Journalistic Freedoms Observatory attacked in Baghdad

The Iraqi JFO is never really far from the headlines. Either they are breaking news in the country, sending reporters out to the frontlines, or rallying cries for freedom of expression. For those of us who have grown up in societies that value and respect the freedom of expression, it's not surprising that it is difficult to imagine not being able to speak your mind.

The JFO played their part in the establishment of a new Iraq in an uncertain post-Saddam era. Having worked with the Voices of Iraq for many years now, I greatly respect the sacrifices that the JFO has had to make over the years to spread the story of every-day Iraqis. When I read of the attack on their central hub, which resulted in the loss of years of work, I was speechless. Such egregious violations of freedom of expression and attempts to hinder its use should be stopped in their tracks. I stand alongside all the employees and beneficiaries of the JFO in saying that I hope the criminals responsible for this are caught swiftly.


Armed raid on "Reporters Without Borders" partner organization in Iraq

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Reporters Without Borders has strongly condemned an armed raid on Wednesday on the Baghdad headquarters of the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory (JFO), its partner organization in Iraq, in which all of the JFO’s computers and archives were stolen.

“A dozen gunmen belonging to private security forces burst into our office near Al-Fardous Square in central Baghdad on Wednesday morning,” JFO Director Ziyad Al-Ajili said.

“They broke down doors and took all the equipment – four laptops, three hard disks, two cameras, two video cameras, walkie-talkies and 10 bulletproof jackets marked Press,” he added.

“They also took all of the JFO’s archives. All of our work since 2004 has disappeared. And before leaving, they vandalized the entire office. The government is behind this attack. The JFO is fighting for media freedom to become a reality in Iraq and, as such, clearly poses a threat to the authorities,” he noted.

Reporters Without Borders Secretary-General, Jean-François Julliard, said “the aim of this criminal raid was to silence an NGO that has been fighting for years for the right of Iraqi journalists to work freely and independently. It has not hesitated to condemn the abuses of the security forces and has often reminded the authorities of their responsibilities.
“We call for an independent investigation into this attack so that those behind it can be arrested and brought to justice. Impunity must no longer be the rule in Iraq, which is a country that aspires to be a democracy.”
"This (Wednesday) morning’s raid came 48 hours before Iraqi journalists are due to hold a big demonstration to press the authorities to fulfil their constitutional obligations to respect free speech and media freedom."
Since its creation in 2004, the JFO has played a key role in defending freedom of expression in Iraq.

Read online here.

Egyptians Rally To Help Libyans

Egyptians are all watching the events unfolding in Libya with great anticipation. The stories leaking out from the country appear to point to a massacre being carried out at the hand of Libyan leader Gaddafi. The complete media black-out means that any reporters giving us updates are either in Cairo, or along the border. Libyans themselves are managing to leak out a few videos, but with so much hearsay, rumours, and alleged massacres, the truth is hard to discern.

This must have been the general feeling for the outside world when our connections in Egypt were shut off. An inability to get real-time details on what was going on at ground level. What is becoming increasingly more evident however, is that Gaddafi has no intention of lessening his grip over his country, and will not hesitate to authorise lethal and excessive force.

In what is rapidly becoming a new youth movement within Egypt, people are rallying to bring supplies directly to the border with Libya. Calls for doctors, donations, medical supplies, and those willing to drive are organizing their movements presently. There is obviously great pressure to arrange everything as soon as possible; Libyans and those fleeing the violence do not have days to hang around and wait.

I have a few friends who plan to head to the border. Their willingness to throw everything down and rush to the aid of people who are fighting for their freedom is inspiring. I will be getting updates throughout the week on what they are witnessing at the moment. In the meantime, here's what one of the groups on Facebook are calling out for. (See page here) Scroll down for English and French. For security purposes, I have removed the contact information. Should you want to contribute, please message me and I will provide you with further details.

سلام عليكم يا شباب

طبعا كلنا عارفين الوضع في ليبيا اليومين دول، وازاي الحالة بايظة هناك..علشان كده انا ومجموعة من اصحابي هانروح انشاء الله يوم الخميس اللي جاي الصبح علي الحدود..هانشتري كمية دوا كبيرة انشاء الله وهانحاول نوصل الدوا ده لليبيا باي حال من الاحوال..

لو ماقدرناش ندخل الدوا هانحاول نكون هناك علشان نساعد علي قد مانقدر..

تخيلوا ان فيه مليون ونص مصري هايكونوا راجعين من هناك..فاكيد المستشفيتين بتوع الجيش مش هايكفوا..واي مساعده ممكنة هاتكون مطلوبة انشاء الله..

احنا محتاجين ايه:

1-      اطباء من مختلف التخصصات يكونوا مستعدين يكونوا معانا لمدة علي الاقل يومين.

2-      ممرضين علي استعداد للمشاركة لمدة يومين

3-      كميات مختلفة من الادوية (مرفق انواع الادوية المطلوبة)

4-      مساعدات مادية لشراء الادوية والمستلزمات خاصة وسائل الاتصال لطمئنة اسر العائدين او الليبين الموجودين علي الحدود.

5-      ناس تساعدنا في جمع الاموال خلال المظاهرة المليونية غدا انشاء الله...

شكرا

Greetings friends,

We are all aware of the situation in Libya and how difficult it is right now. So a group of friends and I are heading to the border this Thursday morning. We will purchase a large amount of medical supplies and hopefully be able to send it to Libya. In any case, if we are unable to do so we will remain at the border to try and help as much as we can.

1.5 million Egyptians will be making their way to the border, so I am sure you can appreciate that the two field hospitals set up by the army will not be enough to treat the injured. Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated. We will be needing the following:

1- Doctors of different specialties willing to stay with us for at least 2 days;

2- Nurses prepared to participate for 2 days; 3- Different types of medicine (list attached);

3- Financial assistance to buy medicine, basic food and water, supplies and communication devices to communicate with the families of Egyptians returnees or Libyans at the border;

4- Volunteers to help with collecting donations during tomorrows march in Tahrir.

Thank you

Salut tout le monde,

Bien-sur on connait tous la situation en

Libye et c'est pour cela que je vais aller avec un groupe d' amis jeudi

matin a la frontière. On va acheter une grande quantité de médicament

et on va essayer par tout moyen de les faire passer au Libye.

Au cas ou on ne pourra pas faire passer les médicaments, on va essayer d’être présent pour aider le mieux possible.

Imaginer

qu'il y aurait 1.5 milions d’égyptiens qui rentrent a travers la

frontière, et certainement les 2 hôpitaux de l’armée ne seront pas

suffisants, donc n'importe quelle aide est demandée.

Ce que dont on a besoin:

1- Des docteurs dans toutes les spécialités qui seront prêts a être présents pour au moins deux jours.

2- Des infirmiers prêts a participer pour au moins deux jours.

3- Des différents types de médicaments (une liste des types de médicaments demandés est attachée).

4-  Des aides financières afin d'acheter les médicaments et les outils nécessaire, surtout des moyens de ommunication pour rassurer les familles des égyptiens qui retournent ou des libyens présents sur la frontière.    

5- Des gens pour nous aider a collecter de l'argent durant la manifestation de demain (mardi)

Supplies being requested are: 

A country of change

March in the Red Sea is the beginning of one of the peak seasons throughout the year. The few weeks leading up to March see Hurghada's tourist population swell, as more and more people make their way towards the infamous Red Sea resorts.

This year is different...

This year is quiet...unnaturally so.

Today marks the 17th day of protests throughout Egypt. While only a few days ago international media attention appeared to have turned from Egypt, the country and its present turmoil have again dominated news stations. Rumours are abound that tonight might make history. Tonight might witness a president of 30 years stepping down from his rule.

The past few weeks have been electric and turbulent in Egypt. Their effects have extended the width and breadth of the country. Hurghada and many other tourist resorts in Egypt are left deserted. Estimates have placed the daily loss incurred as a result of the unrest at 310 million US $ daily. Numbers aside, the impact goes much further than that. The once busy street of Sheraton lies quiet at night. Hurghada's New Marina, usually a lively spot with an array of bars, restaurants and clubs, sits empty with a sprinkling of people here and there.

My former employer, Arab West Report, have come to a standstill due to the evacuation of many expats. The online publication is now no more than an empty office. Likewise, Spotlight Hurghada has taken a back burner. Without any tourists coming into the town, what's the point in trying to create a tourism magazine!

Tonight, people in Egypt are excited and riveted to their televisions awaiting the reported speech of President Mubarak. Where things will go tomorrow remains to be seen. Has the revolution in Egypt succeeded in changing the regime? Will the change of the regime encourage a re-investment in the country's economy, and bring back the tourists to Egypt?

So much to consider...many questions will be answered within the next 24 hours. It is indeed an exciting time to be alive and living in Egypt, a country of change.

France and Veiling

It's been a parliamentary debate well over one year in the making, and this week, the French Parliament is finally set to discuss the issue of the niqab (face veil) and its permissibility in public areas in France. Last year, I wrote a blog which highlighted the situation in France, and the rising tide of Islamophobia that was accompanying cries to ban the niqab entirely. In May, the French cabinet approved a bill dealing with the niqab in public places, however before it can be enforced as law, the French Parliament must also approve the bill. The debate is set for this week, and should the French Parliament pass this bill, it will change the face of France, and potentially ignite a domino effect in the rest of Europe.

Should France outlaw the bill, it will join Belgium as the only other country in Europe to have banned the face veil, but the trend will surely not end there. Spain has already expressed a rising interest in banning the niqab in the country also, and were France to make this ruling, it will spur forward the notions of other nations who have mentioned they may take the same action.

So what does this really mean?

Firstly, many people greatly misunderstand what the Islamic veil really is, and why women wear it. There are many variations of veiling, while the two that people are generally most familiar with are the hijab, or head scarf, and the focus of debate in France, the niqab. The BBC has provided a great article detailing what the hijab is and its history in Islam, as well as advocates for and against veiling. The niqab is interpreted as a more extreme version of veiling for women, whereby the entire face save the eyes is covered. The Burka is even more extreme, with women covering their entire face, with a small netted area for her to see through. The question often raised by scholars and individuals alike, is whether or not Islam actually call for a woman to cover her face entirely; for that matter, does it even call for a woman to cover her hair?

The answer is unfortunately not a case of Yes or No. Islam, and therefore Muslims, does not have a ruling religious figurehead such as the Vatican for Christianity. This leaves verses (surahs) in the Qu'ran open for individual interpretation, and various interpretations of the versus dealing with women exist. There are Islamic advocates that believe the Qu'ran explicitly directs a woman to cover at least her head and neck to conform with the Islamic requirement of modest dress. More extreme interpretations see that the Qu'ranic surahs direct women to cover their entire body's, including face, when in the presence of men that are not directly related to them or their family. For many women raised in the West, the mere idea of covering one's entire face seems extreme. However, for women that choose to wear the niqab of their own volition, they truly believe that they are following the will of God, and abiding by Islamic doctrine. A simple explanation for this reasoning can be found here.

Now this brings us to France, and Muslim women in France.

France has always boasted about being a secular nation, and one that respects an individual's freedom of expression and human rights. Despite this, France has previously ruled that religious

symbols and iconography should not be explicitly displayed, lest it offends those of different believes or secular ideology. This seems fair enough, no outright religious iconography. But does the niqab fall under this umbrella definition? Many would disagree, however French President Nicolas Sarkozy sees the niqab not as a religious symbol, but as a symbol of the segregation and suppression of women. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon even went as far to say that Muslims who wear the niqab are "highjacking Islam,"while providing a "dark sectarian image" of the religion. Quite an extreme statement to make, and certainly an assertion of the underlying French views on the niqab and full face veils on women.

Having lived in an Islamic country for four years now, I still cannot wrap my mind around a woman's decision to wear a niqab of their own volition, but I still advocate that as a Muslim woman, it is her right to make that choice, particularly if she believes it strengthens her commitment to God. There is no doubt that the Islamic religion advocates modest dress, but does this modesty extend to entirely covering your body and face? I don't believe so. It should, however, remain a choice that Muslim women are free to make.

The self-proclaimed secular state is preparing to pass a law that will strip women of the right to this decision. The legislation will also include fines for brothers and husbands found to have forced women in their family to don the niqab. All well and good, a woman should never be forced to wear something, but isn't forcing her NOT to wear something essentially the same thing?! One party that opposed banning the niqab in public places, the opposition Socialist Party, has now announced that they will abstain from voting this week, meaning the one party that opposed this grievous violation of a woman's right to free expression is sitting back and keeping their traps shut. Congratulations on solidifying your government's efforts to hinder free expression and right to religious doctrine.

Studies in France document that there are approximately 5 million Muslims living in the country, and of this, only 2000 or so wear the full face veil. Is it really so offensive to the "open minded" European nations to permit these women to wear the niqab? Now I understand that one point for banning the face veil is a level of security, as if a woman has her entire face concealed, how can her identity be verified, or how is it even possible to know that it really is a woman hiding underneath. For these cases, such as when re-issuing ID cards, or employment and security checks, by all means outlaw the face veil. But to do it merely because of the belief that it is further segregating women shows an arrogance that far supersedes security.

It would seem, particularly if this bill passes this week, that secularity is out, and Islamophobia is in. Only time will how if this trend will continue to spread throughout the rest of Europe, and how long it will take for governmental officials to finally realise that this is not a matter of protecting the rights of women, it is a matter of stripping followers of one religious doctrine of their human rights, and right to free expression. A right, that many in our history have died to preserve, upset by the ruling of the elite in France for the "greater good."

For more reading on this subject, see: What is the final ruling on Hijab, Studies on the Surah's detailing modest dress and France's campaign against the Niqab.