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Kyrgyzstan: The Die is Cast · Global Voices
Elena Skochilo

The Central Elections Commission confirmed that Kyrgyzstan's presidential election were valid in the late evening on October 30. Over 51% of Kyrgystanis have voted across the country (a little over 3 million voters). The elections were observed by 792 international observers from 56 countries.
Election day has revealed two main problems: visible thumb marking and voters’ lists. The experiments of Kyrgyzstanis quickly proved that the marking on the voters’ thumbnails can be easily washed off.  The voters’ lists were incorrect and many voters couldn’t find themselves in the lists despite having registered.
Marking issues
Both online and offline Kyrgyzstan were full of complaints about various violations, poor marking and inconsistent voters’ lists. After first hours of voting and checking visible green marking virtual Kyrgyzstanis immediately set up an experiment how to remove marking and posted their results.
The marking on voters’ thumbnails is almost invisible on polished nails.
Twitter user Esen Jumanov said [ru]:
It seems that marking is just a green marker. Let me try to wash it off!
The Kazakh journalist and election observer Gulim Amirkhanova experimented with marking and said [ru]:
The marking was half washed off with wet paper from the nail but it is still visible on the skin
Diesel Forum user npokuror312 posted [ru]:
Overall, there is no sign of marking in 30 seconds after applying the sandpaper.
Another forum user Neman replied [ru]:
You don’t need sandpaper. The marking can be easily washed off with alcohol-contained liquid.
The author also experimented with the marking. It revealed that the marking is almost invisible on the polished nails (see the photo above).
Twitter user @saida_sydykova  complained [ru]:
What a bad marking I got! It was kind of green marker… the marking blackened and ruined my manicure.
Voting lists
The situation with voting itself and voters’ list wasn’t that amusing. Many voting stations were overcrowded and people had to stay in line to vote.  Plenty of voters couldn’t find themselves in the voters’ list and left.
An observer at the Kyrgyz National University Nate Schenkkan tweeted [en]
At KG Nat'l Univ'y, too many voters, unable to enter hall, crowd pressed against entrance
Twitter user and the independent observer Aizhan Hodzhaeva said [ru]
Half of the votes hasn’t voted before afternoon time because of absence of their names in the voters’ list
Urmat Nasykulov complained [ru]:
There is a big claim to work of the local city hall's authorities. Many voters were not listed in the voters’ list.
Gulim Amirkhanova reported from Talas city [ru]
The voters have received voting notification but there are no their names in the voters’ list and they can’t vote
Twitter user Dilik666 criticized [ru]:
There is a mess at the voting stations. They should have prepared better. Long lines, slow registration.
An observer and Twitter user Mekajona claimed [ru]:
The fights and scandals between voters which haven't found themselves in the voters’ lists were observed. Bad work, the Central Elections Commission!
One of the presidential candidates Kubatbek Baibolov asked [ru]:
Do you still think this is a chance after hundreds of complaints about the voters’ lists and poor marking?
This politician was one of the most active politicians in his Twitter account during a day and provided a few photo evidences of the law violation.
By the end of day many users added up their impressions about elections. Michael Andersen posted on his Facebook:
Kyrgyzstan now has a new political SYSTEM – but the main CANDIDATES are the same old same old dodgy ones. And they want the ’good old’ system back. Of course – they and the people around them made fortunes from it, working with Akaev and Bakiev. The Kyrgyzstanzi deserves better, and hopefully they will get there – but it wil only happen if they – the young, the NGOs – manage to HOLD ON to the changes, the new democratic parliamentary system. Moving from ’elections’ to elections….. RESPECT!
Zafar Sulaymanov said:
Today is one of the most important dates in Kyrgyzstan's modern history! I hope,I pray that everything goes well…..we need fair elections, and we need good leader! I'm going to make my own choice in couple hours! so nervous….is it gonna make a difference…???? hope soo
Journalist Denis Berdakov explained [ru] his position:
I haven't voted today. It is my solid citizenship. I can't be responsible for the future of my country if I can't trust these people. There are no worthy candidates. There is no sense to vote against of all because I don't believe that elections are fair. I love my Kyrgyzstan, but I haven't gone to vote for nothing, I value my own voice!
An observer Andy Heil tweeted:
Has #Kyrgyzstan just pulled off the most democratic presidential vote in modern Central Asian history?
According to the latest reports from the CEC's website (10 pm by the local time on October 30) the leading candidates were Almazbek Atambaev (65, 6%), Kamchybek Tashiev (14,75%), and Adakhan Madumarov (13,7%).
The updated reports on the results of the election will follow shortly.

author: Elena Skochilo


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Liberia: Reactions to the Resignation of Liberian Elections Chairman · Global Voices
Counselor Track

Following questions about his credibility, James Fromayan, the former head of the  Liberian Elections Commission, resigned yesterday citing national interest above self interest as his reason.
African Election Project reports that he resigned because of “Letter-gate”:
The Liberia National Elections Commission (NEC) Chairman, James Fromayan has resigned his post, Sunday, 30th October 2011 following a communication blunder the commission carried out when it served  a letter of notification to the two leading political candidates;  Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of the Unity Party (UP) and Winston Tubman of Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
The blunder which has widely been referred to as the “Letter-gate”, emerged in the aftermath of a letter sent to the vice standard bearer of the CDC, George Manneh Weah signed by Fromayan reading: “The total number of votes tallied for the Unity Party(UP) presidential and vice presidential candidates was 194,370 or 32.7 percent of the valid votes cast. You received the highest vote total among the 16 candidates thus qualifying you to participate in the run-off election on November 8.”
Bobby Livingston, the commission’s director of communications, who prepared the letter has been dismissed.
L-R: Former Director of Communication Bobby Livingston and former Chairman James Fromayan. Photo courtesy of www.theliberianjournal.com
The former National Elections Commission chairman has been accused continuously by the opposition led by the Congress for Democratic Change for being a staunch supporter of the ruling party:
…the opposition  Congress for Democratic Change persistently accused the election commission of tampering with ballots to favor Nobel Peace Prize Laureate President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and her Unity Party and that the result did not reflect the true aspirations of votes cast.
The party insisted among other things, the head of the National Election Commission, James Fromoyan step down or be  removed and the commission reshuffled to restore credibility, integrity, and trust,  imperative ingredients necessary for both parties to participate in a run-off in which they are confident in the integrity of the commission to administer the run-off of next Tuesday with independence and transparency.
In the wake of his resignation, he emphatically said that his decision to bow out was based solely upon the conviction for a peaceful transition against chaotic  transition.
In his letter of resignation, Mr. Fromoyan said “I want to  emphasize that the decision I make today is in the supreme interest of  Liberians and not a capitulation of these demands. It is my hope  therefore that with my departure from the commission, there will be no  further obstacle or pre-condition for the participation in the November  presidential run-off election.”
The Liberian electoral process thus far has been declared free and transparent by numerous credible entities ranging  from the UN, ECOWAS, AU, the Carter Center, EU and many more local accredited civil groups. Despite that, the oppositions led by the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) continuously threatened to boycott the November 8th,2011 Runoff elections.
In response to Mr.Fromoyan's resignation, the Congress for Democratic Change leadership had this to say:
The opposition Congress for Democratic Change(CDC) says it welcomes  the resignation of Mr. James Fromayan from the position of Chairman of  the National Elections Commission(NEC) but is still maintaining a set of  conditions it says needs to be put in place before it fully  participates in the process.
Addressing a major news conference at the party’s headquarters in  Congotown Monday, Winston Tubman, the party’s standard bearer said: “The  official position of the CDC remains that we are committed to moving  forward and that we will participate in the runoff elections when all of  the additional checks and balance mechanisms are put in place.
President Sirleaf supporters at Samuel K. Doe stadium. Photo courtesy of www.stolenyearstocome.blogspot.com
Has the former chairman of the commission fled the country? Well, according to Move 2 Monrovia, the elections campaigns have been accompanied by “frequent, fantastical tales and apocryphal episodes”:
Monrovia is so unique in many ways, one of which has been particularly pronounced this fall: constant waves of rumor and intrigue. America may have its cable chattering classes and plugged-in pundits, but this town is all tongue-wagging and tale-trading, which can give legs to some incredulous whoppers.
Since the start of the campaign season, the Monrovia rumor mill has been churning out such frequent, fantastical tales and apocryphal episodes that this town makes a rural boarding school look like a scientific review board.
A member of Liberia Elections 2011 Media Monitoring Group says that the former chairman has fled the country:
A day after the one whose Flomoyan intervention gave the presidency said she will not change the captain in the middle of the game , James Flomoyan has disgracefully resigned, apologized for his actions of manipulating the results in favor of UP and fled the country for Ghana. He has joined his family who settled in Airport Residence, Ghana since March of 2011.
In the same thread, Paul Newon disputes the story:
@Gusta… “James Flomoyan has disgracefully resigned, apologized for his actions of manipulating the results in favor of UP and fled the country for Ghana” is a lie… stop spreading lies.. thanks…
Mardea E. Martin-Wiles expresses her gratitude for Fromayan's work:
No matter what some Liberians may say about the former elections chairman, I still say, thank you. Your work will forever be appreciated and you have made history. I respect you then and will always. My hats off to you.
Should the former Director of Communication be reinstated? Henson King asks:
Now that Flomoyan has owned up and is gone because of “PEACE”, should Bobby Livingstone be reinstated at the NEC?
Abdullah Fahnbulleh answers:
The answer is no absolutely, Mr. Livingston needs to go to court and explain himself and prove himself innocent if only if he is. Because even the letter in question can be written by even good nine grade student in this Republic. I think the whole thing was a betrayer of trust, which someone like Mr. Livingston needs to explain to the Liberian people better
The 2011 Liberian general election was held on 11 October, 2011. The presidential runoff will be held on 8 November. President Sirleaf who received 44% of the votes in the October elections will face Winston Tubman who got 32.2%.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Counselor Track


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Malaysia: Petition to Teach Science/Math in English · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Parents Action Education Group has set up a Facebook page to gather support for its petition asking the government to make the teaching of science and math in the English language as an option in schools. More than 100,000 people have already joined the group

author: Mong Palatino


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Mexico: Remembering Victims of Organized Crime on the Day of the Dead · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

This year, during All Saints Day and the Day of the Dead in Mexico, “small groups around the country are using the occasion to remember the thousands of people who died violently over the past year at the hand of one or another collection of combatants in the country’s many-sided war against (and amongst) organized crime.” Fred Rosen reports in Mexico, Bewildered and Contested.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Myanmar: A Year After Suu Kyi’s Release · Global Voices
tan

The Burmese people in Myanmar and the whole world rejoiced after Aung San Suu Kyi's release last year on November 13, 2010. Now it has almost been a year since she had been released.
Maydarwii wrote on her blog as soon as Suu Kyi was released:
I thought that I will blog again only after I finished my exams, but today, I will blog because of a happy occassion. Because of the vague news I've been hearing, my mind was in a limbo since yesterday. For this kind of news is heard all the time, but they sometimes turned out to be false. I wished that this news was correct but not feeling too positive about it. While eating breakfast that morning before going out, my uncle told me that the news I heard yesterday was still unconfirmed so I was feeling a bit let down. After coming back home at 1pm, I was hungry so was preparing lunch when my uncle came into the kitchen happily announcing, “She's been released!” We left our lunches at the table, and came in front of the TV watching the news for a long time. We forgot that we were hungry. After all, we have been waiting to hear this news for many years.
I was feeling so overjoyed to see the joyous crowd in front of Daw Suu's house which made me feel goosebumps and tears were forming in my eyes. I couldn't stop looking at Daw Suu's blurry face on TV. I feel so happy and sad at the same time. Indescribable feelings overwhelmed my heart.
Aung San Suu Kyi, 8 October, 2011. Image by Flickr user Utenriksdept (CC BY-ND 2.0).
Htoo Tayzar was one of the Burmese bloggers who went to NLD Headquarters  to listen to her speech to the Burmese people the next day after release. He wrote:
At 10:30am, there was a lot of people already, and many of them was holding “We Love Su” posters. I noticed that there was no uniformed men around there, except for the traffic police. There are also a lot of people at the betel nut shops and tea shops which were directly in front of the headquarters. I saw that many grand dads and grand moms came, holding little kids by the hand. People who came were from different generations
He took many photos at the event, even though “it was too crowded to even stand properly and had to be stand on tip-toe to take these photos.”
Meanwhile, Kyaw Thu, a Burmese actor who has also won many hearts because of his Free Funeral Service Society, gave paintings he drew to Suu Kyi. When asked how he feels about Suu Kyi's release, he said:
We now have a warm light in our lives. I don't want us to lose our  goals. I don't want us to have a life that prevents us from working  because of fear. Now “Mother” Suu can lead and guide us on our way. We can't  just be happy for her release. It is important that we will follow her  guidance.
Many local news journals were not allowed to put her release as headline and reporting about her release was heavily censored. However, a local sports journal was reportedly suspended for two weeks due to its headline which read, “Sunderland Freeze Chelsea,” “United Stunned by Villa” & “Arsenal Advance to Grab Their Hope”, but with light-colour letters in the headline can be read out as “Su Free. Unite & Advance to Grab The Hope.”
Furthermore, nine other local journals were suspended for a week for putting Suu Kyi's release news on front page.
However, after the new government has been inaugurated in 2011, there were relaxations of press censorship on news about Aung San Su Kyi. An article written by her, called “My Holidays” was featured on Pyi Thu Khit Journal.
She traveled to Bagan with her son in July 2011. It was her first trip outside Yangon after being released from house arrest. She greeted hundreds of local residents, and many were elated to be able to meet her.
A resident said:
“I'm so happy to see our country's daughter,” said a 70-year old flower  seller at the pagoda. “Nobody but Suu Kyi can unite this country.”
She was also against the implementation of Myitsone Dam Project in Kachin State. She also seemed to be catching up with social and cultural events after having been imprisoned for  years. She attended several events, such as “Sketch of A River Art Exhibition“, 150th Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore at the Indian Embassy, a football match and the recent opening of Baydar Library. She will also be sponsoring the Art of Freedom Film Festival, where she took financial responsibilities for awarding the entries.
In August 2011, she met with Myanmar's President U Thein Sein for the first time, and said she was “satisfied” with the talks.
She also met with other foreign dignitaries, such as United States Senator John McCain.
Meanwhile, Suu Kyi said that she wil make a decision about re-registering her party National League for Democracy (NLD) after parliament amends the election laws. She said:
Whether we re-register our NLD party depends on the law. That is the reason why we will need to wait until that law has been endorsed to decide about this. When this law has been endorsed, we will hold a meeting according to party laws and decide on this issue. We are very precise. We only do things according to the law. That is why I cannot decide yet because I haven't seen the law.”
On November 13, 2011, she will be holding a press conference in the NLD headquarters in celebration of her one-year freedom.

author: tan


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Qatar: 2013 Parliamentary Election Date Announced  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Qatar today announced it will hold parliamentary elections in the second half of 2013. The announcement was made by the Qatari Emir Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and welcomed by netizens, who hope that Qatar's support for the Arab revolutions is shaping a new tomorrow for Qataris.
Qatari Nawaf Al Thani remarks:
@NawafAlthani: Free elections , support of freedoms around the world a strong economy .. May it be known that the era of Pax Qatara Has started . #Qatar
Doha-based Foreign Policy editor Blake Hounshell reminds us:
@blakehounshell: The interesting thing about Qatar announcing elections is that there has been very little popular pressure to this effect
And Qatari journalist Abdulla Al Amadi [ar] starts planning:
Saudi Ahmed Al Zahrani laments [ar]:
And Mortadha Abdulla adds [ar]:
UAE-based journalist Tom Gara jokes:
@tomgara: Qatar is so rich its 2013 parliamentary elections will also elect the parliaments of Greece, France, Libya and 19 US states.
And Mona Kareem, a stateless person from Kuwait, attempts another joke:
@monakareem: #Qatar 2013 elections must be an Iranian conspiracy to embarrass #Saudi authorities!
At present, Qatar has a 35-member Advisory Council, appointed by the Emir, which shares some of the country's legislative power.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Russia: Blogger from the Moscow Region Under Police Pressure · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Novaya Gazeta publishes [ru] the story of Vladimir Pronin, a commenter from the Moscow region, who was publishing online materials that exposed corruption in Odintsovo city police. He was first accused of libel but during the search that was conducted in his house, police allegedly planted the ammunition. The court, however, dismissed the evidence and released Pronin after 13 days of detention.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Super Babushka Competition · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Kyle Keeton of Windows to Russia writes about the 2011 Moscow Super Babushka Competition, and how it is a way for local authorities to shed light upon the important social role of the babushka (grandmother) in Russian society.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Serbia: Belgrade’s Modernism · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Nothing Against Serbia writes about the 1933 building by Branislav Kojic, which is “regarded as one of the most successful examples of modernism in Belgrade.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Serbia: Media Ownership Report · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Eric Gordy of East Ethnia discusses a recent report on media ownership in Serbia.


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Serbia: Nobel Prize Hoax · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Very belatedly, links to the posts at East Ethnia and Belgraded, which talk about Dobrica Ćosić‘s Nobel Prize in Literature hoax.


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South Asia: Celebrating the 7 Billionth Child · Global Voices
বিজয়

On the 31 October, 2011, the earth welcomed a newborn child named Oishi. Her birth in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka carried a special message – she is the 7 billionth child of the world.
The Editor.net reports:
The 7 billionth child of the world is here in Dhaka. The lucky parents of the child are Mohsin Hossain and Tonni Hossain. They had hoped for a boy child as their third child. And this 3rd child is the 7 billionth child (symbolic) of the world.
The beautiful girl child was born on 12:01 AM at the early hours in Azimpur Maternity and Child Care Hospital.
It is difficult to identify exactly which child is the 7 billionth one, so a symbolic celebration is happening around the world. UNFPA selected Oishi to carry the honor in Bangladesh.
The website adds:
This birth was celebrated publicly – with cake and candles. The hospital was crowded with people who gathered to catch a glimpse of the child. Sponsored by the 7 billion action program, this program was a publicity event.
Posha Pakhi at group blog Somewhereinblog.net carried the news with a post titled “The 7 billionth child was born in Dhaka“. The post attracted many comments:
Journo opined [bn]:
Welcome the  the 7 billionth child from Bangladesh. Hope she will live as an enlightened person.
Mithapur wished the child and questioned the justification of selecting her and mentioned jokingly [bn]:
One question: How did they calculate that she is the 7 billionth
If the line would read -
The world's 7 billion (instead of billionth) children born in Dhaka
It can happen one day, isn't it?
Atiq cannot tell the difference between 7 billion and 7 billion plus one:
I don't understand all the fuss between 7 billion and 7 billion plus one numbers. Why so much discussion on this? Everybody is born with a number everyday.
My prayers for every one of them.
Although the world cheers at Oishi's birth, it did not cheer her parents much. Because Oishi is a girl child. Her parents wanted a boy this time [bn] (the first two are girls).
Sri lankan mother Danushika Perera cuddling her newly born baby. Image by Rohan Karunarathne. Copyright Demotix (31/10/2011)
Not only in Bangladesh, similar celebrations took place in many countries of the world. In Sri Lanka UNFPA celebrated the birth of Muthumani, the  girl child of Ishara Madushanka and Danushika Dilani Perera.
Similarly in India Plan International celebrated the birth of Nargis as the 7 billionth child of the world.
LiveIndia.Com reports [Hi]:
In Lucknow, the capital of Uttarpradesh state in India, a baby girl named Nargis was the symbolic seven billionth child to be born during the early ours of Monday. She was named as Nargis.
Although the growing number of world population has been seen as a wake up call for the world, Muthumani, Oishi and Nargis give us the message that the girl-children should not be neglected in the future.

author: বিজয়


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South Korea: Photos of Rally Against Free Trade Agreement with U.S. · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

About 3,000 activists staged a demonstration in Seoul, South Korea, protesting against a recently signed free-trade agreement with the United States. South Korean citizen media  consolidated photos by Korean Twitterers.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Trinidad and Tobago: Broadcast Crime Referred to Prosecutors · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Gerard Best reports that the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago has referred the controversial matter of a TV station airing footage of a minor being raped to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Video of Flooding in Central Myanmar · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

DVBTVenglish uploaded a video on YouTube which showed the destructive impact of the recent flooding in central Myanmar


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Video: Opening a Coconut Hawaii Vs. Trinidad Style · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The Presurfer points us towards this video contrasting two different styles of opening a green coconut to drink the water inside. One of them is definitely not for beginners!

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Albania: Eliza Dushku on “Why You Must Visit Albania” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At HuffPost Travel, American actress Eliza Dushku writes about her Albanian roots and her travel to Albania.


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Bangladesh: Signs Of An Emerging Country · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladesh Corporate Blog lists nine hilarious trends that show that Bangladesh is becoming an emerging country.

author: Rezwan


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China: An Open Letter to the Investors of Sina · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Andy Yee from ChinaGeeks translated Chinese activist Wen Yunchao's open letter to the investors of Sina to reduce their shareholding so as to weaken Sina’s efforts in censorship.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Visit blind activist in November · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Mainland Chinese activists have produced an excellent advocacy video [zh] urging Chinese citizens to take action to rescue the blind activist, Chen Guangcheng in Shandong province, Linyi county in November 2011. The video message said it is a contest for light and truth.


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Colombia: Anonymous Invites Citizens to Protest on November 10 · Global Voices
Lully

Anonymous, through its Twitter account @Anonymiss_Co [es], links to a video [es] where they confirm their support of the student strikes in rejection of a reform to higher education Law 30. They also congratulate the students for their resistance, and invite citizens to join a national mobilization on November 10, 2011.

author: Lully


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Côte d’Ivoire: Water Shortages in Abidjan Districts · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Kanigui writes [fr] in his blog Actu et Opinion: “Living in certain districts of Abidjan  means accepting that there will be no running water from time to time.  The inhabitants of Koumassi  Remblais, Cocody Angré, or even Yopougon Ananeraie go frequently through the agony of reduced water pressure or outright shortages .”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Croatia: Relations With the EU · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Croatia Online examines some of the past and present hopes and concerns related to Croatia's plans to join the EU in July 2013.


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Cuba: A Society Without Trees?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“It is called cyclone prevention. It is called telephony and electricity without ecological interference. It is called sanitation against disease. It is called sunlight. It is called power”: Orlando Luis Pardo thinks that the felling of trees might be “part of a deferred vengeance against the government”, but fears that “by the time this resistance triumphs, we will live in a country without trees.”


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Cuba: The 10 Per Cent  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cuban diaspora bloggers say they are the 10% percent in the OccupyCuba movement.


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Curacao: Royal Visit to Curacao  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

TRIUNFO DI SABLIKA blogs about the Dutch royalty's visit to Curacao, explaining why some of the public reaction has “queen Beatrix feeling a bit chilly up in the tropics.”


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Egypt: Salafis Cover Up Alexandria Mermaid Statue  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
Salafis have covered up a mermaid statue in Alexandria, Egypt, drawing ridicule and criticism from netizens. Tweeps report that the statue was covered up by the Al Noor Salafi party, which was holding a gathering nearby.
Farah Saafan explains:
@FarahSaafan: Salafis had a meeting close to a mermaid statue in Alexandria.. Ended up covering the poor mermaid during the gathering
EngyG quips:
@EngyG: Covering a mermaid statue in Alexandria is definitely going to get us all to heaven. Can't wait. #Egypt #Alexandria #Salafis
RachidH reacts:
@RachidH: Forward to the 7th century
And Mostafa Hussein is in disbelief and needs to see the deed with his own eyes:
@mosftasa: Do we have a statue of a mermaid in Alexandria? AND someone covered it with a Niqab? Links and photos please.
Al Masry Al Youm newspaper provides the evidence in a photograph it posted on Twitter.
The covered and uncovered mermaid. Posted on Twitter by Al Masri Al Youm
Four Corners Media reminds us that such incidents are only too common, sharing an example from Iraq:
@FourCM: @JustAmira @nfm same happened in Nasiriyah in 2004, Sumerian female statues defaced for exposed breasts
The reaction of many Salafis to the our collective human heritage, culture and the arts, is a stark reminder of how the Taliban destroyed ancient Buddha statues in Afghanistan in 2001.
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.


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Egypt: SCAF – The Last Pillar of the House!? · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
Over the past few days in Egypt we have witnessed: the detention of the prominent Egyptian blogger, Alaa Abd El Fattah; one more civilian victim of the Military Trials is believed to have been tortured to death in his jail; the murderers of Khaled Said (the case that fueled the Egyptian revolution) were recently punished with only seven years in jail;  and until now, the Supreme Council of Armed Forces has refused to bear responsibility for the massacre that took place in the Maspero area, earlier this month.
All these incidents have made Egyptian bloggers wonder whether are we back to square one? Or as Alaa wrote in the message he sent from his detention, which was translated by Sultan AlQassemi:
I did not expect that the very same experience would be repeated after five years, after a revolution in which we have ousted the tyrant, I go back to jail?
Woman with black clothes holding a candle mourning the Maspero violence. Image by Amr Jamil, copyright Demotix (13/10/11).
It is  clear to many, including Amira Nowaira, that the Supreme Council for Armed Forces (SCAF) is not doing well in managing the transitional period in Egypt:
More than 3 weeks after the deadly clashes that left 27 dead (so far) and hundreds injured on Sunday 9 October in front of the Egyptian State TV building, Maspero, there are still more questions than answers. The only thing that is clear is that the brutal attack against peaceful, mostly Coptic, protesters, marks a dangerous turning point in the ruling military council’s (dis)management of Egypt’s transition and sends a number of worrying messages.
Not only are they said to be mismanaging the transitional period, but they are being accused of standing behind the massacre, as many stated here. And according to Bikya Masr writer, Hayden Pirkle, the Coptic businessman Naguib Sawiris too holds the Egyptian military responsible for Maspero massacre:
Prominent Coptic businessman turned politician, Naguib Sawiris, accused the Egyptian military of being complicit in the massacre at Maspero on October 9. Sawiris rejected that the violence at Maspero was incited by “infiltrators” and stated that it is the responsibility of the military to safeguard security, in an interview on Al Arabiya TV’s “Point of Order”
But how did we reach the point where the masses are to a significant extent neutral to incidents like these ones and the majority even side with the army?
A few months ago clashes took place in Al-Abbasseya district, and activists then wrote how the SCAF incited against their march for days on the state-run channels, and issued a statement the night prior to the clashes also carrying the same tone. Recently the same tactics were used in the Maspero massacre, and according to Amira Nowaira, state TV was more blunt in incitement against the Copts:
This is the first time that State TV has been engaged in an open and shameless incitement against Copts. It did the unthinkable when it alleged that the army was being attacked by Copts and called on “honourable citizens” to come out to help defend the army, not realizing perhaps that it is the army that is supposed to defend citizens and not the other way round. This was tantamount to an invitation to extremists, bigots and racists to assault Copts on the streets.
Elazul summarizes the effect of the state media in the following paragraph:
Evidence only shows that not only were we opposed by Mubarak's group (including the SCAF), but also by a (large) segment of the population that until this day, curses the day we ever revolted, and considers us criminals & traitors.
Meanwhile, The Big Pharaoh added that the SCAF is also trying to deliver a certain message, not only to the Egyptians, but also to the US administration:
I wanted to know whether the Obama administration had gotten the message SCAF wanted to deliver ever since they allowed the Israeli embassy to be stormed. And this message can be summarized as follows: it’s either us or chaos in Egypt, it’s either us or sectarian strife.
…
Judging from the US’ mild statement after the massacre, I believe SCAF’s message was delivered. And it was not just delivered to the international community, but also to the general public as well. Fear and insecurity dominates the country today, and very few would like to collide with the military junta whom they consider to be the last remaining pillar holding the country together.
He then added that the delivery of such a message is like the green light for them that start a crackdown on activists and media:
This takes us to what I believe will happen to activists in Egypt. After ensuring that there won’t be much of a powerful objection from the inside front nor the international community, I believe SCAF will crackdown on activists and media unprecedentedly.
And this is exactly what many say is going on now. However, Abu Tawil mocked how the SCAF despite all this, is celebrating the raising of world’s highest flag in Egypt:
Naturally, in light of these troubled yet busy times and nearly eight months worth of their (mis)management, SCAF needed to take a break from trying activists in front of military trials, blaming invisible foreign hands for all of Egypt’s domestic problems, and decrying all protests and strikes for threatening national unity. Moreover thanks to the flight of foreign investment, dwindling foreign currency reserves, and an eighty percent decrease in the number of tourists, the Egyptian economy can afford to waste funds on useless public projects. As such, SCAF is proud to announce the raising of the world’s highest flag. Measuring 12 by 15 meters and flying at a height of 176 meters (14 meters higher than that of Azerbaijan), the flag has hoisted next to the dirt field where I play ultimate frisbee twice a week while patriotic poetry was recited and the national anthem was sung.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian parties are setting themselves for the parliamentary elections that will be held by the end of this month. And the importance of the coming parliament is that it will appoint the committee that will be writing the Egyptian constitution, however the Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, Ali Al-Selmy, invited political parties in order to seek their agreement on constitutional principles that are seen to give the military extraordinary power.
On Twitter, the changes triggered much debate:
@abuhatem: The supra-constitutional principles document drafted by the government in Egypt gives military extraordinary power.
@zalali: New draft provides inordinate amount of power to #SCAF 2 intervene in the drafting of new #constitution. Some attendees left meeting. #Egypt
However Khaled is worried that people in the street might not be really critical to the draft as the activists on Twitter are.
@Khaled_A_: أكيد إللى هتسمعه من حد فى الشارع على الوثيقة الفوق دستورية: و ماله ما يكون فوق الدستور ده جيشنا ده هو إللى حمى الثورة ده مضربش عليكم نار
And finally, Mohamed Kamel wonders, if there is still a possibility for people to revolt again.
@MohHKamel: Would it be difficult to get people to revolt again after the last 9 months? No security, sectarian tensions, shaky economy?
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

author: Tarek Amr


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Gaddafi’s Lost Arsenal, a Threat to the Sahel Region · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Revolution 2011.
Since the beginning of the conflict in Libya that toppled the Gaddafi's regime, weapon trafficking has been on the rise in the Sahel region. The consequences of this trafficking threatens peace in a region that is already destabilized by poverty and vast uncontrolled areas.
The Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS in French) is an international organization whose mandate is to invest in research for food security and the fight against the effects of drought and desertification in the region. Its country members include Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Chad. All of them are on high alert regarding the potential impact of weapons on the loose reaching their borders.
Africa Boyebi repost a report from the AFP on his blog that describes an uncontrolled weapons site [fr]:
L'arsenal compte quelque 80 bunkers de béton peints couleur sable destinés au stockage de munitions, essentiellement de fabrication russe et française.
Dans un seul de ces bunkers, l'AFP a compté environ 8.000 obus de 100 mm. Dans d'autres, des centaines de bombes de 250, 500 et 900 kg larguées par avion, sont empilées sur plusieurs mètres de haut, mais aussi des roquettes, des bombes à fragmentation, des obus d'artillerie et de mortier de tout calibre, des munitions de canon antiaérien…
Peter Bouckaert, Human Rights Watch's emergencies director and an expert in humanitarian crises provides the details of the weapons [fr]  that were found unguarded 100 km south of Syrte in the following video. He states that some of weapons here were retrieved in the Sinaï desert and even Gaza later:
Way before conflict broke out in Libya, there were weapons circulating throughout the Sahel region at the unguarded borders of many countries, but these weapons were much smaller in size and range. However, more sophisticated weaponry has been introduced in the past few months.
However, more sophisticated weaponry has been introduced in the past few months. Samuel Benshimon on Sahel Intelligence explains that AQIM (Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb – a radical Islamist militia) may have claimed some of these heavy weapons [fr]:
According to reliable sources from the capital cities of  Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Algeria and Mauritania, heavy weaponry, including anti-aerial missiles abandoned in Libya were seized by mysterious terrorists groups. A military source in Bamako states that many of these weapons were already transported  towards AQMI bases in the north of Mali by African mercenaries.
Samuel Benshimon adds that a high level officer has confirmed the accuracy of this information and that he also said [fr]:
The authorities of his country are very worried about AQIM reloading on weapons in such manner and that it presents a very palatable threat fro the entire region. He adds that amongs the weapons are Sam7, anti-aerial missiles made in Russia. Similar concerns were expressed by the president of Chad Driss Deby. The weapons were retrieved by African mercenaries or AQIM elements and were transported overnight to their final destination. The branches of AQIM  based in the north of Mali are controlled by Algerian emirs Mokhtar Belmokhtar and Abdelhamid Abou Zaid
What ought to be even more worrisome are the issues that author and blogger Thérèse Zrihen-Dvir has listed in the following post [fr] :
The revolution is now over and Libya is free. However, the former rebels are not ready to let go of their weapons right away. Just in case, you know. The region is still not stabilized, the police is still composed of volunteers for half of them. No national army has been fully set up so the population feel like they ought to protect their communities themselves and hold on to their weapons.
In an article on elkhabar.com blog, Moroccan scholar Mohamed Drif (specialized in Islamic movement), predicts that the region will be controlled by three groups that sprung from the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya [fr]:
The first group will be composed of the Gaddafi's loyalists, the tribes that fought by his side and that went home in the North of Niger. The group is experienced with combat and that owns weaponry that allows to pursue the fight against the new regime in Libya and will target western interests in the region.
The second group will be composed of the many Africans that were linked to the Gaddafi regime. This group will start to destabilize the region not because they want to avenge Gaddafi but because they want to regain the financial loss they incurred when the support from Gaddafi ran dry. Guerilla warfare from this group is likely in order to claim some quick financial spoils.
The third group will be composed of Gaddafi partisans in Libya or in neighboring nations who are striving to destabilize the region for tribal reasons.
Cafe Aboki blog posts an AFP report, which claims that the National Transitional Council of Libya has found yet another stockpile of weaponry [fr], this time, of the chemical type. Chemical weapons are very mobile [fr] and have a great capacity to kill and destroy the surrounding environment.
A study by Olivier Lepick for Recherche Stratégique indicates the multiple  angers that chemical weapons [fr] can present:
Some characteristics of chemical weapons are tailor made for terrorist activities, most notably the fact that there are no reliable detectors of chemical and biological weapons, they are not easily traceable and the relative ease with which one can procure such substances. Evidently and unfortunately, these weapons also have a tremendous capability to spread fear and panic among the civilian population.
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Revolution 2011.


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Gambia: Pigs, Cows and Birds · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Lynn blogs about pigs, cows and birds in Gambia: “I got two melons straight from the field and one bag of charcoal for a future barbeque. The most beautiful part of the journey is seeing the birds. Tiny pillar box reds called  red billed fire finches and a carmine bee-eater; soft floaty blues called blue bellied rollers; northern red bishops…”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Greece: Anti-Austerity Protests Disrupt Ochi Day Parades · Global Voices
Asteris Masouras

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
Unprecedented protests in many Greek cities on October 28, 2011, disrupted parades by the military and school pupils held for the national celebration of ‘Ochi Day‘ (No Day). In Thessaloniki, the president departed his post at the dignitaries’ podium after the parade was brought to a halt by protesters, some calling him a traitor, while in Athens, pupils marched holding mourning black armbands aloft.
Greeks are angry over the relentless and ineffective austerity measures, culminating in the recent “haircut” deal negotiated by banks and European politicians, which many fear signifies the beginning of a new foreign “occupation” of the country.
Thessaloniki parade “occupied”
Several local bloggers and activists in Thessaloniki found themselves in the middle of events, posting updates and photos from their cellphones:
@panws_k: Ντου από τον κοσμο στο δρομο της παρελασης, αυτοματως καπελακηδες, κλουβες και ΜΑΤ μας κλεισανε το δρομο #skg http://t.co/5qMZYAkw
@gazakas: Στη Θεσσαλονίκη ο κόσμος έχει κατέβει στο οδόστρωμα και φωνάζει συνθήματα. απίστευτο. #skg
@salonicanews: Αποχωρεί ο πρόεδρος της Δημοκρατίας από την παρέλαση!
Citizen photojournalist Craig Wherlock later tweeted his testimony along with photos and a video, showing a squad of parading special forces reservists clashing with protesters blocking their way:
@teacherdude: There is no precedent for this.Street filled with ppl angry with the govt and they blocked the parade. In the end army etc forced to leave
@teacherdude: A lot of anger was directed towards German consulate which was next to stand set up for VIPs, Greeks see measures as an foreign occupation
Photographer Andreas Kakaris also posted numerous photos of the protest on Citizenside. The scene reminded journalist Andreas Panagopoulos of images from Egypt's revolution:
@AnemosNaftilos: Εικόνα αυτή τη στιγμή ΧΩΡΙΣ αξιολόγηση: Διαδηλωτές, στρατιώτες και τανκς στη μέση του δρόμου… Θυμίζει Φεβρουάριο, φέτος, κάπου αλλού
The parade eventually continued, in a fashion, after protesters had replaced fleeing dignitaries on the podium, sung the national anthem and a rebel song that embodied the struggle against the colonels’ junta, and marched alongside war invalids and veterans while applauding them. According to local blog Salonica News, up to 30,000 people ended up participating in the Thessaloniki protest [el].
The Ochi Day parade holds special significance for the northern city of Thessaloniki. The “co-capital” of Greece is being hit hard by chronically mounting unemployment (projected at 30% by year's end [el]), and the dereliction of industry in the Central Macedonia region. Conversely, while Greece suffers at the heart of the European sovereign debt crisis, it remains the largest importer of conventional weapons in Europe since 1999, and its military spending is the highest in the European Union.
Parade protests in many cities
Citizens while protesting vigorously for the economic misery of the country, are surrounded by riot police in Syntagma Square, Athens. Image by epoca libera, copyright Demotix (28/10/11).
In Athens, marching pupils held mourning black armbands aloft and brass band players tied black ribbons to their instruments. In preceding days, a call on social media centered around an impromptu Facebook group (since deleted) had advocated citizen protest on Ochi Day, based on the theme of the national holiday (“We Say No!”).
Theodora Economides, an indignant activist and member of the group, tweeted updates from the protest in Athens:
@IrateGreek: #Greece #Syntagma #28ogr #oxi #rbnews Cops blocking view to Amalias, ppl screaming “who will the schoolchildren parade for? For riot cops?”
@IrateGreek: #Greece #Syntagma #28ogr #oxi #rbnews Random pol are coming to me to get #oxi flyers & stickers to distribute to crowd.
Protesters, and even parading pupils, in many Greek cities similarly expressed their disapproval of the austerity policies and the perceived capitulation of the “haircut” deal. Athens News journalist Damian Mac Con Uladh reported from Corinth:
@damomac: Lots of students turning their heads the other way as they march by church and state in #korinthos #oxi
@damomac: Politicians had to make a quick exit after #korinthos #oxi parade. No hanging around, although crowd were calling for hangings
Pupils parading in Poligiros, Halkidiki did a synchronized about face to turn their backs on dignitaries while marching in place, and in Thraki pupils left the parade to join protesters. Similar protests, as well as instances of attacks on ruling party members also occured at Trikala, Kozani, Pyrgos, Lamia, Preveza and other cities (citizen media portal radiobubble news compiled a complete list in Greek), with dozens of cellphone videos posted later on YouTube. Several photosets of the protests in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patra were posted on the Demotix Greek unrest hub.
Photographer Christos Roussis put both the parade and protests in Chalkida to music, in shades of grey – very much the palette of thoughts in austerity-ridden Greece:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku0Uyb0wXA8
Theodora Economides pointed out the importance of these protests:
@IrateGreek: I wonder if foreign media understand how important it is even small towns in#Greece protested presence of officials in #28ogr parades #oxi
Why “no”, and what's next?
Ochi Day campaign protest banner. "If not now, when. If not us, who?" Posted by @IrateGreek
Freelance journalist Matthew Tsimitakis laid out the reasons behind this unprecedented act of collective defiance:
The Greeks do not welcome the news of the agreement European leaders reached on Wednesday in Brussels cutting the Greek debt by 50%. Instead they fear that it will signal more austerity and deprivation affecting even greater parts of the population. Greeks feel that democracy is canceled now and the country is “occupied” by the IMF the ECB and the European Commission under the authority of the Germans and turned into a protectorate.
Blogger and newsfilter Greekdude provided a measured, pessimistic analysis of the state of affairs:
I very much fear that what we are entering in, is a circle of anger and pessimism. Greeks have enough reasons to feel that way. People are laid off every day while new taxes and austerity measures are imposed. Together with unemployment, crime and poverty rates are rising as well. The media are compounding the situation by having a negative influence on the public. [..] Saying ‘no’ is expected when your life is turned upside down and the only thing left is uncertainty. However, I’m afraid that the situation won’t get any better before people move on the next step, if not this, then what?
At the end of the emotionally charged day, usually irreverent and wacky blogger Antidrasex offered a serious admonition:
@Antidrasex: Καληνύχτα σε όλους σας. Το συνάνθρωπο σας και τα μάτια σας. Δεν κερδίζετε φως αν του βγάλετε το μάτι
In an imminent follow-up post, Global Voices will focus on reactions to the unprecedented Greek protests during Ochi Day.
This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Asteris Masouras


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Greece: Vote of Confidence and the Future Referendum · Global Voices
Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
On the evening of October 31, 2011, in a politically risk move [el], the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou called for an immediate vote of confidence in parliament [el] and a referendum for or against the latest EU bailout loan, while addressing the parliamentary group of the ruling PASOK party. Although Papandreou has ruled out elections, a premature poll may be in the cards, in case of a negative answer to the referendum dilemma.
The news took European and international power circles by surprise, as is apparent in related articles by the Guardian, Reuters, CNN, the New York Times and other news outlets.
Addressing [el] the PASOK parliamentary group, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos remarked that the referendum should be seen as an opportunity for unconventional institutional initiatives:
From page of the Guardian newspaper featuring the Greek crisis, from @guardiannews
And of course, the intervening period until the referendum must be a time of big institutional and political initiatives. It is an opportunity to take unconventional, revisionist initiatives towards a new state, a modern representative constitution.
Accordingly, he threw down the gauntlet at citizens, by essentially posing the dilemma “stay in the Eurozone and with PASOK, or return to the drachma and the financially lean conditions of post-war times”:
Now citizens themselves will be called to answer, with logical cohesion and consistency, with a beginning, middle and end, by supporting the parliamentary majority: Are we for Europe? Are we for the Eurozone? Are we for Euro? Do we consider the balance as positive? Do we believe we should stay in this group of developed states and not go back to Greece of the drachma, or to Greece of the '60s and '50s?
The announcement was received in a generally negative climate, with critical comments with respect to the timing of the announcement of the future referendum, as well as of the potential triggering of elections. Many comments on Twitter were posted under the hashtags #dimopsifisma and #referendum.
Main opposition party New Democracy tweeted:
@neademokratia: Elections are the only solution! http://ht.ly/7eoU6
Journalist Diane Shugart commented on the televised statement of the press officer of the Greek Communist Party (KKE):
@dianalizia: and the fun starts now in #greece. communist party rejects referendum, calls for elections instead.
Foivos Panagopoulos in the Netherlands comments on the impact of the referendum on the global economy:
@suorm: The Greek #referendum is going to be a snowflake that's going to create a massive avalanche across the EU/Asian/NA market. Bye-bye EU right!
While in Athens, Εliana and Cyberela comment on the announcement itself in two tweets:
@Cyberela: Too much democracy today in #Greece. #Referendum
@ElianaVou: Surreal is an understatement for today's events. Either PASOK has totally lost the plot or PASOK has totally lost the plot #dimopsifisma
Kyriakos Pierrakakis and Maria Katsikovordou wonder about the cost of the referendum in this financially difficult period:
@Pierrakakis: Who'll incur the cost of the referendum?
@mariakatsme: Good morning, let me be a bit “populist”: The referendum will cost us 110 million Euros #dimopsifisma. Maybe we should drop it and spare families from cutting off their electricity? #christmas
While Sofia Mandilara left the immediate reaction of global markets without comment:
@thesspirit: Dow Jones drops by 275 points within minutes. No further comments.
Many ironic and humorous comments followed in a similar vein, reviving an older Twitter meme with possible question choices for the referendum:
@YBoyio: #42 is the answer to the Ultimate Greek Dilemma. The question of the referendum is still unknown! [“42″ is the answer to the unknown question about Life, the Universe and Everything, in Douglas Adams’ Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy]
@arkoudos: I propose to hold a referendum to decide on the question of the referendum #dimopsifisma
@jasongrig: Tolerance or guilt? #dimopsifisma
@IrateGreek: Default or bankruptcy? #dimopsifisma
Three days before, on October 28, the celebration of the “Ochi Day” anniversary to commemorate the induction of Greece into World War 2 in 1940 had been marked by protests.
The last Greek referendum took place in 1974 [el], to decide whether the system of government would be a constitutional monarchy or a parliamentary democracy.
This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni


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Honduras: “Operation Lightning” Amid Police Shake Up · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

La Gringa's Blogcito updates readers on the alleged involvement of four police officers in the murder of two university students. La Gringa also writes briefly about Operation Lightning: “In a joint police-military operation, the country has been divided into 8 sections, each with a police and a military commander. According to Minister of Defense Marlon Pascua, foot and vehicle patrols will be performed along with police stops in higher crime areas.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Israel: Netizens Strongly Object to the Prospect of a Strike on Iran · Global Voices
Elizabeth Tsurkov

Several Israeli media reports in recent days have discussed the possibility of an imminent Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The reports stated that Israel's security establishment, the IDF, Mossad and Shin Bet object to attacking Iran, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman are pushing the cabinet to agree to strike Iran.
Following these reports, the Israeli public, for the first time, started seriously debating this important issue.
As Larry Dafner wrote on +972 Magazine:
Finally, it’s happened. After years of hearing and talking about nothing but the potential danger of a nuclear Iran, this country is hearing and talking about the potential danger of trying to pre-empt that first danger with fighter bombers. We’re hearing not just about “the Iranian threat,” but about “the Israeli threat,” too. And after years of listening to the hasbara king talk about Hitler and 1938 and Holocaust déjà vu, the Israeli public is hearing, indirectly, from the people they trust more than they trust the politicians – the professionals, the career warriors and spies – and the word they’re hearing from those tough guys is a very loud, urgent “NO.”
The response to these reports and the possibility of attacking Iran's nuclear facilities was unanimously negative among Israeli netizens. Some have even started a Facebook event for a protest in front of the Israeli Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv on November 6 against a strike on Iran.
Many netizens saw a possible attack on Iran as a diversion tactic from the recent wave of social justice protests against the economic policies of the Netanyahu government.
Others lamented what they perceived to be the stupidity and recklessness of Israel's leadership.
Some, of course, used to opportunity to crack jokes. Referencing the slew of recent leaks, Rubynet wrote:
Itamar Shaltiel joked about the possible benefits from Israeli cities being subjected to missile fire.

author: Elizabeth Tsurkov


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Jamaica: A Halloween Story · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The possible links between Jamaican culture and Halloween get Geoffrey Philp blogging about death and “the sacrifices that our ancestors made for us to be here.”


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Latin America: Travel Writer Tackles the Andes · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Michael Busch interviews travel writer Michael Jacobs about his book Andes: “Beginning in Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela and finishing up in the heart of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego, Andes masterfully details the history, art, geography, personalities, and politics that have defined and been given shape by life in the region.”


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Palestine: New Flotilla en Route to Break Gaza Siege  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A flotilla made up of a Canadian and an Irish ship is en route to Palestine, to break the siege on Gaza, it emerged today. The covert operation was being kept under wraps and has just been announced. On Twitter, the news is being circulated under the hashtag #Freedomwaves.
The Canadian ship named Tahrir and the Irish  Saoirse are said to be in international waters, in the Mediterranean Sea, with plans to sail to Gaza in a few hours.
A previous attempt to break the siege on Gaza last year [See Global Voices’ Special Coverage on the incident here] had ended with a clash when Israeli naval forces seized a flotilla of six ships carrying international activists, known as the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, who were planning to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian supplies.
According to Israeli sources, their forces boarded the flotilla after it had declined to change its course to the port of Ashdod, where Israel had promised to inspect the aid and deliver non-banned items to Gaza. Between 9 and 16 passengers of the Comoros-flagged MV Mavi Marmara were reported killed by Israeli soldiers who landed on the ship, 10 Israeli soldiers were seriously injured.
According to Ruqayah:
@iRevolt: ‘Freedom Waves for Gaza’ is the 11th attempt by int'l activists to deliver humanitarian aid through the Israeli blockade of Gaza since 2008.
On the new flotilla, Canada Boat to Gaza announces:
CanadaBoatGaza: CONFIRMED: The Tahrir is now in international waters and is headed to Gaza soon. #FreedomWaves #Canada4Gaza #DeOccupyPalestine
Asa Winstanley notes:
@AsaWinstanley: Keeping #freedomwaves a secret until today was smart. Undercuts Israeli ability to sabotage & spread disinformation, as happened last time
Information is also emerging about reporters onboard the flotillas. Egyptian Sarah Carr reports:
@Sarahcarr: My badass boss @linaattalah is on the Tahrir, one of two boats that make up the Freedomwaves flotilla en route to Gaza.
And Ahmed Shihab Eldin adds:
@ASE: #AlJazeera has a reporter on one of the #freedomwaves ships headed for Gaza. More to come.
Twitter users onboard the ships are also making their presence known. Hassan Ghani, a Press TV reporter, tweets:
@hassan_ghani: I'm onboard the Tahrir, one of two #flotilla boats now in international waters on their way to break the siege of Gaza. #freedomwaves
and adds:
@hassan_ghani: #freedomwaves boats left secretly from Turkish shores to avoid political interference. But marine authorities reduced passengers to 12 each
warning:
@hassan_ghani: Internet connection on the #Tahrir is intermittent but I hope to be sending a report out later tonight on the #freedomwaves mission
While Egyptian Lina Attalah, with Al Masry Al Youm, tells us:
@Linaarralah: we just reached international waters aboard of the canada boat to #gaza #freedomwaves @almasryalyoum_e #tahrir @CanadaBoatGaza
Stay tuned for more coverage from the flotilla as more information emerges.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Peru: Student’s Death in the Andes Divides Media and Social Networks · Global Voices
Isabel Guerra

Although finding the body of student Ciro Castillo Rojo [es] – who disappeared in the Colca Canyon mountain in Arequipa, a region in the south of Peru nearly seven months ago – put an end to the mystery about his whereabouts, the controversy regarding the unclear circumstances of his death has been revived. Above all, the finding has reintroduced a public debate over the involvement of his girlfriend, Rosario Ponce, who was also missing but was later found alive, and the role the media plays in similar cases.
The disappearance of Ciro Castillo Rojo was present in all of the Peruvian press headlines during these pasts months [es] due to the determination of his father, who never stopped searching and managed to get the attention of the public and local press after publicly announcing (in a TV interview) that his family no longer considered the case as a disappearance, but rather a murder [es].
In the headlines, the press have echoed these speculations and other theories related to the student's disappearance. Furthermore, unlike the thousands of registered disappearances in Peru, this particular case has managed to capture citizens’ attention and stay longer than usual in the media's agenda.
Flickr user The Advocacy Project commented in September 2011:
Local newspaper's front page, dedicated to the case.
[Ciro Castillo Rojo] has been missing for 5 months and his disappearance  has captivated the  nation, as opposed to the disappearance of more  than 15,000 people  during the internal armed conflict.
Twitter user Marco Antonio (@Markcopero) asserts:
@am@amigoperu76 la familia de Ciro tiene buenas influencias, por eso la prensa siguió el caso, al día se pierden miles y la prensa no informa
Regarding this issue, the Mazmorra de mi suegra [es] blog criticizes the great amount of media attention given to this case:
Desapariciones de personas ocurren todos los días [en el Perú], mas a ninguno jamás se le dio similar cobertura que al de Ciro Castillo, lo cual lleva a concluir que se trata de un reality show creado para acaparar la atención pública y distraerla de los problemas principales de corrupción que afronta el gobierno de turno.
Similarly, Ricardo Alvarado in AveCrítica [es] questions how Peru's justice system deals with these cases:
Es bastante sabido que la justicia peruana hace discriminaciones basadas en criterios de clase, raza y género… Basta con decir que el caso Ciro Castillo ha tenido la mayor concentración de recursos humanos y materiales que se recuerde en los últimos años:… Para los 16 mil peruanos desaparecidos durante los 20 años de violencia política, y para los desaparecidos en democracia -¿una decena? ¿un centenar, si contamos el Baguazo? la verdad es que nadie se ha ocupado de contarlos-, no hay fiscales viajeros, ni sinchis movilizados, ni helicópteros, ni escáneres 3D; sus familiares son sistemáticamente ninguneados; y sus peritos de parte suelen encontrar todas las trabas y dificultades imaginables, y algunas inimaginables.
Likewise, Twitter user Carlos (@DanBrownie) points out that other missing Peruvians have not been searched for with the same effort, and have even been forgotten. Carlos refers to a missing police officer during the armed conflict called ‘Baguazo‘ in Peru.
Me alegro que encontraran a Ciro pero ¿y el Mayor Bazan?
Local TV report. Screen capture.
The case also became a hot issue in social networks in Peru: all users seem to have taken a position, either favoring Ciro Castillo or Rosario Ponce, the surviving girlfriend who a lot accuse of being the possible murderer.
Mario Santander (@alois77) tweets addressing a former congresswoman:
@Rosario_Sasieta ojala ud. colabore para meter presa a la asesina basura de rosario ponce , Dra. charito
Jesús Gonzáles (@GsusGonz) gives his opinion on the hypothetical responsibility of Rosario Ponce in the student's death:
Yo creo que Rosario Ponce no es asesina pero ella tuvo que ver con la muerte de ciro #RosarioPonce
Lulu Lozada (@cofredelulu) recalls the right to presumption of innocence:
Se vulneraron los derechos de Rosario Ponce al sindicarla como  asesina.  Toda persona es inocente hasta que no se demuestre lo  contrario.
After finding the body, the word “Ciro” became a Twitter trending topic in Peru, and the debate over the role of the media intensified.
Simon Gonza Abad (@gonzaabadsimon) uses irony:
creo que gran parte de la prensa quiere que encuentren a rosario ponce culpable…. claro ps para tener mas titulares
Simón de Sirene (@H144000) believes that the press has gone too far:
La mayoria d la gente cree que Rosario es culpable porque los medios diariamente la tratan como asesina #PeriodismoDelincuencial@Capital967
Even themed blogs had something to say about the huge media coverage dedicated to this issue, like Luis Samanamud in Abrir Negocio [es]:
Ciro Castillo y Rosario Ponce, un negocio para los medios     de  comunicación… Muchos diarios y medios digitales por Internet      publican grandes titulares para vender sus publicaciones y por su   puesto    logran apreciables ganancias sin que esto signifique   beneficios para    los digamos autores, Ciro y Rosario…
José Aguilar (@Jose_Aguilar) also complains about the media coverage:
Ya no quiero ver más TV,hoy he sentido un asco indescriptible por todos  los canales, todos buscan hacer llorar a la mama de Ciro en su canal.
Giuseppe Bisso (@gbiss8) encourages people to start talking about some current important issues, like the accusations of influence peddling the second vice-president, Omar Chehade, is currently facing.
Ya apareció Ciro, ahora no se olviden de Chehade
This is not the end of this story: by the end of writing this article, forensic investigations continue, and we can suppose that Peruvians will remain interested. Nevertheless, there are some questions in social networks and in the media that will be, or should be, the starting point for discussions and debates not only in those networks, but also in the country's Colleges of Journalism and Mass Communication. Like Katherine Santiago's (@KateSV) question:
Si comprueban q #Rosario no es la asesina de #Ciro, los medios limpiarán su imagen o se harán los locos? #CHAN
Or Omar Zevallos’ (@Omarzev) question:
A partir del Caso Ciro, la prensa podría hacer un autoanálisis?
This story will surely continue. You can read more Twitter reactions in this Storify post [es].

author: Isabel Guerra


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Philippines: Average internet speed · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

Snippets from a white paper by Akamai presented in the blog New Media Philippines reveals that the average internet speed in the Philippines is 1.2 Mbps. This is behind the international average speed of 2.6 Mbps and makes the Philippines rank 103 in terms of average internet speed globally.

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Philippines: Failure of social media activism · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

Get Real Post comments that social media activism in the Philippines has offered lots of noise but without real substance.


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Philippines: Tributes for Murdered Italian Missionary · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

Father Fausto Tentorio was an Italian missionary serving indigenous communities in the hinterlands of the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. His cold-blooded murder, allegedly by state forces, has drawn widespread indignation and tributes for the well-loved missionary.
A lone gunman shot Fr. Fausto, fondly called Fr. Pops by those who knew him, in broad daylight at the garage of the Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish Church Convent, Arakan Valley, North Cotabato on October 17, 2011.
Fr. Pops was the head of the said parish as well as a member of the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions (PIME). He is the 54th victim of extrajudicial killing under the Noynoy Aquino regime.
Different social sectors have condemned the killing. Tributes by several Church groups are collected in the justiceforfatherpops.com website. The Visayas Clergy Discernment Group describes Fr. Pops:
As a rural missionary and as an anti-mining advocate, he helped and worked with the indigenous peoples in opposing the operation of large-scale plantations and mining which would harm them. As a human rights advocate, he joined in calling for justice for slain human rights workers and farmers in Central Mindanao in 2002.
Fr. Pops’ opposition to mining and support for indigenous peoples’ organizations has been cited by his colleagues as the reason for his killing:
The strong and visible presence of the 57th Infantry Battalion in Arakan was not able to prevent the threat on Fr. Fausto’s life and security. It has unmasked the hypocrisy of the Aquino soldiers’ claim as human rights defenders. Fr. Fausto’s assassin killed him in broad daylight in his parish grounds without fear.
Fr. Peter Geremia from PIME recalls the day Fr. Pops died:
October 17 as I was travelling from Columbio to Kidapawan a close friend called “Fr. Pops was shot!” I thought he was still alive but soon a nurse from the hospital texted” Fr.Pops is already dead, DOA, dead on arrival.” I rushed to the funeraria in Arakan and saw his body…
At the spot where he was shot, I saw the blood under the car. He was about to enter the car and he was holding his cellphone when suddenly
he met the executioner. Many shots, but soundless, nobody heard the shots. The executioner invisible, even though many people were nearby. He disappeared on a motorcycle…
Fr. Pops himself wrote of his narrow escape from death in 2003 at the hands of the Philippines Army-sponsored paramilitary Bagani Command. His account can be read online in the PIME Philippines blog:
“Will you kill him?” One of the Bagani replied “No, we will just arrest him and bring him to our superior!”  Worried of the possible consequences, the people denied to them that I was there. They told me and my companions to stay quiet in the house and hide there because the Bagani were looking for me. We decided to listen to their advice because to try to run would have been too dangerous. We did not know how many of them were there, and where they were hiding.
The Philippine Army denies knowledge of the existence of the Bagani paramilitary group and instead accused the communist-led New People's Army of masterminding the assassination because of Fr. Tentorio's alleged betrayal of the rebel movement.
Fr. Pop's cold-blooded murder has drawn parallels with the killing of another Italian missionary, Fr. Tullio Favali 26 years ago. Fr. Pops is the third Italian PIME missionary killed in Mindanao.
In 1985 when the Marcos dictatorship was at its most desperate at clinging to power, an anticommunist paramilitary group called Tadtad led by Norberto Manero killed the Italian priest Fr. Tullio Favali, PIME, on April 15, 1985.
On October 24, more than 15,000 mourners came to Kidapawan City in Mindanao to pay their last respects to Fr. Pops. Photos of the funeral march, mass and burial, which has been transformed into a big protest are shared online at Arkibong Bayan.
The following video tributes to Fr. Pops show the appreciation and love of the masses of the hinterlands of Mindanao that he served, the masses whose thoughts and voices can seldom find their way to social networking sites like Twitter or Facebook:


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Russia: Another Paid Discreditation Campaign Exposed · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Yevgeniy Roizman, popular blogger and anti-drugs activist, publishes [ru] a job offer posted at one of the freelance websites. The offer describes in detail the discreditation campaign against Roizman and offers ~8 US dollars for 100 short comments that would contribute to the black mouthing of the activist.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia, U.S.: Arms Dealer Viktor Bout Indicted · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

In Moscow's Shadows comments on today's guilty verdict in the arms dealer Viktor Bout trial.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Trinidad & Tobago: State to Take Action Against TV Station  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

With the Director of Public Prosecutions poised to take legal action against the TV station that aired footage of a child being assaulted, Gerard Best “think[s] we may be on the brink of a watershed moment in the history of our local media…because [the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago] is, indirectly, calling all media practitioners and media houses to consider more deliberately the need for principled self-regulation in ethical decision-making.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Uganda: Soldiers for Peace or Oil? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

What to most Ugandans think about the deployment of US soldiers to Uganda to help stamp out the Lord’s Resistance Army?: “They think what they are actually here to do is secure for their country Uganda’s newly found oil.”


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Uzbekistan: New Law Forbids Alcohol Consumption in Streets and Parks · Global Voices
Ekaterina

As reported [ru] by gazeta.uz on 5 October, 2011, the president of Uzbekistan approved a law regarding “the distribution and consumption of alcohol and tobacco products” which will come into force in April 2012.
The law states that the consumption of alcohol in streets, parks and other public places is banned. This regards any product for consumption which contains more than 1.5% of alcohol and means that it could be possible that even beer will have to be consumed either at home or in cafés and bars. At the same time, an interesting question is whether establishments will observe the ban on smoking in public places  or adapt them into special  alternatives for the consumption of tobacco products?
Furthermore, the law refers to the marketing of tobacco and alcohol products; medical warnings in the form of text or drawings must be visible on at least 40% of the main surface of the label which,  according to current law, is only required at 5%.
Photo from the website profi-forex.org
It's also worth noting that a full ban on the sale of tobacco and alcohol products is being introduced for those under the age of 20. The reason for this age is not clear  given that, according to Uzbek law, the age of majority and full legal capacity for citizens is 18 years.
Up to the present day a phenomenon has existed in Uzebekistan whereby cigarettes are sold as individual units. On the whole they are sold by babushkas (older women) who sit on stools in the streets and sell bits and bobs from similar stools – chewing gum, seeds and single cigarettes. Their main customers are school pupils and other students who sneak out to smoke cigarettes during break time.  The lawmakers didn't forget about them – now it is forbidden to sell tobacco products without a packet, or in other words, as individual units.
Advertising alcohol and tobacco products and promoting their consumption is also prohibited. By way of example, in the current version of the law “On advertising”, advertising of the former and the latter is allowed, except in the case of strong alcohol which cannot be advertised during the daytime.
On the whole internet users have reacted to the new law with approval.  For example, i-power comments [ru]:
Вот и еще один шаг вперед. Хоть маленькими шагами, но двигаемся вперед. Прогресс есть, отрицать не надо. Спасибо за это правительству.
Кыргызстанец (Kyrgyzstanets) agrees [ru]:
Очень хороший и полезный закон…хотя я сам из представителей курящих но рад всегда такому закону…
Svet suggests [ru], that during the passing of this law on the restriction of the distribution of alcohol and tobacco products, the government was guided first and foremost by their own interests, not concern for the health of their citizens:
1) это получит одобрения народа, чего ему [государству] так не хватает. 2) Народ по трезвянье не начнет бастовать, потому что смелости не хватит.
However, not everyone is optimistic. Several users are convinced that the law will remain on paper not just because many laws in Uzbekistan are not observed but also because the producers will look for other ways of getting around the law. Octopus writes [ru] on this topic:
Насколько я знаю, в Узбекистане много замечательных законов,начиная с Конституции и заканчивая запрещающими детский труд, а также о свободе СМИ, запрете цензуры и прочие. (…) И что, все они рьяно соблюдаются и выполняются? Почему вы думаете, что именно этот будет соблюдаться от А до Я? Готовы владельцы (ликёро-водочных заводов, пивоваренных компаний и УзБАТ) к ограничению реализации их продукции?
It should be noted that tobacco products in the Uzebek market are made by the company УзБАТ (UzBAT) – a division of British American Tobacco. In 2010 the profit of the company grew  by almost 50% compared to 2009.
Музаффар (Muzaffar) encourages [ru] citizens to take part in social enforcement of the law, in the hope that the law will begin to be applied with the help of such means:
Лично я думаю о детях и подростках. Теперь я спокойно смогу сдать ментам продавцов, отпускающих подросткам пиво, и опушек [женщин –  GV], торгующих штучными сигаретами. Раньше с продавцами ругался, но поделать ничего не мог. Законодательной базы не было.

author: Ekaterina


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Zambia: Dramatic Elephant Rescue · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Dramatic Elephant rescue in Zambia: “The Kapani Lagoon is a source of drinking water for the animals of the area, as well as the place to go for a relieving mud bath. Unfortunately though, a young calf was unlucky enough to get stuck in the mud when visiting the lagoon recently. The calf’s cries attracted her mother who rushed to her rescue, only to get stuck in the mud herself.”


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China: Three stereotypes of Chinese youth · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chen Chiafu from Ministry of Tofu posts a collection of funny pictures which reflect the three stereotype images of Chinese youth – the ordinary, the artistic and the idiotic.


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Colombia: Lleras Law Sinks in Congress  · Global Voices
Lully

Congress once again discussed the controversial bill called ‘Lleras Law” [es] on copyright and intellectual property on the Internet, but this time Senator Roy Barreras proposed to sink the bill, arguing the it contained inconsistencies. While the media reported [es] the news, Colombians reacted on Twitter with the hashtag #Ley Lleras.


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Colombia: Universities Continue Strike in Protest of Law 30 · Global Voices
Lully

“This is not the generation that will see the public university die”. With this statement disseminated through various media, Colombian university students are trying to call the attention of the national government as they demand that the bill to reform higher education Law 30 be revoked. The students argue that the reform would privatize public universities, and have emphasized they will not start academic activities – which were stopped two weeks ago – until the government withdraws the bill from Congress.
The government has been persistent on its position through the Minister of Education, stating that the reform benefits the interests of the Colombian people. It recently launched a television campaign which seeks to persuade Colombians to accept such reform.
The campaign triggered a video response by Representative Angela Robledo which is still circulating on the Internet. In the video Robledo analyzes the campaign and argues that Law 30 is an undemocratic project that lacks legitimacy. She also emphasizes the lack of investment in education because the money is being diverted to war and mining. At the end Robledo calls on the Minister and the government to withdraw the project and consult with students to reach the best higher education reform.
However, college students are still not attending classes and continue with mobilizations in various  [es] parts of Colombia. The students accomplished to set up a meeting with the government for Monday October 31  [es] to evaluate the current draft of the amendment to Law 30. Nevertheless, Internet demonstrations are still present with new accounts on Facebook and other publications on social networks.
The blog El Salmón has published various [es] entries [es] on the subject. In “Kisses and Hugs at Tolima University” [es] this blogger says:
La Lucha Universitaria contra la corrupción en la UT y contra la Ley 30, no sólo incluye luchar contra la universidad-empresa, aquella que hace uso de la educación para lucro económico de los inversionistas, sino que también reclama al Estado el aumento de presupuesto en la inversión social  (salud, vivienda, cultura, deporte y educación).
Magazine Hekatombe [es] publishes the words of the Minister of Education regarding the student strike:
Cuando se completan casi dos semanas de paro estudiantil en las universidades públicas del país, en protesta contra la reforma a la Ley 30, la ministra de Educación, María Fernanda Campo, aseguró que la posibilidad de que se cancele el semestre académico depende de los directivos de cada institución.
Netizens are sharing reactions on Twitter with #Ley30 ,”paro universitario” (“university strike”), #NoReformaLey30 and #NoLey30:
Fabián Figueroa (@fafv) reports that the University of Pamplona also joined the university strike:
¡Se une la Unipamplona al paro nacional universitario! No son vacaciones, son horas de trabajo para luchar por el futuro.
While Daniel Camilo (@DkmilOx) shows his disappointment at the indifference of students from private universities:
… q rabo el leer a jóvenes universitarios q por estar estudiando en Universidades privadas piensan q la reforma a la #ley30 no les afecta
Laura Barreto (@LauraBarreto) shares her perspective as a student from a private university:
Con todo esto de la #Ley30 me siento discriminada por estudiar en Universidad Privada.
Omar Ferrer (@OFFezt) tweeted in response to a Laura Guarín (@Laliguarin):
@Laliguarin Si no protesto, es porque quizás no creo que la #ley30 sea tan satánica para el futuro del país. No porque sea millonario
Students in Bogotá participating in a protest. Photo by Luis Gomez, Copyright Demotix (26/10/2011)
Tati Triana (@TatianaTriana) emphasizes the general lack of education:
No existe universidad privada. Existe un pueblo privado de educación #NoReformaLey30!
Kristian López (@musickris) responds to a tweet by the President of Colombia to lament the situation and the reform:
@JuanManSantos quiero estudiar, quiero algun dia reparar los daños que ud y sus antecesores le produjeron a COLOMBIA #noreformaley30
Sebastián Jaimes (@Cbaz_Jaimhez), referring to the regional elections on October 30, proposes the following:
Propongo marcar en el papel Electoral: ¡NO A LA REFORMA DE LA LEY 30, QUIERO ESTUDIAR!. #NoLey30
Finally, Oscar Cuervo Ariza (@ocuervoa), student of Economics, asks for seriousness in the discussion of reform:
Quiero propuestas serias, discursos serios para debatir reforma a #ley30,   ya basta de esos discursos melancolicos y politizados


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Cuba: Church & State · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“At 75, Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega cannot complain about his lack of recognition”: Another perspective on the work and influence of the head of the Catholic Church in Cuba, by Havana Times.


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Cuba: Dengue Outbreak?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogging from Havana, Bad Handwriting fears that “a new epidemic of dengue fever is upon us.”


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Cuba: Dissident Detentions · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Pedazos de La Isla reports on “beatings, arrests, and vigilance” for the month thus far and publishes another post saying that “the situation of the activists arrested on Monday, October 31st has become increasingly worrisome, as their whereabouts are unknown, as far as Antunez, Yris Perez, Idania Yanez, and Damaris Moya…Guillermo Farinas, popularly known for his lengthy hunger strike in 2010, was also arrested.”


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France: Satirical Magazine’s Office Burnt Down After Mocking Sharia · Global Voices
Julie Owono

[All links in are in French unless otherwise indicated]
During the night of November 2, 2011, the Paris head office of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo was attacked with petrol bombs [en] and burnt down. The long established and always provocative French weekly had published a satirical ‘Sharia Weekly’ on  current events in Tunisia and Libya on the same day, featuring the  Muslim Prophet Muhammed as its ‘guest editor’, with this tagline:  “Sharia weekly: 100 whip flogs if you do not die from laughter”.
"And now, on top of Greece, I have to save Charlie" – French daily Liberation cover, drawn by Charlie Hebdo cartoonists – November 3, 2011.
On day two after the blaze and with no conclusion yet from  police investigations, French media, political circles, and social  networks are also on fire. Newsstands are out of stock of the latest magazine  issue. On Twitter, the hashtag #charliehebdo is the top French Trending Topic since news broke yesterday morning. Some Twitter users have chosen to adopt the controversial cover as their Twitter profile pic. Charlie Hebdo, now operating from the offices of French daily Libération produced the cover of their host paper under heavy security.
Charlie Hebdo's website was also attacked during the night of the fire by Turkish group “Akincilar”, according to Le Nouvel Obs (see message sent to this weekly, in English). Tech blogger Korben has posted screen captures of the defaced website:
Defaced Charlie Hebdo website
This is not Charlie Hebdo's first brush with the issue of satire and  Islam. In 2007, the magazine was sued by the imam of the Paris  mosque  for a cover featuring prophet Muhammad with the caption ‘It is hard to be loved by morons‘ and  for republishing the notorious Danish satirical cartoons [en] as a token of editorial  solidarity. The publication won the case.  Yesterday, the current imam of the Paris mosque has condemned both the  attack and the caricature.
Secular France is yet again in the throes of a conflict between freedom  of satire (and speech) versus respect for religion, all the time in a sensitive context: during the run-up  to the 2012 French presidential election.
Freedom of expression
The news caused massive reactions in France.  Many argued that this attack is an intolerable affront against freedom of expression.
Hacen BOUKHELIFA, a lawyer based in Marseille, France, condems the attack:
Rien, absolument rien ne peut justifier la violence d'extrémistes qui finalement n'acceptent pas la liberté d'expression à fortiori lorsqu'elle est exercée par un hebdomadaire satirique
Capiaux Alain continues:
CHARLIE HEBDO mérite le soutien de quiconque entend défendre la liberté d'expression. Critiquer l'islam est un droit.
But according to others, like Sidi_la, a double standard of freedom of expression is applied in France. Referring to Dieudonné Mballa, a French humorist sued and condemned for his alleged anti-Semitism, he writes:
On donne la liberté d'expression quand il s'agit d'Islam mais quand Dieudo parle des juif il doit en payer le prix!= La France
Catholic manifesto on the walls of Paris "Let's defend Jesus Christ!" – by @egoflux on Twitter
Tristan (@egoflux), along with other watchdogs of sectarism, reminds that demonstrations organized by French Catholic fundamentalists are currently disrupting a theatre play in Paris in which the face of  Jesus Christ is defaced. He posts the picture of their manifesto pasted  on Paris walls:
Xavier (@dascritch) has had enough:
Y'en a marre des intégristes religieux. Cathos, Juifs ou Islamistes, vous ne représentez que l'ignorance, la haine et la mort.
A boost to the extreme right
Political hopefuls for the 2012 French presidential elections have flocked to the support of Charlie Hebdo. Severin predicts that this incident will benefit solely the extreme right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen:
#charliehebdo brûle, Marine Le Pen gagne 3 points dans le dernier sondage.  Symbolique d'une société à la dérive. #irresponsable
"Charlie (Hebdo) boosting the Right"- by @elpasolibre on Twitter
Havoc on Facebook
The Charlie Hebo Facebook page has been flooded with messages.
Mehri Yassine from Tunis left:
شهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمد رسول الله
Virgile Gaillard bitterly comments:
merci Charlie!! :( Grâce à vous, on détourne l'attention sur les vrais enjeux de la crise… On met de l'huile sur le feu de la haine de l'autre, on stigmatise le musulman parce que bcq vont être tenté par l'amalgame intégristes=musulmans
Erick Oster Saerkjaer, from Denmark, where the first controversy about “Muhammad cartoons” erupted in 2005, has posted a support message in English:
Humor is the way to ask the critical questions to those  who believe  they have found the one and only truth. If we can't do  that, stupidity  will win.
Charlie Hebdo has now requested Facebook to lock the page, as many of those messages infringe French laws against incitement to ethnic or religious hatred. Netizens on Twitter have commiserated with the community manager of the Facebook page; Lauren Provost imagined the type of vacancy Charlie Hebdo could now advertise:
Charlie Hebdo cherche Community Manager. Compétence requise : gestion de crise et maîtrise de l'arabe
Index on censorship has published two views of the Charlie Hebdo crisis, providing insights from  two academics  in the United States and in UK.

author: Julie Owono


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Kazakhstan: Blasts Spark New Fears Over the Rise of Extremism · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Early in the morning of October 31, 2011, two blasts occurred in the downtown district of Atyrau, the major city in Western Kazakhstan and the unofficial “oil capital” of the Central Asian country, which has long been boasting of itself as a showcase of inter-ethnic and inter-religious tolerance.
One of the explosions took place near the building of local prosecutor's office; the improvised explosive device was stored in a litter bin. The second blast hit the area next to the regional administration building; it was put into action by a suicide bomber, whose identity has not yet been revealed. No other casualties were reported.
The first news reports were messy and controversial – various news agencies and online publications quoted various sources and reported either on “rivers of blood” or on an “explosion of the [oil] pipeline”. Ironically, a high-profile media conference was taking place on that day in Almaty, the nation's commercial capital.
Atyrau, Kazakhstan. Image by Flickr user hellium666 (CC BY-NC 2.0).
Marat Shibutov opined [ru]:
Today media representatives were at the conference and discussed their problems. Meanwhile, the whole country was not able to receive news from the downtown of Atyrau for 4-5 hours. No photos from the ground zero, no versions, no comments from the authorities. If it is such a problem to provide information from the big city, where most national media have their correspondents – let alone the local news outlets – then we will never know should a terrorist act happen in a smaller town…
The official information arrived shortly with the acknowledgement of a “self-blow-up”. It is a euphemism that the Kazakhstani authorities prefer to employ instead of “suicide bombing”. Sniprman gave [ru] an appreciating acknowledgement in return by saying that “at least, the authorities didn't play hide-and-seek, and reported the situation as is”.
Even after the official report, some bloggers were skeptical about the incident. Pycm68 tweeted [ru]:
Normal terrorists stuff themselves with bolts and nails, and go to crowded places. Their bosses then ring and assume responsibility […] In Kazakhstan they do it quietly, give no explanations and only the bomber dies. “Quo prodest?”, that is the question.
BioPsihoz reminded [ru]:
The blasts were preceded by two things. Last week the previously unknown Islamist group The Jund al Khilafah (Soldiers of the Caliphate) threatened to start jihad in Kazakhstan if the authorities don't curtail the new law on religion [aimed at restriction of activity of unauthorized religious groups].
Skeptics insisted that terrorist act can rarely be anonymous. Sniprman said [ru]:
Such statements [claiming responsibility for the acts] should emerge instantly. But I doubt anybody would assume responsibility for such an unfortunate incident.
But shortly afterwards, the same “Jund al Khilafah” claimed credit for the blasts. They noted that explosions were merely a warning, and hence not very traumatic, while the suicide bomber's death in a premature detonation was an accident.
Bill Roggio of the LongWarJournal blog wrote:
Soldiers of the Caliphate, a “brigade” of foreign fighters based along the Afghan-Pakistan border […] is known to have carried out attacks in Khost province, Afghanistan, which is a haven for the Haqqani Network.
It was not the first warning to the Kazakh authorities. In May 2011, the Taliban has warned Kazakhstan that its decision to send troops to the NATO-led war in Afghanistan “would have severe consequences”, and a suicide bomber exploded himself near the regional office of the National Security Committee in Aktobe, a provincial center in Western Kazakhstan (see GV coverage).
The local Muslim leaders in the person of Chief Imam of the Atyrau region Nurbeck Yesmagambet promptly refrained from any sort of terrorists and explained [ru] that extremists only use Islam as a cover. In comments to the news item Alexis backed the Imam's position:
Terrorists are usual bandits, who pretend to be Muslims. And bandits are to be treated with force – they don't understand otherwise.
Earlier this year, following the bombing attacks in Aktobe, investigators revealed that the extremists were directly involved in organized criminal group, which was smuggling petroleum from the oil-fields. Meanwhile, Scuko Zloi is displeased with the fact that the Kazakhstan president keeps silent after the blasts and continues his international tour:
Where is NAN [an anagram for President Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev]? Out under the warm sun of the United Arabian Emirates? Where are the country leader's statement on the incident?
Seke agrees:
Look at Russia – if anything like this happens there, president or prime-minister are quick to react […] Our leaders are visible only on conferences and celebrations.
Steissd comments [ru] from the neighboring Russia:
It has always seemed that Kazakhs, albeit being Muslims, treat Islam not fanatically, but just as an element of their routine and spiritual culture. Everything changesб and Atyrau blasts appeared to be “Islam-rooted”. The only hope is that Nazarbayev would forget about political correctness and deal shortly with the newly emerged jihadis…
Megakhuimyak has his version [ru] of explanation of the developments – and the outcomes:
The reason of the blasts in Atyrau is simple – in late August a whole group of 30 terrorists was detained there. By the way, they already possessed IEDs and had ties with Pakistan and Afghanistan, to where they were sending people for training. Apparently, not all of them were arrested then. The rest are now taking revenge.
In fact, the terrorist wahhabi underground has declared war on the state. They would probably use the Dagestani scenario – killing officials and siloviks. Besides, the government will have to solve issues with the “bearded” guys within the elites […] and with various sorts of Islamic foundations, Islamic universities etc.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Kyrgyzstan: First-ever peaceful president transition  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

neweurasia offers a photo-reportage from the Kyrgyz presidential elections that took place last Sunday, noting that for the first time in the history of independent Kyrgyzstan, the presidency is shifting from one person to another in a peaceful way.


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Kyrgyzstan: President-elect vows to close U.S. military base by 2014 · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Joshua Foust ponders on seriousness of the news that Kyrgyz President-elect Almazbek Atambayev, “a friend of Russia”, made a warning that the U.S. air base must close by 2014.


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Nepal: Is Online Anonymity Necessary? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ujjwal Acharya discusses the difference between anonymity and privacy online. Considering the problems associated with anonymity Ujjwal asks whether online anonymity is necessary.

author: Rezwan


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Nicaragua to Host 2012 Debian Conference · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Nicaragua will host the 2012 DebConf. The blog comuNIdad shares the announcement: “The conference will take place from July 8 to July 14 2012, in Managua,  Nicaragua. In DebConf’s twelve-year history, this will be the first time  it will be held in Central America. […] This conference will boost the local Debian and Free Software communities and help to bring awareness for the Debian Project.”


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North Korea : Infographic on North Korea’s Military Obsession · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Infographic List posted an infographic  about North Korea, especially focusing the country's obsession with military power.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Pakistan: Diagnosis from a Distance · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sonya Rehman reports that Pakistan is experimenting with a relatively new model of health care delivery: tele-medicine. The virtual medical consultation services however face a challenge – lack of availability of broadband Internet in many of Pakistan’s remotest areas.


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Peru: Speaking out Against Media Sensationalism · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Gabriela García Calderón, who comes from a family of journalists, blogs [es] about sensationalism in the media, arguing that reporters sometimes go too far to get the news that will make the front page: “A little restraint would be nice. Empathy. Respect for the person who is suffering. Tolerance.”