It seems in Libya time is running out for the Colonel. The northwestern town of Yafran was taken by the rebels. This is a town that has always been in the hands of the Government, as opposed to other towns that are being taken and retaken. More importantly, it's only 100 kilometers away from Tripoli.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/06/20116613502238785.html
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The blog of Amina brings horrible news. She was taken by some kind of Syrian secret police. Followers of this blog know of my great admiration for this strong woman who kept us updated about all that happened in Syria since the unrest began.
She had become more and more concerned in her more recent posts, writing that she even clipped her nails extremely short to keep interrogators from pulling them from her fingers. These posts also showed her determination to see things through to the end.
My heart is with her, her father and the rest of her family.
http://damascusgaygirl.blogspot.com/2011/06/update-on-amina.html
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Showing posts with label libya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label libya. Show all posts
Monday, 6 June 2011
Saturday, 28 May 2011
An Alternative to Where's My Vote
Since the last presidential elections in Iran the slogan of the protest movement has been: "Where's My Vote".
While I have to confess I didn't vote in the elections, I supported both the protesters as well as their slogan. For me the slogan wasn't just about the votes cast and thrown out in the 2009 elections, they were for all votes that we cannot cast for candidates of our own choice.
However, since two years have passed, I believe if we want to start another round of protest, we need another set of slogans. Slogans that obviously refer to the events of 2009, but take the reality of today into account. The sad issue we face is the great number of people who've been killed and the greater number of people locked up.
I suggest the following slogans:
Where's My Teacher?
Where's My Classmate?
Where's My Friend?
Where's My Son?
Where's My Daughter?
Where's My Journalist?
Where's My Lawyer?
Where's My Mother?
Where's My Father?
Where's My Filmdirector?
Where's My Busdriver?
Where's My Musician?
etc. etc.
Every Iranian has a friend who's been killed, locked up, or has left the country. The majority of students I spoke to outside of the country have said they left the country without the intention to stay, but really don't want to go back to their country.
Also, every Iranian knows someone who's a supporter of this regime. We know millions of people who live in a separate reality with no access to the articles we read, people we speak to, Youtube clips we watch. Consequently they refuse to believe the injustice that goes on in their own country (though the ones I've spoken to do have a strong sense of justice, they curse the regime of the Shah for locking up, torturing and killing innocent people). Ask them the questions I just wrote. Where are these people? Why do you trust a government that needs to survive by killing and locking up students, teachers, lawyers, journalists, etc?
Just kick those shins a little bit. If we all do it, it might be more effective than the next protest that gets a few thousand people into the street, exposing them to the batons of the Baseej militia.
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Here's something heartwarming. A dissident action in which speakers are distributed in Tripoli, blasting the forbidden anthem of the country.
Thursday, 12 May 2011
Arab Spring
Howdy folks, apologies for the long absence. Work at the Mezrab Cultural Center took over and I was crazy busy. Anyway, I'm back now, and hope to be back for a while, posting news and reflections on politics, culture and life in the Middle-East.
The ongoing struggle in the Arab is in danger if dropping off the front pages as unrest in some of the countries has been subdued or doesn't seem to go anywhere (Bahrain, etc), while in other countries it has become civil war or is in danger of becoming civil war (Libya, Syria, etc). Not the sexy success stories we would like to consume.
However, even the messy stories of people getting killed by the dozens, rebels taking and retaking quarters in embattled cities are all part of a larger narrative that will fundamentally change the face of the region.
Now since any grand narrative can be broken down into smaller pearls of human experience, here's a few that you should know of:
Some Libyans have set up an English language radio show. It's really funny since they're discussing serious stuff, but in a strong Cockney accent. It's a station of Ali Gs!
The most moving story from Syria is the blog of Amina A. who writes from Damascus. She's put her life on the line, writing about her life as a lesbian dissident, staying in the country with her father while the rest of her family has left the country:
Radio Zamaneh does a great time covering the conflict between Ahmadinejad and the clerical leaders on their English language site. This conflict reads like a complicated game of Chaos Chess, with many pawns and moves and shifting rules and alliances. The highlight of it was when one of the Ahmadinejad clique was accused of witchcraft and Djinn-binding. Here's the latest move:
Sunday, 27 February 2011
The crazy Ghadafis
It would be funny if because of it people weren't dying. No scratch that, it's a tragedy that people are dying, but this is still hilarious:
Seif-of-Eslam Ghadafi flat out denying anything happening in the country in an interview with Christiane Amanpour. No violence against protestors, no uprising of the people: "Show me a single attack, show me a single bomb," he told her. "The Libyan air force destroyed just the ammunition sites. That's it."
Take note that this is said at the time that media report all but four cities in Libya in the hands of protesters, and two of those being contested. For the article on the interview go here: http://abcnews.go.com/International/saif-gadhafi-interviewed-by-christiane-amanpour-worldwide-exclusive/story?id=13011545
And for jobs that papa Ghadafi can do after this whole mess is over, he can be a DJ!
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Meanwhile, outside of Libya, Oman has joined the countries where unrest has spread. Oman is a peaceful nation run for 40 years by a Sultan who came to power when he overthrew his own father. How thousand and one nights! It's been inching towards modernity and democracy at the pace of a demented snail with reforms such as granting all citizens over the age of twenty the right to vote in the year 2003.
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The news on Iran isn't so much what's happening in the street, but rather the discussions about how to proceed with the movement. Is it going to be weekly demonstrations? Will other methods of civil disobedience be used? Will people resort to violence? I'm collecting a few articles which I will post online tomorrow.
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Following Libya
Where to go to?
If you're not following the al-Jazeera live stream, these are good live blogs for news updates:
http://revolution2.moonfruit.com/ (site that follows confirmed and unconfirmed reports)
It's a massacre. I hope the nightmare ends soon.
Monday, 21 February 2011
More on Libya
Currently watching Seif-ol-Eslam (Sword of Islam) Ghaddafi talk live on Al Jazeera. He's pulling a Ben Ali, even starting his talks with a "I'll speak to you, in my local Libyan dialect, rather than in classical Arabic" and proceeding to address the events in Libya in a way that seems to show regret but in reality is slandering media, foreigners (and Libyan traitors abroad). Gems include:
The army did make mistakes, but they were not used to facing angry people.
Some people who attacked the army were on psychotropic drugs.
Media grossly exaggerates events and deaths. They have a hidden agenda for this.
There is a plot against Libya, the security forces will show this in the next days.
Libya is not Tunisia, Libya is not Egypt, don't get overexcited.
Well, we know what happened with Tunesia's Ben Ali when he gave this kind of talk.
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Make no mistake, the Libyan leadership is very capable and willing to kill hundreds or even thousands of Libyans if they think this will save them. But amongst the important events that are tipping the scales to the other side take note of this:
The main religious scholar of Libya has called the it a religious duty to protest the injustice of this regime. Here's a part of it:
I thank Al Jazeera for giving me this opportunity, I say that what is happening in Libya now cannot be tolerated, cannot be bared, cannot be kept silent about. A heavy war machine is confronting protesters who are bare chested, raising their hands above their heads as a sign of peace, peaceful, and the regime is shooting them with anti-aircraft artillery, we have not seen this except in Israel’s attacks against Gaza. We cannot believe this happens in our country. The majority of those doing this are thugs and mercenaries from Africa and from Libya who have sold their honour for money. We cannot remain silent about this now, the country is being attacked by foreigners right now. Therefore, I extend a call, and would like to ask our brothers from army officers, technicians and those who are providing logistical transport to these weapons and ammunition about the bridge that is connecting Tripoli to Benghazi via airplanes carrying these weapons and mercenaries. I want to ask these people who are offering this logistical service, how do they plan to face their Lord? Where is the Honorary oath of service to the Army? Where is the honour of being part of this land? Where is the brotherhood? Where is your faith? Selling your religion in exchange for these mercenaries.
Full text of Sheikh AsSadiq al Gheryani can be found here: http://www.libyafeb17.com/?p=1266
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