It's about the most subversive and provocative I've seen in Hong Kong,” one commenter, Maureen Nienaber, wrote on Facebook.
Wong believed that people's reactions to the performance reflected the increased tensions between people and the police: “Power corrupts, and absolute power absolutely corrupts. If the government doesn’t handle the delicate situation properly, the system could face total collapse.”
Despite the crackdown, many are determined to fight for full democracy that Hong Kong people have been promised and patiently waited for years. As Wong says:
What is the point of groaning and moaning without doing anything? Why not combine art and politics and take it to the streets: for righteousness, justice, and freedom. Sometimes it is not because you see the possibility of change that you decide to be persistent, but it is because of your persistence, there is change.
Follow our in-depth coverage: Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution

author: Ellie Ng


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Need a Primer on What’s Happening in Israel and Gaza Right Now? These 5 Videos Can Help · Global Voices
L. Finch

A doll lies on the rubble of a destroyed building on July 11, 2014, following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. Photo by Marco Bottelli. Copyright Demotix.
Israel took up its deadly bombing campaign against Gaza again on Tuesday after the ruling Hamas rejected a proposed ceasefire and launched dozens of rockets from the coastal territory into Israel.
So far, 193 Palestinians have been killed during the week-long bombardment, according to Gaza's health ministry, and at least 30 of those killed were 16 years old or under. More than a thousand people have been injured, and medicine and equipment are in short supply.
In Israel, a handful of people have been injured by rockets launched from Gaza that were not picked off by the so-called Iron Dome missile defense system.
Not quite sure why this is all happening? AJ+, the new San Francisco-based online news channel from Al Jazeera which soft-launched in June, offers a series of short explainer videos on the complicated conflict. The fast-paced reports cover the basics of the situation and address bias in Western media coverage, which has often characterized Israel and Gaza as evenly matched (they're not — this is a fight tipped in heavily armed and protected Israel's favor).
While it's always a smart idea to get your news from a variety of sources, this is a good place to start for those who haven't been keeping up with developments from day one. Take a look:
1. Three Dead Teens And Thousands Of Angry Israelis
2. What Happened In Israel & Palestine In June 2014?
3. Mother Of Dead Israeli Teen Speaks Amid Rising Tensions
4. Israel Vs Palestine – By The Numbers
5. Life in Gaza Explained

author: L. Finch


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Jamaica’s Anti-Gay Protesters Don’t Want to Be Called Homophobic · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Jamaican flag is front and centre on a banner at a STOP HOMOPHOBIA demonstration in Berlin on August 31, 2013. Photo by Flickr user Adam Groffman. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Jamaica, a country that has made headlines in past years for instances of anti-gay violence and homophobia from its leaders, is in the throes of a full-scale debate about gay rights. The media have framed the issue as a David vs. Goliath battle of traditional Christian values against the gay lobby, and anti-gay groups have been vocal in their condemnation of homosexuality.
But despite their unabashed opposition to gay rights, some are trying to distance themselves from being labeled “homophobic.” A popular slogan among protesters who recently rallied against a possible repeal of a colonial-era buggery law, which criminalises sodomy, claims, “Speaking truth is not homophobia.”
Author Kei Miller, who has taken on the media's skewed narrative of the gay rights debate before, examined the trend:
This declaration by negation is getting quite popular across the island. The term homophobia is now regarded as a pejorative – a bad and backward thing to be – and so everyone wants to distance themselves from it. But sometimes the assertion ‘I am not homophobic!’ is a bit like that proverbial American southerner who declares, ‘I’m not racist! Some o’ mah best friends is niggers!’
The post delves into the etymology of the word “homophobia” and argues that it exists on a spectrum, with some responses toward homosexuality being more extreme than others:
Homophobia is therefore not a phobia in the medical sense of the word. It never has been. Homophobia, like its sister xenophobia, is a form of bigotry and discrimination. It can include fear and repulsion but in fact it describes a much wider range of negative responses towards the LGBT communities.
If “you are disgusted by the act of homosexuality and you wish to impose or retain laws that limit the expression of that sexuality, then you probably are homophobic,” Miller writes.
Miller has kept the discussion about Jamaica's collective attitude towards homosexuality alive on his blog since the debate first erupted in early May, when Jamaican professor Brendan Bain, who was then then head of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network (CHART), gave expert testimony in the Belizean case of Caleb Orozco, a gay man who sued the country's attorney general over the unconstitutionality of the criminalisation of homosexual relations.
Bain said “the relative risk of contracting HIV is significantly higher among men who have sex with other men (MSM) in Belize than in the general population,” and noted that this is also the case in “several other countries for which data are available, including countries that have repealed the law that criminalizes anal sex and countries where the law still applies.” Bain's statements angered members of the gay community, who felt they supported anti-homosexuality laws.
Two weeks after his testimony, Bain's contract with CHART was not renewed by Jamaica's University of the West Indies, sparking a national debate about gay rights. People protested against the university and Bain sued for wrongful dismissal.
In his post, Miller acknowledges that certain strides have been made in combating the country's homophobia, but much remains to be done:
It is a good thing that we are now willing to step away from the more extreme expressions of homophobia. It is a sign that, despite everything, some progress is being made in Jamaica. But the homophobia we must now work to challenge is a homophobia that is more subtle, more internalized, but one that is just as damaging in the long term. It is so ingrained that we take it for granted. We must now confront that homophobia as it exists in many of our values and also in our laws.
Further south along the archipelago, in Trinidad and Tobago, activist Brendon O'Brien contends that the Caribbean in general is being targeted by anti-gay Christian groups because the appetite for homophobia is waning in the U.S.:
The language of discrimination and ostracism that is present in anti-gay ministry is being rejected more and more as now half of the states in the US are acting against LGBT discrimination and even providing marriage equality. The good news is that means that they’re losing ground there. But, if you’re capitalist, you know that means that you need to find new ground.
And that means a whole new scramble for the Caribbean and Africa as places to keep beating the dead homophobia horse.
O'Brien believes that the real power lies in the hands of Caribbean people. “Now it’s just up to us to demand that evangelicals stop bringing their surplus of hate to our countries,” he writes. “…if rejection of homophobia in the U.S. is any example, sooner or later, we’ll stop buying what the hateful are selling.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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More Fallout From Yet Another Kyrgyz-Tajik Border Shootout · Global Voices
Dasha Kondrateva

Borders are a problem in Central Asia. Barbed wire Wikipedia image.
Another week and more violence on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. As usual, the respective governments, media and Internet users of the two countries interpreted events very differently.
Kyrgyz-Tajik border. A photo from knews.kg. Used with permission.
According to  Kyrgyz officials, the situation at the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, where one Tajik national was killed  and a further seven wounded in a shootout on July 10, is now stable. Last Thursday an armed conflict between Tajik and Kyrgyz border guards arose over disputed territory in Batken oblast near the Tamdyk border crossing point. Representatives of the Kyrgyz State Border Service stated that Kyrgyz border guards were acting within their legal mandate afterTajik citizens violated border regulations:
Перестрелка была спровоцирована “неправомерными действиями граждан Таджикистана” – около 30 человек предприняли попытку проложить трубопровод с территории Кыргызстана (река Каравшин) в село Бедак таджикского анклава Ворух. Кыргызстанский пограничный наряд, прибыв на место, потребовал прекратить все работы в связи с тем, что участок является неописанным. В ответ, как сообщается, граждане Таджикистана забросали пограничников камнями, и те были вынуждены произвести предупредительные выстрелы в воздух. После этого пограничный наряд Таджикистана, находившийся неподалеку от места инцидента, открыл огонь по кыргызским пограничникам. В результате завязалась короткая перестрелка.
The shooting was provoked by the “unlawful actions of Tajik citizens”. About 30 people attempted to build a pipeline from Kyrgyzstan to the Bedak village of the Tajik Vorukh enclave. Kyrgyz border guards demanded to end work [on the pipeline] as the land was disputed. In response, citizens of Tajikistan threw stones at the Kyrgyz border guards, and they had to fire a few warning shots in the air. After that, Tajik guards arrived at the scene of conflict and opened fire on the Kyrgyz border guards.
The Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs had a different view of events, and sent the following note to the Kyrgyz government:
10 июля в 11.30 местного времени на территории земель, отведенных Кооперативному хозяйству «Ворух» Исфаринского района Республики Таджикистан, гражданами Таджикистана проводились работы по прокладке трубопровода. Подошедшие к ним кыргызские пограничники, несущие службу на посту «Тамдык», расположенном на несогласованном участке границы, стали вести себя вызывающе по отношению к мирным жителям, всячески оскорбляя их и выдвигая незаконное требование прекратить работы и покинуть местность. Находившиеся неподалеку таджикские пограничники, подошедшие для выяснения обстоятельств, попытались пресечь действия  своих кыргызских коллег. В ответ последние внезапно открыли прицельный огонь из автоматического оружия. В результате этого, 7 мирных граждан и один пограничник Республики Таджикистан получили огнестрельные ранения. Один гражданин Республики Таджикистан от полученных ран скончался на месте происшествия. Следует отметить, что таджикские пограничники не произвели ни одного выстрела.
Kyrgyz border guards acted aggressively towards the citizens of Tajikistan and made unlawful requests to stop work in the area. After Tajik border guards arrived and asked their Kyrgyz colleagues to stop their illegitimate actions, Kyrgyz guards opened fire in Tajik citizens. As a result of the shooting, 7 citizens of Tajikistan were injured. It is worth noting that Tajik border guards did not fire a single shot in the conflict.
The Kyrgyz State Border Service disagreed, insisting that Tajik border guards opened fire on their Kyrgyz counterparts at the Tamdyk border crossing point.
Whose land is it anyway?
At the heart of the problem is a failure to delimit the vague boundaries left over from Soviet times. In what some see as a Stalinist ruse, the Soviet Union created pockets of Kyrgyz, Tajik and Uzbek territory outside the general territories of those states. This has lead to a situation where residents of “exclaves” want to connect villages to their “home” countries and residents of the mainland want to build infrastructure that bypasses the exclaves, sparing themselves the hassle of passing through border controls.
Over at Eurasianet's Inside the Cocoon blog, journalist David Trilling explained the link between the July 10 violence and another shootout in the same area earlier in the year.
Tensions have grown in the disputed areas around Vorukh and the Kyrgyz village of Ak-Sai (map here) in recent years as the population has increased and the two governments push the idea of firm national boundaries in a region where none have previously existed. In January, arguments over the construction of a Kyrgyz road led to an hour-long shootout between border guards that left at least seven injured. The Kyrgyz say the Tajiks fired shells and tried to destroy a small dam.
Although people living in these border areas typically lack access to the Internet, urban Tajiks and Kyrgyz actively discuss the deteriorating situation at their common border. A citizen of Kyrgyzstan, Kanykei Toichubekova commented on Kyrgyz newpaper Vecherni Bishkek's public Facebook page:
Мы что кыргызы, теперь и на своей территории, не можем строить дороги. Чушь, полная, мне интересно как это таджики могут указывать, нам что делать? Пусть у себя на территории делают, что хотят.
We are Kyrgyz, why can't we construct a road in our own territory? I wonder why citizens of other counries feel they can tell us what to do. Let them make decisions on their own territory.
On July 11, Tajikistan requested Kyrgyzstan to remove its border post in the region, sparking more outrage from Kyrgyz patriots like Rafael Aidekov, who accuse their Tajik neighbours of slowly grabbing more and more Kyrgyz territory:
Они скоро свое белье в Белом доме будут вешать
Soon they will be hanging their laundry inside [our] House of Government.
Tajiks reacted equally angrily on Asia Plus, an independent news site in Tajikistan:
Сколько можно терпеть беспредельный с киргизкой стороны ? Почему наши власти не принимают каких либо адекватных мер Прошу редакцию Азии Плюс расследовать эти инциденты Когда наша страна встанет с колен перед всеми
How much longer can we tolerate these violations from the Kyrgyz side? Why do our authorities not take any concrete measures? I ask Asia Plus to investigate these incidents wherein our country is brought to its knees in front of everyone
But another reader of the website urged commenters to avoid provocation and called for Muslim unity during the Islamic holy month:
Кто-нибудь из вас когда-нибудь был на этом месте? в наше время пока не увидите своими глазами не верьте что пишут. вашу необоснованную ненависть могут третьи силы использовать в своих интересах. Рамадан мубарак!
Have any of you ever been to that place? In our times until you don't see things with your own eyes,don't believe what you read. Your unfounded hate can be used by outside forces for their own gain. Happy Ramadan!
The repective Attorney Generals of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have announced they will launch investigations into the July 10 conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik state border.The Tajik-Kyrgyz joint commission organized in January to prevent further border conflicts has so far failed to achieve very much. Only around 600 km of the 900 km long Kyrgyz-Tajik border have been delimited at present.

author: Dasha Kondrateva


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This Russian Journalist Fears ‘Spy Scares’ May Migrate North from Tajikistan · Global Voices
Guest Contributor

Igor Rotar, a former correspondent for Russian media outlet Nezavisimaya Gazeta, has worked extensively in Central Asia. Here he poses with children in Kyrgyzstan. Photo taken from Rotar's Facebook. Used with permission.
This post by Russian journalist Igor Rotar was originally published in Russian on Rosbalt.ru and translated into English for Global Voices by Olga Dmitrieva. It is part of our campaign #FreeAlexSodiqov: GV Author Detained in Tajikistan.
The detention of Alexander Sodiqov, a young Tajik researcher accused of spying by the Tajik authorities but who was in fact just carrying out sociological fieldwork in Gorno-Badakhshan under a contract with the U.K.'s University of Exeter, has sparked outrage among scholars, journalists and human rights activists. More than 30,000 signatures, including those of Western and Russian researchers, have been collected in support of Sodiqov. Nearly all known international organizations have stood up for him and articles noting the arbitrary behaviour of Tajik security chiefs have appeared in the most prominent American, Canadian and British newspapers.
However, what is most important for Russians is not even the absurdity of this situation but the fact that the Tajik precedent is likely to play out in their country as well, because it is fully correspondent with ongoing Russian trends. In Russia there have been several cases where scholars were convicted for passing publicly available data on to foreigners. The recent Russian Foreign Agents Law, too, offers major opportunities for espionage accusations. Now if some organization like “Memorial” is gathering facts about human rights violations in the North Caucasus, while working on Western grants, it may well be interpreted as espionage on behalf of a foreign government.
Foreign researchers who have called for release of their colleague also point out an indirect connection between Sodiqov’s case and Russian realities. Edward Schatz, an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto and the supervisor of Sodiqov’s doctoral work, reasons:
As NATO forces leave Central Asia, Canada and the West should not leave Tajikistan to Russian influence, if that influence means authoritarian abuses of power and deepening kleptocracy. We need to partner with those who seek to minimize abuses and who hold states like Tajikistan to their obligations under international law. Unless and until Russia becomes that kind of partner, we need to be wary about its influence.
The Tajik precedent may well affect journalists, too. Here is the official press release of the State Committee for National Security in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region:
Предварительная проверка показала, что Содиков 9 июня по электронной почте был приглашен на встречу с представителем одного иностранного государства. Встреча состоялась 10 июня сначала тет-а-тет с переписчиком, а вечером — в резиденции с первым лицом спецслужбы иностранного государства, который работал под дипломатическим прикрытием. От последнего он получил конкретное задание и денежную сумму для его выполнения. В ходе встречи в Душанбе гражданину А. Содикову было поручено выехать в город Хорог и с соблюдением мер конспирации встретиться с гражданином РТ Алимом Шерзамоновым и заполучить у последнего сведения разведывательного характера по заранее подготовленному вопроснику.
Preliminary inspection showed that Sodiqov was invited by email on June 9 to meet with a representative of a foreign state … The meeting was held on June 10 this year, firstly face-to-face with notes taken, and then in the evening at the residence of the main representative of a foreign secret service working under diplomatic cover. He was assigned a specific task by the said person and a sum of money to complete it. During the meeting in Dushanbe, A. Sodiqov was requested to go to the city of Khorog as part of a conspiracy to meet a Tajik national, Alim Sherzamonov, and gather information of an intelligence nature from the latter by means of a pre-prepared questionnaire.
When this information is translated into a normal language, it runs as follows. A British colleague of Sodiqov, political scientist John Heathershaw, invited the Tajik scholar to meet him in Dushanbe. After the meeting both researchers went to a dinner at the British Embassy. The British ambassador tried to dissuade the British professor from going to the Pamirs because of the tensions there. Then John Heathershaw offered Sodiqov the opportunity to conduct a sociological survey in the region.
Umed Babakhanov, a famous Tajik journalist and editor-in-chief of Tajikistan's Asia Plus news agency, notes that he escaped the “spy fate” of Alexander Sodiqov by a miracle. It was just by chance that the journalist did not attend that dinner at the British Embassy in Dushanbe, and, what is more, he subsequently met John Heathershaw. So Babakhanov makes the following ironic comment:
После всей этой истории я задаю самому себе вопросы, на которые не знаю ответов: если бы я в тот день пошел на ужин в резиденцию посла, считался бы я тоже шпионом или пособником шпионов? Считаются ли таковыми другие таджикские ученые, которые пришли в тот вечер на «секретную встречу»? Если социал-демократ Алим Шерзамонов, с которым встречался Содиков, является носителем «сведений разведывательного характера», то являюсь ли таковым я? Если да, то не выдал ли я ненароком во время нашей встречи с британским ученым каких-то государственных секретов?
Ever since this saga began, I have been asking myself questions to which I do not have answers: if I had gone to dinner at the ambassador's residence on that day, would I too have been considered a spy or a spy's accomplice? Are other Tajik academics that also attended this “secret meeting” that evening also considered spies? If the member of the Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan, Alim Sherzamonov, who was meeting with Sodiqov [at the time of his arrest], is a carrier of “information of an intelligence nature”, am I also a carrier of such information? If so, did I inadvertently, during our meeting with the British academic, give away state secrets?
As for me, I am also deeply concerned about my chances of becoming a spy. I regularly wrote articles for Western political science foundations, delivered lectures at various U.S. Soviet studies and human rights centers and even worked (fortunately, not for long!) for Radio Svoboda, famously funded by the CIA [Editor's Note: Radio Svoboda is funded by the U.S. federal agency Broadcasting Board of Governors]. Moreover, I admit to having been in contact with foreign diplomats. Not only did I attend receptions at many embassies, but also advised Japanese and Polish diplomats when geologists from Japan were seized in Tajikistan and when Polish journalists were taken hostage in Chechnya, respectively. So, following the logic of the Tajik authorities, I am obviously a super spy.
I believe there are other Russian journalists that can say the same thing about themselves. Most interestingly, those foreigners who would like to obtain information from journalists might indeed turn out to be secret foreign intelligence officers. However, I had no worries before the Tajik precedent because unless you divulge sensitive information, you don’t do anything blameworthy. But, as this Tajik story tells us, everything can change in a moment. New realities mean that in order to be completely protected against espionage accusations, it is better to eliminate any possibility of contact with foreigners.
We have already been there, during Stalin’s time.

author: Guest Contributor


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Warning Against Racial Nationalism in Hong Kong · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Evan Fowler told a story about a conflict happened to his friends in a subway train. He compared the incident with its Sydney version in which a Chinese descend was called a “gook” and found Hong Kong  passengers’ indifference to the racist remarks disturbing:
I believe the incident that my friend experienced was not only an unfortunate rarity, but also one that deserves to illicit a level of condemnation Hong Kong people rightly expected and did see in Australia. I also believe that our condemnation should be focused not only on the superficial racism of the remarks, but on the underlying racial-nationalism of the position.

author: Oiwan Lam


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A Missed Opportunity for Bolivian “Quipus” Laptops? · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Image of a quipus. Image on Flickr by user Phil Dokas (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
The Bolivian government recently announced a new program where high school students attending their final year will have access to a new laptop. These computers, called “Quipus,” are being assembled in the city of El Alto. The term comes from a traditional Andean form of record keeping on a series of knots.
Blogger and software developer Fernando Balderrama applauds the initiative and sees the benefit of providing access to technology to more sectors of society. In his blog, he examines the comparative costs of the assembled computers to those that can be obtained in stores. However, he is puzzled why the new laptops will arrive with installed proprietary software. He writes:
Supuestamente el Gobierno promueve el uso de software libre, y buscan que Bolivia tenga soberanía tecnológica en base al software libre. Pero parece que esto es solamente en palabras, ya que los hechos dicen otra cosa. Las laptops quipus ensambladas en Bolivia vienen con Windows, el cual además de ser software privativo, encarece el costo final por el pago de licencias que deben hacer a Microsoft.
Supposedly the Government promotes the use of free software and seeks technological sovereignty through the use of free software. However, it appears that these are just words, because their actions send a different message. The quipus laptops assembled in Bolivia come with Windows, which in addition to being proprietary software, increases the final cost due to the payments to Windows to obtain the licenses.
However, in the comments section, Sergio Bowles, General Manager of Quipus, clarifies that the laptops will come with a dual boot option for Windows and Linux, but some others still have their doubts and dismiss the argument that students must also learn Windows because much of the business and academic world still relies on that operating system.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Biofortified Bananas for Beta Carotene Deficiency · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

Image by Paco CT on flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
Félix Moronta Barrios is a Venezuelan biologist who spreads scientific culture among Spanih speaking community. He recently explained the researches and biotechnologic findongs about transgenic bananas in Uganda and the United States.
The banane cultivated in Uganda has no A vitamin. That's why its modification is necessary. Moronta Barrios warns the skeptical:
Antes de que piensen cosas como “natural es mejor”, “otra vez los científicos jugando a ser dios”, “lo modificado genéticamente es malo malísimo”, etc, etc, etc. sepan que la transgénesis también ocurre naturalmente, como expliqué aquí. Que el plátano, banana o cambur que consumimos hoy en día es un invento humano, tal como explica Ciencia de Sofá en “El oscuro pasado de los plátanos“. Y para que no termine ahí la sorpresa, les cuento que es un alimento radiactivo por su alto contenido en potasio; tanto, que camiones cargados de plátanos hacen saltar las alarmas en algunas aduanas. Incluso hay una unidad de medida al respecto, la dosis equivalente a un plátano.
Before you think of things such as “natural is best”, “again scientists playing God”, “genetically modified is not good”, etc, you better know that transgenesis goes on naturally, as explained here. The bananas we eat are human creation, as stated by Ciencia de Sofá on “The dark past of bananas“. And for more surprises, let me tell you this is a radiactive fruit, due to its high content of potasium. So much that banana trucks start the alarms in some customs control. There even is a measuring unit about that, the dose equivalent to a banana.
For updates about biology and biotechnology by an expert written in Spanish with a simple language, visit the blog by Felix Moronta or follow his tweets on morontafelix.


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Cameroonian Inventor Introduces First Locally-Made Tablet to Monitor Heart Diseases  · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Arthur Zang at the rolex awards via his Facebook page.
Arthur Zang is a Cameroonian inventor specialized in IT and healthcare. His team created Cardiopad, a device that contains an electrocardiograph, a radioscope and a digital monitor. This tablet is connected through a regular mobile phone SIM card that is able to transmit an electrocardiogram from any point of the country to specialized centers where cardiologists can diagnose patients and remotely provide medical prescription. Arthur Zang was interviewed by Beaugas-Orain Djoyum on camerpost.com after he won one of the prestigious 2014 “Rolex Awards for enterprise competition” to explain his vision for the health care industry and innovation in Africa:
Dans notre stratégie de déploiement, nous travaillons énormément et étroitement avec les médecins. C’est sur cette relation avec les professionnels de la santé que nous basons notre développement et le succès de nos appareils. Nous sommes proches d’eux. Nous comprenons leurs problèmes et c’est en fonction de leurs besoins que nous concevons des solutions aux problèmes de leurs patients. La vulgarisation du Cardiopad dépend surtout du degré avec lequel celui-ci pourra répondre aux attentes des médecins
In our development strategy, we are working hard on establishing a close rapport with physicians.We base the development and success of our products on our keen understanding of the local health professionals. We are close to them and value their relationships. We understand their problems according to the needs they express, we are able to develop solutions for their patients. A wider distribution of the Cardiopad will depend mostly on the degree to which it can meet the expectations of local doctors.

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 Already Ancient History · Global Voices
Luis Flores

Colombian James Rodríguez, highest scorer in World Cup Brazil 2014. Image by Calcio Streaming on flickr (CC BY 2.0).
Caligo, author of Spanish blog La ilógica (The ilogical) and Colombian fan, shares his final thoughts about 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. The mentions the highest points of the tournament: the German champions, the flaws on the Argentinian team, the outstanding Colombian James Rodríguez, Brazil humiliation by the German crew, among others.
Menotti dijo “El fútbol representa la cultura de un país”, esta es la Alemania campeona: simple, eficiente, optimizadora, trabajo en equipo, proyecto a largo plazo, estrategia que se ejecuta y se mide.
[…]
Más de una amiga no colombiana escribió “Amo a James”. Cómo no quererlo si tiene todas las cualidades que enamoran: alegría, compromiso, generosidad, talento, ternura, responsabilidad y entrega. […] Lo que siempre debe producir más que una sonrisa es pensar que le quedan ocho años de fútbol de primer nivel. (Goleador del Mundial con seis goles, en cinco partidos consecutivos, además de dos asistencias. Grande entre los grandes).
(Argentinian football coach César Luis) Menotti once said “Football represents the culture of a country”, this is the German champion: simple, efficient, optimizing, team working, a long term project, a strategy that gets executed and measured.
[…]
More than one non Colombian girl wrote “I love James”. How not to love him if he has all the qualitiues to fall for him: joy, commitment, generosity, talent, tenderness, responsibility and dedication. […] What will always produce more than a smile is to think that we still have eight more years of first level football (highest World Cup scorer, in five games in a row, plus two assists. A great among the great ones).
Now we'll just have to wait four years for Russia 2018. For more football passon from the Colombian perspective, you can follow Caligo on his blog and on Twitter.

author: Luis Flores


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German Offensive Beated Argentinian Defense · Global Voices
Luis Flores

Image by himanisdas on flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
On El mago del balón (The magician of the ball), Spanish journalist José Eduardo Carratalá analyzes the national teams that played the final match on 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014, Germany and Argentina, where the European crew won, and compares how the German presented a mainly offensive team againt the defense of the South American team, who were finalists because they didn't receive any goals:
Alemania ha marcado 18 goles en 7 partidos (2,57 por encuentro). Suya es la mayor goleada del torneo (7-1 a Brasil en semifinales). También goleó a Portugal (4-0) en su debut. Ha marcado al menos un gol en todos sus partidos. […]
[Los argentinos] llegaron a la final gracias precisamente al buen hacer de su portero y su defensa. De hecho, el único gol que ha recibido Romero desde la primera fase fue el de Götze en la final. Hasta ese tanto, el meta argentino llevaba 486 minutos sin recibir un gol.
Germany scored 18 goals in 7 matches (2,57 per game). They own the widest margin of the tournament (7-1 with Brazil in semifinals). They also defeated Portugal (4-0) on their debut. They have at least one goal scored in each of their matches. […]
(Argentinian) made it all the way to the final match due to the good performance by their goalkeeper and their defense. In fact, the only goal Romero got since the group phase was the one by Götze on the final match. Until that goal, the Argentinian goalkeeper hadn't received a goal in 486 minutes.
Among the many records broken on this World Cup there is Miroslav Klose as the highest scorer in World Cups (16 goals) and the crew trained by Joachin Löw becoming the first European country to win in South America.
Follow José Eduardo for more information about sports on his blog and on Twitter.


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If You Want to Sleep as a Baby, You Should Read This! · Global Voices
Luis Flores

Image by peasap on flickr (CC BY 2.0).
Psychologist Johanna Perez Vásquez studies dream interpretation since 2001 and runs the blog in Spanish El sueño significado (Dream meant) to help her readers to learn to interpretate their own dreams. On this occasiion, she posts a series of tips for a more effective sleep, resulting in a better and more invigorating rest for next day activities:
A la voz de refranes como “el tiempo es oro” o “al que madruga Dios lo ayuda” el sueño ha perdido, paulatinamente, importancia al tiempo que se elogia a quienes –con ayudas químicas o sin ellas− duermen poco y trabajan mucho. Estilos de vida en los que el desgaste físico y mental no es seguido por fases de recuperación apropiadas no sólo entorpecen el aprendizaje de la interpretación de sueños sino que deterioran la salud, por eso las recomendaciones que siguen son útiles para dormir mejor y para conocerte más a través de tus sueños.
From sayings such as “time is money” or “the early bird catches the worm”, sleeping has gradually lost importance while people who sleep few hours –with chemical help or not− and work a lot tend to be prasied. Life styles where physical and mental exhaustion are not followed by proper recovery phases not only make harder to learn how to interpretate dreams but also damage health, that's why these recommendations are useful for a better sleep and to get to know yourself through your dreams.
Her recommendations are useful for those who want to learn dream interpretation and for every person who searches a better rest at night. According to her, the best thing to do before getting to bed is to have a light dinner, avoid exhausting night activities, a warm bath and a clean bed.
To read more tips about rest and dreams, follow Johanna on her blog and on Twitter.


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“Racism is Not an Issue in Latin America” — Seriously? · Global Voices
Ángel Carrión

In an opinion piece for the New York Times titled “Latin America's Talent for Tolerance,” Enrique Krauze proposes the notion that Latin America is less prone to racism:
[…] European-style racism — which not only mistreats and discriminates but also persecutes and, in the very worst cases, tries to exterminate others because of their ethnicity — has been the exception and not the rule in modern Latin America.
Krauze's opinion piece prompted blogger Julio Ricardo Varela to question the validity of his position in an article written for Latino Rebels:
At the beginning of the piece, Krauze starts with FIFA’s “Say No To Racism” campaign,”a message” that “was particularly directed toward the soccer stadiums of Europe, where there have been many instances of racial taunting and physical aggression by hostile fans against African and other black players.” Just a few sentences later, Krauze is quick to let us know that such racism doesn’t occur in the Americas: “the stadiums of Latin America have for the most part been free of this phenomenon, despite the fervent nationalism and fanaticism of the fans.” I am guessing that neither Krauze nor his Times editor did some actual fact-checking because in just five minutes, I was able to locate several examples of racism in Latin American stadiums.
After pointing out that so-called “European-style racism is what formed Latin America in the first place,” Varela concludes with these words:
When we as Latin Americans admit the truth and confront it head on, only then can real change occur. In the meantime, the literal whitewashing of Latin American history needs to be monitored and when it appears in mass media, we must all do our best to quickly call out this ignorant attitude. The only way to transform society is to ensure that we don’t allow certain opinions to become the standard. We can do better, and we will. One tweet at a time.

author: Ángel Carrión


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Ex-Pussy Riot Lawyer to Defend Ukrainian Pilot in Russian Court · Global Voices
Tanya Lokot

Pussy Riot's former lawyer will defend the captured Ukrainian pilot who now sits in a Russian jail. Images mixed by Kevin Rothrock.
Mark Feygin, the lawyer who came to prominence defending members of the Russian opposition, seems to have picked a new cause—and it may have political consequences that eclipse even the effects of the Pussy Riot trial. On July 11, he proclaimed that he would be the new defense lawyer for Nadezhda Savchenko, the Ukrainian air-force pilot captured by separatists in Ukraine and now detained in Russia.
Итак, я защищаю Надежду Савченко. С сегодняшнего дня.
— Mark Feygin (@mark_feygin) July 11, 2014
So, folks, I’m defending Nadezhda Savchenko. Starting today.
Всем украинцам я обещаю, что сделаю все возможное, чтобы её спасти.
— Mark Feygin (@mark_feygin) July 11, 2014
I promise all Ukrainians that I will do everything possible to save her.
Feygin, who has a political past with stints as the deputy mayor of Samara and a member of the Russian Duma, is best known for his role in 2012 as defense lawyer of the punk band Pussy Riot, when his legal team attempted to counter the women's hooliganism charges. Feygin’s team first lost one of the celebrity trio, when Yekaterina Samutsevich terminated her representation by Feygin’s team, claiming a difference of opinion. Later, she accused Feygin and his colleagues of using the trial for personal publicity. Samutsevich was the only one of the trio to be released on probation, and Feygin later withdrew from the Pussy Riot case altogether, stating his team thought the two remaining band members had a better chance at winning their appeal with new legal representation. Feygin’s other famous clients include Russian activist and opposition member Leonid Razvozzhayev, who accused Russian authorities of kidnapping him in Kyiv, Ukraine, to prosecute him on terrorism charges.
Feygin's new case, the trial of Nadezhda Savchenko, remains murky, as it is still not quite clear how she went from being captured by pro-Russian rebels in Eastern Ukraine at the end of June (there’s a video of her interrogation on June 23) to detained in a pre-trial facility in the Russian city of Voronezh in early July. Russian authorities claim she crossed the border as a refugee, a claim the Ukrainian side says is patently ridiculous. Now on Russian territory, Savchenko is being accused of the murder of two Russian TV journalists from VGTRK, who died during combat in Eastern Ukraine in June. Savchenko, 33, who earlier served in Iraq, has quickly captured the attention of the twittering masses, resulting in a #SaveOurGirl campaign on Twitter (itself a riff on the earlier RuNet #SaveOurGuys campaign to rescue LifeNews journalists detained in Ukraine). Echo of Moscow’s Yulia Latynina has already dubbed the Ukrainian aviatrix the “Jeanne D’Arc” of her time. On the other hand, a Russian tabloid allegedly described Savchenko as the “daughter of Satan.”
The labels may not be very helpful, but they certainly help garner attention for her plight.
Nadiya Savchenko, the Ukrainian pilot captured by Donbas rebels and transferred mysteriously to Russia. Inforesist.org.
With such heated discussion on both sides—fed by the already raging tensions between Ukraine and Russia—Feygin finds himself with quite the case. He has said he doubts the accusations brought against Savchenko are legal and considers her removal from Ukraine over the border into Russia “basically a kidnapping,” which would make it difficult to bring any legitimate charges against her. Two other lawyers, Nikolay Polozov (who also worked on the Pussy Riot case) and Ilya Novikov, will join Feygin on the defense team.
В деле Савченко вместе со мной будут участвовать адвокаты Николай Полозов и Илья Новиков. Превосходные процессуалисты и вообще надежные люди
— Mark Feygin (@mark_feygin) July 12, 2014
In Savchenko’s case, I will be joined by Nikolay Polozov and Ilya Novikov. Great processualists and reliable people in general.
Although some Ukrainian and Russian Internet users reacted with hope to news of Feygin taking up Savchenko’s case, most have been skeptical about his ability to win. Pessimism aside, Ukrainian Twitter user Roman Kulyk thinks the public nature of the case might have certain advantages:
При постановці і роботі зі ЗМІ, процес над Савченко може стати новою “справою Дрейфуса” та аргументом в переговорах pic.twitter.com/WGmKJIm7cl
— Roman Kulyk (@Fatalist_ua) July 13, 2014
With the [proper] orchestration and working with the media, the Savchenko case can become the new “Dreyfuss affair”* and an argument in the negotiations […]
Russian journalist Alexey Naryshkin was less optimistic about Feygin’s entrance:
Украинскую летчицу Савченко будут защищать адвокаты Марк Фейгин и Николай Полозов…”Повезло”
— Алексей Нарышкин (@AlexNaryshkin) July 12, 2014
Ukrainian pilot Savchenko to be defended by lawyers Mark Feygin and Nikolay Polozov… “What luck.”
An equally dismissive reaction came from United Russia politician and Internet media producer Konstantin Rykov:
Летчицу Савченко будет защищать адвокат Pussy Riot Марк Фейгин http://t.co/kJMkR2XddS pic.twitter.com/tohMHRZaon бедненькая карательница..
— Константин Рыков (@rykov) July 11, 2014
Pilot Savchenko will be defended by Pussy Riot lawyer Mark Feygin […] poor hit girl..
Others on the RuNet echoed this sentiment, with at least one Twitter user saying that Savchenko is destined for a Russian prison:
@Dbnmjr Адвокат Фейгин защищал пуси райот, и тоже обещал им свободу, но каждая его подзащитная получила срок в лагерях. Савченко тоже сядет.
— Chuvatin Alexey (@chuvatin) July 13, 2014
[…] Lawyer Feygin defended Pussy Riot, and also promised them freedom, but each of his defendants got a term in the camps. Savchenko will also serve time.
Although both Nadya Tolokno and Masha Alekhina of Pussy Riot remained conspicuously silent on the Feygin news, Yekaterina Samutsevich took the opportunity to comment on his past record:
Видела новость,что Фейгин хочет стать адвокатом Савченко. Никому не пожелаю стать “клиентом” у такого адвоката.Мне он навредил очень сильно.
— Катя Самуцевич (@Samutsevich) July 12, 2014
Saw the news that Feygin wants to be Savchenko’s lawyer. I would not wish it upon anyone to become a “client” of such a lawyer. He brought me lots of harm.
Twitter user Александр_VRN thought Feygin’s decision places him in the ranks of the much-maligned anti-government “fifth column” in Russia:
У нацистов из Украины у нас в РФ появился защитник – адвокат Фейгин. Вот она пятая колонна.
— Александр_VRN (@LoginJutkiy) July 13, 2014
Nazis from Ukraine now have a defender in Russia – lawyer Feygin. This here is the fifth column.
Feygin himself shared a screenshot from his email inbox, with scathing messages to the same effect:
Из последнего pic.twitter.com/dvjM0HEwI0
— Mark Feygin (@mark_feygin) July 13, 2014
Some recent [messages]
[screenshot text]
Name: yegor
Email: rn4acb@mail.ru
Question: well, scum, congratulations
your destruction will be described in textbooks!
you went against RUSSIA and the number of those wishing to tear your balls off is legion!
Although Mark Feygin’s record as the dissenters’ defender is not stellar, it is undeniable that he lends the Savchenko case some much-needed publicity. And that, in the end, may be the very thing that is needed for the case to be won or thrown out, while igniting passions and debate online.

author: Tanya Lokot


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Singapore’s Libraries Don’t Want Kids Reading About Tango the Penguin and Her Two Loving Fathers · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Many Singaporeans reacted strongly to the banning of the three children's books. As a protest, they gathered in front of the National Library Board where they read the banned books, including the ‘gay penguin book’. Photo by Olivia Tan from the Facebook page of ‘Lets Read Together’
Singapore’s National Library Board (NLB) has banned and destroyed copies of three children’s books that deal with same-sex couples and adoption after it received a complaint that the books are not ‘pro-family’.
NLB removed the books ‘And Tango Makes Three’, ‘Who's In My Family’, and ‘The White Swan Express’ ‘And Tango Makes Three’ is based on a true story of two male penguins who raised a baby penguin as their own at the New York Central Park Zoo.
Teo Kai Loon, a member of a Facebook group called ‘We Are Against Pink Dot Singapore’, wrote to NLB about the inappropriateness of including the three books in the children’s section. Pink Dot is an annual celebration in Singapore promoting diversity, tolerance, and acceptance of the LGBT.
Tay Ai Cheng, the assistant chief executive and chief librarian at the NLB, quickly responded by ordering the removal of the books from the library. She also assured the complainant that “NLB takes a strong pro-family stand in selecting books.”
The decision was met with fierce reactions from the reading public, especially mothers and academics. Educator Rachel Zeng urged the NLB to resist the threat of the conservative minority:
[…] as a resource centre of knowledge, the National Library Board (NLB) should maintain a diverse collection of reading materials in your libraries that will cater to the educational needs of everyone from as young as 18 months old to those who are 60 and beyond. It should not limit the availability of knowledge by pandering to the standards of a conservative minority.
Some netizens wondered how a Facebook group could compel the NLB to order the removal of the books. Helen Scida asked:
[…] if these books passed the initial selection tests of the library organization in the first place why is it a Facebook group, of all things, has enough clout to demand their removal?
Dr. Justin Richardson, one of the authors of ‘And Tango Makes Three’, told The Online Citizen in an interview that NLB’s action has sent a “chilling message about the government’s attitude toward the freedom of expression in general and toward gay and lesbian people in particular.”
Many Singaporean authors have echoed a similar message and some of them have already boycotted the events sponsored by the NLB. Last Sunday, more than 400 people gathered in front of the NLB to participate in a public reading event to protest. They also distributed copies of the banned books.
Jashuat, a mother, believes that the NLB acted against its avowed mission of promoting learning:
NLB’s ban and subsequent defence of its action displays a very narrow definition of family. Again, this is against promoting learning, one of NLB’s mission. Are gays not part of a family, not someone’s child, brother, friend? By banning the book, NLB was being silly and bowing to pressure from a small group of Singaporeans’ personal belief and value system. By stubbornly defending their action, NLB is stamping approval and endorsing that narrowly defined view of what family is.
An open letter drafted by Ng Yi-Sheng, Lim Jialiang, and Liyan Chen accused the NLB of being irresponsible and unfair. Parents who don't want their children reading these books have the option of not borrowing them, they said.
The ‘Let's read Together’ event gathered 400 people in front of the National Library Board. Image from Facebook event page
Meanwhile, The Wacky Duo, another parent blogger, understood the library's reasoning but disagreed with its decision to destroy the books:
To ban it to protect the younger ones is one thing, to pulp the books is akin to a witch hunt, where innocents perish with the guilty. …A simple alternative would be to move it to young adults section, which at the recommended age group, one would be able to make their own judgment on the books content.
Yaacob Ibrahim, Singapore’s minister for communications and information, defended the NLB. “Public libraries serve the community and it is right that they give consideration to community norms,” he said. “The prevailing norms, which the overwhelming majority of Singaporeans accept, support teaching children about conventional families, but not about alternative, non-traditional families, which is what the books in question are about.
The issue has highlighted the continuing confrontation between conservative forces and an emergent community that accepts the gay community and advocates for LGBT rights.

author: Mong Palatino


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Typhoon Glenda Batters Luzon Island in the Philippines · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Typhoon Glenda (International name: Rammasun) wrought havoc in Luzon Island in the Philippines. Netizens are using the Twitter hashtag #glendaph to monitor the situation.
A fallen tree in front of the presidential palace in Manila. Photo from the government's Tumblr page.


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Why the Caribbean Should Care About Net Neutrality · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

For those who figure that the issue of net neutrality doesn't affect them, Trinidad-based blogger Activized connects the dots. The concept that “all data is created equal” is not as common as you might think:
Local telecommunications company Digicel announced that they were banning certain VoIP application services from their network…in an attempt to secure their bottomline – ensuring that users of the cellular phone service make calls using credit, not data. There’s only one problem with that – if I’m paying for my data, I should have the power to get the data that I want and use it how I want.


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Zambia’s President Tried to Prove That He’s Hard at Work With These Facebook Photos. Some Aren’t Convinced · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

President Michael Sata reportedly addressing a cabinet meeting upon his return from Israel where he was admitted to a hospital. This is one of the photos that was sent to media houses and also appeared on the president's Facebook page.
When Zambia's President Michael Sata's team released photos of a supposed cabinet meeting to local media and published them on Facebook, it was meant to put to bed allegations that the leader isn't well nor working.
Instead, the images have further fanned the criticism, and some are doubting the authenticity of the meeting because there is no audio or video footage to back it up.
It began when Sata left the country unannounced on June 20, 2014. The website Zambian Watchdog exposed the trip, reporting that the president had arrived in Israel and was admitted to a hospital. The chief government spokesman then confirmed the trip, but said Sata was on a working holiday in Israel.
The secrecy surrounding the trip led to a protocol faux pas which was quickly picked by citizens. A couple of days after Sata’s journey, the ceremonial guard and the presidential standard, an orange flag embossed with the coat of arms, both of which are supposed to be removed in his absence, were still in place at the presidential palace in the central district of the capital.
Nearly a month later, Zambians were in the dark if their president, who had in previous months appeared unwell, was back in the country or not. Zambia Reports and a lawyer-politician Sakwiba Sikota reported that the last Facebook post on the president's page was on June 6 — a noteworthy development because the page used to be updated regularly.
The Zambia Reports wrote about the break in Facebook posts:
It seems everyone has abandoned their posts and is ducking responsibility. Is it not ironic that after hyping up facebook updates coming almost by the hour daily basis on the President’s facebook page there has been no update from June, 6?
On Sata’s Facebook hiatus, Sikota observed with a touch of sarcasm:
There are certain things in life which are so sweet that you can never ever get enough of them. I guess we all remember our first taste of honey and other delights. One such sweet thing or delight is the regular diet we were fed on and became accustomed to is that of the lovely and affable Mr. president Michael Sata. And who can forget those regular warm and very person+able updates on His Excellency's Facebook page? Most sounded like the one, which kept us updated on his movements, posted on the 4th April this year which read, “Good Morning Dear Friends, I have now started off my journey back home after a successful European Union – Africa Summit in Brussels, Belgium. I have left Brussels for Lusaka via Amsterdam. Keep well and enjoy your Weekend. MCS [Michael Chilufya Sata] – 04/04/14″
Two days later, photos of a supposed cabinet meeting held on July 14 were sent to media houses and also posted on Facebook in a publication about ongoing country-wide projects. A local TV station, Muvi, and the BBC doubted the meeting.
Blogger Chola Mukanga, on his Zambian Economist, refused to use the photos, saying:
Unfortunately, the Zambian Economist is not able to verify the authenticity of these three photos, which we understand are available at other websites. We simply do not have visual or audio footage to go with the photos. Therefore it would be irresponsible of us to share such photos and label them “official” as it may inadvertently mislead the public.
On Twitter, citizens weighed in on Sata’s absence:
So it seems despite publication of pics of “Pres Sata chairing a cabinet meeting” yesterday #Zambia is still asking #whereisthepresident?
— Laura Miti (@LauraMiti) July 15, 2014
Another user wondered why no information was forthcoming:
To what extent should the Presidency be shrouded in mystery? #Zambia http://t.co/nvm5yv5ntN
— Tchiyiwe T Chihana (@AfriWoman) July 12, 2014
The anger is culpable:
@AfriWoman This government is taking voters for granted. Sata and his cabal are accountable to the people of Zambia not other way round.
— David Mwanambuyu (@mbuyujr) July 12, 2014
In Sata’s absence, activist Brebner Changala petitioned the High Court to compel the cabinet to put together a medical board to examine Sata and determine his suitability to continue as head of state. The matter was thrown out but Changala resubmitted his petition.
A few days before the supposed cabinet meeting, South Africa’s Business Day chronicled some of Sata’s unannounced international travels, which are euphemistically called working holidays by the president's office and other government officials. Taking a quick glance at the criticism on social media, it doesn't seem that the euphemism is working.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Israel Begins Ground Operations in Gaza  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Israel begins ground operations on Gaza. iFalasteen shares this photograph from Gaza on Twitter
Israeli forces have begun to enter Gaza, after 10 days of shelling that has killed more than 200 Palestinians. One Israeli was killed in rocket attacks from the Palestinian enclave. The escalation comes after Hamas, which governs Gaza, rejected a truce brokered by Egypt.
Tovah Lazaroff, a Boston journalist who parachuted into the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, tweets:
It's official from Israel's PMO office, the IDF has begun to enter Gaza.
— Tovah Lazaroff (@tovahlazaroff) July 17, 2014
She adds:
PMO: The cabinet approved the ground operation after Israel accepted an Egypt brokered cease fire & Hamas rejected it.
— Tovah Lazaroff (@tovahlazaroff) July 17, 2014
On the ground in Gaza, iFalasteen reports:
Bombs everywhere in Gaza no electricity and very thing is bright from all the fires and bombs…#GazaUnderAttack
— فلسطين i (@iFalasteen) July 17, 2014
Nonstop bombing where no where to run… Only Allah will protect you Gaza…#GazaUnderAttack#PrayForGaza
— فلسطين i (@iFalasteen) July 17, 2014

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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China Is Demolishing Churches and Stripping Others of Their Crosses, but It Swears It Isn’t Targeting Christianity · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A T-shirt design calling for the church demolition campaign to be stopped. Image from Weibo.
Chinese authorities have demolished more than 10 church buildings and removed hundreds of crosses from churches in Zhejiang province, home to the largest Protestant population in China, since the start of the year. Around 360 constructions have been affected.
Officials maintain the removals and demolitions are part of the “Three Rectifications and One Demolition” campaign targeting all illegal buildings, but religious rights advocates call it a clampdown on religion.
The campaign has resulted in many confrontations in Zhejiang province. Below is a footage released by Radio Free Asia showing a crowd push back against authorities attempting to remove a church's cross in Yueqing, Wenzhou city in June:
But if photos on social media are any evidence, Christians are also protesting what they call persecution in creative ways, such as hair styled into the shape of a cross and T-shirts calling for the demolition campaign's end.
China's Christian population is estimated to reach around 160 million in 2025 and become the world's largest Christian population. The country is officially atheist and while it recognizes Buddhism, Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism and Taoism, the rapid growth of Christianity appears to be making at least some members of the Chinese Communist Party uncomfortable. Feng Zhili, the chairman of Zhejiang's ethnic and religious affairs committee, has said Christianity's quick rise is “too excessive and too haphazard.”
The most symbolic move came in April with the demolition of Sanjiang Church, registered under the official Three-Self Patriotic Movement which forms part of the only state-sanctioned Protestant church. The government said that the church in Yongjia county was an illegal construction.
At the time, the church's Pastor Yang Mushi urged Chinese Christians to build the churches in their heart (via Chinese Church Voices):
Throughout church history, pressure from the outside has only made the gospel spread more and more. This is because the gospel is not contained in a visible structure. Tears may be in our eyes today, but we can also see a greater revival coming. What we see is not the end, but a new road leading to a new door.
When it comes to our faith, the word jiaohui (church, congregation, fellowship) is not the same as jiaotang (church building). It may be possible to deal violently with a jiaotang, but not with the jiaohui. Christians shouldn’t be so sad. Maybe this is a good time to reflect and wonder if we have put too much focus on church buildings. With this jiaotang now destroyed, we should focus our efforts on building the jiaohui.
On Twitter, @milpitas95035 described other peaceful ways Christians are protesting the religious crackdown:
面对浙江愈演愈烈的强拆教堂及十字架迫害行动，近日有温州基督徒采取穿文化衫、街头抗议、祷告会、赞美会等形式反对强拆。 pic.twitter.com/pvZpn9avlw
— 郭宝胜 (@milpitas95035) July 15, 2014
Taking on religious persecution tied to the demolition of churches and crosses, Christians in Wenzhou city started wearing T-shirt inscribed with messages and staging street protests and assemblies against forced demolitions.
剃十字架头——抗议强拆的又一形式 @YaxueCao In Zhejiang, protest against cross removal @milpitas95035 穿文化衫、街头抗议、祷告会、赞美会等形式反对强拆 pic.twitter.com/zZ9aoFtO7A”
— 郭宝胜 (@milpitas95035) July 15, 2014
Hairstyle with a cross – a form of protest against forced demolitions. @YaxueCao In Zhejiang, protest against cross removal.
On Twitter-like Sina Weibo, Yongling Christian Church described various responses to the demolition campaign:
现在基本上有四种情况：一、自拆，帮政府主子效力，犹大；二、签字同意让政府来拆，屈膝在巴力之前，投降派；三、坚定守护但被强拆，守住信仰底线，忠贞派；四、想方设法抗争到底，宁拆教堂不拆十字架，献身祭坛派。逼迫是一面鏡子，照出人的本相，让人无处藏身，上帝真伟大！
Basically, there are four kinds of reactions: 1. Self-demolition, they work for the government and act like Judas. 2. Sign the agreement and let the government demolish the building. They kneel to power, they surrender; 3. Defend the churches until the last moment of forced demolition. They guard the baseline of their faith, they are the faithful ones; 4. Resist the demolitions by all means. They choose to protect the Cross rather than the Church building, they are the martyrs. The demolition is like a mirror, reflecting the nature of people, and there is no where for you to hide. Glory to God.
User “A flower on the river” warned that religious persecution would not end well for China:
那个历史阶段政局不稳，那个历史阶段就拆教堂。这样做根本不能解决基督教徒的信仰问题。只能在社会上埋下仇恨的种子。
The history tells us that when there is political instability, the churches would be torn down. Such actions cannot stop people from believing in Christianity, it will just spread hatred.


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Chinese Activist Hu Jia Attacked · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Prominent Chinese activists Hu Jia was attacked last night on July 16 in Beijing. He reported the incident in his Twitter:
今天7月16日，刚才20:12，我在北京市朝阳区草房地铁站东侧100米路北被若干便衣人员袭击受伤。他们随后驾车离去，我眼镜被打飞未能看清车号。此刻感到身体不适，靠在路边，准备报警。胡佳 #傅政华 #国保档案 pic.twitter.com/ztb1x0IzJk
— Hu Jia 胡佳 (@hu_jia) July 16, 2014
Today (July 16), just now at 20:12, I was attacked by a number of plain clothes cops near the east wing of Caofang subway station at Chaoyang district, Beijing. They drove away immediately. As I dropped my glasses, I could not see the car plate number. Now I feel sick and have to rest on the pavement. Will call the police. Hu Jia.
在我被打的准确位置，街边的白色护栏上却画着一个红十字。别的地方都没有。我的车停在这里。他们的人和车是埋伏在这里做的。#傅政华 #国保档案 pic.twitter.com/TQFLmNmW0k
— Hu Jia 胡佳 (@hu_jia) July 16, 2014
A red cross was marked on the white fence next to the spot where I were attacked. My car was parked at the spot where I was ambushed.
刚刚从常营派出所做完报案笔录，警号035658的关警官送我回到被袭击的原位置，现已离去。我准备一个人开车去距这里相对较近的民航医院把伤口做一下处理再回家。警方调阅了一下监控录像，但告知我没有捕获到袭击者车辆的信息。 pic.twitter.com/1HLNwrzkMm
— Hu Jia 胡佳 (@hu_jia) July 16, 2014
I have just filed a written report at the Changying police station. The police officer (035658) escorted me back to the spot where I was ambushed. Now he has left. I will drive to the nearby Minhang Hospital to treat my wound before going home. The police had gone through the surveillant video and told me that they could not identify the number of the attackers’ car plate.
我记得很清楚，腹部这里是穿黑衣服的高个便衣用脚踹的。他们手法专业，先锁喉，然后第一拳就打在我眼眶上。流氓讲叫“先封眼”。这拳很重，一下子把鼻梁都压破流血了。接着是雨点般的拳打脚踢。#傅政华 #国保档案 pic.twitter.com/AqDnFvsLyo
— Hu Jia 胡佳 (@hu_jia) July 16, 2014
I remember clearly, a top guy wearing black clothes kicked my abdomen. They were very professional, caught my throat and hit my eye. In gangster's language, the method is called “eye blocking”. It was a heavy hit and my nose bled. Then came a round of random hits and kicks.


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English Learning Business in China · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Soho Business’ info-graphic on learning English in China. Via China File.
Currently, there are more than 3,000 companies in China offering English classes. Fees range from several hundred to several thousand dollars.