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Japan: Saint Young Men, Jesus and Buddha on Earth · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

What if one day Jesus and Buddha descended to Earth to spend their holidays? And what if they lived together in a cheap apartment in Tachikawa, in western Tokyo? This is what Hikaru Nakamura (中村光) [jp], a young Japanese manga author, was thinking of when  she came up with Saint Oniisan (聖☆おにいさん [jp], lit. Saint Young Men), a manga published in the monthly magazine Morning 2 (モーニング２) in 2007 that become a hit in the last few months after the publication of the first two episodes as single volumes last year.
Among bloggers enthusiastic about Nakamura's manga, many appreciated the sense of humour of gags with a religious element. But many were also those, like blogger miyu, who pointed out how those funny jokes are, in reality, very well-thought out.
ブッダとイエスが、バカンスに下界へ降りてごく普通に生活するという話。
お金に細かいブッダ。
衝動買いするイエス。[…]
感想は、
『やっぱ読んでよかった～♪♪♪』
[…]、ブッダやイエスがTシャツにジーパンってだけで笑えるもんね。
２巻の表紙のイエスかっこいいし。笑[…]
この漫画描くの大変そうだなぁ。
ネタがいちいちおもしろいから、よく考え付くなぁと感心しながら読んでいます♪
Similarly, Chihaya_K_Amou’s words express the level at which this story struck a chord with its readers:
すごく笑いました！
ギャグとしても笑えるのですが、ネタがわかると何倍も面白い！
キリスト教ネタも仏教ネタもわかるともう最高に面白いです。
こういうマンガは日本人でないと描けないでしょうね。
そして、こういうマンガを心から楽しく読めるのも日本人でないと無理かなーと。
日本人に生まれてよかったよ、自分。
個人的に。
自分の近所にこういうおにいさんたちが住んでいたらぜひお友達になりたいね！（笑）
As mentioned in an interview published at Jump Square magazine [ja], Nakamura has always been interested in Christian iconography, but  she is not a believer nor an expert of religions. So when this topic came to  her mind he decided not to pursue deeper research on the topic in order to keep the content from becoming too complex and difficult for people to understand. The jokes and the gags had to be simple and direct, recognizable and at the same time funny for everybody. But, unfortunately, there are some readers who didn’t appreciate this “light spirit” and, like Monamona, disapproved of critics who approved of Saint Young Men.
聖おにいさん評判が高いので買ってみました。
イエスと仏陀が現代に降臨して共同生活ってのは面白い設定です。
でも筆者にはいくらでも面白くなるこの設定を活かすだけの教養がない。
せめて聖書や日本語訳のお経くらいでも読めばいくらでもネタは転がっているだろうに、それさえしてない感じ。
一番ひどいのは神社と寺の区別がついてない（二巻）あたり。
編集者も気付けよ。
こんなレベルで「このマンガがスゴイ」のトップになってしまうあたり
審査員のレベルの低さも推して知るべし。
ネットの評判だけで楽しみにしてただけにホントがっかりという感想です。
Lastly, blogger yamada considers this manga, which is a parody of the two main spiritual figures, to be a product of the religious syncretism that is peculiar to Japan since ancient times.
肝心の内容の感想はというとおもしろい！！の一言です。ひさしぶりにギャグマンガで大笑いした気がします。
特に個人的にお気に入りはイエスがプールの中でモーゼのようになる！というシーンです。
あそこ以外にもおおむね宗教ギャグ関係は笑えました。
ですが、一番気になるのはこの作品は日本独自のものなのだろうなぁということです。
正月にはお寺で除夜の鐘を聞き、その足で初詣に出かけ、クリスマスにはパーティーをするという宗教の雑多ぶりがこのマンガを生み出したんじゃないでしょうか？
とりあえずこれを真剣なキリスト教徒の方などに読んでもらって感想を聞きたいな～などと思った次第であります。


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Latvia: “Beginning to Smell Like the 90s” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

All About Latvia writes that “it’s hard not to notice that it is beginning to smell like the 90s”: “In the last week, strangers asked me three times for some changes to buy a tram ticket. Usually, asking for a smoke, or some change is used as a way to get into a fight, but this time, those people seemed genuinely looking for some help.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Latvia: Protest and Changes · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Baltic writes about political changes taking place in Latvia due to the crisis. Free Speech Emergency in Latvia posts a video from a silent protest in Riga.


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Madagascar: The mayor proclaims himself president · Global Voices
Mialy Andriamananjara

A dispute between the president of Madagascar, Marc Ravalomanan, and the mayor of the capital, Andry Rajoelina, thrust Malagasy citizens into violent rioting and looting last week, and has now escalated into a power struggle for the presidency itself.
In December, Rajoelina, a DJ and advertising tycoon turned Antananarivo's mayor, mobilized his supporters when the government shut down his television station, VIVA. Now, it seems his tens of thousands of followers will demand not only restoration of democracy and freedom of speech, but also control of government.
Two scheduled negotiation talks between Ravalomanana and Rajoelina have been canceled.
The mayor has been able to tap into Malagasy growing discontent and disapproval of the current regime to gather a following. This Saturday, on the Place du Treize Mai, in front of tens of thousands of supporters, Andry Rajoelina has proclaimed himself the new leader of Madagascar.
“Since the president and the government have not taken their responsibilities… I will run all national affairs as of today,” he said.
He has also announced plans to impeach Ravalomanana, the current elected president, who has according to him, disrespected the Malagasy constitution.
As reported by Avylavitra (who posted pictures on his flickr account as well) :
“Notanisaina teny an-kianja daholo androany ireo teboka efa ho folo lazain’ireo mpomba an’i Andry fa fanitsakitsahana lalampanorenana nataon’Atoa Ravalomanana Marc, ka tafiditra ho isan’ny tena antony azo analana azy amin’ny toerany, ka isan’izany ny resaha ‘haute trahison’ momba ny fanafarana mpikarama an’ady hamono ny taranaka Malagasy, ny fanaovana fanavakavahana ara-pinoana sns….
Teny ampamaranana ny fotoana, rehefa ela no niandrasan’ny vahoaka azy, dia nivoaka ihany ilay fanambarana lehibe nataon’i Andry Rajoelina, ka nanabaràny fa izy ny mitondra vonjimaika ny tetezamita, ary manome baiko sy mitantana ny raharaha rehetra. Nisy ny fanaingany ny tafika sy ireo ministera isan-tokony mba hanaraka ny baikony.”
“Andry's supporters counted ten instances of Marc Ravalomanana holding the constitution in contempt, they included some that validate his impeachment, one of them being “high treason” for importing mercenaries to kill Malagasies (author's note: this is an unsubstantiated claim, officially refuted by one of the army's leaders. The presence of foreign mercenaries was a recurring rumor during unrests.), another instance was Ravalomanana's alleged religious discrimination, etc…
At the end of the rally, after his supporters had long waited for it, Andry Rajoelina finally showed his ace card, when he said that he would lead the transitional government, and he would be the one giving orders and in charge of all affairs. He urged the army and ministers to follow his commands.”
News2Dago wonders if this is democracy:
“Toy izao ilay atao oe vahoaka  maro an'isa izany oe 80.000/20.000.000 na koa oe 0,004 % no hadidy sy hanapaka ny tany sy ny fanjakana. Dia atao ahoana izany ireo vahoaka tsy milahatra tsy tia korontana kanefa tsy sahy maneho hevitra fa ampitahorina bemiranga sy olona milanja basy handromba sy hanampim-bava. Demokrasia ny bandy bokona sy beloha no tiana hanjaka eto @ tanana.”
Madagascan wonders what will happen next:
“…une question se pose tout de même: La solidité de ses soutiens au sein de l'armée et des forces de l'ordre? Jusqu'à présent, aucun évènement n'a pu démontrer la supériorité d'un camp ou d'un autre au niveau des forces armées. Cette déclaration sera donc le grand test pour Andry Rajoelina.
En tout cas, cela ôte tout doute sur le fait que le maire d'Antananarivo possède des soutiens dans la classe politique d'opposition, qui ont préparé cette confrontation. Tout seul, il n'y serait pas arrivé.
Le week-end risque d'être encore agité. La logique voudrait que Marc Ravalomanana lance un mandat d'arrêt contre Andry Rajoelina, et que ce dernier soit fait prisonnier dès aujourd'hui. Cela sera le premier grand test: Les forces de l'ordre vont-elles obéir?”
Meanwhile, Ravalomanana was seen in various coastal cities, the latest being Nosy Be, where according to the Presidential communication team, he gave the following speech:
“Je suis là pour discréditer les rumeurs, car à Antananarivo il est dit que tout Madagascar est en feu. Je constate que la vie de tous les jours continue. Il faut se concentrer sur le travail pour faire progresser les pays. Je suis aussi venu pour constater les dégâts causés par le vandalisme et les incendies. Nous suivons de près les fauteurs de troubles afin que vous réalisiez qu’il y a un Etat de droit à Madagascar. Le constat général est le suivant: les troubles sont causés par des groupes qui viennent de nulle part et soudainement, pour semer la panique. Nous respectons la Constitution et la légalité, et ce ne seront pas gens qui vandalisent et pillent qui vont déstabiliser notre nation. Nous sommes profondément désolés de ce qui s’est passé, mais nous allons travailler ensemble pour redresser l’économie. “
Yahoo Forum reactions to Andry Rajoelina's self-proclamation range from bewilderment, consternation to elation. Some see in Rajoelina's power grab a move to protect his personal interests and fortune. Others are just glad. Still others wonder if the people are not again the dupe of politicians.
“Que faut-il faire pour que le peuple malgache ne soit pas sacrifié au nom de quelques intérêts personnels.
Rendons nous compte: pour accéder au pouvoir, ces gens là osent parler de démocratie et sont prêts à faire des actes terroristes et prendre le pouvoir de force!!!”
“Manana “Filoha vaovao” aloha izao ny tenanay ka soava tsarà ingahy “ANDRY TGV””
Others on the Sobika forum wonder about elections in Madagascar:
“Et le peuple malgache aura t'il son mot à dire? je ne me permets pas de juger mais il me semble que TGV devrait réclamer des élections? La seule légitimité démocratique peut donner un avenir à un homme ou une femme politique…ces méthodes d'auto proclamation sont d'un autre âge…”

author: Mialy Andriamananjara


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Palestine: “They used our clothes as a toilet” · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Bloggers in Gaza are gathering information about what happened during the recent Israeli attacks. In this update, we hear from families whose homes were looted and left covered with faeces by Israeli soldiers, learn what the effects of DIME weapons are, and are told the story of a father whose baby daughter was shot, his wife breastfeeding the girl as she bled to death.
Canadian activist Eva Bartlett blogs at In Gaza, and writes in a post (January 27) about visiting Ezbet Abbed Rabbo, eastern Jabaliya, an area which was invaded by Israeli troops and where many homes were occupied:
The first house I visited was that of my dear friends, who we’d stayed with in the evenings before the land invasion began. […] Upstairs to the first level apartment. Complete disarray. Feces on the floor. Broken everything. Opened cans of Israeli army provisions. Bullet holes in walls. Stench. To the second floor, next two apartments, all of the extended sons and wives and children’s rooms. More disarray, greater stench. This was the main base, apparently, from the boxes of food – prepackaged meals, noodles, tins of chocolate, and plastic-wrapped sandwiches – and the left behind IOF soldiers’ clothing. A pair of soldiers trousers in the bathtub, soiled with shit.
F. tells me: “The smell was terrible. The food was everywhere. Very disgusting smell. They put shit in the sinks, shit everywhere. Our clothes were everywhere. The last time they invaded (March 2008), it was easy. They broke everything and we fixed it. But this time, they put shit everywhere: in cupboards, on beds – my bed is full of shit.”
She is strong and has handled the invasions before, but the desecration of her house has got her down.
“A minute ago, Sabreen opened her clothing cupboard: there was a bowl of shit in it! They used our clothes for the toilet. They broke the door of the bathroom and brought into our room. I don’t know why.”
[…] Two days later, I re-visited, the house much tidier but still soured with the clinging stench of the soldiers’ presence. “We’ve cleaned as much as we can, but it’s so difficult. We still don’t have running water, we have to fill jugs from the town water supply.” I’d walked the sandy track up, I know how hard it is even empty-handed on foot, let alone laden with heavy jugs or trying to navigate any sort of wagon to carry large amounts of water. The track had been more of a proper dirt road before. Before it, and the land around, was torn up by Israeli tanks and bulldozers.
For photos of the temporary shelters many people in Jabalia have been forced to live in see here.
In another post (January 29) Eva writes about Yousef Shrater, a father of four whose home was also  occupied:
Shrater explains how the Israeli soldiers forcibly entered the house and ordered the family members out, separating men and women and locking them in a neighbouring house with others from the area. His father and mother, living in a small shack of a house nearby, were soon to join them. The soldiers then occupied the house for the duration of the land invasion, as Israeli soldiers did throughout the Abed Rabbo area, as they did throughout all of Gaza. And as with other houses in occupied areas, residents who returned to houses still standing found a disaster of rubbish, vandalism, destruction, human waste, and many stolen valuables, including mobile phones, gold jewelry, US dollars and Jordanian dinars (JOD), and in some cases even furniture and televisions, used and discarded in camps the soldiers set up outside in occupied areas. Shrater says the soldiers stole about US$1,000 and another 2,000 JOD (~US$2828) in gold necklaces. Back in the east-facing corner room, Shrater steps around a 1.5m by 1.5m depression in the floor where tiles have been dug up and the sandy layer of foundation beneath has been harvested. “They made sandbags by the window, to use as sniper positions.” The bags are still there, stuffed with clothing and sand. “They used my kids’ clothes for their sniper bags,” Shrater complains. “The clothes they didn’t put in sandbags they threw into the toilet,” he adds.
Shrater's father was abducted from his home:
From the roof we see more clearly the surrounding area where tanks were positioned, the countless demolished and damaged houses and buildings, and bits of shrapnel from the tank missiles. Shrater’s father, 70, is on the roof, and begins to tell of his experience being abducted from his house and locked up with his wife and others for 4 days. “They came to our house there,” pointing to the low-level home which housed he, his wife, and their sheep and goats. “The Israeli soldiers came to our door, yelled at us to come out, and shot around our feet. My wife was terrified. They took all of our money, then handcuffed us. Before they blindfolded us, they let our goats and sheep out of their pens and shot them. They shot 8 dead in front of us.” The elderly Shrater and his wife were then blindfolded and taken to another house where for the next 4 days Israeli soldiers denied him his inhaler for his asthma and his wife her diabetes medications. Food and water were out of the question, and Yousef Shrater’s father says their requests for such were met with soldiers’ retorts ‘No, no food. Give me Hamas, I’ll give you food.’
At Tales to Tell, Australian activist Sharyn Lock writes (January 26) about a discussion with a doctor:
When I saw Dr Halid the other day, on the request of a journalist, I asked him about evidence of the weapon called gbu39 or “dime” (dense inert metal explosive) bomb. This is believed to have been used by Israel for the first time in Lebanon in 2006, and now here as well. Dr Halid said the ICU doctors were seeing something new to them: what appeared to be mild external shrapnel injuries coupled with disproportionate massive internal damage.
“There will be small chest wounds, but then the lungs will be destroyed. Or minor abdominal entry wounds but then kidneys and liver destroyed.” I heard today that it seems that the dense metal shrapnel splinters into tiny particles upon entry to the body, which are then carried by the bloodstream, swiftly shredding everywhere they reach. So many patients appear to stabilize, and then die shortly afterwards. As if that wasn’t enough, Lebanon experience suggests that those who do survive experience quick onset of cancer. What kind of mind dreams this stuff up?
In another post (January 22) Sharyn tells us Amer's story:
Amer is 29. 14 people from his family were in the house that night, and they were all trying to sleep under their stairs as some sort of shelter. Even though the stairs were partly open to the back yard, the F16 attacks on the house made downstairs seem the safest place. […] Amer didn’t know it yet, but his brother Mohammed had already been killed elsewhere that day, struck by drone rockets.
The Israeli soldiers came to their house at about 5.30am, after the house had been shelled for 15 hours, and immediately opened fire on the family, killing Amer’s father with three shots. Then they told the family to leave. Amer had called an ambulance (which had to turn back after being shot at) and was refusing to leave his father’s body but the soldiers said they would shoot him if he stayed, so they fled 300 yards up the dirt track behind their house, at which point they were shot at again by another group of soldiers. This time Amer’s brother Abdullah was shot, Amer and Shireen’s 6 year old daughter Saja was shot in the arm, and their 1 year old daughter Farah was shot in the stomach. They spent the next 14 hours sheltering behind a small hill of dirt, while the wounded bled, and were not allowed to access help though the soldiers were aware of the injuries. Having no other way to comfort her small daughter, whose intestines were falling out, Shireen breastfed Farah as the little girl slowly bled to death.
After 14 hours, at about 8 in the evening, the soldiers sent dogs to chase them out of their shelter and dropped phosphorous bombs near them, but due to the wounded family members and having bare feet in an area of broken glass and rubble, escape was difficult. The army took the three wounded and put them behind the tanks, and captured Amer, but the rest of the family managed to get away and call the Red Crescent. The ambulance that eventually reached the injured people 7 hours later (driven by my medic friend S) took an hour to find them, and by this time Farah was dead. […] Amer was held for 5 days in army custody (the first 3 without access to food, water, or a bathroom), beaten and tortured, and questioned about resistance activity which he knew nothing about. When he was finally released on the border, the army sent two known collaborators to escort him, so it would look to the resistance fighters like he himself was a collaborator. But the fighters knew who he was and that he was not a collaborator. He tells us:
“I had my four children young, and they gave me the most happiness in my life. I took such good care of them. […] Now my remaining children will not go to sleep without their shoes on, because they think we will have to run for our lives again.”
Mohammed Ali, who works for the NGO Oxfam, writes on the Oxfam blog (January 20) about his sister's children:
My sister will not leave her house; she is still scared that something terrible might happen if she steps out of her front door. Since the ceasefire started, she has encouraged her children to return to sleeping in their beds. She awoke this morning to find her kids curled together in the centre of the living room, like they had been doing for the last three weeks. It will take them weeks, months if not years for their wounds caused by this conflict to heal.
Natalie Abou Shakra, a Lebanese activist, blogs at Moments of Gaza; in a post written on January 20 describes visiting Dr. Imad, professor of microbiology:
As I get into Imad's living room I see a painting of a woman, with traditional Palestinian attire, pink (remember that the colour pink is targeted by the Israeli Occupation Forces… pink pajamas… especially children in pink pajamas)… the painting was on the floor, and there was a hole in the wall where it used to hang… it was a beautiful painting… vibrant and full of life… perhaps, that is why it was targeted. On another wall, there was a photo of a man and woman in an intimate position, kissing… I stood in front of it. Don't we have the right to love and intimacy too? We want the right to love and intimacy too… They bombed two bedrooms, and the holes were just above the beds… the ruins were all on the bed. Intimacy… ‘love'… sex… destroyed. A society whose right to develop [has been] hindered, obstructed.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Russia: Diarchy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Robert Coalson of RFE/RL's The Power Vertical muses on the state of the Russian “diarchy.”


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Russia: Moscow Riot Cops vs Garbage Container · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user trashman_2009, a Greenpeace activist, posts pictures of himself dressed as a green garbage container, being dragged away by Moscow riot police after a failed attempt to get an appointment with the Moscow mayor and talk to him about recycling (RUS).


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Russia, Poland: Robert Amsterdam’s Interview · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Translation of Robert Amsterdam's interview in the Polish Gazeta Wyborzca – at Robert Amsterdam Blog.


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Russia: Putin in Davos · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Leopolis writes about Putin's appearance at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos: “Despite being lost in translation, the Putin-Dell exchange illustrates the fact that Russia and the West are speaking at two completely different wavelengths, if not from two completely different planets.”


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Ukraine: Yushchenko vs Tymoshenko · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana translates Victor Yushchenko's address to the nation – and Yulia Tymoshenko's response.


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Tunisia: Attacks on Freedom of Expression  · Global Voices
Lina Ben Mhenni

The Tunisian government is confirming again its “strong support” for freedom of speech. According to local journalists on Tuesday, January 27th plainclothes policemen surrounded the offices of the newly launched satellite radio station Kalima and detained one of its journalists, Dhafer Ottey.  On Wednesday, Kalima’s journalists and reporters stayed in the building and continued to broadcast. The policemen also verbally and physically assaulted individuals associated with Kalima. Human rights activist, Zouhair Makhlouf, was attacked (as shown in the video) as well Omar Mestiri, the editor-in-chief of Kalima's website, who was threatened by knife with death. The policemen kept on insulting Kalima’s journalists who were not inside the building and many of the people who came there to show their support for Kalima’s staff. On Friday January 30th, the policemen entered the premises and seized the equipment used for broadcasting. Here is the video showing the siege on Kalima.
Furthermore the Ministry of Interior seized on Friday, January 30th ,the 113th issue of the dissident newspaper “Attariq El Jadid” before its delivery to kiosks claiming that the newspaper published the legal document of the interrogation of a detainee in what is known as “Gafsa Events”. The publishing of which is illegal according to the Acts 63 and 73 of the Journalism code which prohibits the publishing of legal documents. According to the law, these documents can not be published until after they have been presented publicly in a court of law. In this particular case, the legal documents in question had been presented in court on January 11th, 2009, therefore making the publication legal according to journalists. The blog Farda-wla9at -O5taha talked about this censorship today by reporting the article of the French news paper ” Le MONDE ‘
Tunisie: un journal d'opposition saisi pour violation du Code de la presse.
L'hebdomadaire d'opposition tunisien “Ettarik Al-Jadid” (la nouvelle voie) a été saisi samedi par décision judiciaire pour violation du Code de la presse, a-t-on appris de source gouvernementale.
La saisie a été ordonnée “en vertu des articles 63 et 73 du Code la presse”, selon un communiqué publié par l'agence gouvernementale TAP.
Hatem Chaâbouni, directeur de l'organe bilingue du Mouvement Ettajdid (Renouveau, légal), a indiqué à l'AFP que le numéro saisi diffusait une transcription de l'interrogatoire de Bechir Laabidi, un des dirigeants du mouvement social de Gafsa (sud) dont le procès en appel est en cours.
“L'interrogatoire d'un prévenu peut être rendu public dès lors que les audiences publiques au procès ont commencé”, a assuré pour sa part Adel Chaouch, rédacteur en chef du journal.
Les articles du Code de la presse invoqués interdisent, sauf autorisation du juge, la publication de tout acte de procédure pénale et sanctionnent “celui qui, à la suite des troubles, a accepté de se substituer aux autorités régulièrement constituées”, la punition pouvant aller dans ce cas jusqu'à l'emprisonnement à vie.
Bechir Laabidi fait partie d'une trentaine de Tunisiens poursuivis pour leur participation à un mouvement de protestation sociale dans la région minière de Gafsa et dont le procès en appel ouvert le 13 janvier reprendra mardi prochain.
Il fait suite à des condamnations allant jusqu'à 10 ans de prison prononcées en première instance le 11 décembre à Gafsa (350 km au sud-ouest de Tunis).
La saisie de l'hebdomadaire intervient alors qu'une enquête a été ouverte par le parquet tunisien sur le lancement sans autorisation de Kalima, une station dirigée par la journaliste dissidente Sihem Bensedrine, selon une source gouvernementale.
“Radio Kalima” avait commencé à émettre lundi mais ses locaux ont été perquisitionnés vendredi et les équipements saisis, a indiqué à l'AFP un de ses collaborateurs.
The Tunisian weekly news paper “Attariq Al-Jadid has been seized  by court order for violation of the Code of the press, as it was learnt by governmental source.
The seizure was ordered ” by virtue of articles 63 and 73 of the Code the press “, according to a communiqué published by the governmental agency TAP.
Hatem Chaâbouni, director of the bilingual organ of the Movement Ettajdid  (Renewal Party , legal ) pointed to the AFP that the seized issu spreada transcription of the interrogation of Bechir Laabidi, one of the leaders of the social movement of Gafsa ( South) the lawsuit of which in appeal is in progress.
The interrogation of an accused can be made public since the public audiences in the lawsuit began”, assured for his part Adel Chaouch, chief editor of the newspaper.
Articles of the Code of the press called forbid, except license of the judge, the publication of any act of penal procedure and sanction ” the one who, following troubles, agreed to substitute himself for the regularly established(constituted) authorities “, the punishment which can go in that case to the detention with life.
Bechir Laabidi is a part of a group of  thirty Tunisians pursued for their participation in a movement of social protest in the mining area of Gafsa and among which the lawsuit in appeal opened January 13th will start again next Tuesday.
He is subject to  condemnations going to 10 years of prison pronounced in first authority on December 11th in  Gafsa (350 km in the southwest of Tunis).
The seizure of the weekly occurred  while an investigation was opened by the Tunisian public prosecutor's department on the launch without authorization of Kalima, a  radio station steered by the dissident journalist Sihem Bensedrine, according to a governmental source.
“Radio Kalima” had begun to broadcast  on Monday but its premises were searched on Friday and the seized equipments, indicated to AFP one of his(her) co-workers.

author: Lina Ben Mhenni


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Africa: 100 Best Blogs For Learning About Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Alisa compiles a list of 100 best blogs for learning about the African continent.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Azerbaijan: Ol! Marks Rasul-zadeh Anniversary · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Marking the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mammed Amin Rasul-zadeh, one of the founders of the short-lived Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan in the early 20th Century, the Ol! Youth Movement staged a small event in Baku and posts the video on its channel on YouTube.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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China: Hard to get home in a time for family reunion · Global Voices
Bob Chen

A journey to home preludes most people's Spring festival. It usually starts a few days before the Chinese New Year eve. And when they are to say goodbye to their families, the short holiday will end with another journey back to a place far away from home.
The Spring Festival Travel, or Chunyun, is the largest annual human migration that carries over 2 billion passengers every year, in a short time not exceeding 40 days. This year the New Year is on Jan 26. 15 days before that Chunyun kicked off; today, 31, Jan, the return journey begins.
The spectacular movement, with waves of humanity crowded in rail stations, airports, and roads, is driven by the core value of the festival, that is, family reunion.
The rapid but in some sense distorted urbanization in China highlights the meaning of family reunion. As many as 200 million labor from rural areas are working in cities, while leaving the entire family behind to earn a better life in a place foreign to them. Spring Festival, to most of them, is the only chance to see their beloved families again because of the high cost of going home.
One of the side effects is the unparalleled difficulty to get home. The carrying capacity falls behind the surging demand. On the other hand, the monopolized, state-controlled railway is routinely under vehement critiques every year. Because of the strong demand and restricted price, ticket scalpers flourished. Clerks in booking offices, meanwhile, is thought by many as the major culprit in complicity with the ticket dealers to drive up the ticket price. If a survey is conducted, I bet it is among the most unpopular careers in China.
In Beijing, a ticket clerk, who issued tickets from machine but didn't sell them to passengers, and instead, put them aside regardless of the long queue waiting, was shot by cellphone, the video uploaded to the internet soon. People doubt the ticket are preserved for scalpers. Thousands of people, with strong sympathy, joined the condemnation of the clerk.
楚天阁 in Tianya said:
看过这几段视频，再想想那些在寒风中为了一张火车票排很久队的人。北京站37窗口的售票员同志良心何在?
The clerk is only one epitome of the entire interest group, the Ministry of Railways, which operates all the railways in China, called by people “railway big brother.” Blogger Zhu Weidong points out the absurdity of the railway monopoly, which he thinks is not understandable at all:
铁老大独家经营的垄断地位也一直未变。
铁路保持国有垄断经营是否会效益更好、服务更优呢？事实刚好相反。铁路部门经常性亏损尽人皆知。服务如何？过去说政府部门门难进、脸难看、事难办，铁路部门是有过之而无不及。
A post cited by the official media Xinhua, named “unobtainable tickets tell all about urbanization“, analyzed the underlying cause of the hardship of getting home. In the blogger Den Yu-wen's view, making transportation better is not as good as making cities the real home for migrant workers.
另一方面要减少人们回家的需求，特别是把农民工留在他工作的城市里。而要把农民工留在城市，就必须把他的家庭也留在城市。
由于农民在居住、养老和子女入学等方面遭遇一系列难题，目前农民不可能从心里真正把城市作为自己的家，也就难以真正融入当地社会，所以他们不得不每年候鸟般地在农村和城市之间来回奔走。
The status quo is that migrant workers don't enjoy as comprehensive social security as that of the urban citizens. It is not that cities are their mines to find bonanza, but that they are cheap tools for cities to use for exploitation.
Besides the institutional discrimination against the migrant labor, the writer further points out:
主要在于我们的城市化是一个被动的、盲目的过程，多数城市主政者只想解决城市发展所需要的廉价劳动力.而不去认真探究和解决它所衍生的一系列问题。就此来说，春运难的背后，实际反映了中国的地区发展差距特别是城市化的滞后。
Blogger Willings (驿动的心) wrote a touching post to conclude that, “you'll understand today's China as long as you understand Chunyun (Spring Travel).”
只有乘坐长途火车，经历过春运的人，才能真正理解中国，才可以称之为一个真正的中国人。中华民族的所有苦难，都集中体现在春运历程中。
选项A：买不到票；选项B：买到高价票；选项C：买到假票；选项D：不回家。
但在当今中国，即使穷人之间也一样互相倾轧，票贩子心安理得的赚取高额利润，小偷们心满意足的清点钞票，从打工妹，打工仔身上毫不留情的大赚特赚，只留下她们坐在地上嚎啕大哭的背影。在当今中国，利益的攫取，已经取代了仁义礼智信的古训，人民失去了信仰，除了对金钱的崇拜。
火车站的广场上，站满了数万数十万渴望回家的人们。他们披星戴月，他们风餐露宿，他们饥寒交迫的站在广场上，密密麻麻一眼望不到边，每个人都是那样的焦急，他们是最底层的中国人，他们只有最简单渴望回家的愿望，却无人给他们帮助。既然他们买不起飞机票，于是他们就注定命如蝼蚁，注定命贱如草….
车厢里密密麻麻，过道里水泄不通，空气浑浊不堪，厕所极度肮脏，这些都是春运的常态，不是你我所应抱怨的……
我们办得好春晚，办得好奥运，却始终办不好春运。

author: Bob Chen


text:
Korea: Serial Killer and His Human Rights · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

A man who had an ordinary life and a good reputation in his town found to have killed 7 women over 2 years. He is a father who has two teenage sons. His targets were random. From women who worked at karaoke clubs, to middle-aged women who went back home after work, and to college girls at bus stops — all were his victims. While his cruel murders have been disclosed by investigation, whether his face should be protected or opened to the public became a big issue among netizens: the right of citizens to know vs. human rights and protection for the accused. Since 2004, criminals’ faces had been protected from the public for their human rights and for their families’ human rights. However, this big scandal and the new government has brought the question of whether it should be maintained. While the arguments have been continued on the Internet, conservative media, Chosun and Joongang Newspapers exposed his pictures.
The Criminal
Many people are concerned about the criminals’ families safety and chances that criminals can have second lives.
[…]살인자의 얼굴을 공개함으로인해서 살인자는 물론이거니와 그 가족들이 입는 정신적인피해, 물질적인 피해또한 생각하지 않을 수 없습니다. 살인자는 그렇다 치더라도 왜 그 가족들까지 고통을 당해야 합니까? 그리고, 글쓴분은 살인자의 얼굴을 공개해야한다는 논리중에 < < 재범>>을 꼽으셧습니다.
아무리 살인죄를 범했다고해도 교화돼서 새로운 삶을 사는 인생들도 많습니다. 왜 그런 기회까지 우리가 박탈해야합니까? […]
A netizen has another interesting concern.
최근에 많은 저 사람에 대한 많은 기사를 봤는데 많은 분들이 불만을 가지는 부분이
사형제도, 신상공개, 그리고 부실수사.. 이거더라구요. 그중에서 신상공개에 대한거 개인적으로는 반대라서 이렇게 적어봅니다.. 그렇다고 저 사람을 옹호를 하는건 절대 아닙니다. 저사람은 죽어도 할말없는 죄를 저질렀으니까요..
[…] 제가 걱정하는 부분은 얼굴 공개후에 오게될 영향입니다. 물론 공개를 하게되면 저 사람이 저지른 행동에 대한 많은 목격자들이라든가 많은 증거들을 찾게될지도 모르죠.. 아니 그럴거예요. 하지만 앞에서 말한 것처럼 혹시나 비슷한 외모를 가진 사람들이 있다면 그 사람들에게 엄청난 문제가 생기지 않을까요? 작게는 학교 같은 곳에서 놀림 받는것부터 시작해서 심하게는 그 사람 인생 자체에 문제가 생길지도 모르죠.. 단지 살인자와 비슷한 외모를 가졌다는 이유로 나쁜 이미지가 박힐 수도 있구요..[…]
[…]What I am concerned is results after showing his face to the public. Of course, it will be much easier to find more witnesses about his history. However, as I said before, people who have similar faces to him will have many problems. Those can be mocked at a place where they belong to, such as schools. Or it can cause their lives badly. Due to one reason that they looked similar to the murderer. they could give bad impressions on others…[…]
Not a few netizens agree that citizens have rights to know for their own safety.
요즘 인터넷에보면 연쇄살인범 얼굴 공개냐 마냐 그런걸로 싸우는데 내생각엔, 당연히 공개 해야한다. 살인자 인권? 뭐 인권도 있겠찌. 근데 군포연쇄살인 범인을 한번 생각해봐라 그사람은 7명을 더 죽였다고 하지 않았나?? 그럼 그 7명 죽은사람 가족이 4명이라고만해도 최소 28명의 마음을 갈기갈기 찢어놓고 이제 인생도 망칠수도 있는데 얼굴공개를 안햬?ㅋㅋ 그리고 지금얼굴공개해서 뭐 살인자가 불이익받는것도 아니고 또 가족이 불이익을 받잖어. 내가 듣기로는 그사람 전범 몇과 있었따는데 아에 제한을 두어서 전범 x과 부터는 얼굴을 뛰울수 있게 해야한다. 범죄자 인권 옹호할생각하지말고 범죄자에게 당하는 시민들 입장을 생각해야지?[…]
The murderer’s cruelty leads many people to anger rather than to consider his human rights.
[…]저는 군포용의자 얼굴공개를 개인적으로 찬성하는 입장입니다. 반대하시는 분들중에 인권을 운운하시고 용의자가족이 무슨 죄가 있느냐라는 글이 정말 많은거 같네요. 그러나 7명을 어쩌면 더 죽인 살인마 한테 인권을 부여할수 있을까요?
그럼 그 용의자가 빼앗아간 꽃다운 나이의 대학생이며 한 가정의 어머니 이런 분들의 인권은 어떻게 된거 인지 궁금합니다. 이 미치광이 살인마의 인권이 존중되야 한다면 그 살인마가 죽인 아무잘못없는 고인들의 인권은 종이가루 인가요? 살인마는 살인마 일 뿐입니다. 더 이상 어떠한 인권을 운운하는건 고인과 고인의 가족들에게 더한 상처를 주는 것에 불과합니다.
또한 얼굴을 공개 하게 될 경우 용의자의 가족이 피해를 입는다는 글을 많이 보았습니다. 물론 아무 이유없이 피해를 입으면 안되는게 당연한거입니다. 그러나 용의자의 가족을 먼저 생각해주시기보다는 고인들의 가족을 한번이라도 더 생각해보셨으면 좋을거 같네요.
그리고 공개수배범의 얼굴은 공개하면서 파렴치한 살인자의 얼굴을 공개하지 못한 다는건 이치에 맞지않는다고 생각합니다.
Then how about human right of family members who lost lives, such as a college student? While this crazy murderer’s human right should be respected, human rights of the victims whom the murderer killed without any reasons are nothing. A murderer is just a murderer. Talking about his human rights is to hurt the victims and their families again.
Many netizens also said that if his face is shown in public, his family will have disadvantages. Of course, they shouldn’t be victimized without any reasons. However, rather considering the murderer’s family, I hope that you think about the victims’ families.
In addition, we show wanted criminals in public, but protecting the murderer’s face is not logical.
Are showing criminals’ faces to the public related to human rights for victims and their families?
결국, 가해자의 얼굴을 공개하므로써 생기는 효과는 대중들의 호기심을 채워주는 것 하나 밖에 없다고 생각됩니다.  그러나 대중들의 호기심을 채워주는 것으로 생길수 있는 제3자의 피해를 생각해 봐야 합니다. 가해자의 얼굴을 공개할 경우, 가해자의 가족들이 사회적으로 매장당할 가능성이 커지며, 가해자와 비슷하게 생긴 사람들도 피해를 볼 수 있습니다. 그리고 만에 하나 재판결과 가해자가 무죄가 될 경우(진범이 잡히거나 누명 등..)가 있을 수 있죠.
‘범죄자(가족)의 인권만 생각하고 피해자(가족)의 인권은 생각하지 않느냐'고 하시는 분들도 있는데, 범죄자(가족)의 인권과 피해자(가족)의 인권은 서로 독립적인 것입니다. 즉, 가해자(가족)의 인권이 보호된다고 피해자(가족)의 인권이 보호되지 않는 것은 아닙니다. 범죄자(가족)의 인권을 묵사발 내는 것이 피해자(가족)의 인권 신장과 무슨 상관이 있는지 모르겠군요. 그리고 경우에 따라서는 피해자의 가족이 가해자 얼굴 공개를 원하지 않을 수도 있습니다.
가해자의 얼굴을 공개하자는 주장,  유치한 호기심에 지나지 않다고 생각됩니다.
Some people say ‘we think about human rights for the criminals (families), but don’t consider human rights for the victims (families).’ But human rights for the former and for the latter are separate. That is, protecting human rights of the criminals (families) doesn’t mean to protect those of the victims (families). I don’t understand how disregarding those of the former is related to those of the latter. In addition, some victims’ families don’t want to show the criminals’ faces to the public either.
Insistence on showing the criminals to the public is just from childish curiosity

author: Hyejin Kim


text:
Russia: A Day of Rallies · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

It was sunny in Moscow on Jan. 31, with temperatures around minus 14 degree Celsius/7 degrees Fahrenheit, but despite the cold, the city saw a number of anti-government rallies – and some fighting. Below are a few accounts, some photos, videos, and links.
LJ user drugoi posted nine photos from the opposition rally on Bolshaya Polyanka and wrote this (RUS):
Young opposition activists have once again succeeded in marching down a Moscow street today. This time it was Bolshaya Polyanka, and the participants of the rally […] were getting there in roundabout ways, switching trains on the metro. Today, however, it turned out that the regime had some volunteer (or, perhaps, hired) assistants. […]
The moment the column of approximately 50 to 80 “dissenters” with flags and banners started moving along Polyanka, a few cars drove up from behind and – with the words, “Why aren't you letting us relax, assholes?” – some 10 or 12 people got out, dressed uniformly: in jogging pants, jeans and hooded jackets. Without delay, the gang started beating the protesters, and a pretty serious fight began.
There was some initial confusion in the “dissenters”‘ ranks, but then they were quite organized and tough as they fought the attackers back. Among the protesters, there were people with blood on their faces, one of the reporters had a stone thrown at his camera, but the attackers were forced to run away and would have been chased if the opposition activists hadn't decided to continue on their march.
At the end of the fight, those who were covering their faces with scarves sprayed some tear gas around. Many of those who were affected had to wash their eyes.
Riot police showed up only after the rally was over, and the work of all the law enforcement organs had to be done by two police [officers] from a nearby station, under the sharp eye of a dark-blue police helicopter hanging over Polyanka.
Several times they jumped bravely into the protesters’ crowd, trying to take the banners away. It was causing some serious resistance, but the protesters had more people and [the police officers] obviously didn't have the guts to face up to them.
Desperate, one of the policemen rushed to a group of soldiers he saw standing on the sidewalk, and begged them to join in the difficult task of protecting public order. The cadets reluctantly shifted from one foot to the other, but didn't go against the people's will.
All in all, the Dissenters’ March has again taken place, and there was more than enough drive today. Riot police units, which showed up belatedly […], seized whoever was within reach – a cameraman, for example, with a huge Betacam on his shoulder – placed them into the [police van] and drove away. Somewhere above the square a new police helicopter hung still – all it had left to do was register the fact that the “dissenters” have managed to achieve what they wanted today.
LJ user zyalt posted nearly 30 photos from the same rally in the oppositional namarsh_ru LJ community.
Russian photographer Oleg Klimov posted a few pictures of the National Bolshevik leader Eduard Limonov, who made an attempt to hold another rally on Jan. 31 – a follow-up to the protest by the Communist Party at Triumphalnaya Square. Here're some of Klimov's observations (RUS):
[…] Triumphalnaya Square, in front of the monument to [poet Vladimir Mayakovsky], was cordoned off by riot police – and empty. There was a crowd by the entrance to the metro, though, not allowed to come to the stone “revolutionary poet” – and the loudspeaker kept addressing them loudly: “The rally is over! Go home!” Most of these people were journalists and they didn't want to disperse. They were waiting. Waiting despite the fact that the [National Bolshevik activists] and other young people had already been arrested and squeezed into [police vehicles].
We walked out [from the opposite side of the square] and it seemed as if nobody noticed us. Limonov started his speech by the monument to Mayakovsky. The crowd by the metro got somewhat excited, but riot police were holding them tough. Some of the journalists managed to break through, however, and ran towards Limonov. Riot police ran after them. Things were happening around the revolutionary writer [Limonov] as well. He continued talking, most likely about “freedom, fraternity and equality,” surrounded by his personal guards, but at some point two huge plainclothes guys pushed over simultaneously on Limonov's bodyguards and hit one of them right into his nose. It was just an ordinary fight. Limonov was thrown on the asphalt, but, as an experienced revolutionary, he managed to take his glasses off, to keep them from being broken, obviously. The guards did their best to protect him, but the riot police were there soon, and it all ended the way it always does – the doors of the [police vehicle] […] were shut close.
The crowd was just staring at what was going on – with obvious pleasure, it seemed. No one said anything. No one yelled anything. No one cursed anyone… the crowd was observing, along with the journalists. Observing lawlessness and impunity of the “cats” who didn't like one “little mouse” that was not gray.
There was a feeling of sadness because of this, and a terrible embarrassment, because, as Johann Goethe, I guess, said – “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.”
Below is a video of the events at Triumphalnaya Square, posted by LJ user zlaya-uchilka:
According to LJ user alaverin (RUS), Eduard Limonov is to spend the night and part of Feb. 1 at the police department.
A pro-Kremlin rally took place just off Red Square on Jan. 31, too. LJ user drugoi posted a photo of one of the banners from that event: “We believe!” – underneath the portraits of Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin. Some of drugoi‘s readers thought the banner looked familiar, in two different ways:
cab9:
I thought at first that this was an Obama poster.
***
filaretus:
Marx-Engels-Lenin-Stalin.
Long live CPSU.
How deep must the USSR still be in the people that even after nearly 20 years the same style of banner design comes up.
dont_ban_me_mo:
It never went away anywhere, they've just done a little re-branding, Putin instead of Lenin, [Medvedev] instead of Stalin, and the CPSU has renamed itself into [the United Russia party].
LJ user mutin2007 posted a sheep cartoon, on which the animals hold banners thanking the regime for price hikes and layoffs, among other things.
Also, LJ user mutin2007 posted a photo from a rally that took place on the same day all the way across Russia, in Vladivostok: a group of protesters there carried a banner with the words “Putler kaput!!!” on it.
LJ user bwm posted 16 more photos from the Vladivostok rally, organized by the Communist Party and the Community of Activist Citizens of Russia (TIGR), and wrote this (RUS):
[…] The march turned out to be pretty strange because [TIGR activists] didn't really have anything in common with the Communists – neither in their appearance, nor in their [political views].
But most of the protesters were people who did not belong to any political movements, but were just not indifferent to the realities around them. […]


text:
Russia: Economy Update · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Edward Hugh writes at A Fistful of Euros: “Russia’s current woes can be readily summed up in just one single variable – the value of the ruble – and this value, as we all know, is falling. Almost uncontrollably so.”


text:
South Africa: How to keep school computers safe · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

How do you keep school computers away from thieves in places where schools are target of criminals? You can get some tips from Khanya Project in South Africa.


text:
“Media as Global Diplomat” Summit – Join Webcast and Chat · Global Voices
Ivan Sigal

UPDATE: LIVE CHAT IN SESSION NOW
Public diplomacy over the last decade has been dominated by strategic communications thinking with an emphasis on projecting messages about U.S. official viewpoints in a time of war. At the same time, media have undergone fundamental changes, both in the proliferation of satellite broadcasting, and in the advent of networked digital communications via internet and cell phone networks that allow mass participation in the creation of content.
The new U.S. administration has promised a different approach – focused on listening over lecturing. What role should public diplomacy take in this context? Should it be redefined? Upgraded? Demoted? Should the U.S. government continue to support international broadcasting efforts, or disband much of that in favor of support for more participatory approaches? Is this a time when less might be better?
An event on Tuesday morning in Washington D.C. (Tuesday evening Asia time) called Media as Global Diplomat, organized by the U.S. Institute of Peace and ITVS, will explore “how the United States can best use media to reinvigorate its public diplomacy strategy and international influence in order to strengthen efforts to build a more peaceful world”.
It will be interesting to see if the public diplomacy world begins to take on the lessons of participatory media – and focus less on messages and projecting an American viewpoint, and more on listening, and thinking creatively about how the voices and perspectives of others are treated as partners in conversation.
If you haven't spent a lot of time thinking about public diplomacy – take a look at ProPublica's investigative series into Alhurra TV – the BBG's effort to reach the Middle East through a USG-funded “commercial” TV network. Alhurra and related radio project Radio Sawa might be the epitome of Bush-era thinking of how to mimic commercial mass media to project American messages and viewpoints to the world. Regardless of whether they were right for their time – and there are good arguments that they weren't – it's worthwhile asking how relevant such efforts will be in a time of abundant media – given hundreds of competing satellite broadcasters, and the paradigm changes to communications brought about by the networked public sphere.
Join me and Rebecca MacKinnon to find out. Rebecca will be live-blogging the event on her blog, with some backup from me. I'll also repost that on burning bridge. I will be online to moderate and follow the live chat, bringing your views and questions from the live chatroom into the event. That way, we hope the conversation can be expanded beyond the room to include everybody watching and reacting remotely.
If you have views in advance that they'd like to express, please post them in the comments section of this post.
Below is the full program and schedule, taken from here.
Challenge
We are in a disruptive period in media, the result of an explosion in digital distribution, social networking, and user generated content. And with disruption comes opportunity. This summit, moderated by Ted Koppel and entitled Media as Global Diplomat, is a forum to ask key public and private sector leaders how the United States can best use media to reinvigorate its public diplomacy strategy and international influence in order to strengthen efforts to build a more peaceful world.
Agenda [All times EST]
(9:00 a.m.) Welcome and Framing the Day
Sheldon Himelfarb, Associate Vice President, Center of Innovation for Media, Conflict, and Peacebuilding, U.S. Institute of Peace
Hosts Remarks
Ambassador Richard Solomon, President, U.S. Institute of Peace
Sally Jo Fifer, President and Chief Executive Officer, Independent Television Service
Media & Public Diplomacy: The Challenge at Hand
Ted Koppel will address the dramatically changing global media landscape and its implications for public diplomacy and peacebuilding.
(9:30 a.m.) Public Diplomacy 2.0: Rethinking Official Media
In this new era of digital distribution, social networking, and user generated content, what is the role of government-funded media in bolstering America’s global influence and ability to manage conflict? This panel will discuss where traditional strategies for media-based public diplomacy are effective and where they need to change.
Panelists:
(11:15 a.m.) The Global Media Marketplace
What is the responsibility of free market commercial media to serve the greater public good in the global media age? This panel will consider the role of “unintended” stereotypes in shaping the image of the US abroad and the perils of uninformed citizens at home due to declining news coverage of international events.
Panelists:
(12:30 p.m.) Lunch
(1:15 p.m.) Special Screening: Waltz With Bashir
Ari Folman's animated documentary on the horrors of the 1982 Lebanon War. Academy Award nominee and winner of 2009 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. Waltz With Bashir is part of the ITVS International initiative and will be introduced by introduced by Calvin Sims, Program Officer, Media Arts & Culture, Ford Foundation.
(2:45 p.m.) Independent Documentary and Participatory Media
In discussing the film, this panel will consider the potential of film and video to connect people around the world and transform conflict. How can this powerful content be deployed as part of a more effective US public diplomacy strategy?
Panelists:
Cross posted at my personal blog.

author: Ivan Sigal


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“Obama” gets a tummy ache while visiting Manila · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Watch this short video first:
This was a Philippine TV ad which appeared last month. It featured the lookalikes of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo and United States President Barack Obama. For those who don't understand the Filipino language, Random Detoxification provides an English translation of the ad:
Obama: Thank you for a lovely dinner.
GMA: Oh, we're not done yet. Try our kare-kare. It's ox. [Kare-kare is a Filipino soup that combines oxtail and vegetables.]
Obama: Okay, sure.
GMA: Guinataang mais! It's corn. But we use our coconut. [Guinataang Mais is a sweetish Filipino delicacy made of corn kernels cooked in coconut milk. When GMA says “we use our coconut”, she refers to the mind.]
Obama: Oh, alright.
[Obama looks pained, and utters a grunt.]
GMA: Oh my gosh, that's impatso na. Dispepsya yan no. Ang dami mo kasing kinakain no. Ang Motilium, bilis! [Oh my gosh, that is indigestion already. That's dispepsia! You ate so much, that's why! Get Motilium, hurry!]
[Obama is served the medicine, and he takes it.]
GMA: The impatso will disappear in thirty minutes, no?
[Obama buttons up his tuxedo.]
GMA: Kapeng baracks? [She's referring to the Kape Barako she's serving. Kape Barako is a kind of coffee grown in the Philippines.]
[The two smile and shake hands for the cameras.]
Aside from obvious reasons, the ad is funny for Filipinos because President Arroyo has been “snubbed” by Obama on two occasions. She was trying to call Obama to congratulate him on his electoral victory last November but Obama didn’t return her call.
In this ad, “Obama” didn’t just return the call; he accepted a dinner invitation in Malacanang Palace, the Philippines’ presidential house.
What are the reactions of Filipino bloggers? Menard writes:
“I always thought that Barack Obama is distancing himself with Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, but I guess I was wrong. The video report tells us that President-Elect Barack Obama sneaked into Malacañang, Manila over the weekend to have coffee with Madam Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.”
Cathy was first incensed with the print ad:
“When I first saw the print ad for this campaign I was sort of incensed. How could they do that to President-elect Obama?! BUT…after seeing it in the full context of this TV ad, I was rolling stitches! Congratulations to the ad agency who thought of this really funny and effective campaign :)”
needle in a heisstack also likes the commercial:
“Every time I see President Obama now I can't help but remember the silly and extremely hilarious TV commercial that premiered on local TV last December.
“I seldom like local commercials because most of them are crap, but this one is pure genius and is just so damned funny that it made me laugh nonstop. The first time I saw it, I went, “WTF???” and burst out laughing at the same time. My sister also sent me a YouTube link to it on that same day, and I wasted no time spreading the link to others.”
The star of the ad is Ilham Anas, an Indonesian magazine photographer, who has been dubbed as the “Asian Obama.” The 34-year old photographer is now a celebrity because of his “similarity” with Obama.
While filming the commercial, Anas made some sidetrips in Manila. He visited call center offices (Business Process Outsourcing industry) to the surprise and delight of young office workers. Chuvaness posts pictures:
The call center visit was symbolic because the Philippine BPO industry is afraid that the real Obama might “take some of the outsource jobs back to America.”
Anas is gaining popularity in Indonesia. Multibrand writes:
“I felt very happy that we have Ilham Anas who has been able to make people, in Indonesia & abroad, laugh to see that his face is similar to Obama. I hope that the ‘real’ Obama would also be able to bring happiness to people around the world, especially in Indonesia.”

author: Mong Palatino


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Afghanistan: Detour Dispatches  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Joshua Foust, a longtime blog expert on Afghanistan, starts his insightful travelogue notes from the visit to the country he wrote so much about.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Afghanistan: Presidential Election Delayed · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Patrick Frost reports that the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan has decided to postpone the country’s presidential election until August 20th for the reason of registering more voters, setting up the voting machinery, and giving troops more time to bring ‘chaotic’ districts in control.


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Americas: Guest Blog Post on New Clinton Foundation Initiative · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Carlos Fernández, the new CEO of a new Clinton Foundation initiative, writes a guest blog post on Latina Lista explaining how he and his team will work towards reversing inequality in Latin America.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Armenia: More Homophobic Traditional Values · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Following homophobic remarks from leading representatives of the country's civil society and media outlets, Unzipped: Gay Armenia continues to highlight the continuing prejudices against the LGBT community from the most unexpected quarters. In its latest post, the blog comments on the words of an MP, doctor and member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia who not only praises the conservative nature of Armenian society, but also professes that he would never marry a woman who wasn't a virgin.


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Bahamas: Day of Absence  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Until we invest and believe in our art, and until we respect our artists, our country will never even be”: Nicolette Bethel calls “for a Day of Absence in honour of all cultural workers in The Bahamas and around the world.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bangladesh: Blogging Chobi Mela V · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sabhanaz Rashid Diya at Meeting the Voices of Freedom blogs about Chobi Mela V, a revered international festival of photography currently taking place in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

author: Rezwan


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Barbados: Cuba to Fund Library Restoration?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Free Press says: “It boggles the mind that the Barbados Government would be looking to Cuba for possible funding in restoring the Barbados Public Library.”


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Bulgaria: Deaths in Police Custody · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Maya's Corner writes about the recent deaths of two people in police custody: “In the 1990s, arrested people were regularly beaten by police and some of them died. Fortunately, as Bulgaria was (at least de jure) moving to the civilized world, this trend slowly but steadily declining. Now, we seem to observe a chilling turn of the tide.”


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Bulgaria, U.S.: Sofia Mayor’s Harvard Visit Cancelled · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Veni Markovski writes about the cancellation of Sofia mayor's visit to John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard – here and here: “I feel relieved that my country will not be exposed by the rabidly gay-bashing Bulgarian politician!”


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Caribbean: WI Cricket Website   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

West Indies Cricket Blog thinks that “the official website of the West Indies Cricket Board…is now a waste of space on the world wide web. An embarrassment and a disgrace…”


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Caucasus: Creative Commons · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Creative Commons blog reports that significant progress has been made in adapting and translating the licensing system for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Supported by the Eurasia Partnership Foundation, an online discussion on the three drafts is now open for all to join.


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China: Shanzhai Spring Festival Gala Blocked · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Shanzhai Spring Festival Gala, an alternative to CCTVcelebration of the spring festival online casting, has become a sensitive term and blocked. (more via Joel Martinsen from DANWEI)

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Shoe Hurled at Premier Wen Sparks Fury · Global Voices
Bob Chen

Shoes thrown at a leader, but not G.W Bush this time
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was greeted by a shoe thrown at him during his speech in Cambridge University, England. The lecture was about building harmonic international relations.
The protester hurled a shoe at Wen, yelling, “How can the university prostitute itself with this dictator? How can you listen to these lies?” He then blew the whistle, and was shortly removed by security. The London Times described him as a “young, Western-looking man with dark hair”, a possible pro-Tibet or human rights activist.
Wen came back to his lecture soon, commenting on what happened: “this despicable behavior cannot stand in the way of friendship between China and the U.K.”
Wen's speech in Cambridge is one part of his 5-day European visit. The trip is considered an effort to repair the relationship with Europe which was damaged by Tibet riots and protests during the Olympic torch relays. On the other hand, with a stable and strong, though slightly slowed economic growth, China is trying to exert its influence and signal friendship in a time of global financial crisis.
Wen's lecture is also a call against protectionism, which may greatly undermine China's export-oriented economy. Wen has criticized the U.S and some enterprises for the cause of the crisis, blaming them as irresponsible and immoral.
France is not on the Wen's visit schedule. Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, met with the Dalai Lama last year, which was considered a particularly unfriendly action by Chinese.
Protests accompanied Wen during his visit, most of them concerning issues about Tibet.
Pissed off by the shoe
Unlike the way many Americans reacted to their former president Mr. Bush's embarrassment in Iraq, it seems that this time the shoe thrown to Wen has really pissed off a great many people.
In Xiaonei, the Chinese copy of facebook, a post named “Britain, do you still wanna play?” showed up shortly after the incident. It aggregates a few furious comments.
吕洋 Ivan, a Xiaonei user, commented:
操他妈的藏独个王八羔子，早知道今天没课跟丫们干仗去，看谁鞋多。别忘了砸布什的鞋都是made in china的.
F–k Tibet-separatists, I'd go fighting with you jerks if I had known I had no class today. Let's see who has more shoes. Don't ever forget that the shoes that flew at Bush are both made in China.
In DWnews, an independent media publication, someone, obviously reminded of Bush, commented:
没有创意。
And another netizen followed:
呼吁人肉搜索，把肇事者暴露出来！
On Youtube, the video gathered a group of comments written in both English and Chinese.
guanchyun applauded for Wen
没给中国人丢脸，牛
qujiahe  felt sorry for Wen
这么慈祥一老头都被扔鞋，剑桥那哥们脑子坏了么
ddream777 commented in English
Shame on this jerk. And it's such an ugly shame the Cambridge lecture hall is as sacred as a Baghdad tent.
siuhuen said:
Answer to your question – Cambridge Uni invited the Chinese PM.
Such a shame though – one student threw a shoe at the speaker just becoz he has a different political view, and the respect the entire world has for Cambridge Uni just came tumbling down.
But  Jianghua2   replied to the comment above:
siuhuen, inviting Wen Jiabao to this university already lowered it s respect, come on CCP is known for it s genocide tendencies. Wen Jiabao and Hu Jintao are both responsible for crimes against Humanity in China and Tibet (if you believe is not part of China). So Campbridge lost all it s honor already!
And in Xiaonei, not everyone is so much indignant. User 张胜蓝 commented on the news:
难道只能布什给人扔鞋子，轮到温家宝就气愤了？
另外温家宝那番话讲得也太官话，这样都热烈鼓掌？怀疑剑桥里面都是些什么人……
Regardless of how the internet and overseas media react to the shoe, however, the state-media covered up the news determinedly. In discussion boards and blog servers, also, nothing related to the incident can be found. It seems as if the shoe has never been thrown in this harmonic world.
Follow-up: After a short time of black-out, the authority is likely to have approved the report on the incident on Chinese media. The delay can be interpreted as a necessary time for the top officials to assess the situation and public opinion, in order to determine in what way the story be told.


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Cuba: Gorki Arrested Again  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Uncommon Sense reports on two recent incidents of Cuban punk rocker Gorki being arrested and then released.


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Cuba, U.S.A.: The Cuban Five  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As U.S. Supreme Court Justices debate whether to hear the case of The Cuban Five on appeal, Circles Robinson says: “The hypocrisy of such an action became even more evident when the Bush administration began its war on terrorism after 9/11″, while Uncommon Sense has a “suggested counter-offer to the dictatorship's original proposal: The Cuban 5 get a Supreme Court hearing, if political prisoners..also get a hearing — before the U.S. Supreme Court.”


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Ecuador: Blogging to Prevent Domestic Violence in Guayaquil · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

The municipal government of Guayaquil, Ecuador [es] recently sponsored a blog contest open to new and existing bloggers around the theme “Home: A Safe Place?”  The topic was chosen to give visibility to the problem of domestic violence  and to help generate solutions to eradicate this problem in homes and communities.
Even though there was some criticisms [es] regarding the way that the contest was publicized and concerns that some would only create a blog for the contest, it did fulfill the original objectives [es].  Many bloggers ended up participating [es] and the judges made their decision.  These are the top four winners and who received cash prizes.
Violencia Discreta [es]  looks for peace built from inside the home and from there promote gender equity. This blog is written by Fernando Landin and Princesa Quil. She wrote a post on the purpose for the awards where she explains what was the motive to participate and why a ‘woman remains safer in the street better than her own home':
Ese día volví en la tarde y me encontré con una mujer, una de las tantas mujeres que sufren en su soledad de una violencia discreta. Sutilmente le dije que me interesaba conocer su historia, y que podía confiar en mi. Sentí su frustración, la decepción de amar a alguien y luego sufrir la agresión, y aguantarlo por mil razones que no entendemos hasta que abrimos los ojos. Y luego la pregunta: Con quién he estado todo este tiempo?. Luego, pasaba por la Comisaría y siempre estaban llenas de mujeres agredidas, abría los periódicos y ahi estaba alguna mujer asesinada por su cónyuge, caminaba por la calle y ahi estaba alguna mujer con una autoestima por los suelos, desarreglada y sintiendose chiquitita, que seguramente era inferiorizada por alguien. Me dije que está pasando aquí! Me di cuenta que el problema es gravísimo, pero que es tan común que parece que lo hemos asimilado como algo normal, cuando solo demuestra que existe una seria patología que sufre nuestra sociedad.
That day I returned in the afternoon and I met a woman, one of many who suffers alone from a discreet violence. Subtly, I told her I was interested to know her story, and that she could trust me. I felt her frustration, the disappointment of loving someone and then suffer the attack, and endure it for a thousand reasons we don't not understand until we open our eyes. And then the question: With whom have I been all this time?. Then, I had passed through the Municipal Court and it always was full of abused women,  and I opened the newspaper and there was a woman murdered by her husband, I then walked down the street and there was a woman with a her self-esteem near the bottom, disheveled and feeling small that certainly she was belittled by someone. I told myself what's happening here! I realized that the problem is serious, but that it is so common that it seems that we have assimilated that it is something normal, when it only shows that our society suffers a serious disease.
Hogar Lugar seguro? [es] is the title José Cruz chose for his blog.  He says that there is a perception that anything that happens at home is private, and which only contributes to the fact that domestic violence is not talked about in the open. In his intent to help women fight against abuse, he has listed the main locations where they can look for help in two of the main cities in Ecuador: Quito and Guayaquil.
There is another blog under the same name as the one previously mentioned. Hogar: Lugar seguro?  is written by William Zea Morales. With a compilation of testimonials, he explains why 6 out of 10 women in Ecuador have suffered physical, physicological or sexual violence from their partners. The following is the story of Isabela, a 54-year old woman:
Lo conocí en la playa el 30 de noviembre de 1994 (2 días antes del cumpleaños de mi niña). Él me confesó su amor, escribió su nombre y el mío en una palmita. Iniciamos el noviazgo y me sentía feliz pues él era muy detallista . La primera señal me la dio una vez cuando me preguntó si yo podía ser su puta. Me indigné y dijo que era broma. Nos casamos en su país de origen, en Europa. A partir de ahí la historia cambió. Me hizo abandonar mis negocios, por lo que yo tenía que pedirle dinero para todo y él me humillaba cada vez que se lo pedía. Me hizo alejarme de mis hijos pues le molestaba que me visitaran. Me llamaba chopa y me decía que yo estaba engordando. El día que cumplimos cinco años de casados me votó de la casa y me dijo: “Ya tú estás pagada”. Busqué ayuda profesional y hoy soy una mujer nueva.
I met him at the beach on November 30, 1994 (2 days before my daughter's birthday). He said he was in love with me, then he wrote his name and mine on a small palm tree. We started dating and I felt happy because he was very detailed-orientated. The very first sign came after he asked me if I could be his bitch. I was shocked and he said it was a joke. We married in his home country in Europe. From there the story changed. He made me leave my business, so I had to ask for any money for everything and he humiliated me every time it was requested. He made me distance myself from my children since he was bothered they visited me. He called me derogatory names and told me that I was getting fat. On our 5th wedding anniversary, he threw me out of the house telling me: “You're already paid for.”  I sought professional help and today I am a new woman.
Prevención de Violencia Intrafamiliar, Guayaquil [es] didn't receive an award, but was recognized with the First Honorable Mention. The blog is written by Juan Robles Chang , a psychologist, and he comments about the different approaches and the theories of the prevention of domestic violence as a science. He offers some pictures of the dialogue as International Day against Child Abuse took place back in November 2008.
These blogs are helping Ecuadorians not to remain silence regarding domestic abuse.

author: Milton Ramirez


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Egypt: Local Reflections on “Going Local” · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

Nermeen Edrees of Global Voices Online wrote about Egypt's Going Local Campaign. Today Blogger Juka celebrates the launch of the initiative's facebook group, Ahmed Al Sabbagh reacts to Facebook itself going local while another two bloggers dictate their terms to switch to local Egyptian products.
Juka celebrated the Facebook group of her “Buying Egypt Back” initiative saying:
Please check out the group, join it and let us know what you think.
During the upcoming week, the initiative will also have a blog to call it’s own, hence the delay in posting success stories.
Also, another housekeeping note, I’d love to hear all your input on the initiative, logo, slogans, ideas, actual experiences with local products you’d like to share, etc.
Kindly e-mail us at buyegypt@gmail.com
Ahmed Al Sabbagh who supports the initiative is not thrilled with the local Arabic version of Facebook
In a post titled: Going Local: You Want My Money, You Have to Earn it, Perwin Ali dictated her terms to switch to local brands:
I recently got an invitation from [Mermaid] a friend of mine to join a group called Let’s Go Local, which is a group that aims to support Egyptian products. I also found out that she had written something about using only Egyptian products.
Now anyone who knows me knows how much I love my country, even though I have x-ray vision when it comes to its faults. For me one thing has nothing to do with the other. To me the problem is in the people, not the land, or what Egypt represents to me. That said, the invitation got me thinking: am I willing to sacrifice my comfort to support my country’s local products? The answer is simple: no. However, ask me: Am I willing to support my country by buying good local products? Yes, in a heartbeat (which is what I do most of the time anyway).
Call me selfish, but I’m not willing to sacrifice my comfort to support a product that doesn’t respect me enough to create something of acceptable standards. Why should I? I work hard for my money (hard being the operative word here), and I deserve to feel the outcome of my hard work (again, hard work here is key).
Her rationale is simple:
Other than my own discomfort, if I buy mediocre products, it would just be an act of enabling the bad products to remain bad. After all, they would still be able to make money even when they are not up to par.
Then she elaborates:
I’m sorry, but I do not see that starting with an act of good faith works here. I cannot start buying low quality products in the hope that they are going to improve. That just doesn’t make any sense. Why would they want to do that? We all know it’s hard work to be good. Easy is always better –especially if you can get away with it. The way I see it, this is a situation of ‘help me help you’. You have to be good enough if you want my patronage. It’s a buyer’s market now, so get with it.
You might think I’m harsh. So what if I am? This is tough love. I love my country, but I won’t support its bad habits.
Finally, Insomniac tells us of her experience of supporting a local fast food delivery chain that offers two product lines: one is for burgers and the other for healthy food.
Today, given my new diet plans, I decided to give the Z a try. I tried to tempt one of my coworkers to join me, but he said he felt like eating something “yeshaba3” [fill me up]; so I told him they were the same place from where we get our usual burgers, he said he was in for a mushroom burger.
I called them and here is how it went…
The guy (who was really friendly and polite): is it your first time to order?
Me: yes, I think I use another number, and I always called the X brand, so to save you time I can just give you all the info all over again and then you can merge them on your own…
*after giving him all the necessary information*
Me: so this is my order, cob salad, and I want to make a burger order, so how does it work, do u put me through to a colleague or I just tell you??
Him: no, you will need to hang up and call the X number
Me: oh! But it’s only one number different from yours, so I am assuming you’re in the same location, no???
Him: yes, but it’s a different concept, we offer healthy food while X offers burgers
Me: yeah I get that, but I want both orders to be delivered at the same time, since I don’t want to start eating and have my colleague watching me or the other way around!!
Him: yes, I understand, don’t worry; I will make sure they are delivered at the same time…
Me: no, I meant to say you should make sure they are delivered by the SAME person!!!!! It’s cost efficient for you, you know!!
Him: yeah of course, but… ok, I am so sorry, but the owner clearly stated that deliveries from either brands should be separate….
Me: ok, I understand it’s probably because you want to charge me for the delivery TWICE, no???
Him (really embarrassed about it): I am so sorry, owner’s order, it’s a branding thing!
Me: look, you don’t have to give me any invalid justifications, I really like your burgers and I have a good feeling about your salads, so I will assume you don’t have the authority to change the owner’s rules and let you charge me twice for the delivery, each order in a separate receipt, ok, but make sure they are delivered by the same person… and you can leave a remark in my name that this rule is rather silly, ok now??
Him (seemed to be relieved that I didn’t start a fight, and really appreciative of my calm tone of voice): ok ya fandem, ana asef geddan 3ala el ez3ag. [Certainly mam and I apologize for the inconvenience]
Me: wala yehemak! [Never mind]
I hung up and called the other number to order my friend’s burger….
She found out that the same guy answered the phone and again he told her that it was the boss's rules:
Me: it’s ok, I am not upset with you, I just think this rule is LAME
Him: would you please log on our website and leave a comment in the customer feedback area, I know the owner checks it on daily basis but he wouldn’t listen to any of the staff unless a customer leaves a comment!
Me: ok, I guess I’ll leave a piece of mind there for him…
After she left the comment she wondered:
Now, I am really questioning the owner’s IQ! Well, not to offend, I am questioning his Business IQ! There are online stores who would not charge you for delivery if you buy from more than one subsidiary, even if the items you choose are not available in the closest store, they ship them from a different branch on their own expense for your own convenience!! And that guy is getting two orders from the same kitchen and charging you double the delivery!!! I will stop criticizing him for now; perhaps I would get a positive feedback on my note.
She concludes:
However, is it the kind of service Egyptians offer! I mean with the whole campaign of going local, is that the kind of treatment I should expect from local brands!! I was really thrilled that I have local alternatives for all the junk food on which I spend most of my money. Yes, the food is of good quality, but the service has its own set of flaws! And it worries me that one day; the quality will also decline just like it always declines as far as Egyptian brands are concerned.
It makes me question the whole concept of going local; most of the local brands in almost any product/service is of low quality, and those who provide half decent quality overcharge you because they are supposedly targeting the “elite”!! I always wanted to have a discussion with those brand owners and tell them something that perhaps they never considered; the “elite” do most of their shopping from Europe and North America, or at least from European and North American brands in Dubai or other Gulf countries, and if they travel regularly, it costs them a lot less than to buy half decent Egyptian brands for the same price!!
It could be the case for a lot of people who read this, or I could just be justifying my way into placing that online purchase that’s been saved on my mailbox for weeks now!
Oh, the salad was ok, but I can so make my own salad before I leave to work if I wake up half an hour earlier; so no, not so exquisite, at least not the way their burger compares to other burgers!!

author: Marwa Rakha


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Egyptian Bloggers and Journalists in the Hot Seat · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

Egyptian blogger, Zeinobia wrote a series of posts about bloggers and journalists who are either behind bars, sued, or fined.
In her post, Another Blogger Detained, Zeinobia wrote:
Ok this is the sort of news no one wants to hear before the Eid “feast”. Another Egyptian blogger is being detained. Famous blogger and Citizen Journalist Ahmed Abdel Fatah of Yalally blog has been detained today from 3 hours ago and taken to the Dokki Station. He has been taken during a Pro-Gaza caravan arranged by MB [Muslim Brotherhood].
According to what I know he is currently in the Dokki Station.
Ahmed is from the best and active Egyptian bloggers and Citizen journalists :(
Ahmed Abdel Fatah was released shortly after his arrest.
In the same post she gave a brief update on another detained blogger, Mohamed Adel saying:
According to his father Adel is currently on a food strike. Up till this moment we do not know why Mohamed was detained. Some rumors are saying that it is national security matter concerning Hamas and Gaza !!!??
Zeinobia also blogged about Tamer Mabrouk:
who published a report supported by photography showing how “Trust Chemical Industries” Company was polluting the Lake Manzala with its chemical wastes from their factory. Author of “El Hakika” blog has to pay L.E 2500 as a fine and L.E 40,000 compensation for the company !!
A couple of days ago she wrote an update on the four editors-in-chief who were sued and fined for publishing false information in 2006 that defamed the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) of President Hosni Mubarak.
The 4 Editors in Chief case came in to an end yesterday after two years in courts !! Thankfully the court decided not to send them to jail but rather to make them pay a fine. The fine will be L.E. 20,00 for each !! This is better than jail from one side but from another side I wonder why they have to pay a fine or were even sued in the first place.
You know when I look at it , it is kind of ironic that Wael Al Abrashi was the Editor in Chief of Sawt Al Oma when this lawsuit saga started and now Abd El-Halim Kandeel is the Editor in Chief of Sawt Al Oma !!
Also Adel Hamoda was the Editor in Chief of Sawt Al Oma before Wael Al Abrashi !!
Anyhow in the end this verdict does not mean that we live in democracy , on contrary it is sad thing and I know this case won't be the last.
Zeinobia asks: Can I as a person accuse someone else of espionage simply like that?
Saad El-Din Ibrahim is facing new charges of espionage. The Mubarak regime wants him in jail by all possible ways. Lawyers and NDPians Hossam Mustafa Abd El-Rahman and Nabil Luka Babawy accused Saad El-Din Ibrahim of :
Babawy is a former police general who has two PhDs in law and economics. He is known as being a Christian who defends Islam and its history in Egypt. Still Babawy is well known in Egypt as one of the Regime die hard defenders. I do not know how he defends religions if he continually lies to save the regime.
I do not know much about Abd El-Rahman but he will be another a NDP loyal lawyer !!
The two lawyers went to the general prosecutors with these charges. I believe this is just another regime chapter in the war against Ibrahim. He already faced several lawsuits of that kind.
Ibrahim is living outside Egypt for months now for fear if he returns back he would be either sent to jail or killed by the regime.
I do not agree on every thing Ibrahim says and believes in but it is unfair and unacceptable to be accused of treason just because we are opposing the regime in this way.
Last but not least, Ashraf Shehata is now being sued by Magdy El Gallad Editor in Chief of the famous daily Al Masry Al Youm. About this case, Zeinobia wrote:
El Gallad is suing Shehata for slander as the later used to criticize or rather attack him widely on his blog.
Shehata summarizes his blog in the tagline as a “blog that exposes corruption in the Arabic press society” and to be honest I feel that it is more of dirty laundry blog.
Yes Al Masry Al Youm is not angelic and there are lots of question marks around it , God Knows My grand father from the first issue hinted to things we did not pay notice to except later. And Yes Magdy El Gallad is not angel who has his own mistakes and Yes the young journalists and reporters in Al Masry Al Youm and other newspapers are suffering a lot but I feel Shehata’s  attack is biased and not objective.


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Ethiopia: The Boy Without Arms · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Boy Without Arms is a fundraising drive to help the Ethiopian boy, Aschelew. Here is Aschelew's story: Several years ago Aschelew was depressed over his parents’ AIDS, and his family chained him up to keep him from killing himself. The chains cut off the blood to his arms and he ended up losing both of them. Now his parents have died and Aschelew and his brother are alone. And the town is eager to see how to help them, and other orphans, sustainably.
The campaign to raise money for Aschelew aims at turning this sad story “with a handup and not a handout”:
We're going to turn a painful situation around, with a hand up not a handout. To do it, we need the help of friends… $10 at a time.
Here is the plan:
Here's what we're gong to do, and it's the SOLUTION to lifetime dependency: We're going to help Aschelew and his brother launch a sustainable source of income.
Your gift will make it possible.
We sat down with them and the town leaders and worked out a plan. Aschelew's brother is able to drive a donkey-cart and bring in some income that way. And Aschelew is naturally organized and can run a small store (with some hired younger help), and complete their income needs that way.
So we're going to build Aschelew and his brother that store! (plus, it'll be a house/store where they can live, instead of on the streets).
A team of volunteers will go to Ethiopia February 15  to work with the townspeople to build the  store and houses for 3-4 more AIDS-affected families.
The Boy Without Arms campaign is also on YouTube.
The site has a list of the giving team:
Here's a running list of everyone contributing to help Aschelew get his store and other AIDS-affected families get homes thru this 48hr campaign (PLEASE let me know if I've missed your gift!).
And thanks to www.TheConvergingNetwork.com (Mitchell Ashley) for technical help on this site!
If you are interested in helping out or learning more about The Boy Without Arms campaign you can visit their site.


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Father of Vietnam telecommunications · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Chuck Kuhn uploads an article about Le Hiep Tuyen, father of Vietnam telecommunications. “In 1984, Prof. Tuyen led a group of overseas Vietnamese in conducting the first seminar introducing semi-conductor laser technology in telecommunication in Vietnam.”


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Haiti: The Right Words · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

HaitiAnalysis.com wonders: “What kinds of words do the Haitian people need to hear from President René Préval during these hard times? ”


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Hungary: Albert Pásztor’s Anti-Gypsy Statement · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum writes about anti-Gypsy statements of the Miskolc police chief.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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India: Outrage at attacks on women by Hindu vigilantes · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

On the afternoon of January 24, a group of young women in Mangalore in the southern state of Karnataka were attacked by Hindu vigilantes in a pub (bar). Dozens of activists from the little-known Sri Rama Sene (Lord Ram's Army) assaulted the women (and men, according to some reports) in order to protect “traditional Indian values”. The attack, which was filmed and broadcast on national television, has outraged many, and the activists have been described as “saffron hooligans” by one government minister – while other politicians have tried to make political capital out of the incident.
Amrutha in Chennai writes:
My religion does not condone violence to uphold or protect its culture. My religion does not ask people to shun contact with all other religions to preserve its sanctity. I am a Hindu, but I do not support this criminal conduct in the name of Hinduism.
Karthik Balasubramanian, who is working in the United States, says:
Some random hindu right wing organization springs up again and decides to attack innocent people in a bar this time. The reason they came up with – The women were not following “traditional Indian morality”. To add insult to injury, a couple of politicians spring up to denounce what they call “pub” culture. what?? So I put out this question for all these little so called morality/righteousness/hindutva/Islamic organizations. What is traditional Indian morality?? Has there been a “traditional India”?? no.. India was never “India”.. that is why it is so diverse now. We were a loose alliance of many kingdoms for the greater part of 2000 years. we have had a few great dynasties and periods of great prosperity but was there ever an “India” before the British called us so??
Annamma has produced a “Special Insider's Report” at Desicritics:
Yes, so let me describe to you our heroic feat in Mangalore. […] We do not want all these pubs; imagine men and women mixing together shamelessly, drinking foreign liquor, and the girls wearing short skirts, and lipstick. This is not Bharatiya sanskriti [Indian culture]. Only toddy should be drunk, and only men can drink. And no mixing. If you want to see girls, go and see a Bollywood movie. […] Two of us caught one girl, she had a fancy bob cut, we slapped her so hard she started crying. It is better she cries now, than later, right? One fell down, and we pushed her out. Another had her hair all down her back, long hair, the shameless hussy. We beat her, too. She didn't dare show her face to us, just ran. I told you, they were no match for our brave volunteers. Molesting? What molesting? We did not molest anyone. When the Hindu [newspaper] said we groped a girl, it is all lies […] By God, it was all in a brotherly way.
Freespirit is in Bangalore:
This nation is a democracy only in name. We're all actually being ruled by the Goonda Raj which is constituted by hoodlums like these who are in power and so think they can get away with anything, including oppressing weaker people.
Indian Homemaker says:
THESE TERRORISTS ARE WORSE THAN THOSE WHO ATTACKED THE TAJ BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR OWN COUNTRY MEN AND THEY INTEND TO FIGHT ELECTIONS!
She links to a petition, quipping:
Don't Let India Be Talibanised! “Without a ‘pub’, our ‘republic’ will be a mere “relic”
Anindita Sengupta in Bangalore writes:
As someone pointed out to me, acts of hooliganism against women happen every day in India. Yes, which is why we must protest each one that we can, especially when it happens close to home. When the BJP came to power in Karnataka, I remember many of us felt a palpable sense of fear. And increasingly, it is being validated. The fact that cultural identity is continually being closely tied to such beastly violence also means that we need dialogue on what our culture is, what it means to most of us, and how it’s changing.
At the group blog Ultra Violet, a number of women's organisations have written an open letter to the government of Karnataka:
Is it a traditional Indian value to burn women at the rate of almost 3-4 women a day in the city of Bangalore in cases of “unnatural” deaths of women in marriage? Or preventing them from even being born in the increasing incidence of sex selective abortions […] Perhaps the moral police think that practices like dowry, female foeticide and trafficking of women are part of the same glorious tradition like Sati, the burning of widows on the husband’s pyre, which we remember, a former BJP Chief Minister upheld as part of Hindu culture. […] As women who have always borne the brunt of fundamentalist cultures within the home and the community, we refuse to silently witness the brutal assaults on our pluralistic and open cultures in the name of language, tradition, religion and region that are spreading through our land. We refuse to endorse this deeply divisive political culture that is going to leave behind a legacy of hatred and intolerance for the coming generations.
Prerna, who is based in the United States, mentions that even though some of the attackers were arrested, they have since been released:
President Obama, please don’t close Gitmo! We may have found the perfect candidates for that place. […] These useless ‘Hindu’ zealots are now out on bail without repent and promising to wreck more terror on the women in Mangalore, while everyone with some political stake in the issue is trying to milk it for their cause. The BJP is back-tracking and distancing itself from its Hindu nationalist elements while the Congress party is trying to pin this on the BJP given that Karnataka is a BJP-run state where these fools run rampant.
The attack in Mangalore has prompted a decision to set up “pro-young people” units in New Delhi for February 14, Valentine's Day, whose volunteers will be armed with chilli spray to protect couples against “moral vigilantes”.


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India: Twitter Or Ushahidi, Which One Is Better? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Gaurav Mishra at Gauravonomics blog tries to find out which mobile citizen reporting tool will be better to cover the upcoming Indian elections – Twitter or Ushahidi?


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Iran:A woman activist was jailed · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Campaign for equality writes that Nafiseh Azad, a woman activist who was arrested in the mountains in the north of Tehran on Friday January 30, 2009 along with two others while collecting signatures in support of the “One Million Signature Campaign“’s petition.[update:Nafiseh Azad was released after 6 days].

author: Fred Petrossian


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Israel: Dealing with the Aftermath of Operation Cast Lead · Global Voices
Gilad Lotan

After Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire and pulled out of Gaza, the fire is far from stopping. Earlier this week, an IDF soldier was killed by a bomb detonated near the Kisufim checkpoint. Israel reacted by targeting tunnels near the Egyptian border used for smuggling weapons. In return, missiles were launched at the Israeli city of Ashkelon. As Hamas is expected to accept the Egyptian negotiated terms for the year-long ceasefire today (monday the 2nd), bloggers are still raising and discussing the many issues and topics around Israel's actions in Gaza.
Ya'akov Amidror from the JCPA blog lists some of the lessons learned from the IDF's recent operation in Gaza:
לשיטת לחימה זאת יש מחיר המתבטא במספרם הגבוה יחסית של האזרחים שנפגעים. הסיבה העיקרית לכך היא שמלחמה כזו מתרחשת בקרב האזרחים אשר מארחים מרצון או מחוסר ברירה את גורמי הטרור. זה היה גורלם של האזרחים בפלוג'ה שבעיראק כאשר נכבשה על ידי האמריקנים, זה גורלם של אזרחים רבים באפגניסטן בימים אלה, וזה היה גורלם של אזרחים יוגוסלבים כאשר נאט”ו וארה”ב הפציצו אותם.
אם רוצים להבין עד כמה מסובכת המלחמה באזור אורבני צפוף ועד כמה טעויות הן חלק בלתי נפרד ממנה כדאי לזכור שארבעה מעשרת החיילים שנהרגו במבצע נהרגו מאש כוחותינו. מה הפלא שגם אזרחים החיים במקום שבו פועלים אנשי חמאס נהרגו אף הם? צה”ל עשה לא מעט כדי להפריד בין מחבלים לאזרחים, אך אין הוא חף מטעויות: המלחמה היא “ממלכת אי הוודאות” ואלה תוצאותיה הבלתי נמנעות כאשר נלחמים בטרור הפועל בין אזרחים.
This type of fighting claims a high price in civilian casualties. The main reason is that this type of war takes place within civilians whom willingly or reluctantly host the terrorist factor. This was the fate of civilians in Fallujah, Iraq, when conquered by Americans; many civilians in Afghanistan nowadays; civilians in Yugoslavia when NATO and the US bombarded their territories.
Fighting within a dense, urban territory is complex and dangerous – where many mistakes occur. Remember that four out of the ten IDF soldiers who died in the operation were killed from our own fire. No wonder that also civilians who live in the area where Hamas is active were killed? IDF took action to separate between terrorists and civilians, but it is not clean from mistakes: any war is a “kingdom of  uncertainty” and these are the unavoidable results when fighting terror from within civilians.
Yaeli posts a translated letter from a Yishai, an Israeli reserve soldier who served in the recent operation. Below are several excerpts from the long piece:
I know that the devastation, the bullet holes in your walls and the destruction of those homes near you place my descriptions in a ridiculous light. Still, I need you to understand me, us, and hope that you will channel your anger and criticism to the right places.
I decided to write you this letter specifically because I stayed in your home.
I can surmise that you are intelligent and educated and there are those in your household that are university students. Your children learn English, and you are connected to the Internet. You are not ignorant; you know what is going on around you.
Therefore, I am sure you know that Qassam rockets were launched from your neighborhood into Israeli towns and cities.
How could you see these weekly launches and not think that one day we would say “enough”?! Did you ever consider that it is perhaps wrong to launch rockets at innocent civilians trying to lead a normal life, much like you? How long did you think we would sit back without reacting?
I can hear you saying “it’s not me, it’s Hamas”. My intuition tells me you are not their most avid supporter. If you look closely at the sad reality in which your people live, and you do not try to deceive yourself or make excuses about “occupation”, you must certainly reach the conclusion that the Hamas is your real enemy.
The reality is so simple, even a seven year old can understand: Israel withdrew from the Gaza strip, removing military bases and its citizens from Gush Katif. Nonetheless, we continued to provide you with electricity, water, and goods (and this I know very well as during my reserve duty I guarded the border crossings more than once, and witnessed hundreds of trucks full of goods entering a blockade-free Gaza every day).
Despite all this, for reasons that cannot be understood and with a lack of any rational logic, Hamas launched missiles on Israeli towns. For three years we clenched our teeth and restrained ourselves. In the end, we could not take it anymore and entered the Gaza strip, into your neighborhood, in order to remove those who want to kill us. A reality that is painful but very easy to explain.
More can be found on the Good Neighbor's blog.
Thomas Crampton is vlogging from Davos, where he attended a breakfast with Israeli president Shimon Peres who lashed out at a Spanish court probing Israel officials for alleged “crimes against humanity” relating to a 2002 Israeli attack in Gaza:
Peres: “How can a judge from Spain judge the situation of Israel? … They were not living under seven wars and two intefadas and daily terror. What is the experience of this judge about israel? What qualifies him?”.
Ranan Raz, who lives in the south of Israel, describes his frustration with the Israeli government in dealing with the ongoing missile problem, and the upcoming elections:
בתור תושב עוטף עזה, אני לא מאמין לכל הפוליטיקאים שפתאום איכפת להם מאיתנו, שנייה לפני הבחירות. במשך שנים הממשלה לא עשתה שום דבר כדי שיהיו פה פחות אבטלה, פחות עוני, פחות פערים חברתיים. הם גם לא עשו שום דבר כדי שיהיה כאן יותר ביטחון.
הבחירות הקרובות הולכות להיות הפעם הראשונה שבה תהיה לי זכות הצבעה. מי שתומכים במלחמה לא יקבלו את הקול שלי.
As an Israeli citizen who lives near Gaza, I do not believe all the politicians who suddently care about us, right before the elections. Its been years that the government has not done anything about the high unemployment rates, poverty and social gaps. The also did not do anything to provide us with security.
The upcoming elections will be my first. Those who support the war will not receive my vote.

author: Gilad Lotan


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Jamaica: 50 Years of Reggae · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“No matter the label attached to it, Reggae continues to uphold its tradition of speaking on social, political, religious, and sexual issues…”: Life, Unscripted, on the Rock is celebrating Jamaica's “reggaelution”.


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Japan and U.S: Totoro Forest Project · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Martin J Frid from Kurashi introduces an exhibition on Totoro in San Francisco, which is part of the Totoro Forest project for preserving the Sayama Forest in Tokyo.


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Kazakhstan: Religious Issues Discussed by Bloggers · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Adam reviews the Kazakhstani blogosphere’s musings about religion and faith.


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Kuwait: A Grandfather’s Wish  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Kuwaiti Dr Naif Al Mutawa has a son. Read on to see what name his father picked for his newest grandson.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Kuwait: UAE Snow a Wonder  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

q8life, from Kuwait, describes the recent snowfall in Ras Al Khaymah, UAE, as a “wonder of the 8th kind.”


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Laos: Economy is self-sufficient · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

New Mandala uploads a report from the Vientiane Times which quoted an economist who believes that the “agriculture-based, self-sufficient nature of the country’s economy will protect Laos” from the global financial crisis. The economist added: “People who live in industrialised countries live in fear of losing their jobs because they can’t grow vegetables and raise animals as people can in Laos.”


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Laos: Festivals and Events of 2009 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Darly of Lao Voices provides a list of festivals and events in Laos for the current year.