What really pisses me off is the fact that a simple head dress which is worn by thousands of Arabs and Muslims worldwide is thought to be the symbol of terrorism. By default, wearing one makes you a terrorist. Welcome to the Middle East. Thousands of men wear this everyday. So when one fashion designer behind the scenes dresses Ray in it, they start thinking that it’s a message sympathizing with the Palestinians. Now how arrogant is that!

Critics, including conservative Fox News commentator Michelle Malkin, complained that the scarf looked similar to the black-and-white checkered keffiyeh, the traditional Palestinian scarf. She referred to Ray’s scarf as an example of “jihadi chic.” Critics who fueled online complaints about the ad say such scarves have come to symbolize Muslim extremism and terrorism.

The keffiyeh, Malkin wrote in a column posted online last Friday, “has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad. Popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos, the apparel has been mainstreamed by both ignorant (and not-so-ignorant) fashion designers, celebrities, and left-wing icons.”

She then writes, “I’m hoping her hate couture choice was spurred more by ignorance than ideology.”

This is just narrow minded rasicm and Islamophobia. What ever happened to freedom of speech? Even if she didn’t know what it was, dumpin it is not the right thing, but when faced with a mass boycott business comes first. Making such a big deal out of it is exactly what happens when people are so close minded and they don’t make the time to learn about other cultures.

So if the Keffiyeh was worn my Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, its a symbol of Jihad… that is just sad. I wonder what would’ve happened when she was wearing this:

Source


Rachael Ray’s Doughnut Ad Dunked Over Keffiyeh Kerfuffle
Dunkin’ Donuts pulls Rachael Ray ad

Christian extremists threaten violent attacks over depiction of Jesus.

Jesus orgy artwork sparks furor in Austria

VIENNA, Austria (AP) — Austrians are locked in a nationwide debate touched off by the brief display in a prestigious Roman Catholic museum of an etching that depicts Jesus Christ and his disciples having an orgy during the biblical Last Supper.

Alfred Hrdlicka’s etching of an orgy at the Last Supper has provoked strong criticism in Austria

A chastened and chagrined Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the top churchman in this largely conservative and overwhelmingly Catholic country, has ordered the offending artwork, by sculptor Alfred Hrdlicka, removed.

But the controversy rages on, and some have likened it to the furor triggered by the Prophet Muhammad cartoons.

Exhibition curator Michael Kaufmann says he’s even seen Web postings from extremists “who have threatened to come to Vienna and blow up its museums with Molotov cocktails.”

Source
thanx to 7ijazi $P3ctaT0r for alerting me to this

Saudi woman killed for chatting on Facebook

A young Saudi Arabian woman was murdered by her father for chatting on the social network site Facebook, it has emerged.

The unnamed woman from Riyadh was beaten and shot after she was discovered in the middle of an online conversation with a man, the al-Arabiya website reported.

The case was reported on a Saudi Arabian news site as an example of the “strife” the social networking site is causing in the Islamic nation….

[cont]

I so much hate these kinda extremists who dont really think about what they are doing and they become blind with hate and pure anger and go do these very stupid actions. They think that what do they is correct and they would be saved by God because of their wrong interpretations of what is said in Qu’ran. There is no difference between this father and those father’s/brother’s/ husband who kill women, because they [the women] supposedly did something and it was against the family honor. If he claims to have killed her because it was a matter of Honor, do NOT be surprised. He deserves to be killed for the honor of his family and how the bloody hell is he still alive?!?! He killed her in August. He should’ve been effing hanged by now!

Was her crime so much that she deserved to be beaten up and then killed by her own father? Did she deserve to die because of this, talking to an unknown man over the internet? Its natural human instinct to do so. Aint humans always compelled to do exactly what they are forbidden to do? I mean just for the thrill of it to see why we are forbidden? but seriously it resulting in death?

Facebook or any other social networking sites for that matter are now a part of life. A lot of the current Generation aka Generation Y use these kinda websites everyday because that is what it is. It’s no surprise that older generation aka Generation X are the ones who have some problem with these social sites and they are not able to comprehend them. Hopefully, one day, when the Gen X will have grown up and will see this as it is and not get overly excited . But hasn’t it become a little dangerous to be up there now? Especially if you happen to live in MENA region

Although Facebook’s Saudi Arabia network has about 150,000 members, it’s estimates on the true number of users vary . Tons of people dont join networks of the Country they live in. But also because extremists send hate mail and report the posts, pictures and related items as Spam and as ‘Hate’ in the groups like those which support the freedom for the Saudi Blogger and women driving among other groups. Because this is the only way we can support and protest since we cant do them on the streets, and blocking these sites wont do any good. because there are tons of other ways to do what someone wants to do. These sites were soo not designed for this kinda horrendous shit.

Many Saudi women use nicknames and post comic images or drawings on their pages instead of photographs. Some Saudi bloggers have dubbed the network “Faceless”.

Now this would be added to the worsening image of the whole Kingdom, when the deed is done by a single maniac. Just like what happened with the Qatif Girl
rayers for the victim of the First “Facebook Murder”:

Thanks to Amjad A, for alerting me to this

PS: I wonder what would he have done with her if she was on muslimspace.com

Sources:

The Telegraph

Arab Media Society

Shoura Council to Permit Saudi Women’s Driving?

Peculiar goings on with a story originally put out by Al-Arabiya TV regarding the Saudi Shoura Council’s decision to permit some Saudi women to drive. That story is no longer on Al-Arabiya’s website, but other news organizations, from Al-Quds Al-Arabi and Arabic CNN to Kuwait’s Al-Siyassa have all picked it up. It seems to be the same story, from the same Shoura Council source, who might be mistaken, or at least premature in his comments. The new law has yet to be passed by the Council, has not yet even been scheduled for debate.

This story, along with the January report in the British paper The Telegraph, suggest that something is happening on the issue.

In any event, what’s being reported (and thanks to commenter Saudi in the US for the links) is:
▪ Women over the age of 30 will be permitted to drive
▪ They will need permission from their male guardians
▪ Hours to be limited to 7AM to 8PM on weekdays and noon to 8PM on weekends
▪ Dress in conservative Islamic dress
▪ Pass women driving school
▪ Cell phone available at all times

The new law would also provide some protections for female drivers:
▪ Women driver’s hot-line to handle emergencies
▪ Jail sentences for men who harass women drivers of up to 8 months
▪ Women only get their license taken away if they violate the rules
This proposal is actually more liberal than what I had imagined it might be. I had expected that the age for women’s licenses would be—at least to start—over 45. I also suspected that it would be limited to women who needed cars to drive to jobs. The driving hours do sort of suggest a work-related restriction, but I doubt that that limit will work out in practice; it’s not as though things in Saudi Arabia stick to any really tight time table, after all. And I don’t think that sex only happens after 8pm, either, so the notional ‘protection’ of women’s virtue is not going to come from time limits only.

But a baby step is better than no step…

The ministry official says the pardon was one of 566 announced Wednesday by the king as part of a tradition of granting royal pardons on the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed

Links:
Help Fouad Mourtada [on FB]

HelpFouad.com

From Rasha’s Post

“International women’s day passed unnoticed here in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Almost all the women I talked to didn’t even know that the 8th of March was a day to celebrate women’s accomplishments.”

She is one of the leaders of the movement to overturn the ban on woman driving [with Fawzia al-Oyouni, Ibtihal Mubarak, and Haifa U.] Infact the petition last September was a brain child of her’s with the other activist. In 1990 some 47 woman drove in the capital Riyad, defying the ban. They were quickly rounded up.. but the difference b/w now n then is alot.. esp w/ all the reforms put in motion by the new King Abdullah n the fact tht lots of ppl are open to women driving. Arab News surveyed 400 women on the issue, and said 282 of them said they would drive alone if allowed to, 44 said they would continue to use drivers, 30 said they would drive, but only when accompanied by a male guardian, and 12 opposed the idea of women driving altogether.

Saudi woman activist marked this year’s International Women’s Day by defying a ban on women driving in the ultra-conservative kingdom and posted a video of her act on YouTube.

Wajiha Huwaidar, a leading activist in a campaign to allow women to get behind the wheel in the desert kingdom, confirmed to AFP on Sunday that it was her in the video posted on the popular website.

“Women can drive in the countryside. There is no problem with that. Some women do the school run everyday without being obstructed,” she claimed.

“What is important is to allow women to drive in urban areas.”

I know for a that women drive in the urban areas. I have seen it myself couple of times esp. on the Dhahran-Abquiq road…

Saudi woman flouts driving ban on YouTube

Story2

*** UPDATE**

this article has some details

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/11/saudi.women.drivers/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

First there was the report that they would establish sport centres for women, [after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) 'appealed' to all its member states to set up women sport clubs by 2010. and then it 'warned' that it will freeze the membership of any country that fails to do that.]

Now there has been a soccer match between two women soccer teams in Al-Khobar . Congrats!

A female soccer match was played in Saudi Arabia. Al Watan newspaper reported that two female teams from Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University in Khobar and Al Yamamah College in Riyadh played against each other on Wednesday evening.

Although the match was held at a 35,000 capacity stadium in al-Dammam, no men were allowed in the stadium, and the referee and her linesman, as well as the fans, were also female.

This was reported by the Arabic daily Al-Watan [not a arabic reader] There hasnt been any reports in the local English media [or I missed it]

This is really encouraging because in September some ppl were offended and they managed to stop a match because a 12 year old girl was present [worth reading]
There was some one talking about this on Saturday but I didnt pay much attention.. after all how come only one person in like 50 know about it? [bcuz they read arabic newspapers]

Links:

Gulfnews
Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University
Sabbah

The ‘UK newspaper report’ says that:

Women in Saudi Arabia will be allowed to get behind the wheel as the government lifts its longstanding ban on female drivers, according to a UK newspaper report
A decree will be issued by the end of this year, the Daily Telegraph reported officials as saying. .

Saudi women get freedom to drive

Also today’s report that a woman was charged with DWW (Driving While a Woman):

Woman Arrested for Practicing Driving

I just wish that this source would turn out to be better than the one announcing the release of Fouad Al-Farhan, in the first week of Jan.

**Update**

The UK newspaper report is from the Daily Telegraph
Source

Click here to visit the Free Fouad campaign page

Esra’a on Blog Silence day

The blogging community is planning a “Day of Blog Silence”, asking the international blog community to post a banner graphic with Al-Farhan’s picture and to refrain from making posts today.
“It’s a world wide call for all bloggers not only in Saudi,” said one Saudi blogger who runs the online campaign defending her colleague.

Well this is good, Atleast they mentioned it on the day that it was being held.. a little early head’s-up to the Saudi Community, who don’t read blogs that often, would’ve been nice :S

Family Member Given Access to Detained Blogger AN

Saudi Gazette on Blog Silence Day

From Saudi Jean’s.org:

A list of 25 reasons for blogging in Fouad’s own words.

Why Do We Blog?
1. Because we believe we have opinions that deserve to be heard, and minds that should be respected.
2. Because societies do not progress until they learn to respect opinions of their members. And we would like to see our society progressing.
3. Because blogging is our only option. We do not have a free media, and freedom to assemble is not allowed.
4. Because we want to discuss our opinions.
5. Because we think.
6. Because we care.
7. Because blogging has had a positive effect on other societies and we want to see the same result in our society.
8. Because blogging is a reflection of the life of society members. And we are alive.
9. Because blogging is gaining increasing attention from media and governments. We want them to listen to us.
10. Because we are not scared.
11. Because we reject the cattle mentality.
12. Because we welcome diversity of opinions.
13. Because the country is for all, and we are part of it.
14. Because we want to reach out to everyone.
15. Because we refuse to be an “echo”.
16. Because we are not any less than bloggers in other societies.
17. Because we seek the truth.
18. Because our religion encourages us to speak out.
19. Because we are sick and tired of the Saudi media hypocrisy.
20. Because we are positive.
21. Because blogging is a powerful tool that can benefit society.
22. Because we are affected and we can affect.
23. Because we love our country.
24. Because we enjoy dialogue and don’t run away from it.
25. Because we are sincere.

Media Blackouts.. They still do it here, by the way, and it’s more famous and effective than ever.. You’d see the effect in seeing how little does the population know about Fouad..

there would be no reaction for the Gen. Population. Until there is local pressure, arnt the chances of early release low?

Blogging started to take off globally mostly around the time Iraq War started, it took off in the US with the 2004 Presidential Elections. Some say tht blogging in UK started after the London Train Bombings [doubt it] So maybe this unfortunate event will turn out to be the turning point in the Saudi Blogging. Arresting a blogger who is referred to as “the the dean of Saudi bloggers” [from AN Article]. This will surely backfire.. I wonder how many Saudi’s have started blogging about this and would continue to do when this fiasco is over. They would all be speaking their mind hopefully.

I didnt read his arabic posts, but what little translated posts I read [with lots of things lost in translation] I happen to agree with this:

A close friend to Farhan, who also runs a web journal, said that Farhan’s writings were “not at all provocative and very much rational”.

A man who is willing to expose him self for what he believes in and the better good of his country

Farhan said that he believed that the reason for his impending arrest was linked to his writings regarding Saudi academics who were arrested last year.

Isnt this a little too old to b getting arrested for? but then again maybe this is wht he got busted for:

Many bloggers, particularly those engaged in participatory journalism, differentiate themselves from the mainstream media, while others are members of that media working through a different channel. Some institutions see blogging as a means of “getting around the filter” and pushing messages directly to the public. Some critics worry that bloggers respect neither copyright nor the role of the mass media in presenting society with credible news. [Wiki]

and can someone add Fouad’s name to the list of blogger’s arrested under “Political dangers” on Wiki?

Blogger Does Not Face Security Charges: Ministry [Arabnews]

~hoping n praying for an early release

Your’s

Muneeb