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Maldives Authorities Target Journalists After Al Jazeera Exposes $1.5 Billion Corruption Scandal · Global Voices
Rezwan

Malé , capital of Maldives. The Indian Ocean island nation, the smallest in Asia, comprises 26 atolls. Tourism accounts for over 1/5 of the country's GDP, so the revelation of a land lease deal involving hotels and casinos has serious implications for the country. Photo by Shahee Ilyas via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Police in the Maldives raided the offices of the online news outlet Maldives Independent just hours after the September 7 airing of “Stealing Paradise“, an investigative exposé by Al Jazeera that reveals instances of corruption by President Abdulla Yameen and his government.
The documentary, which based its reporting on documents obtained in a “major data leak”, shows how President Yameen and his associates embezzled millions of dollars, bribed judges and other high-level officials, and used influence to remove government workers who stood in their way. It includes secretly filmed confessions by associates of Yameen's jailed former vice president, Ahmed Adeeb.
Also featured are interviews with Zaheena Rasheed, editor of the Maldives Independent, and with leading opposition figures and former members of watchdog organizations involved in the investigation, including Global Witness.
Police came to the offices of the Independent and presented a search warrant, alleging a conspiracy by the news outlet “to overthrow the elected government, getting external help to overthrow the elected government, trying to create hatred between the public and the state institutions, and planning to create discord and unrest in Malé [Maldives’ capital].”
In an interview with The Guardian, Rasheed said:
“We’ve had one of our journalists disappear, a machete attack on our door, and our security cameras vandalised, so we’ve had to relocate once before. It’s not a safe place for journalists at all.”
Zaheena Rasheed. Screenshot from the video
The publication also has been targeted by pro-government media “for its involvement” in the making of the documentary.
Fearing a backlash, Rasheed reportedly left the country before the documentary aired. Former Maldives auditor-general Niyaz Ibrahim, also featured in the documentary, is also reported to have left the country. Ibrahim was removed from his position in 2014 for publishing a report exposing financial irregularities under the Yameen regime.
The producer of the documentary, Will Jordan, was the editor of Minivan News in 2007, before it was re-branded as Maldives Independent in 2015. In recent weeks, Jordan has received hate-filled tweets and at least one death threat, which remains public on Twitter, despite the company's policy against direct threats of violence:
@willjordan U will die soon. We have hired some gunmens to shot u. & we r not afraid of fucking anyone or any country. See the bullet 🔫
— DhivehiLashkaru (@DhivehiLashkaru) August 31, 2016
The Al Jazeera documentary provides a timeline of corruption in the upper echelons of the Maldives government. It describes how President Yameen rose to power and shelved corruption proceedings against him by bribing judges. His deputy, Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor, whom he later had arrested, was at the centre of many wrongdoings including bribery, theft, and a US 1.5 billion dollar money-laundering plot.
Click on the image to play the documentary.
According to Adeeb's driver, who offered testimony in the documentary, the vice president once sent President Yameen $1 million in cash in a bag, “so much that it was difficult to carry.”
The documentary also exposes 59 corrupt land lease deals in which the vice president engineered agreements with major casinos and hotel companies that leased entire islands for amounts reaching into the millions. The Maldives treasury saw only a small proportion of these revenues, while the rest — about USD $80 million worth — was distributed to corporations owned by the vice president's relatives and friends. In a country whose economy is driven largely by tourism (revenues accounted for 28% of GDP in 2015), such a revelation is important news.
Al Jazeera drew on evidence gathered from three mobile phones Adeeb gave to a friend before he was arrested on 24 October 2015 on charges of attempting to assassinate the president. Adeeb, who also previously served as the Minister of Tourism, has called the trials against him as a “big joke”.
The documentary also shows that Adeeb abused his power as vice president to silence the media and to rack up charges against the former president Mohamed Nasheed by bribing judges and other influential persons.
The Maldives government has dismissed the documentary as defamatory and biased, accusing the Qatari broadcaster of advancing the opposition’s agenda of ousting President Yameen.
Threats were rolling in long before the documentary aired. A ruling party member of parliament threatened to sue Al Jazeera if they aired the documentary:
If Al Jazeera reports are publicised with baseless false accusations against President Yameen, we will sue them ! pic.twitter.com/wJEDPu5NxJ
— Riyaz Rasheed (@riyaz_rasheed) August 21, 2016
Al Jazeera rescheduled the airing of the documentary after the threat was issued.
Maldives state broadcaster Public Service Media accused Al Jazeera journalists of conspiring to damage the Maldivian economy with the documentary. Their statement read:
The ‘Stealing Paradise’ documentary was made in collaboration with the opposition by “a foreigner and non-Muslim called Will Jordan with the purpose of spreading falsehoods about the Maldives and causing loss of investor confidence”.
Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik, parliamentary group leader for the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives, vowed on state media on 30 August 2016 that the Maldives’ far-reaching defamation law would be used against anyone involved in producing or broadcasting the Al-Jazeera documentary.
The controversial defamation law, which criminalizes defamatory speech, remarks, writings and actions and empowers the state authority to shut down media, was passed only a month ago. The law introduced fines of up to MVR 2 million (US $130,000) or up to six months of imprisonment for slander, remarks or content that threatens national security or breaches social norms. It can also force individual journalists to reveal sources of information. If found guilty under the law's provisions, journalists can face fines up to MVR 150,000 (US $9,727), and a decision can only be appealed once the fine has been paid.
Government supporters slammed the documentary on social media, using the play on words #HealingParadise, and local media have launched an offensive. The official Twitter account of the chief of staff for the president's palace tweeted:
When they hear our side of the story, they know we are #HealingAparadise NOT stealing… So it's lost from the schedule…
— Ahmed Musthafa (@musthonomics) August 31, 2016
The documentary's airing is also reported to have instigated actions against government critics:
#Maldives cancels passports of fmr Pres. Nasheed, fmr VP Jameel & others, just hrs after @AlJazeera documentary airs https://t.co/7ULSpqQw1d
— Daniel Bosley (@dbosley80) September 7, 2016
On Twitter, @ibramandhu wondered why officials seemed quieter about the documentary after it aired, implying that they did not wish to draw public attention to the film:
All govt boys and girls were very vocal about biased nature of #StealingParadise before it was aired. After airing, very very silent. Why?
— Ibra (@ibramandhu) September 8, 2016
Maldivian journalist Yameen Rasheed, who writes for local news site The Daily Panic, saw the documentary as further proof that government authorities were responsible for the 2014 disappearance of Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla, a blogger and journalist with the Maldives Independent (known then as Minivan News). Rasheed tweeted:
The documentary #StealingParadise has removed the last traces of doubt I had of state involvement in Rilwan's abduction.
State sponsored.
— Yameen Rasheed (@yaamyn) September 7, 2016

author: Rezwan


text:
Netizen Report: With Gabon’s Internet Shutdown, Activists Confront Challenges of Circumventing Censorship · Global Voices
Netizen Report Team

Citizens gathered in Libreville, Gabon on August 28, 2016 to demonstrate before results were announced. Photo by Peter Penar (@PPenar) via Twitter.
The government of Gabon blocked access to the Internet shortly after protesters began contesting results of recent presidential elections in which incumbent President Ali Bongo appears to have won by a narrow margin. Hundreds of people were also detained during demonstrations over the election results, following allegations of election fraud by the opposition party. The shutdown followed reports of throttled bandwidth and limited access over the weekend, and persisted for five days.
Julie Owono, Global Voices contributor and head of the African Desk at Internet Without Borders, explained on September 3 what was being censored and how information is still being transmitted:
Internet outages were observed on the 29th and 30th of August and the 1st of September. We have been in contact with civil society organizations to train them in using tools to circumvent internet censorship. We are working with many international organizations that have implemented simple tutorials to develop these tools. So the internet still works. Unfortunately, not all Gabonese people can use them [the tools]. So far, only users who have in-depth technical knowledge can use them and therefore they are the catalysts for all content coming out of Gabon. So today, it is with some of these accounts that we are in communication.
Jailed Algerian columnist and blogger Mohamed Tamalt has entered a coma after two months on hunger strike. Tamalt began his strike in late June to protest his arrest and imprisonment by Algerian authorities. He is serving two years in prison for allegedly insulting the country’s president in his reporting, which centers on issues of corruption and the role of the army in political life.
A Mauritanian blogger is facing a death sentence for writing a blog post critiquing the use of Islam to justify a caste system. His sentence was confirmed by a Court of Appeals in April upon re-examining the case, but human rights campaigners are hopeful the Supreme Court will issue a more lenient sentence.
For the first time, a Bhutanese journalist is facing defamation charges over a Facebook post. The post in question was about a property dispute between a Bhutanese family and businessman Ap Sonam Phuntsho, which Phuntsho claims caused “irreparable damage” to his reputation.
Paraguay recently enacted a new law that digital rights advocates warn will curb the free expression rights of much of the population. Intended to protect children from harmful content online, the “Law on Protection of Children and Adolescents from Harmful Content on the Internet” provides for online filtering mechanisms to prevent certain content from being accessed by minors. Netizens opposing the law are using the hashtag #CensuraEnInternetPY, which translates to “Censorship On The Internet PY.”
Burundian journalist Jean Bigirimana has been missing for over seven weeks, though he is believed to be in government custody. Bigirimana writes for the independent news site Iwacu, which is one of only a few free media outlets in Burundi’s tightly controlled media environment. Among other things, Bigirimana wrote about the lives of exiled Burundian journalists living in neighboring Rwanda, which has tense relations with Burundi. Both Iwacu and Bigirimana’s wife are working to raise awareness of his disappearance and advocate his release.
Iran “unveiled” its national intranet, a project that has prompted fears that the government may soon have an even tighter grip over the highly controlled space. The complete “National Information Network” has been part of Iran’s communication infrastructure since at least 2006, so what was unveiled is not necessarily anything new. Iranian technologist Mehdi Yahyanejad explained to Global Voices that the network has much faster speeds than the global Internet in Iran, and that this might be part of a strategy to encourage more Iranians to host their sites on the national network. He said:
Overall, it seems the plan is to encourage Iranian websites to relocate their hosting to Iran by discriminatory pricing of the bandwidth for domestic versus international Internet connections. Hosting most of such websites inside the country makes it easier for the Iranian government to shutdown Internet if needed.
Security researchers Claudio Guarnieri and Collin Anderson uncovered a campaign to compromise the communications devices of Iranians using a technique known as “spearphishing” along with remote access tools, which allow attackers to break into and use a person’s computer or mobile phone from afar. One of the techniques involves an adversary posing as a human rights organization (such as United for Iran) or US immigration services and sending email messages containing embedded malware. Another attack compromised over a dozen accounts on the widely used messaging service Telegram and identified the phone numbers of 15 million Iranian users, the largest known breach of the messaging service.
The French telecommunications company Orange may soon purchase stock in cellular operations in Iran. The Wall Street Journal said this would be the first western company to do so since sanctions were lifted, though it should be noted that South Africa’s MTN at one time owned 49% of Iran’s third largest mobile carrier MTN Irancell. There is still little publicly known about Orange’s talks with the Telecommunications Company of Iran, which is owned in part by the Revolutionary Guards, a body responsible for the surveillance and imprisonment of many activists, journalists, and political prisoners. The Telecommunications Company of Iran is also designated as a terrorist organisation by the US government.
The United States Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against Facebook’s plans to harvest phone numbers from its WhatsApp messaging services. The complaint accuses Facebook of engaging in “unfair or deceptive acts and practices” — WhatsApp committed to its users not to provide user data to Facebook when it was acquired by the social network, with WhatsApp founder Jan Koum assuring users that “privacy is coded into our DNA.” While the FTC investigation continues, users have until September 25 to opt out of the data-sharing agreement. A step-by-step guide to doing so is available here.
Under proposed new changes to the European Union’s copyright rules, national laws soon may be passed requiring news publishers to claim payments from news aggregators like Google News for listing snippets of articles on their websites. Spain has already passed such a law, leading Google to shut down its news service in the country. The European Commission will submit its proposals to update the copyright rules in September. Member of the European Parliament Julia Reda called the leaked draft of the proposal “another ACTA,” critiquing the proposed changes for putting corporate interests over those of creators, entrepreneurs and users.
The Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communication finally published its revised guidelines that implement net neutrality in the European Union, concluding a three-year process of policy reform preventing discriminatory treatment of Internet traffic.
Mahsa Alimardani, Ellery Roberts Biddle, Laura Vidal and Sarah Myers West contributed to this report.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Netizen Report Team


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Russia’s Pokemon-Go-Playing Atheist Outlaw Has Some Powerful Enemies · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

The Pokegarden of Earthly Delights. By Hieronymus Bosch. Edited by Kevin Rothrock.
Russia recently arrested a video blogger for filming himself playing a game inside a cathedral and adding “ironic” and “obscene” narration in post-production. The blogger, a 21-year-old man in Yekaterinburg named Ruslan Sokolovsky, made himself the country's most controversial atheist when he released a video on August 11 showing him flaunting a ban reported in the Russian news against playing Pokemon Go in churches. (At the time of this writing, the video—see below—has nearly 1.2 million views on YouTube, and now boasts English-language subtitles.)
Investigators in Yekaterinburg have been unusually eager to explain their case against Sokolovsky. Earlier this week, days after the blogger was locked up in jail, a spokesperson for the regional investigative committee shared an official press release on Facebook. “This is the biggest press release I've ever seen from this department,” the spokesperson wrote. The statement said Sokolovsky had been denied bail because police discovered illegal drugs at his home, when he was detained, and that he was living in Yekaterinburg without formal registration—a violation of Russia's unforgiving regulations on the freedom of movement.
Curiously, the Investigative Committee's press release corroborated rumors already spreading online, thanks to a network of pro-government bloggers made up of people like Sergei Kolyasnikov, another Yekaterinburg-based blogger, who has viciously attacked Sokolovsky in a series of posts detailing his background and anti-religious activism. On Facebook, Kolyasnikov describes himself as a “political observer” and a publicist. In the blogosphere, he has been uniquely informed about several details of the Sokolovsky investigation, before police ever released the information to the public.
Ruslan Sokolovsky. Photo: Vkontakte
Kolyasnikov wrote about Sokolovsky's drug possession before the police revealed the discovery. He also wrote that Ruslan Sokolovsky was born under a different surname—a fact verified by a Dmitry Kalinin, a member of Russia's Social Monitoring Commission. Kalinin says he learned about Sokolovsky's original surname from his court documents and speaking to his mother. It is unclear how Kolyasnikov discovered this information.
Dmitry Kolezev, a columnist at Yekaterinburg's leading independent news website, Znak.com, echoed Kalinin's suspicions in a post on Facebook on September 5:
Чем дальше развивается ситуация с Соколовским (все эти сливы от силовиков через блогеров и СМИ: он был наркоман! растлитель! он работает на иностранные разведки!), тем понятнее, что парень обидел не каких-то там православных, а куда более серьезных людей в погонах. Или, может быть, люди в погонах увидели в его деле замечательную возможность наказать опасного экстремиста, ведь это почти то же самое, что обезвредить террориста, не правда ли. (И поэтому ходатайство от Кирилла об освобождении Соколовского, если он поступит, будет им неудобно).
The further the situation with Sokolovsky develops (all these leaks from security officials through bloggers and the media: he's a junkie! a child molester! he works for foreign intelligence agencies!), the clearer it becomes that it wasn't some Orthodox figures this guy offended, but certain high-ranking people in uniform. Or, maybe, the men in uniform saw his case as a great chance to punish a dangerous extremist, which is almost as good as neutralizing a terrorist these days. (And therefore a petition from [Metropolitan] Kirill about freeing Sokolovsky, if it comes, will put them in an awkward spot.)
Luckily for Yekaterinburg's men in uniform, the Orthodox Church has backed away from early signals that it might lobby for Sokolovsky's release on bail. After Metropolitan Kirill made sympathetic comments to the media on September 3, the Orthodox Church's Diocesan Council specified that any help is dependent on the blogger admitting his mistake, which Sokolovsky has expressly refused to do. Out of respect for that decision, the church says it won't “force Christian forgiveness” or “Christian love,” explaining that Sokolovsky hasn't asked for the former and rejects the latter.
On September 7, Sokolovsky complained that a prison psychiatrist threatened his life in jail, warning that he could be institutionalized “where they don't let the lawyers in.” Investigators have also revealed that they discovered a camera-pen at his home—technology that is illegal in Russia. The media is describing the device as a “spy pen,” complementing allegations by pro-government bloggers that Sokolovsky's atheist activism online and in the media is part of a larger, coordinated campaign by nefarious forces, designed to weaken Russia's traditional values.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Mexico Bids a Heartfelt Farewell to Singer Songwriter Juan Gabriel, ‘The Divo of Juárez’ · Global Voices
Giovanna Salazar

Juan Gabriel in concert, September 2014. Photo published with Creative Commons license (Attribution 2.0 Generic).
“And in Bellas Artes, Juan Gabriel performs what is inevitable for him: the Desplante,” Mexican journalist Carlos Monsiváis wrote in 1990 for Proceso magazine, describing pop music icon Juan Gabriel performing one of his famous dance moves at the Palacio de Bellas Artes cultural centre. “The defiant shoulder movement, the self-confessed study of the divas, the elegance of someone who goes for glory amongst the jeering of the condemned.”
In the midst of applause, tears and singing, fans of Juan Gabriel, one of Mexico's most loved and legendary music artists, paid their final respects to him at the very same Palacio de Bellas Artes on 5 and 6 September. Juan Gabriel, who made a career of challenging accepted social norms, passed away on 28 August, in Santa Monica, California, due to a heart attack, just two days after putting on a concert in the city of Los Angeles.
The ashes of the devoted singer-songwriter of Mexican pop music were transferred from Ciudad Juárez, the border town where he grew up, to the Mexico City cultural centre, where they were displayed in the foyer.
Screenshot of the streamed tribute broadcast by the channel of the Secretariat of Culture of Mexico.
The Palacio de Bellas Artes has become one of the ideal settings to honor iconic figures of Mexican culture posthumously. Over the years, tributes have been made to Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Mario Moreno “Cantinflas”, Chavela Vargas, Carlos Monsiváis and Gabriel García Márquez.
Mientras #México despide a #JuanGabriel en #BellasArtes,  los grandes le dan la #bienvenida
A photo posted by Pictoline (@pictoline) on
While #Mexico says goodbye to #Juan Gabriel in #BellasArtes, the greats welcome him.
So, over the course of two days, almost a million people gathered in the vicinity of the historic centre of Mexico City, to have the chance to say goodbye to and be near the ashes of their idol.
The following video shows the beginning of what became the longest and most crowded posthumous tribute in the history of Mexico, up until now:
Singer, songwriter, arranger and producer with a career spanning 45 years, Juan Gabriel managed to become one of the most prolific artists in a diversity of genres important for Latin American culture: the ranchera, the bolero and the ballad. The composition of at least 1,800 songs have been attributed to him, performed by more than 1,500 artists around the world, and translated into a multitude of languages, including German, Japanese, Greek, and Papiamento.
For many, Gabriel was a sort of a “sentimental shepherd”, the voice of heartbreak, but also of celebration. With these songs he broke countless sales records and became the first pop musician to be presented in Bellas Artes, a space generally reserved for classical music concerts, opera or ballet (an achievement which was repeated in 1997 when he celebrated a career of 25 years, and in 2013, upon reaching 40 years in his career).
But beyond his undisputed musical successes, Juan Gabriel is recognised as a beloved idol who challenged gender conventions, class division, and social and cultural barriers, in a region where homophobia, classism and sexism are still prevalent.
Juan Gabriel retó prejuicios en México. Una estrella en un país conservador y machista que no solo callaba bocas: las ponía a cantar.
— Verónica Calderón (@veronicalderon) August 28, 2016
Juan Gabriel challenged prejudices in Mexico. A star in a conservative and chauvinistic country who wasn't just shutting people up: he was getting them to sing.
You have no idea what Juan Gabriel means to Mexicans. Especially queer Mexicans. Flamboyant, fiercely talented, & brown. An icon. Our icon.
— Eduardo C. Corral (@EduardoCCorral) August 28, 2016
From Venezuela and through the media site Pro Davinci, Christina Rafalli delved into the paradox of Gabriel, and how this was important for the LGBTQ community of Mexico, although his activism was not openly declared:
Nació, creó y fue amado en un país y en un continente donde los homosexuales aún son discriminados, víctimas de violencia física y verbal, objeto de burlas, de chistes, de irrespetos en todas sus formas. Pero ésta no fue la única paradoja que concilió Juan Gabriel. Él viajó hasta el corazón de las tinieblas del alma mexicana, y ahí donde se constelizan los arquetipos de la masculinidad enferma y caricatural, él deshizo la piedra y con sus cenizas calientes creó una figura inesperada y desconcertante: la del charro gay.
He was born, raised and was loved in a country and continent where gay people are still discriminated against, victims of physical and verbal abuse, the subject of ridicule, of jokes and of disrespect in all its forms. But this was not the only paradox that reconciled Juan Gabriel. He journeyed to the centre of darkness of the Mexican soul, and where the archetypes of sick and caricatural masculinity were constellated, he rolled away the stone, and with his hot ashes, he created an unexpected and perplexing figure: the gay charro.
Charro is a term referring to a traditional figure in Mexico quite associated with extreme masculinity; comparable to a cowboy, but different in clothing and social status.
From Ecuador, Eduardo Varas explored his emotional and aesthetic consciousness that spread throughout Latin America:
Ese tipo grande (siempre lo vi inmenso), sensible, sufriendo todo el tiempo, no tenía reservas en dejar en evidencia su amaneramiento. […] Todo el mundo lo bromeaba, lo volvimos parte de nuestro día a día por cómo se movía, por lo que representaba. “¡Qué buen cantante era… pero nunca me gustó cómo era!”, escuché decir hace unas horas. Muchos verán una derrota en esa frase, yo no. El más grande triunfo sobre toda esa homofobia ochentera que siempre cargó Juan Gabriel está ahí: en haberlo aceptado, en haberlo hecho parte de nuestras vidas, pese a que la única manera de procesar sus devaneos y coquetería haya sido la broma y el insulto velado. El ser humano es miserable, pero mientras acepte y reconozca la belleza, no todo estará perdido.
That great (I always saw him as immense), sensitive guy, who was suffering all the time, had no reservations in making his mannerisms known. […] Everyone made fun of him, we made it part of our day to day because of how he moved, because of what he represented. “What a good singer he was…but I never liked the way he was!”, I heard someone say a few hours ago. Many will see defeat in this sentence, but not me. The greatest triumph over all that homophobia from the 1980s that Juan Gabriel always bore is here: in having accepted him, in having made him part of our lives, even though the only way of processing his flirtation and coquetry has been by way of jokes and veiled insults. The human being is mean, but as long as he or she accepts and recognizes beauty, not all will be lost.
‘El Divo de Juárez’ has been compared to other great musical legends such as Elvis Presley or Frank Sinatra; however, his fans know that his transgressive character, and his lyrical and theatrical mastery are, and will continue to be, incomparable.

author: Giovanna Salazar


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Remembering Some of Afghanistan’s Brightest Lights, Killed in the Attack on a Renowned Kabul University · Global Voices
Samea Shanori

“Education Will Prevail”. Shared via the American University of Afghanistan's Facebook page on August 29th.
An armed attack on the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) on August 24 left 16 killed, including an Oxford PhD candidate, a talented musician and a volunteer who taught street children. Dozens more were injured.
After the incident, Afghan youth and survivors of the attack shared messages of solidarity for victims on social media.
No group claimed responsibility, but Afghan president Ashraf Ghani said the attack was planned in Pakistan.
Many students and faculty members, including Pulitzer prize winning photographer Massoud Hossaini, were trapped inside one of the buildings at AUAF.
Some of them, like Hossani, were subsequently rescued by the Afghan police. After nine hours, the attack was over and the campus was evacuated.
The disastrous attack was condemned across the Afghan political spectrum and by international figures such as US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Pakistan's message of condolence was greeted with derision by many Afghans, however.
#Pak foreign office,too,issues a statement&condemns #AUAFAttack .An intransigent sponsor of terrorism condemning terrorism?Not convincing
— Marzia Faraz (@Marzofaraz) August 26, 2016
Students from the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where many Afghan students have friends in the sister institution, shared messages of solidarity and support with AUAF, in this video addressed to both victims and survivors.
Australian photo-journalist Andrew Quilty spoke to the family and friends of one of the victims, Jamshid Zafar while visiting Kabul:
Zafar was known for his ability to find common ground with even the most hardheaded antagonist. He studied law but volunteered as a teacher for street children in his own time. He was always busy but equally available to talk with friends or other students who, in spite of his relatively young age, marvelled at his mind.
Jamshid's friends were in shock at their loss.
I just found out my good friend Jamshid Zafar was 1 of the students murdered last night at #AUAF attack. Im in shock pic.twitter.com/fEZXZq2Jiy
— Fereshta Kazemi (@FereshtaKazemi) August 25, 2016
Another friend of Jamshid shared one of Jamshid's own posts that read:
Death is a fact of life, but we can't stop living because we might die someday.
Funeral today of Jamshid Zafari, one of the young victims of attack on American University. Just devastating #AUAF pic.twitter.com/XKv23mIPo9
— Sune Engel Rasmussen (@SuneEngel) August 26, 2016
Alina, 18, was another victim of the AUAF attack.
She had just joined the university and it was her second day on campus.
Sharing the terrible news, Omaid Sharifi, Alina's cousin and a co-founder of the street art movement Art Lords, tweeted:
My cousin Alina, 18, had just joined #AUAF; her dad is still in #Pakistan to get her transcripts. She was murdered by #SoldiersOfEvil
— Omaid Sharifi (@OmaidSharifi) August 25, 2016
Naqib Ahmad Khpulwak, a professor at AUAF, who graduated from Stanford Law School and was an Oxford PhD candidate was the only professor killed at the attack.
His students and friends took to social media to show their solidarity and sadness.
We lost prof. Naqib Ahmad Khpulwak, #AUAF faculty, graduate of @Stanford law school. He was a friend. 😢 pic.twitter.com/W7AHf2aQfJ
— Ejaz Malikzada (@EjazMalikzada) August 25, 2016
Our condolences to family & friends of #Fulbright alumnus Naqib Khpulwak and others killed in the attack on #AUAF. https://t.co/9IIaVxnfaA
— Fulbright Programs (@FulbrightPrgrm) August 29, 2016
Stanford Law, where Khpulwak studied in 2013 remembered him through a Facebook post on August 26.
Abdul Walid was another victim who was cowardly killed by the terrorists in the attack.
Walid was a student at #AUAF. May his soul rest in peace. #AUAFAttack pic.twitter.com/wxMGRMOWpg
— Ejaz Malikzada (@EjazMalikzada) August 25, 2016
In addition to civilians, the Afghan National Security Forces also lost staff, including the popular Lieutenant Akbar.
Today we are mourning the loss of our immortal hero Akbar who sacrificed his life 2 save students at the #AUAFAttack pic.twitter.com/xG7viWuKjp
— Javid Faisal (@Javidfaisal) August 25, 2016
The American University of Afghanistan promised to reconstruct and reopen immediately after the attack to show that they are not going to submit to terrorism. In its August 26 press release, the university said it “has no intention of giving into terror.”
Young Afghan civic activist Jamshid Hashimi was one of many to tweet and write messages of resilience:
“I will keep my wings open, my music loud; no matter how much you keep me in the dark.
Hello! Do you hear me?
I am Afghanistan.”#AUAF #AFG
— Jamshid Hashimi (@jamshidhashimi) August 26, 2016
While these messages have been backed by a swell of solidarity, many Afghans continue to debate leaving the country as attacks on civilians have grown, undermining hopes for a peaceful future.
The recent attack on AUAF was seen as one such attack on Afghanistan's future. Since its foundation in 2004, alumni of AUAF have been granted prestigious graduate scholarships, including Fulbright, Chevening and DAAD scholarships that have enabled them to gain skills essential to rebuilding and developing the country.

author: Samea Shanori


text:
She Says Uterine Cells Can ‘Remember.’ Meet Russia’s New Children’s Rights Commissioner. · Global Voices
Isaac Webb

Source: Greg Westfall, Flickr. CC 2.0.
On Friday, September 9, the Kremlin officially dismissed Children’s Rights Commissioner Pavel Astakhov, who has been under fire since asking survivors of а deadly boating accident in June, “How was the swim?” Astakhov is best (or perhaps worst) remembered for promoting a law that bans Americans from adopting Russian children, later dubbed the “Dima Yakovlev Law,” in response to American sanctions against officials implicated in the murder of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
Astakhov's replacement, Anna Kuznetsova, who started work on Friday, is already taking heat for comments she made back in 2009 seemingly endorsing “Telegony,” a pseudo-scientific theory holding that children can inherit traits from a mother's previous sexual partners.
Kuznetsova seemed on the surface to be a solid, if unremarkable pick for the position: she was previously the director of Pokrov, a Penza-based charity that supports “families, motherhood, and children,” and a regional representative for the “Mothers of Russia” movement. Unlike Astakhov, who had never worked on children's rights issues until being tapped for his post in 2009, Kuznetsova has years of experience working with children, and—until recently—had kept a low profile.
And then the Internet found out about Telegony. As has been widely reported in Russian language press, Kuznetsov said in a 2009 interview:
Основываясь на сравнительно новой науке Телегонии, можно говорить о том, что клетки матки обладают информационно-волновой памятью. Поэтому эти клетки запоминают все, что в них произошло. Допустим, если у женщины было несколько партнеров, то велика вероятность рождения ослабленного ребенка из-за смешения информации. Особое влияние данный факт оказывает на нравственную основу будущего ребенка. Аборт, в свою очередь, также является серьезным потрясением для уже желанного малыша, поскольку клетки запоминают страх плода перед абортом, запоминают смерть
Based on the relatively new science of Telegony, we can say that uterine cells have information-wave memory. Therefore these cells remember everything. So, if a woman has multiple partners, there is a high probability that the child will be weak because of the mixing of information. This has a particular influence on the moral foundations of an unborn child. Abortion is also a serious shock to future children, because the [uterine] cells remember the fear of the fetus before the abortion—they remember death.
Twitter users have been merciless in response.
Когда в следующий раз вы будете ржать и гоготать над фразой “я боюсь того, что будет еще хуже”, вспомните про сторонников телегонии.
— Митя Алешковский (@aleshru) September 9, 2016
The next time you're about to laugh and cackle at the phrase “I'm worried it'll get even worse,” remember that some people believe in Telegony.
Новая наука Телегония и её адепты Телепузики.
— Санкционный фрукт (@Buddy_Judge) September 9, 2016
The new science of Telegony and its Teletubby followers.
В Штатах презентуют новый iPhone, а у нас телегония и матка с волновой памятью..
— Dane Rider (18+) (@Dane_Rider) September 9, 2016
In the US, they get a new iPhone, and all we get is a uterus with wave memory.
Новая уполномоченная по правам детей Анна Кузнецова – мать 6 детей, православная, жена священника – за что такая страшная кара либералам!?!
— Андрей Малосолов (@malosolov) September 9, 2016
The new ombudsperson for the rights of children, Anna Kuznetsova – mother of 6, orthodox, wife of a priest – what did liberals do to deserve this?
But the criticism hasn't stopped there. Kusnetsova is the wife of a Russian Orthodox priest and a mother of six. Sadly, this has led some to question her ability to do her job: Konstantin Dolinin, the head of the children's organization “Parents’ Meeting,” told news website URA.ru, “I don't really understand how a mother of six children will be able to work this kind of job. What is she going to do with the children? Who is going to take care of them?”
Others have been more sympathetic. As Ekaterina Vinokurova, a journalist for Yekaterinburg news website Znak.ru, wrote on Facebook today, “The wife of a priest should have the right to work in any profession, and to stigmatize her for this… I think is a big flaw… In general, Kuznetsova has a unique chance to show everyone normal, good Russian Orthodoxy, which has nothing to do with the ‘Orthodox satanism’ that has become fashionable among ‘religious activists.'”

author: Isaac Webb


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Apparently, Being Pro-China in Hong Kong Is No Guarantee Against Political Threats From Beijing · Global Voices
Hong Kong Free Press

Chow was forced to quit the legislative election by Beijing secret department even though he and his party has always been pro-China. Photo from Chow's Facebook.
This is a comprehensive summary of a series of reports published in Hong Kong Free Press between August 31 and September 8, 2016. It is published on Global Voices as part of a content-sharing agreement.
A pro-China candidate's sudden departure from the race ahead of last week's legislative elections in Hong Kong is an example of the tremendous political influence Beijing wields in the city.
The Liberal Party’s candidate Ken Chow Wing Kan announced without warning he was dropping out of the election during a debate on August 25. After existing the TV stage, he burst into tears during a media interview, saying he did not want to bring harm to his family and friends but refusing to reveal further details — except that the pressure he was under came from authorities far stronger than the Chinese central government's representative in Hong Kong, known as the Liaison Office, or local organized crime networks.
Chow left Hong Kong the next day, but after the election on September 6 he reappeared and passed on details to the local Hong Kong anti-graft agency, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, and the media about the political threats that forced him into drop out.
He said a “secret department” from Beijing had pressed him to quit. He told the press after meeting the police that he was lured to Shenzhen, a city in China on the border with Hong Kong, by a friend and was introduced to three people from mainland China who asked him to halt his election campaign. The trio threatened him by reading personal details of members of his family and close friends:
I don’t know how they knew, including people very close to my family circle, important friends who support me, their backgrounds, income sources, habits – they read them out one by one, I started to feel afraid.
You realise this information is beyond the reach of all private investigators. Then they said if you don’t follow our orders, they will take action immediately, that those who support me will pay a heavy price.
He was then instructed to stop attending all election debates, suspend all election campaigns and leave Hong Kong until the final vote count was completed.
Prior to the above mentioned threat, various authorities had urged him on several occasions not to run. Two of the meetings had taken place in the Liaison Office, in which two people from mainland China told him that he did not have their blessing — even though politically he is pro-China — and suggested that he quit the race in exchange for a position in the Hong Kong government.
On another occasion, a friend of his who has ties to Beijing and local rural leaders offered him 5 million, Hong Kong dollars (about 650,000 US dollars), an amount double his election expenses, in exchange for ending his campaign.
Chow believes he was made to leave in order to pave the way for another pro-Beijing candidate, Junius Ho Kwan Yiu, who is a supporter of Hong Kong's current top leader, Chief Executive Leung Chun Ying.
On the other hand, though Chow is also pro-Beijing, he is critical of Leung, and slammed Leung for destroying harmony in the New Territories, the largest region in Hong Kong:
Since he took office, the harmony between rural and urban areas in the New Territories in the past has gone; The values of fairness and justice, the principles that Hong Kong people treasure, have been replaced by special privileges; The business sector was about ability in the past – but now it is about relationships.
During election debates, Chow also accused Ho of lying to the indigenous communities regarding his indigenous person status as Ho's village only settled in Hong Kong after 1898.
Indigenous inhabitants of the New Territories is a legal term invented by the colonial British government in the 1970s. It refers to the people descended through the male line from a person who had already settled in Hong Kong since 1898. This group of people enjoy a special right to build a small house in the New Territories if they can find suitable land. As a special interest group, the indigenous communities will only vote for those with indigenous status.
Chow had refused all the bribes he was offered, but gave in after his friends and family were targeted for threats. Ho finally won the final seat in the Western New Territories constituency with about 35,657 votes, less than 6% of the total votes in the electoral district.
Chow believes local authorities won't be able to thoroughly investigate the threat as it came from outside Hong Kong, similar to the case of the missing booksellers.

author: Hong Kong Free Press


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French Politicians Say the Darndest Things About Colonialism · Global Voices
Rakotomalala

Dorcas Dienda and François Fillon, collage from wikipedia pages (CC BY 2.0)
You'll find little in common between François Fillon, the former French prime minister, and Dorcas Dienda, a current contestant in the “Miss DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo]” beauty pageant and a likely candidate in France's presidential election next year. Both individuals, however, were recently forced to step back from social media, following remarks about French colonialism that offended social media users in Africa.
On August 30, Fillon said of colonialism in Africa that France should not “be blamed just for wanting to share and spread its culture to the people of Africa“. The former prime minister made the statement while unveiling his new plan to review and redesign school programs in France, which he believed should emphasize greater national pride.
Fillon's remarks didn't go unnoticed in Africa, where Internet users started spreading the hashtag #PartageDeCultureInFrench (“sharing culture in French”). Africans responded to Fillon on Facebook and Twitter, trying to remind him what France's time as a colonizer meant for them:
Essai nucléaire à Reggane : 150 prisonniers algériens utilisés comme cobayes humains https://t.co/A1RyI3KkBi #PartageDeCultureInFrench
— Moa دسته گل (@_bouquetfleurs) August 31, 2016
Nuclear tests in Reggane: 150 Algerian prisoners used as human guinea pigs
Ca c'est du partage, une petite excursion entre amis #PartageDeCultureInFrench pic.twitter.com/i6n8rEpOJM
— Ezékiel Strong (@Mielocrockant) September 1, 2016
That's “sharing”—a little excursion with friends
#PartageDeCultureInFrench “mission civilisatrice”1911 noté le sein couvert afin de ne pas choquer les non-civilisés pic.twitter.com/9FPdwkpvgW
— Shah Jamsheed (@YungJamsheed) August 31, 2016
La mission civilatrice—the “civilising mission”—1911. See how her chest is covered so as to not shock the uncivilised natives
Vous connaissez rien à la culture bande de sauvages. Bon on va quand même garder vos oeuvres pour nos musées. #partagedecultureinfrench
— Maggie (@gotttheblues) August 31, 2016
You bunch of savages know nothing about culture. Well in any case we're still going to keep your works of art in our museums.
Fillion's comments recall France's 2005 law requiring high school faculty to teach the “positive role and values” of colonialism. Martinican historian Gilbert Pago explains how the French elite can also easily cover up an entire part of history:
Nous sommes dans un moment pénible des montées des chauvinismes nationalistes, des poussées populistes du rejet de l’autre, des affirmations de sectarisme racialiste, des replis identitaires ; tout ceci accompagnant la crise mondiale. Mais nous devons nous interroger sur l’esprit de fermeture de dirigeants politiques qui voudraient électoralement surfer sur ce qui est une régression du vivre ensemble. Pour que la France avance, pour que l’Europe aille de l’avant, pour que l’humanité entière se propulse et pour que nous Antillais nous progressions, il faut refuser le « négationnisme » de l’histoire du monde, c’est à dire de notre histoire à toutes et à tous.
We are in a difficult period with the rise of nationalist ideologies and populist, radical sectarianism, which rejects those different from us and boasts inward narrow approaches towards identity. All of this has attached itself to the global crisis. However, we must ourselves question current right-wing, inward looking politicians who politically, want to exploit and cling on to what is a regression towards living together peacefully. In order for France to move forward, in order for Europe to move forward, in order for the whole of humanity to march ahead and in order for us West Indians to continue to make progress, we must reject “historical revisionism”—the denial of world history and what essentially constitutes the denial of our history or any nation's history by any other nation.
In 2007, Alain Manbackou considered France's low reserves of “moral high ground” on the matter:
Après un demi-siècle de décolonisation formelle, les jeunes générations ont appris que de la France, tout comme des autres puissances mondiales, il ne faut pas attendre grand-chose. Les Africains se sauveront eux-mêmes ou ils périront. Pour l’heure, et s’agissant de l’Afrique, il manque tout simplement à la France le crédit moral qui lui permettrait de parler avec certitude et autorité.
After half a century of formal decolonisation, young generations have learnt that, as with all the other global powers, they shouldn't expect much from France. The people of Africa will save themselves or they'll perish. For the time being, when it comes to Africa, France quite simply lacks the moral credit required to talk with certainty and authority.
For Dorcas Dienda, the issue of the colonial period came about quite differently. During the Miss DRC broadcast on August 30, the TV presenter asked her about the issue of “made in the Congo” versus Western branding. Dienda then explained that: “Whites are more intelligent than Blacks“. Here's a clip from the show:
Dienda's comment led to a public outcry on the Congolese Web, and she was soon compelled to explain herself in hastily filmed YouTube clip.
For many, however, Dienda's attempt to clarify her remarks was too little and too late.
#DorcasDiendaOut #ToutSaufMissRaciste #JeSuisNoirEtTresIntelligent !!!
— #AfricanRevolution (@AleshDrc) September 1, 2016
#DorcasDiendaOut #AllExceptMissRacist #IAmBlackAndVeryIntelligent !!!
Juste scandaleux de tenir ces propos : « l’homme blanc est plus intelligent, que l’homme noir » #DorcasDiendaOut
pic.twitter.com/ncNkpoHgED
— AGBOKANZO K. Selom (@Selom_Agbokanzo) September 6, 2016
“Whites are more intelligent than Blacks”—what a completely scandelous suggestion. #DorcasDiendaOut
Complexe d'infériorité quand tu nous tient #DorcasDiendaOut
— Ruben ! (@ruben40555252) September 6, 2016
Inferiority complex, why won't you let go of us ! #DorcasDiendaOut
Incidentally, this is not the first time Africans have faced neglect and disrespect from French public figures. In 2007, for instance, newly elected President Nicolas Sarkozy famously said, “Africans have yet to enter modern history“, leading to a similar backlash.

author: Rakotomalala


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Kashmir: Where ‘Digital India’ Ends · Global Voices
Guest Contributor

Indian Army on duty in Jammu and Kashmir. Image from Flickr by Kris Liao. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
This article was written by Hasit Shah and originally published on Slate's Future Tense blog. It is republished on Global Voices as part of a content-sharing agreement.
There has been no mobile internet in Indian-administered Kashmir for nearly two months. What would be a disaster for most Americans has become the mundane reality for millions of Kashmiris.
The Indian government closed off mobile web access in response to violent protests that followed the death of a local militant commander in a gun battle with the Indian military in early July. Dozens of people have been killed. The forced absence of online social networks, alongside the usual curfews, has made it more difficult for people to spread information and organize protests. Newspapers in Kashmir are calling it an “e-curfew.”
From the government’s point of view, this helps prevent what it often calls “anti-national activity.” It is not always clear what that means. Kashmir is not the only place where the Indian government has employed this tactic. Last year I was in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s prosperous home state, when there were protests over jobs—accompanied once again by violence—and there, mobile internet was shut down for a week.
These regular, deliberate restrictions on internet access contrast sharply with India’s otherwise forward-thinking technology polices. “Digital India” is the government’s most visible, outward-looking public initiative. Modi, a tech-savvy nationalist from the right-wing Bharata Janatiya Party, has traveled the world to sell the idea of India as an emerging digital economy, making deals with the likes of Google and (less successfully) Facebook. At home, he has repeatedly echoed the UN’s view that internet access is a basic human right, alongside other amenities like electricity and sanitation.
The government has an ambitious, complicated plan to connect a country in which only about a fifth of the population had access to the internet before the BJP came to power in 2014. In addition to dramatically increasing the number and quality of internet connections, it aims for improved access to government services and encourages local digital entrepreneurship and innovation. Modi is even featured in advertisements for Reliance Jio, a recently launched range of fast, cheap mobile internet services from India’s biggest conglomerate.
Protest in Kashmir. Image by Flickr user Kashmiridibber, CC BY-NC-ND
The violence between India’s security forces and generations of mainly young men in Indian-administered Kashmir has been ebbing and flowing for nearly seven decades. It is a beautiful, mountainous, strategically important, and perennially contested region in which many people have never truly felt Indian. Some Kashmiris would prefer to join Pakistan, a country that already controls a large chunk of Kashmir across a disputed, battle-scarred “line of control” (a tiny, eastern corner is claimed by China). Others would choose independence. Neither option is remotely acceptable to the Indian government or to most Indians, and there is always a heavy military presence in the region. The politics are complex, the violence endemic.
In 2008, I produced reports for the BBC from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir (the Indian state comprises two regions joined together—Jammu is mostly Hindu, Kashmir is Muslim), during one of its periodic violent surges. The serenity of the stunning Dal Lake, whose houseboats are popular with honeymooners in quiet moments, was broken by large political rallies, increased military activity, stone-throwing youths, and inevitable deaths in the city. Although there was a curfew, there was no need to shut off the internet, as very few people had any kind of access in those days.
Internet-enabled mobile devices are now available for less than $20 in India, and sales are booming. Data is becoming cheaper and connectivity is getting better. There are millions of new internet users every month, almost all on mobile. Everyone communicates using WhatsApp, which is much more than a messaging service; it’s a proper social network that functions well even with low-quality devices. Facebook doesn’t always work. WhatsApp is far more effective than the old text messaging for exchanging information and organizing group activities, “anti-national” or otherwise.
The internet is not completely absent in Kashmir right now, but it might as well be. The state-run telecommunications company BSNL maintains its internet availability and phone connections, but few use the service. Broadband internet has now been restored, but most people still don’t have this kind of connection in their homes—luxury hotels and other commercial locations usually have Wi-Fi, and some people have found ways to tap into these sources, often gathering to use their smartphones and stolen Wi-Fi passwords in alleyways near these buildings.
For most people, there is no internet. Families cannot stay in touch easily. Schools have been closed because of the violence, and students can’t use web resources to try and keep up. There is no digital entrepreneurship or innovation. It is difficult for journalists to report on what is happening. Vital information is missing. Kashmiris in India have been transported back to a pre-digital era. They are anxious and isolated.
The United Nations Human Rights Council condemned the deliberate removal of internet services in June, just a few weeks before the violence erupted. At best, internet shutdowns are a blunt instrument of crowd control. It is not clear that they prevent violence and improve public safety. There is always a way for determined people to communicate and organize—protests in Kashmir and elsewhere existed long before messaging apps.
Modi has made it clear that internet access is as important as clean water or nightly shelter, so the removal of such a basic amenity—even in a precarious law-and-order situation—is contrary to the government’s own stated development goals and its proud status as the world’s largest democracy. Two months without internet is a long time. For Kashmiris, rather than a security measure, it feels more like collective punishment.
Hasit Shah is a journalist based at Harvard University’s South Asia Institute, where he researches the emergence of digital media in India.

author: Guest Contributor


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Yugoslav Comic ‘Dikan’ Is Back to Remind Us We’re All Descendants of Migrants in Some Way or Another · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

“Finally, we, the Early Slavs, have inhabited the Internet, too. We bid you a warm welcome and pleasant stay.” Featured image from Dikan.rs website.
Dikаn, one of the most popular humorous comics of the now defunct Yugoslavia, has found new life in book form, thanks to two Serbian publishers.
Dikan was widely read in the 1970s and 1980s and followed the adventures of the title character Dikan and his uncle Vukoje as they wandered around the Balkans in ancient times. Its author, Lazo Sredanović, based the comics on an idea from Politikin Zabavnik magazine editor and script writer Nikolа Lekić, who imagined Dikan as a Yugoslav version of the French comic Asterix, combining universal humor and light satire in a historical setting.
Read today, at a time when some European governments have been less than welcoming to the record numbers of refugees seeking shelter on the continent, Dikan offers a timely reminder that we're all the descendants of migrants of some sort.
The first book quickly sold out, and a second book was so successful that the publisher plans reprints, as well as publish two more books with the remaining Dikan comics — four hard-copy revivals in total. They've also posted amusing snippets of the comics on social media, such as this outline of a device from the land of the Sarmatians for measuring stubbornness or hardheadedness — literally.
“Hardheadedness-Meter
(Oil well before use!) A man A stands on the platform B whose height is regulated by the lever C. The hammer D is raised to the height of E and then released to hit on the head of A. The hammer’s rebound is directly proportional to the hardness of the head, so the arrow F points to the degree of hardheadedness.” Artwork by Lazo Sredanović.
The Dikan comics in particular pokes fun at one of the many populations to migrate throughout Europe starting around the fifth century: the Early Slavs, whose culture and genes have been fundamental in forming the contemporary Slavic peoples, who in turn comprise the majority of today's inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe.
The local term for the ancient population is “Old Slavs” in the sense of “ancient,” and the comics uses the term “New Slavs” when referring to its current readers. In the first comics, Dikan and his uncle serve as kind of advance scouts, exploring the Balkans prior to the Slav settlement.
After the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, some revisionist nationalist historians in resulting Slavic-majority countries shunned the concept of the Great Migration of the Peoples, trying to prove that their people had always been on their ancestral land, and all others are “newcomers.” The underlying assumption that proving ancestral ownership of a territory provides a privileged status today has also been used for nationalist mobilization in non-Slavic Balkan nations, including Greece, Albania, Kosovo and Romania.
Later Dikan comics went beyond their original setting in a way similar to Mel Brooks’ film “History of the World, Part I,” including to the Stone Age and the distant future, presenting a satirical sci-fi version of Yugoslavia as world power.
Emperor Justinian, as a character in Dikan comics.
Dikan's official website presents basic information about the republication effort, also in humorous manner. It features “testimonials” by some of the characters in the comics, including some historical figures, like the Byzantine emperor Justinian, a re-conqueror and legislator born in the Balkans:
„Сви ми кажу Јустинијане, који си ти цар… Елем, шта сте ме питали? Шта мислим о Дикану? Ух… Ти Стари Словени су стварно велика напаст. Нешто између илегалних имиграната и политичких азиланата. Не можеш да их ухватиш ни за главу, ни за ноге. Зато бих прескочио ово одговор на ово питање.“
Everybody says to me, Justinian, what an emperor you are… However, what did you ask? My opinion on Dikan? Uh, those Early Slavs are quite a nuisance. Something in-between illegal immigrants and political asylum seekers. One can't get around them. Therefore I would skip this question.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Commemorating Biljana Garvanlieva, a Macedonian Filmmaker Who Gave Voice to Marginalized Women · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Biljana Garvanlieva holding the ‘Heart of Sarajevo’ Film Festival award in 2010. Photo by Samir Ljuma, used with permission.
Macedonian social media users connected to alternative culture reacted with astonishment to the news that filmmaker Biljana Garvanlieva, 43, had passed away in Berlin due to illness.
Germany-based Garvanlieva is mostly known as director of award-winning documentaries focused on the lives of underprivileged women in Macedonia. She is also the script writer for the feature film “The Golden Five,” due to premier in a week, at the closing of the Manaki Film Festival in Bitola.
Her friend and collaborator Jovan Balov broke the news via Facebook, and it was then spread by independent news portals SDK and Okno.
Some of Garvanlieva's human rights-centered films are available online, subtitled in English. One of them is “The Seamstresses,” about female textile workers in Štip.
Another of her films posted online is the “Tobacco Girl” about fourteen-year-old Mümine, member of the Yörüks, a Turkish ethnic group from the mountains of eastern Macedonia, struggling against traditions that impose early marriage on teenage girls.
In a 2010 interview for Radio Free Europe about this film, Garvanlieva explained the gist of her approach:
Kao angažovana dokumentarna autorica motivacija mi je bila da skršim sliku koja postoji o ženi u Makedoniji. Uvijek je predstavljana kao seksualna žrtva, objekat, kao domaćica i prostitutka ali nikad kao heroina. Stoga sam željela predstaviti ovu moju heroinu koja se bavi veoma napornim poslom – bere duhan kako bi mogla platiti školarinu. Sa svojih 14 godina Mümine zrelo razmišlja da napusti selo jer ne želi da cijeli život provede sušenjem duhana i rađanjem djece. Naprotiv, želi se emancipovati i otići u grad, završiti školu, postati učiteljica i, jednostavno, osjećati se slobodna.
As an engaged documentary author my motivation is to break the existing image about women in Macedonia. They are always represented as a sexual victim, an object, as a housewife and prostitute, but never as a heroine. Therefore I wanted to present this heroine of mine, who works in a very hard job – picking tobacco so she can gather money for school expenses. At her 14 years of age, Mümine has very mature plans to leave the village because she does not want to spend her whole life drying tobacco and giving birth to children. On the contrary, she wants to emancipate herself and to go to the city, finish school, become a teacher, and simply feel free.
Cultural expert and activist Iskra Gešoska wrote:
Билјана Гарванлиева – драгоцена жена, со многу дарови и со копнеж да му ја покаже на светот скриената и премолчената приказна за жените… пред повеќе од 15 години, мислевме дека ќе го менуваме светот, ако ништо друго овој овде, во Македонија… мислевме дека ќе создадеме нов јазик врз кој ќе ја градиме инаквата социо-културна вредност… ама овде тоа не го биѓава, така ми рече еднаш… и си замина во градот на слободата… и од таму, борбена, храбра и доблесна ни покажа како е овде… благодарна сум ѝ… нека си биде слободна каква што беше секогаш…
Biljana Garvanlieva – a precious woman, full of gifts and longing to show the world the hidden and the untold story about women… Over 15 years ago, we thought that we would change the world, if nothing else this world, here, in Macedonia… We thought that we would create a new language to serve as basis for building new social-cultural values. But it won't do here, she told me once… and she left to the city of freedom… From there, in her defiant, brave and virtuous manner she showed us how it is here. I am grateful to her. Let her be free as she always was…


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Egyptian Mothers Take On Female Genital Mutilation, Pinning Hopes on Younger Generations · Global Voices
Menna A. Farouk

Nadia Gamal at her home in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Minya. Photo taken by Menna Farouk.
Nadia Gamal, 32, fought an uphill battle to protect her ten-year-old child, when her parents tried to push her to circumcise her daughter. Having been circumcised herself at the age of seven, Gamal understood all too well the uselessness and harm of female genital mutilation (FGM).
Speaking to Global Voices, Gamal said that:
I hated that moment when I got circumcised. It was useless and it caused me a lot of physical and psychological pain. That is why I said no when my parents asked me to circumcise my daughter. I told them that I would never let her experience the same pain that you have put me through. This has to be changed.
Egypt outlawed FGM in 2008. Eight years later, women’s rights activists and non-governmental organizations say mothers’ attitudes about the procedure have transformed, and the number of circumcised girls is down.
As they've become more aware of the hazards and futility of the surgery, young mothers in Egypt have played a central role in fighting FGM.
According to Egypt's Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), 61 percent of girls between the ages of 15 and 17 underwent FMG in 2014, compared to 74.4 percent in 2008. The same DHS data showed a significant change in mothers’ attitudes: while 92 percent of all mothers in Egypt are circumcised, only 35 percent of women in Egypt say they intend to circumcise their daughters.
FGM has been hard to eradicate for decades due to a combination of family pressure, cultural traditions, and religious motivations. The practice, which usually involves the removal of the clitoris and other parts of female genitalia, is considered by many people in Egypt to be a necessary measure for “taming” a woman's sexual desires and maintaining her honor. Both Muslims and Christians follow the practice.
Although it carries the risk of bleeding to death and may lead to an array of physical and psychological problems, FGM continues, especially in Egypt's rural and marginalized regions.
However, activists and observers say that the malpractice is gradually declining, most notably because of a growing awareness among younger generations.
Three Egyptian mothers who have refused to circumcise their daughters and 67-year-old midwife Samiha Saeed (on the far right), who stopped performing FGM surgeries after attending some awareness campaigns by Egypt’s non-governmental organisations in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Minya. Photo taken by Menna Farouk.
“Of course, there is a remarkable progress,” Randa Fakhr El Deen, executive director of the NGO Union Against Harmful Practices On Women and Children, told Global Voices.
Fakhr El Deen said that younger generations of mothers are now taking upon themselves the responsibility of refusing the practice, although that was not the case a few years ago:
In the past, it was mothers who took their daughters to the doctors or midwifes to have them cut their genitals. Now, this is changing. More mothers are standing up against the practice and they can eradicate this
In the last decade, Fakhr El Deen’s union, along with other non-profit groups and government agencies, have been intensifying their awareness campaigns against FGM among mothers, school children, doctors, Muslim scholars, and Christian religious figures across the country. “Such workshops and awareness campaigns have been very fruitful in curbing the practice,” said Fakhr El Deen.
In a small village in the Minya governorate, 245 kilometers (150 miles) south of Cairo, a group of young mothers explain how—even in a very conservative community—they resisted and shielded their daughters from societal pressures driving the tradition. They say awareness campaigns were a powerful factor.
Laila Rashad, 35, stood up with her sister against their mother and grandmother, who insisted on circumcising her niece. Laila and her sister did not know what to do, but Laila heard that a highly-trusted Muslim scholar would visit their village as part of an awareness campaign on FGM organized by one of the country’s NGOs.
Rashad attended one of these campaigns before and heard this scholar say that FGM is religiously prohibited. “We took our mother and grandmother to attend the awareness campaign and they were convinced,” she told Global Voices. “They listened to the advice of the Muslim scholar and my niece was not circumcised,” Rashad said. Al-Azhar scholars and Christian clerics have repeatedly said that FGM is not a religious duty, but rather a centuries-old habit.
Vivian Fouad, coordinator of the National Programme Against FGM, speaking to Global Voices at her office in the National Population Council. Photo by Menna Farouk.
Vivian Fouad, coordinator of the National Program against FGM, says the practice will gradually vanish with increasing awareness and tougher penalties against perpetrators.
Ending the practice is controlled by several socio-economic factors, but it is mainly the rule of law and changing societal traditions which will bring such a procedure to an end.
Earlier this month, the parliament toughened penalties against FGM, adopting amendments that punish perpetrators with up to 15 years in prison if a girl dies, and up to seven years simply for performing the surgery. The amendments also reclassified FGM from a misdemeanor (where offenders usually receive up to two years in prison) to a felony, which incurs tougher sentences and punishments.
Fouad says NGOs and the government are now focusing on younger generations in their campaigns, because younger people can protect their daughters in the future. By 2020, it's hoped that only half the women in Egypt between the ages of 15 and 17 will be circumcised.
“It will take years, but we can't stop our fight against FGM. And younger generations are on the front lines in that fight,” she added.

author: Menna A. Farouk


text:
Indonesian Movie Tackles the Bugis Marriage Custom of Giving Dowry to the Bride · Global Voices
Arpan Rachman

Bugis-style wedding in Mandar. Photo by Buregsandeq, Wikipedia
An Indonesian film has reignited public discussion about a unique marriage custom among the Bugis Tribe in Sulawesi Island where the groom gives Uang Panai’ or dowry to the family of the bride before marriage.
The amount of Uang Panai’ depends on many factors like the education level and social status of the bride. Writing about the Uang Panai’, scholar Sharyn Graham Davies notes that “there is a complex set of rules regulating the payment of bride price.”
Without the Uang Panai’, the wedding cannot take place. Because of this tradition, the Bugis woman is sometimes called ‘the most luxurious woman in Indonesia’.
Blogger Nani Rachman explains how the Uang Panai’ reflects the commitment of the groom to his future wife:
If the amount requested (Uang Panai’) is fulfilled by the groom, it would give prestige (honor) to the woman's family. Honor is meant here in the sense of an award given by the groom to the woman he wanted to marry by providing a magnificent marriage feast through the Uang Panai’.
Another blogger, Indra Mae, emphasized that Uang Panai’ is not strictly similar to the Western concept of dowry:
This is the amount of money given by the groom to the bride which is a form of appreciation and respect for the norms of reality and social strata. Uang Panai’ is not counted as a marriage dowry but as customary money, an amount agreed to by both parties or families.
In the Uang Panai’ movie, the father of the groom lamented that the giving of dowry has become a social problem.
The film tells the story of a store clerk who earns 5 million rupiahs (379 US dollars) a month but needs to raise 120 million rupiahs (9,000 US dollars) as dowry to the family of the girl he wants to marry. His father borrowed money from a moneylender to help him.
It is not uncommon to hear sad news reports related to the Uang Panai’ custom. There was a news story about a soldier who was beaten by his bride's family in Gowa regency because he failed to deliver the full amount of Uang Panai’. Another story involves a young girl from Bulukumba who narrated how her boyfriend failed to marry her because their families could not agree on the matter of Uang Panai’ Recently, a widower in Pinrang made news after it was reported that he gave 599 million rupiahs (about 45,000 US dollars) to his bride.
The Uang Panai’ movie generated mixed reactions about the marriage custom. Some believe it inspires the groom to prove his love to his bride while others reject it as an unfair imposition. But there were also viewers who insist that Uang Panai’ is more than a dowry or money required to marry a Bugis woman. They assert that it shows commitment and devotion on the part of the groom.
This is the first time that a mainstream film in Indonesia has focussed on the Uang Panai’ marriage custom.
The giving of Uang Panai’ is still widely practiced today among the indigenous Bugis-Makassar tribe.

author: Arpan Rachman


text:
Insects Swarm Japanese Social Media: Beautiful, Breathtaking, and Bamboo · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Photo: Pixabay. Edited by Kevin Rothrock.
A Japanese artist is using traditional artisanal craft techniques to create compelling bamboo insects that have developed a devoted following online.
Uses chikusei (bamboo crafting), Noriyuki Saitoh uploads photos of his insects to social media and to his website. He also tweets images of his intricately detailed bamboo insects, which are typically shared and reposted hundreds of times.
For a good selection of Saitoh's bamboo insect creations, see his most recent Twitter New Year's card, addressed to his followers, with photos of bamboo paper wasps, a mantis, a beetle, damselflies and a cicada:
本年は沢山の方にフォロー、RT、♥をいただきありがとうございました。
ホントに制作の励みにさせていただきました。
Wish you and your family the best for 2016! pic.twitter.com/AWmQzXizwi
— BAMBOO INSECTS 昆虫竹細工 (@noriji_s) December 31, 2015
Thanks for all of your follows, RTs, and likes over the past year. You all inspire me to do everything I do.
Detailed photo essays of Saitoh's creations can also be found on his Facebook page.
Saitoh is careful to point out that his creations are intended to be art, rather than accurate models of insects:
私が創る昆虫は決してリアルではありません。
標本、レプリカを作っているわけではないので厳密に寸法を測り、プロポーションを正確に創るよりも、見た目の印象・特徴、感覚を優先させます。
My insect creations are not intended to be realistic. Since I'm not using specimens or replicas. I'm not aiming for accuracy in proportion, but instead I'm focused on the detail, impression of, and feel of the bamboo insect.
While the bamboo insects may not be entirely accurate, the skillful attention to detail elevates the bamboo creations:
( ･ㅂ･)و ̑̑
セグロアシナガバチcomplete‼
ホームページにアップしました。https://t.co/KoPEwTWGJu pic.twitter.com/SAniH4XWOt
— BAMBOO INSECTS 昆虫竹細工 (@noriji_s) December 13, 2015
( ･ㅂ･)و ̑̑
The paper wasps [Polistes jokahamae] are complete!! I have uploaded to my website: https://t.co/KoPEwTWGJu
(゜o゜)
ランカマキリ、完成写真ホームページに追加しました。https://t.co/KoPEwTWGJu pic.twitter.com/34vnaWHlto
— BAMBOO INSECTS 昆虫竹細工 (@noriji_s) March 17, 2016
(゜o゜)
I have uploaded photos of my completed orchid mantis [Hymenopus coronatus] to my website: https://t.co/KoPEwTWGJu
(ﾟ⊿ﾟ)
ウチワヤンマ完成写真
ホームページにアップしました。https://t.co/KoPEwTWGJu pic.twitter.com/nc5bDtyVq2
— BAMBOO INSECTS 昆虫竹細工 (@noriji_s) February 8, 2016
(ﾟ⊿ﾟ)
Photos of the completed golden flangetail dragonfly [Sinictinogomphus clavatus]: https://t.co/KoPEwTWGJu
エラフスホソアカクワガタ
HPにアップしました。（photo12枚）https://t.co/KoPEwTWGJu pic.twitter.com/STKuxdKquX
— BAMBOO INSECTS 昆虫竹細工 (@noriji_s) May 5, 2016
Stag beetle [Cyclommatus elaphus]
Saitoh's account on Twitter and his website also explain the step-by-step process he uses to make and assemble his bamboo insects.
(・o・)
蜻蛉の翅完成です。 pic.twitter.com/wmhZ7KCFtq
— BAMBOO INSECTS 昆虫竹細工 (@noriji_s) January 6, 2016
(・o・)
Dragonfly wings are completed.
On YouTube, Saitoh has also shared a video showing how he made his dragonfly wings:

author: Nevin Thompson


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Kyrgyzstan’s ‘Jailoos’ Are More Than Mere Mountain Meadows. They Are a Way of Life. · Global Voices
Elita Bakirova

Horseman overlooking mountain scenery in Kyrgyzstan. All photos by Elita Bakirova or Erlan Bakirov.
Kyrgyzstan marked this week the end of its much-heralded World Nomad Games by topping the medal table in its very own equivalent of the Olympics and hosting Hollywood hard man Steven Seagal splendidly attired in nomadic warrior garb.
But flashy international sporting tournaments aren't the only way that people in the Central Asian country of six million people recall their heritage.
Although very few Kyrgyz in Kyrgyzstan lead a nomadic lifestyle year-round, nomadism is alive and well in the summer where the country's summer pastures play host to felt dwellings, magnificent horses and thousands of families that abandon their homes in the valleys below for the majesty of the countryside.
Horses. All photos by Elita Bakirova or Erlan Bakirov.
The jailoo is an integral part of the Kyrgyz experience, and to spend time on these elevated plateaus is to breathe the culture and history of the non-sedentary Turkic peoples.
The sharp mountain air, the perfect clarity of the spring water that flows in the glacial streams and the snow-capped mountains in the near distance mean home for many of the country's citizens.
In total, some 3.9 million hectares of territory in the Kyrgyz Republic is occupied by officially recognised summer pastures.
And…more horses. All photos by Elita Bakirova or Erlan Bakirov.
Once on the jailoo, traffic jams, high-speed internet and other trappings of the country's urban life disperse into an ocean of green grass, punctuated by the occasional mountain lake and circles of smoking yurts.
The city routine is gone, and while the gradual growth of alternative energy in Kyrgyzstan means most tourist yurts feature a lightbulb, that may be all they feature. So long to the so-called digital age!
The bucket of life-affirming kymyz comes out. All photos by Elita Bakirova or Erlan Bakirov.
While jailoo life is unhurried it is also full of strenuous tasks. At sunrise women milk cows, while men might tend to packs of horses grazing further up the mountains.
From the milk, women produce various dairy products including kurut (salty milk product made from cow's milk), kaymak (clotted cream), and boorsok (traditional doughnuts). The latter go wonderfully well with a dollop of kaymak when hot.
Assuming a special cultural significance, however, is kymyz, an explosively tangy fermented dairy drink reputed for its health benefits and ever-so-low alcohol content.
Kaymak, or clotted cream, is good with almost anything. All photos by Elita Bakirova or Erlan Bakirov.
Specifically kymyz is said to fortify the immune system and ward off any number of fatal diseases, which explains the existence of kymyz “treatment centres” in different parts of the country. Peak consumption of the drink coincides with peak jailoo season, from around May until late July.
Jailoo folk are invariably kymyz masters, and different jailoos even compete to make a better brew. The country's highly diverse flora — differing from meadow to meadow — is just one factor said to impact the taste of the drink.
More fermented goodness. All photos by Elita Bakirova or Erlan Bakirov.
Jailoo men, in their spare time, entertain themselves by playing the Kyrgyz national game ulak tartysh, or Kok-Boru to avoid everyday problems such as unemployment, which is widespread.
Ulak is considered quite a dangerous game, wherein anything from 24 to over a hundred men on horseback compete for possession of a goat carcass that can weigh up to 45 kilograms. This game, known as Buzkashi in Afghanistan, is one of the more brutal sides to life on the pastures.
Horsemen rally to play Ulak Tartysh, or Kok-Boru. All photos by Elita Bakirova or Erlan Bakirov.
Partly on the back of jailoo stays promoted by the massively popular Community Based Tourism initiative, Kyrgyzstan has one of the world's fastest-growing tourism sectors. For tourists from the West or the surrounding former Soviet region, taking on for a few days at a time the life of a simple shepherd untroubled by Whatsapp is both exotic and enriching.
And then, after the sun sets on the happy jailoo and night appears like a vast, black velvet blanket studded with a billion bright stars, so too does the idea that the Kyrgyz people don't just own their land beneath their feet, they own the sky above it, too.
The yurt. A home for the summer. All photos by Elita Bakirova or Erlan Bakirov.
Kyrgyzstan: a pretty place. All photos by Elita Bakirova or Erlan Bakirov.

author: Elita Bakirova


text:
Meet Capital Finder, a Free Tool for Entrepreneurs in Developing Countries · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Image on Flickr by user Moyan Brenn (CC BY 2.0).
AlliedCrowds, an aggregator and directory of alternative finance providers in the developing world, has recently launched Capital Finder, a free platform that helps donors, investors and entrepreneurs navigate the alternative finance space to increase cash flow for relevant projects.
This is how they introduced their latest product:
The Capital Finder is an innovative tool that’s targeted specifically at entrepreneurs and MSMEs who need capital to take their businesses to the next level.
As AlliedCrowds CTO Malcolm Kapuza told Global Voices, “It allows entrepreneurs in the developing world to view different ways to raise money for the projects that they are working on”:
By filling the information gap and removing barriers to funding, we hope to unlock capital for projects that alleviate poverty and further economic development where it is needed most.
By alternative finance providers we mean crowdfunding platforms, venture capital firms, impact investors, angel investors and public/semi-public funders, such as development finance institutions. We have curated all of the ways that entrepreneurs can source funding outside of the traditional banking system.
The website wwwhat's new explained how to make the most out of AlliedCrowds information:
Su uso es muy sencillo: solo tenéis que elegir el país en el que residís y os mostrará las principales fuentes alternativas de capital disponibles […].
Las fuentes de financiación están clasificadas por sector (agricultura, informática, sanidad, etc.) y tipo de capital (préstamos, subvenciones, donaciones, etc.), y da información adicional acerca de las empresas que ofrecen el dinero.
It's very user friendly: you just select the country where you live, and it will show you the main capital alternative sources that are available […].
The sources of funding are classified by sector (agriculture, computing, health services, etc.) and kind of capital (loans, grants, donations, etc.), and [it] provides additional information about the firms that offer the funds.
On Twitter there is also more information about related projects and tips for followers:
Check out our latest blog where we introduce the AlliedCrowds Relevancy Score https://t.co/mpRloPskFK #entrepreneurship #development
— AlliedCrowds (@alliedcrowds) 3 de agosto de 2016
Are you an entrepreneur looking for that #fridayfeeling? Read our latest blog post for fundraising tips! https://t.co/0lVkDVUMir
— AlliedCrowds (@alliedcrowds) 29 de julio de 2016
You are #stronger than you think! #entrepreneurship pic.twitter.com/XcBjQXbz2l
— AlliedCrowds (@alliedcrowds) 4 de agosto de 2016
By late 2015, AlliedCrowds,in collaboration with the Small Grants Program of United Nations Program for Development, launched its first sustainable crowdfunding platform in Ecuador “that provides grants of up to $50,000 directly to local communities including indigenous people, community-based organizations and other non-governmental groups for projects in Biodiversity, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Land Degradation and Sustainable Forest Management, International Waters and Chemicals”.
If you are interested in this tool, feel free to contact AlliedCrowds at capital.finder@alliedcrowds.com to license the use of the capital finder on your site.1

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


text:
One Syrian Photographer’s Last Letter to the World · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

Photo of Shamel Al-Ahmed widely shared on social media following his death. Source: ‘Humans of Aleppo’ Facebook Page.
“It is not possible to risk my two children’s lives at this deadly point, they are all I have in this world,” Shamel Al Ahmad was quoted by the ‘Humans of Aleppo‘ page as saying.
Shamel was a well-known Syrian photographer, journalist and activist who decided to stay in Aleppo and use his talent in the fight against both the Assad regime and ISIS.
The following is Shamel's last letter to the world. It was shared on the Humans of Aleppo page as well as numerous social media accounts. Shamel passed away on September 2, 2016 along with his wife. He was killed by an airstrike, one of the many airstrikes launched by the Assad regime and the Russian government on Aleppo.
The couple left a two week-old baby, Tala, a girl, as well as her two siblings, two and five years of age.  It is unclear whether Shamel was aware of Tala's birth before he passed away.
My name is Shamel Al-Ahmad. I am 35-years-old married and have two children.
My life changed when I saw a video of the Syrian regime’s security forces while they were humiliating my people and treading on their heads in Bayda, Banias.
In July 2012, the freedom fighters entered my city, Aleppo. I became obsessed by the idea of being arrested and detained by regime forces. We were out of the regime control, and I didn’t have to hide my identity anymore.
The risk of being detained is over, but my city turned into an open space for the regime to target all its opponents. Artillery, fighter jets, barrel bombs and even scud missiles. We experienced all those lethal weapons that I documented with my lens. I thought these pictures would tell the story and push the international community to act or at least help the civilians, but lately I’ve realized that was hopeless.
One of the last photos uploaded of Shamel on his Facebook account. Dated August 6, 2016. Source. Facebook.
ISIS took over parts of my country. I immediately knew that our battle for freedom would be endless and that Assad is not our only problem.
I joined the “life makers” team, working on social development and acclimating them with the new reality, the war-time reality.
I sometimes get depressed and disappointed, and sometimes lose hope. I spend time with my friends and brothers in revolution, who are my hope and source of strength, to overcome my depression.
Months ago, somebody offered me to join on a boat trip to Europe. We talked about it many times and I was about to accept it, but eventually I said no…
Syria is my country and my cause. However, it is not possible to risk my two children’s lives at this deadly point, they are all I have in this world.
My friend made it to Germany in late 2015. He seemed happy. We Skype every week and he keeps encouraging me to follow his steps. I just keep refusing.
One of the last photos of Shamel showing him celebrating the breaking of the siege of Aleppo with friends. Dated August 6, 2016. Source: Facebook.
Despite all the reasons, which increase every day and push me to leave, I am the kind of person who can’t survive away from their streets. Aleppo is part of me, I can’t leave it alone. I feel sorry that Aleppo is facing all this horror, but I can still breathe its freedom.
I was saddened by friends who I lost and who I’m still losing, especially those who are close and brothers in revolution. Many of them lost hope and are not able to carry on. I don’t blame them, but I just feel sorry for not having them around me.
I am not against those who decide to leave and seek asylum, because many were forced to do that. I am just against the idea of being there to enjoy life without work or purpose, or without an aim to serve their homeland. I don’t want them to be a burden on the host communities.
Finally, it’s not easy to stay in Syria anymore, since nobody knows how their complicated story is going to end, but there is still hope to continue the fight.
Shamel's funeral. Dated September 3, 2016. Shared by Mousa Al Omar on Twitter.
Hundreds of people attended the march in commemoration of Shamel's life in Aleppo that day.
This is Tala, Shamel's daughter.
Tala Al-Ahmad. Source: ‘Humans of Aleppo’ Facebook Page
Syrian journalist Mousa Al Omar also shared a photo of Shamel's two other children to his more than 350,000 followers.
الشهيد الإعلامي البطل شامل الأحمد والذي سبقته زوجته قبل ٤ أيام للشهادة وكلاهما بقصف إرهاب الروسي الذي يتّم أطفالهم.. pic.twitter.com/NUfHAdDpsC
— موسى العمر (@MousaAlomar) 3 September 2016
The martyred journalist and hero Shamel Al Ahmad whose wife passed away four days before him and to all those martyred by Russian terrorism, leaving their children orphans.
Many remembered Shamel online in their own way. The following photo was widely shared and shows Shamel in front of the flag of the revolution.
Widely shared tribute to Shamel Al-Ahmad. Source. The text reads:
شامل الأحمد: باسم الثغر والمحيا وحكاية ثورة بحالها
Shamel Al-Ahmad: The story of a big heart, great person… and an entire revolution.
Britain's Channel 4 put Shamel's last letter in video format in this moving tribute:
Italian blogger ‘NewsBandite’ wrote a moving tribute to Shamel in an article entitled ‘Shamel Al-Ahmed, a hero in Aleppo‘ on September 4, 2016.
It begins:
È successo poco più di due settimane fa. Siamo in una delle zone di Aleppo martoriate dall'alleanza terroristica Assad-Putin. Shamel è in casa con la moglie. Una bomba, una delle solite e tante sganciate senza badare a spese, e l’abitazione prende fuoco. Feriti, i due vengono accompagnati in uno degli ospedali che il regime non ha ancora distrutto. Lei entra in coma. Pochi giorni dopo dà alla luce il bambino che portava in grembo e muore. Stremato e ignaro della morte dell'amata, Shamel ci abbandona venerdì scorso. La coppia lascia tre figli orfani in un mondo in rovina, sotto le rovine. Il ricordo del sorriso di quel ragazzo alto e robusto che tante volte aveva dato speranza e fiducia agli amici e alla gente del posto gli sopravvive…
It happened a little more than two weeks ago. We are in one of the areas of Aleppo tormented by the terroristic Assad-Putin alliance. Shamel is at home with his wife. A bomb, one of the many dropped without care, sets the house on fire. Injured, the two are taken to one of the hospitals that the regime hasn't destroyed yet. She enters in a coma. A few days later, she gave birth to the child she was carrying and then she died. Exhausted, and unaware of his lover's death, Shamel passed away last Friday. The couple left three orphaned children in a world in ruins, under the ruins. The memory is of that tall and strong young man's smile, that has given hope and faith so many times to friends and the people that survive there…

author: Elia J. Ayoub


text:
Puerto Ricans’ Struggle Against US-Imposed Austerity Heats Up · Global Voices
Ana Gabriela Calderón

Wallposters from the group “Se Acabaron las Promesas” placed in several cities in Puerto Rico informing citizens of the protest that took place on August 31. Photo from Jornada's Facebook Page. Used with permission.
August 31 is now remembered as a day of victory in the struggle against the US-imposed Fiscal Control Board in economically fraught Puerto Rico, despite that struggle having only just begun.
Late last month, US President Barack Obama announced the seven members of the imposed board, as part of an extended austerity campaign Washington is pursuing in the territory amid a growing debt crisis there. But Puerto Ricans are more likely to remember the day for a clash between police and protesters during the first PROMESA Conference outside the Condado Plaza Hilton, which was cancelled after the violence.
The conference was slated to include several panels on the island's economic development under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA, which in Spanish means promise).
Financial experts, business people, and politicians were among the guests, and the conference also included a discussion for bondholders. Given the fact that the Control Board's priority is to assure that payments are made to investors, and that its very existence represents a US imposition that bypassed democratic consultations at the local level, grassroots activists called for action to prevent the meeting from going ahead.
The PROMESA bill created the Fiscal Control Board with powers that will override those of the government of Puerto Rico, including its Constitution. Two members of the board, Carlos García and Jose Ramón González, were former presidents of the Development Bank under different administrations.
García's appointment was of particular concern to Puerto Ricans, since he was one of the architects of Act 7, a law passed that eliminated thousands of government employees in 2010.
The 1st PROMESA Conference was sponsored and organized by the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce, Birling Capital Advisors, LLC, Select Global Advisory Group, LLC, and local newspaper El Nuevo Día.
Police officers were lined in front of the Condado Plaza Hilton Hotel early in the morning. Photo from Juventud Trabajadora-PPT's Facebook page. Used with permission.
Protesters line up in Ashford Ave. to prevent entrance to the conference. Photo by Juventud Trabajadora-PPT's Facebook page. Used with permission.
The group Se Acabaron las Promesas (Promises are Over) used social media to encourage activists to mobilize against the conference.
Tensions with authorities had begun days earlier when six activists were arrested at the headquarters of GFR Media during a civil disobedience protest.
GFR Media publishes El Nuevo Día, the largest newspaper on the island that supports PROMESA and the imposition of the Fiscal Board.
Activists from “Se Acabaron las Promesas” and “Campamento Contra la Junta”—the camp of activists located outside of the federal district court in San Juan—used Facebook to update followers on the arrests, including a list of those who were arrested and footage of the event.
Protesters hold hands in an attempt to block entrance to the conference. Photo from Juventud Trabajadora-PPT's Facebook page. Used with permission.
Since early August, activists of “Se Acabaron las Promesas” were protesting the PROMESA law, but the protest that took place in front of the Hotel Condado Plaza received the most media attention and also criticism from traditional news outlets in Puerto Rico.
The plan was simple: to interrupt the conference and publicize their dissent. The avenue was blocked by protesters who arrived early in the morning to find the police riot squad lined in front of the hotel. Se Acabaron las Promesas and the youth organization Juventud Trabajadora-PPT were two of several groups publishing live videos.
The protest culminated when activists met face to face with policemen on a nearby bridge. In a tremendous display of strength and unity, activists pushed the riot squad back. As officers attempted to disperse protesters, many involved were injured, but some news outlets and commentators blamed the demonstrators.
Photographers take pictures of strike force preparing to disperse protesters in Dos Hermanos bridge. Photo from Juventud Trabajadora-PPT's Facebook page. Used with permission.
Attorney and activist Alvin R. Cuoto de Jesús filmed several videos that are now published in the digital magazine 80grados. Footage shows how protesters were trying to convince officers of their just cause, and various trade unions and other social movement organizations joined the demonstration.
Musician Fernando Samalot published a video on Facebook that shows the moment at which the riot squad used pepper spray against activists. Samalot explained the clash between people and authorities:
De los momentos más parapelos del día. Cuando en unísono lxs compas finalmente lograron hechar la fuerza de choque hacia atrás luego de aguantar un bombardeo de macanazos. Los guardias entonces respondieron rociandolos con gas pimienta.
Es una pena grandísima ver a nuestros hermanos policías puertorriqueños siendo utilizados como peones para reprimir a su propia gente, mientras sus dueños siguen haciéndose de las suyas. Por el otro lado, igual da una sensación muy poderosa ver a un pueblo levantarse contra la opresión.
One of the most perplexing moments of the day. When in unison fellow citizens finally pushed the strike force after they were being bombarded with blows, the officers responded by spraying pepper spray…It is a huge disappointment to see our fellow Puerto Rican policemen brothers being used as pawns to repress their own people […] On the other hand, seeing your own people rise up against oppression is a powerful feeling.
Photo of injured protester, by Ricardo Jose. Used with permission.
Woman helps a man who was sprayed with pepper spray during the demonstration. Photo by Ricardo Jose. Used with permission.
After a long hot day filled with tension, the conference's cancellation was announced. Most guests were not able to attend the event and the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo published a photograph of a nearly empty room inside the conference.
“Se Acabaron las Promesas” joyfully claimed victory, as the demonstrators, reportedly around 300 people, successfully interrupted the conference. “Se Acabaron las Promesas” declared that this is only the beginning.
Inside 1st Promesa Conference in Condado Plaza Hilton Hotel. Photo by Eliván Martínez Mercado for Centro de Periodismo Investigativo. Used with permission.

author: Ana Gabriela Calderón