On the basis of its humanitarian mission, Iraqi Al-Amal Association (one of the leading iraqi NGOs in field of human rights ,women and child rights and conflict resolution) started to make a donation for the children of Haiti a symbolic amount of two thousand dollars by the World Organization (International Board on Books for Young People-IBBY-), based in Switzerland, which represents a network of individuals around the world are interested in closer links between the children and to provide books for them.

Solidarity with Haiti’s children is a task for all good people to provide material assistance necessary for the continuation of their lives, as well as psychological treatment to alleviate the terrible shock, and to restore normal life in their country.

One may believe that youth of Pakistan today is imaginative, more enthusiastic and able to contribute toward reconstruction of our country – Pakistan. We see the fervor, passion and dedication among today’s youth of Pakistan. The youth of Pakistan is quite visible through their talent, vigor and energy for doing their mite for Pakistan.

Youth of Pakistan today experiences the remarkable examples of progress and momentum, and we have plenty of practical success stories already. Ali Moen Nawazish, made a world record by bagging “21” A Grades in A Levels examination. Likewise, Ammar Afzal made a world record in winning a software course. Flying Officer Hina Tahir made a record by being the First Female Fighter Pilot in Pakistan Air force.

We also see today our scientists relentlessly working and testing advance technologies which provides an exemplary track in order to bring awareness in the minds of Youth of Pakistan. Getting motivation from all these, today’s youth of Pakistan will move forward in such a direction which gives hope for a brighter and better Pakistan in future.

There is a well-known quote “TODAY’S YOUTH, TOMORROW’S LEADERS”. Our youth today is moving forward in a direction, which gives fortune for a shining star. This is a matter of great pride to mention that youth of Pakistan today is on the way to explore their destiny and has the capacity to emerge as the future leaders of our great country.

However, it is also a fact of irony that there are numerous obstacles and impediments, which the youth of Pakistan is facing today. It is also sad to state here that the vast number of youth energies and potentials have never been put to better use.

I think building the over all character of our youth, their quality and knowledge should be the basic agenda. The youth should be involved in our national affairs. We must conduct conferences and workshops where the youths should be offered opportunity to come out with their vision for a new and progressive Pakistan.

We must benefit from the teachings of both poet and philosopher Allama Iqbal and our great leader Quaid-e-Azam. Allama Iqbal has shown the way to our youths via his vision of poetry and the Quaid has done so by his foresight in his various speeches to the nation. Allama Iqbal symbolized the youths with Falcon and has given them the inspiration to have their own vision, the flight, the character and the attitude to that of a Falcon.

I hope and pray the youths of Pakistan are able to rise up to the occasion and bring about a turn around for our great country – Pakistan

Finally I would like to draw attention of all our youth to the following poetry lines of Allama Iqbal to draw some inspiration and motivation and come out in full force for taking out country out of this morass that we unfortunately find ourselves in today.

Allama Iqbal poem, entitled “Advice” (again by an eagle to its young one), is found in Bāl i Jibrīl, p. 412. The eagle said to its youngster:

May the heights of the lofty sky be easy your wings!
Youth means burning in one’s own blood:
It is hard work that turns life’s bitter into sweet.
The delight of swooping on the pigeon, my son,
Is perhaps not found in the pigeon’s blood itself.

We are pleased to bring you the good news that Walid Al-Saqaf, the developer of alkasir circumvention software, which was developed with the support of Mideast Youth, won the Democracy Prize for 2010 from the Swedish Örebro University for his work.

Bellow is the press release from the university:

Arab Scholar and Software Developer Wins Swedish Democracy Prize
Orebro, Sweden
Feb 6, 2010

An Arab university scholar and software developer has been awarded the Democracy Prize for 2010 by Örebro University in its Annual Academy celebration held today in Örebro, Sweden.
Walid Al-Saqaf, a Yemeni national pursuing his higher studies at Örebro University in media and communications was chosen based on his research work that was ‘grounded in the true democratic ideals and ambitions’ according to the nominating committee. Al-Saqaf developed YemenPortal.net, which was the first country-specific aggregator in the Arab world that is specialized in collecting news, forum, opinion, blog and video content from dozens of online sources. Since it was launched in 2007, the engine indexed around 1.8 million items ranging from news and opinion articles to video clips, most which are related to Yemen.
However, in January 2008, the Yemeni government blocked access to yemenportal.net from within Yemen at a time the website witnessed rapid growth in readership and popularity. Al-Saqaf noted in a press conference held on Friday at the university that the action by the government may have been because he had insisted on not succumbing to pressure to filter out critical articles. He added that the Yemeni regime appears to opposed the presence of uncensored Internet news portal about Yemen. Since the ban took place, Al-Saqaf proceeded in developing anti-censorship solutions that are used by hundreds of users across the world. The most notable project is the development of alkasir, an online censorship tracking and circumvention software developed with the assistance of the MidEast Youth network.

In a press conference for the Swedish local and national media, Al-Saqaf thanked the university and the Swedish people for their support for him during the ordeal following the ban of his website and expressed his desire to pursue a PhD degree to analyze the phenomenon of censorship in the Arab world using alkasir and its upcoming browser, which he said, will be the world’s first browser that attempts to be exclusively used for bypassing censorship across the world. He also indicated the escalating violations against press freedom in Yemen, particularly in the last few months.

It is worth noting that alkasir Browser is to be introduced in version 1.2 of alkasir, which is to undergoing testing by alkasir.com members in February 2010 and to be released to the public as a freeware product later this year. Membership with alkasir.com is free.

Related links:
- Yemen Portal Aggregator and Search Engine
- alkasir software for tracking and circumventing censorship
- Orebro University’s website
- Mideast Youth

This story happened more than 70 or 80 years ago, in the Galilee Heights, during the British occupation “Mandate” to Palestine, a long time before we had the “honor” to host our “cousins’ the jews. There, in one of the Galilee villages, there was a Palestinian peasant who had a stubborn donkey. Both, the peasant and his donkey, lived peacefully ploughing the fields and eat from their land of “honey and milk”. One day, while they were plouhing the field as usual, the donkey stopped to go on, refuse to cooperate with his friend and owner. The farmer begged him to continue, to finish he field, otherwise they both wouldn’t have enough to eat, but the donkey didn’t listen and kept stubbornly standing, refusing to take any further step that would bridge the gap. The farmer got angry and threatened the donkey, but the donkey insisted on his point of view and rejected all of the farmer’s promises of “peace” an “prosperous future”. Then the farmer got very angry and started beating the poor animal, but there was no sign of “future agreement” between the “two parties”. The farmer got harsher and kept battering the “terrorist” donkey who refused all the “peace” offers.

For the donkey’s luck, a British troop was passing by and saw the fight. The British soldiers felt pity for the poor donkey and approached yelling at the farmer. Another fight started and the soldiers battered the farmer badly for his “inhuman” treatment of the donkey, and went on in their way. The farmer, frustrated and angry of both the donkey and the soldiers, started beating the donkey again yelling at him: “Why didn’t you tell me you have relatives in London?”

The story, just like history, does repeat itself again, but this time in a brand-new postmodern way; well-organized in a kind of “charity” with constitution, colorful papers and handouts, computerized statistics and sharp stuff !!!

Two months ago, a friend of mine (who is the chief of the local council of a neighboring village) asked me if I can meet a European delegate of “Animals Rights” charity and guide them through the village. I apologized telling him that I really don’t have time for such animals, sorry benevolent humans !!!

Later, my friend asked me to design and write a gratitude certificate (a paper that looks like a University Certificate but has both the local council’s and the Charity’s logos on it) in order for him to send it to that “humanitarian” (but animalistic) Charity !!! He explained to me how they came; a huge delegate with 4-wheels jeeps, equipments, medicine and donkeys’ luxury stuff !!! They were professionals on Donkeys and only serve the “Donkeys (Human) Rights”… they took a tour around the village to visit their “kins” of the Donkeys, they healed some sick donkeys, and had a good impression of how we (the primitives) deal with their “relatives”, the humans !!!!

I just wonder, in God’s sake, how many zionist checkpoints they passed to reach this remote village? How many walls and borders they crossed to take care of their “relatives”? Didn’t they see how the Palestinians are treated like donkeys (apology for the donkeys) under the zionist occupation, how they are captured in the zoo of Gaza? Why, the donkeys have “Human Rights” while the Palestinians still (after 100 years of both the British and the Zionist occupation) deprived from the basic “Donkeys Rights”?

I am sure that the next Palestinian elections will witness the right for the Donkeys to vote and even compete for presidency, but what I am certain of is that the next Palestinian president (according to the West electoral standards) will be a Donkey that has kinship to London !!! Praised be the Almighty Donkeys that have kinship to London !!!

Sami, the Bedouin.

This is the first podcast in a long series on homosexuality in Sudan. Mideast Youth talks to Ali, a single gay Sudanese man living and working in the Gulf. When Ali started his blog, black-gay-Arab, he was only trying to find himself. Three years later, Ali has a lot of followers and writes about his identity as a gay man, posts videos and songs featuring interviews with mothers finding about that their sons are gay and shares the struggle of LGBT people in many Arab countries.

In this podcast, we discuss his identity, his struggles and the situation of LGBT people in the Arab world.

In his blog, Ali shares some of his views on the subject of coming-out of the closet or revealing to people your sexuality.

A few days ago, The New York Times reported that US Intelligence warned Senators of the threat of Al Qaeda and its affiliates launching an attack on US soil within the next six months.

Hmm, sounds familiar.

A little too familiar.

You see, I like to think of history as a broken record (or corrupted .mp3 file for all you new-age punks), often repeating itself every few years. A remix of the original song, if you will. Kind of like Depeche Mode’s Enjoy The Silence, only the song and its 300+ covers never get old. Nor does Dave Gahan’s voice; but I digress.

Who’s to say that the US will not launch a preemptive attack in order to curb the growing threat of Al Qaeda? Did they not do that in 2003 when they claimed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction? (Just ask Paul O’Neill). Maybe Obama’s Administration is conditioning us to accept a preemptive attack on Iran.

I found a how-to list online on how to make your own remixes, and it serves as a nifty little guide for most countries who want to legitimise their interference in other state’s affairs.

(I suggest you read the original article first so that you understand the context)

• Select the right track enemy. This is very important, since this is will affect your standing in the political arena. You’ll need, at the very least, a powerful ally to back you up.
• Try to identify what you will contribute to the track your justification. This can range from national security threats to a threat to world peace or some hoopla like that. You will also have to plan on whether you’re targeting small areas or aiming for total destruction. Think about what you’d like to take back with you from that country – what you like best, what you will keep intact and what you will change.

Words, like violence…

• Dissect the track Plan of Attack. Will there be an ultimatum, or will you be a sneaky little bastard and creep up on them? In either case, after the initial incursion take the resources you have to work with, and do most of the attacking up front.

Break the silence…


• Experiment! Nuke ‘em. Rob them of all their natural resources. Napalm, biological weapons, and more. This is your chance to have fun.

Come crashing in, into my little world…


• Reconstruct. In order to make sure that everyone doesn’t think you’re one big ol’ bully, you have to give something back to the country. This could be in the form of allowing the locals to fend for themselves slowly, giving them a chance to wean themselves out of your military occupancy (Vietnam), or it could be something even more taxing, like establishing democracy in a previously autocratic state.

Painful to me…

• Export your creation aka Operation GTFO . When you’re happy with your “progress,” you should export, or as many locals would fondly say “GET THE FUCK OUT.” .

Pierce right through me…

• Distribute your remix. This is where you tell everyone how awesome you are and how awesome the country you left in ruins now is, thanks to your overwhelming use of awesome force. Awesome.

Congratulations, if the whole world didn’t hate you already, they hate you now. Didn’t your mother ever tell you to leave well enough alone?

Some things must be written down, before they are forgotten, so that they are not forgotten, because they cannot be forgotten. Last week, many fans across the United States made a journey that they called their hajj to the Sundance film festival, to see the premiere of Eyad Zahra’s movie, The Taqwacores, and to see taqwacore bands perform. The bands traveled in a beaten up van, The Kominas from Boston, picking up Fimstrip in Cleveland and Al Thawra in Chicago on the way. By the time everyone gathered in Park City, Utah for the festival, it felt like a mini taqwacore conference. Most people stayed in a condo, lovingly referred to as a punk house. Nobody knew exactly how many people were in the house, and who exactly was in at any given point of time. Everyone was excited about the movie, the show, and just to be together.

The world premiere of The Taqwacores was on Sunday January 24th in Park City, with The Kominas, Al Thawra, Mike Knight, and many of us fans in the audience. We cheered wildly to the opening credits, as The Kominas song Sharia Law in the USA set the scene. From the start it was clear that this is about rebellion, but not without humor.

Eyad’s movie is based on a book of the same title, written by Michael Muhammad Knight. It tells a story of Yusuf, an engineering student, who moves off campus to live in a house, inhabited by people who are all Muslim, “from a certain point of view.” There is Amazing Ayyub, the Shi’a skinhead, Fasiq, the Indonesian skater boy, Rabeya, the Burqa clad riot grrrl, Umar, a straightedge punk, and Jehangir, a visionary mystic reminiscent of Dean Moriarty from Kerouac’s On the Road, a book that Taqwacores reminds me of so much because of its love of life, uninhibited by societal baggage. All of these characters are united by being outsiders, from a certain point of view, outsiders with a desire to belong, and to love Allah, in their own personal way.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Eyad’s rendition of the book follows the original very closely, and the casting is just perfect. Dominic Rains as Jehangir and Volkan Eryaman as Amazing Ayyub got into those characters so deeply, that I have a hard time now thinking of Domic as Dominc, and not as Jehangir. Volkan gave such a beauty to Ayyub, an overgrown, passionate, wild child that I want to see the movie again just to see his quirks and silly shenanigans. The beauty of the movie is also in its cinematography, where color is toned down almost to the point of being black and white, emphasizing the gritty surroundings in which the punks live. The soundtrack of the movie of course features songs by The Kominas, Al Thawra, Secret Trial Five, and Sagg Taqwacore Syndicate, bands, that have been shaping the taqwa scene for a few years now.

The Kominas and Al Thawra, together with Filmstrip, played in Park City’s Star Bar on the 25th January to celebrate the premiere. Many of us agreed that Sundance was a life changing experience, and the Park City show, the best show ever. Of course this is personal, having met the people involved, and gaining some sense of understanding for their struggle. But these bands create such beautiful punk mosh pit mayhem that would be difficult to remain untouched by.

Filmstrip from Cleveland opened the show. Their drummer, Nick Riley, was also a production manager for The Taqwacores movie, and his Cleveland Tower 2012 punk house was used to shoot the movie. Filmstrip is a band to watch out for, with beautiful instrumentation and guitars that soothe the mind. Natalie Hammingson described their sound in her post Taqwacores Make Their Pilgrimage to Sundance as psychedelic punk, which I would like to borrow here. Yes to the psychedelic punk.

Filmstrip

Marwan Kamel and Micah Behzold

The Kominas have a more playful feel, they use a lot of humor and sarcasm to deal with issues such as Islamophobia, hypocrisy, or homophobia. The great thing about the Kominas is their openness. This is their second show that I was lucky to see, and in each of these shows, they slowly convert the show into a jam session, where everyone is welcome. At one point, The Kominas said that they needed some dancers on the stage, and so many of the fans, the movie cast, the director, climbed the stage, dragged Mike Knight on it too, and joined in the singing and moshing right there with the band. At these shows, one cannot remain a passive spectator, an involvement is inevitable because the bands will jump down and play right there in the middle of the moshing crowd. And I think this is the key.

The Kominas

There are probably as many definitions of taqwacore as there are people connected to taqwacore, and that is a great thing because to me, it is about an openness. It is somewhat ironic that taqwacore is becoming a label, just by the nature of it being a name assigned to a group of people, but at its essence, it is about removing labels. About being an outsider who belongs, and who creates something beautiful from this tension of being inbetween.

by Khara J Jabola-Carolus for Migrant-Rights.org

One of the last (two) countries where divorce is illegal and where the ruling Catholic elite maintains a staunch anti-reproductive rights stance, the island nation of the Philippines boasts a staggering population of 90 million people and (exponentially) counting. To better appreciate this figure, consider that the Philippines has nearly one third of the US population living in an area slightly bigger than Arizona.

According to the latest statistics compiled by the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (part of the Philippine Dept. of Labor and Employment), the agency responsible for facilitating the government’s aggressive export labor policy, ten percent of the Philippine population works abroad.

A fresh batch of 1.3 million citizens leave every year for employment overseas and a daily average of 3,377 workers pass through the country’s international airports to work abroad. Of the Filipino migrant workers who left in 2008, 51.1% were headed for the Middle East and there are 2.3 million Filipino migrant workers in the region (over 1 million in Saudi Arabia alone).

As the world’s largest exporter of women- 70% of migrant workers from the Philippines are women- the Philippines holds considerable bragging rights to the fact that women comprise the majority of the world’s migrant workers (this according to an alphabet soup of UN agencies, grassroots organizations and state labor departments).

To be sure, male and female migrant workers are often subject to similar abuse and exploitation as economically displaced persons whose labor is considered disposable and replenishable; however, unlike their male counterparts, female migrant workers experience an entirely unique set of issues and are most vulnerable to abuses as a sex-linked class. Female migrants workers are more likely to find themselves isolated and ensconced within their employers’ homes because they make up the majority of household service workers in the Middle East – official figures indicate that 79% of household service workers and 85% of non-professional nurse caretakers deployed to the Middle East in 2008 from the Philippines were women – and housework is considered unalterably private.

When female domestic workers ready themselves for the daily treadmill of barbarously petty housework activities (there is no clear delineation of tasks), they live with the knowledge that rape and murder are occupational hazards. Indeed, female returnees recount stories of wearing three or four pairs of underwear at night and barricading themselves in their quarters with chairs jammed beneath their doorknobs.

Rape is not sex in the sense that a woman is attractive and a man can’t resist her. Elderly women and babies are raped. It’s about being a convenient victim and dominance. The domestic worker is the highest manifestation of “convenience”.

As activist Angela Davis wrote in describing the collective rape of Black women by their white American slavemasters: “Having already established their economic dominance over their female subordinates, employers may attempt to assert this authority in sexual terms”, especially in environments where employers are immune to prosecution and their authority unchallenged. There are no accurate figures on the rape of migrant workers but it is very common.

This culture of impunity importunes abusive employers to continue to mistreatment their domestic workers: some women are flogged, cut, shaved bald, and even beaten to death as punishment. Cases of abuse filed to the OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Association) rank in the hundreds of thousands each year yet the organization has been remiss in its handling of migrant workers’ concerns, refusing to subsidize the shipment of migrants’ murdered bodies home, ricocheting rape victims between one indifferent government agency to another, and acting complicit in the deliberate dissolution of the family as women are forced to raise other children and service other needs at the expense of their own (Awfully reminiscent of the state-implemented separation of Black women and their families in apartheid South Africa, no?).

The desperate situation is reflected in the high death toll and high rate of suicide among female migrant workers. In 2008 a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch reported, “Domestic workers are dying in Lebanon at a rate of more than one per week. All those involved – from the Lebanese authorities, to the workers’ embassies, to the employment agencies, to the employers – need to ask themselves what is driving these women to kill themselves or risk their lives trying to escape from high buildings.”

Despite all good intentions, organizations advocating migrant rights often share a common thread with the OWWA in that they, consciously or subconsciously, ask women to good-naturedly take the backseat to and “not inject gender into” a purportedly genderless overarching agenda. However, the lived reality, as discussed, is not gender neutral. Women’s rights are not the parenthetical, Other issue to be handled by a special caucus, but are an integral part of human rights.

To break women’s invisibility, we have to first realize that women are not being listened to or seen (Note: we are confronted only by photos of male migrant workers on the homepage of this website). We have to take some real, not rhetorical, actions in advocating the fact that the overwhelming majority (both statistically and anecdotally) of the most egregious abuses are perpetrated against female migrant workers. Let us take power out of its hiding place while bringing women’s voices and leadership to the forefront of the struggle against oppression.

One would be hard-pressed to find a Filipino who does not know of or (surprisingly often) in the personal, at least one Filipina co-worker, neighbor, relative, friend or partner who has been raped while working in the Middle East. I can count three whom I know personally: a family friend (impregnated by her rapist-employer while working as a domestic in Riyadh), a former colleague and telecommunications engineer (gang raped while working for a Nokia-Siemens subsidiary in Saudi Arabia) and Grace Vasquez.

This is Grace’s story, told in her own words.

“Sometime in April 2005, my father suffered a second stroke and was unable to work since then. I wanted to be able to work in Oman in order to care and provide for my parents as I did not want them to return to the Philippines. This prompted me to seek for any job placement for Oman. Sometime in May 2005, I read Jinhel International Recruitment Agency’s (hereinafter, “Jinhel”) Manila Bulletin advertisement for job placements in countries in the Middle East. I immediately placed a call in the telephone number contained in the ad.

After one week, I went to Jinhel’s office and paid P3,000.00 for my medical exam. I was assured of a job placement in Qatar so I decided to resign from my work as Guidance Counselor in Systems Plus Computer College in Caloocan City. I went L-R Medical & X-ray Clinic. I paid P2,730.00. Then Jinhel called in March 2006. I was told to prepare as I was sure to be sent for work in Qatar. I paid Jinhel Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) to Haja Fatima as payment, she said, for her services.

Jinhel and I agreed on the following terms of my employment in Qatar: monthly salary of QD700; work is Executive Secretary; the first two months’ salary will go to Jinhel as it’s commission.

At the airport, inside the immigration area, we were asked to pay P1,500.00 each, unreceipted. We were previously advised by Nelia to prepare the said amount. One of the Immigration Staff said “arbor ko na silang tatlo” (Hand those three over to me) because we didn’t have proper documents.

I arrived in Qatar on June 8, 2006. At the airport, I was met by Faruq, a Pakistani National who introduced himself to be from Al Waleed Agency – Jinhel’s Qatari counterpart agency. Faruq asked me to sign a contract with the following terms: monthly salary of QR600; work is to take care of a five-year-old child all day long with no day-off. I can’t do anything just to accept the contract.

Mr. Faruq brought me to my employer, Dr. Abdul Aziz Al Jumiah (hereinafter, “Dr. Abdul Aziz”). I came to know that Dr. Abdul Aziz is a Saudi National and a surgeon at the Al-Ramelah Hamad Hospital. His wife, Dina, was then pregnant and they had a five-year-old son.

I worked from 5:00 in the morning until about 1:00 or 2:00 the next morning as I was not allowed to sleep while my employers’ child was up. And since the child was asleep most of the time during the day, he usually went to bed past midnight.

Sometime in June (after about 2 week-stay in Qatar), I called the Philippine Embassy and I was able to talk to one Mr. Jack. I told him about my situation but, in return, he coldly told me: ”Hindi pa naman grabe ang nangyayari sa yo. Tapusin mo na yang 2 years mo.” (What’s happening to you isn’t even that bad. Just finish your two years.) He also gave me Overseas Workers Welfare Administration’s (OWWA) telephone number.

In the last week of June, I called OWWA and talked to one Mr. Sam to whom I repeated my story. He told me: “Tumakas ka na kung ayaw mo na. Lumabas ka at sumakay sa taxi.” *Escape if you’ve had enough. Walk out and get in a taxi.)

Madam Dina brought me with her to her hometown Syria. Where I cleaned all the house of her parents and brother’s house. I slept past 3 am and woke up at 6 am also.

We came back to Qatar in September.

On 14 September 2006, I was at the kitchen while Madam Dina was upstairs taking a bath, when Dr. Abdul Aziz arrived from the office. He suddenly embraced me and touched my breasts. I pushed him and told him that I would report to his wife. He just gave me a devil’s grin. When Madam Dina came down, I told her about what her husband did to me. But Madam Dina slapped me and blamed me for what had happened. And she shaved my head.

On the same day of September 14, 2006, Dr. Abdul Aziz asked for the key in my room. He ordered me not to lock my room from then on. I became so scared that I started to use the table in my room to block the door. I also kept a knife in my room.

On the third week of September, I again called OWWA. I told them about the harassment but I was given the same advice – to run away! I again requested that I be fetched or rescued but I was given the same answer – that OWWA does not rescue workers.

At around midnight on November 2, 2006, Madam Dina gave birth. He was brought to the hospital by Dr. Abdul Aziz. At about past 4:00 in the morning of November 3, 2006, I heard Dr. Abdul Aziz’s car arrive. I was then taking a shower. I got out of the bathroom. I just finished putting on my uniform when Dr. Abdul Aziz banged the door in my room. I was so shocked. Then Dr. Abdul Aziz immediately twisted my hands, laid me on the bed and tied my two hands on the bed using some cloth. He forcibly tore my clothes then raped me.

I pleaded and begged him not to do it. It hurt. After he raped me, he untied me. Then I saw that I was bleeding. I was so weak and almost went blank. I thought of the knife but I could not think or move. After what he did, I even saw him pray the Muslim prayer. Then I heard his car leave. I checked if he left any door unlocked. All doors/gates were locked. I was still bleeding.

At about 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning, I saw the window in my comfort room. I jumped out of that window. Luckily, Lorna (a fellow domestic worker) was then working in our neighbor’s garden. She told me to look for chairs I can step on. As I was jumping to our neighbor’s garden, Lorna saw that I was bleeding. Lorna let me out of her employer’s yard through their gate. But there were guards and so Lorna hid me behind a tree. We had to wait until the next prayer time at 11:00 in the morning. When she saw the guards entered their prayer house, Lorna advised me to run.

I hailed the taxi. I saw that it had passengers but I later learned that the taxi driver, a Filipino, saw me bleeding and so he stopped the taxi. From the taxi, the driver placed call to the Philippine Embassy.

When we arrived at the embassy, there was a party which I later learned was a party for Connie Sison and TJ Manotoc for their Kwentong Disyerto. There were media people at the embassy. The driver called Mr. Sam to inform him that we were already outside the embassy. Mr. Sam got out and even saw the blood on my body. He did not invite us in. He just told the driver to proceed and take me to OWWA. The driver even repeated that I was bleeding but Mr. Sam insisted that I be taken to OWWA.

When we got to OWWA, there was an ongoing ballroom dancing. We were asked who we were looking for. The taxi driver was making a call to Mr. Sam in order to ask who we would look for but he was not yet responding. We waited for two hours.

After two hours (or about 9:00 at night of November 3, 2006), one Sir Levi arrived at the OWWA from the embassy. He led me to a quarter that they call “shelter” inside the OWWA. I saw many (about 30) Filipino women inside the quarter .

On the night of November 3, Connie Sison’s group also proceeded to OWWA from the embassy. Sir Levi told the leader to hide those who needed to be hid including myself because I did not look good and I was hysterical. Out of the 30 plus women, only 15 were presented to Connie Sison’s group. I later learned that they were introduced as Filipinos studying computer inside the OWWA. I stayed in OWWA the whole day of November 4, 2006. We were fed “lugaw” (water mixed with rice). No one counseled me. I was not checked up or brought to the hospital.

On the night of November 4, 2006, Ma’am Ferida without first talking to me or asking me, called my employer. At about 8:00 in the morning the following day, my employer came. He was first attended to by Sir Levi. He was asked if I was his employee. They were later joined by Ma’am Ferida. They then invited me to sit down with them inside Ma’am Ferida and Sir Levi’s office. The door of the office was left open. Ma’am Flerida talked to me and told me “wag ka na magreklamo anyway may asawa ka naman na, wala naman nawala sayo” )Don’t make a complaint [because] you already have a husband, you have nothing to lose.)

I was angry at the sight of my employer-rapist. But I could not do anything because Ma’am Ferida and Sir Levi facilitated the negotiation. I was asked not to file charges against my employer. In return, my employer would give me my five months salary, a plane ticket to the Philippines as well as return my personal belongings that I left at their house when I escaped. I was made to write and sign a waiver which I worded as follows: “I will not file charges against my employer, the rape case, although it happened.”

In the morning of November 6, Sir Levi called me and gave me a plane ticket. I asked him about my personal belongings and the agreed five months salary that my employer would return. He said my employer only gave the ticket. I insisted, at the very least, on my things, but he said “Mamili ka. Uuwi ka or made-deport ka? Basta’s kailangan ko ng sagot mo hanggang 3:00 dahil alis tayo ng 3:30.” (Buy (new) things. Will you go home or will you have to be deported? Either way, I need an answer by 3:00 otherwise we’re leaving at 3:30.) I cried and demanded for my things but he said ”Wala akong magagawa.” (There’s nothing I can do.) I had no choice but to agree.

Sir Levi and I left OWWA for the airport at 3:30 in the afternoon. But before leaving, I got my mobile phone that was earlier confiscated by Ma’am Ferida. I was penniless. I was not even given any money for snacks or any emergency.

At about 6:00 p.m., I boarded the plane for the Philippines. I arrived in the Philippines in November 7, 2006 where I was brought o the hospital by my family. Not one from OWWA of the Department of Foreign Affairs assisted me in the Philippines.

When I arrived at the airport in Manila only my husband was there to receive me. My relatives took me to the hospital where I live in Batangas.* There was local press at the hospital that picked up what had happened to me.

I had to go to therapy for almost a year because I was in shock.

I’ve been waiting for the response of the government but until now there’s been absolutely no help.

It’s still not over.”

Grace with her daughter a year after returning to the Philippines.

On the right: Grace with her father before going to Qatar.

Since there is oil in Iran, there has been always a strong correlation between the structure of dictatorial power and oil. Not only government expenses, industry and services are heavily dependent on oil revenue, but also, on a larger scale, all repressive forces and institutions of dictatorial regimes rely on it. Oil production in Iran is not at all in the service of the country’s development, but mainly serves the interest of the corrupt ruling elite and, most importantly, the survival of their oppressive Islamist regime.

In the case of the IRI (Islamic Republic of Iran), oil is the greatest source of income for the state mafia and it enables the regime set up their repressive institutions, propaganda machine, thousands of plain clothes thugs to beat up angry people, apologists groups in the West, sell-away intellectuals from various factions, who propagate the regime’s legitimacy and its reformation from within, and terrorist groups to advance the regime’s agenda inside and outside the country. The regime also spends a part of this Iranian national resource to help the two Islamist terrorist groups, Hamas and Hezbollah, to prevent peaceful solutions in the region.

The U.N. Security Council resolutions and E.U. have already indicated the possibility of oil sanctions on the Iran, due to its nuclear ambitions and its strategy to export violence in the region. Added with them the ongoing brutalities after the recent electoral coup, the world must step up actions in a timely manner to impose sanction on Iran fuel supplies as the first step to shake off the regime. This action is now widely expected by both Iranians and the international community.

Although Iran is rich in oil resources and is the world’s fourth-largest oil exporter, Iran’s capacity to turn the resource into the gasoline and diesel fuel is limited and thus up to 40 percent of Iran’s gasoline is imported. Thanks to the IRI incompetence, the regime cannot expand refinery capacity to satisfy its domestic fuel requirements and thus heavily relies on imports.

The domestic consumption of gasoline is estimated 75 million litres a day, of which 36 million is imported from India. If the gasoline delivery is stopped, Iran’s domestic consummation, including that of the repressive machine of the regime, can be paralyzed within a week. Under such a situation, the heroic and able people of Iran can do the rest for making the regime history in Iran.

Besides the western oil companies like Royal Dutch Shell, French Total, Swiss Vitol, and British Petroleum: Indian large industry group ( Indian Reliance ) is another main partner of the Mullahs’ regime. The group is the long-standing culprit and buddies of Islamist regime. It supplies a great part of the needed gasoline, which helps the Mullah regime survive: it imports Iranian crude-oil, and exports refined gasoline to Iran.

The Group’s activities span exploration and production of oil and gas, petroleum refining and petrochemicals. Indian suppliers are the other constant partners of the IRI. According to official resources, Indian crude oil imports are circa 75% to meet its oil requirements. The cheap oil price, it is believed that Iranian oil is sold by mullahs below market, will sufficiently reduce costs for refinery.
Essar Oil, an Indian oil company, has now green light from Mullahs to import as much crude oil as desires from Iran. The company sells a part of the refined oil as gasoline with much higher price to Iran, what covers the purchase price.

In solidarity with the brave Iranian people’s struggle against the illegitimate regime of coup d’état and by stopping any oil trade with the IRI, India as the biggest democracy of the world, can play an honourable role by not playing bedfellow with the brutal Mullahs.

The oppressed Iranian people cannot expect the reminders of totalitarian regimes like Russian and Chinese states to stop trades with the totalitarian IRI. Instead, the free world and in its top the biggest democracy, India, are largely expected to show solidarity with the oppressed Iranian people. India can do its own reputation and the longing of the freedom-loving Iranian people a world of good by suspending its oil trade with the IRI and consequently siding with Iranian people in their struggle against the totalitarian Islamist regime which is today challenging by an increasing majority of people.

There are various topics of debate nowadays in regards to how to pursue Iran. Topics such as sanctions,military strikes, who should the West support, should the West push for a grand bargain with the mullahs or should they support the Greens. I read an article on the Planet Iran news site taken from the Wall Street Journal that goes over some of these things.

I feel that this is definitely something that should be up for discussion nowadays regarding Iran because as many people know we all have different opinions on how the IRI should be approached, so I think its appropriate that I share this piece with all of you, and get some opinions about it.

“We have been trying to negotiate [with the Iranians] for five, six years. We’ve tried everything. We have met every Iranian. We have tried to open every possible channel. We’ve had new ideas and the result is this: nothing.”

Thus did a senior Western diplomat recently describe to me his country’s efforts to reach a negotiated settlement with Tehran over its nuclear programs. In doing so, he also finally disposed of the myth, nearly a decade in the making, that Iran was ready to abandon those programs in exchange for a “grand bargain” with the West.

Let’s dispose of a few other myths—and hope it doesn’t take years for the lesson to stick:

(1) Military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities would accomplish nothing.

That’s the argument made by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who last year told a Senate Committee that “a military attack will only buy us time and send the program deeper and more covert.”

Maybe so, but what’s wrong with buying time? Israel’s 1981 attack on Iraq’s Osirak reactor also bought time while driving Saddam’s nuclear programs underground. But it ensured that it was a non-nuclear Iraq that invaded Kuwait and threatened Saudi Arabia nine years later, a point recognized by then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney when he thanked the Israeli commander of the Osirak operation for making “our job much easier in Desert Storm.”

Full Article

Don’t let history Repeats Itself, UN sanctions on Iraq caused half a million deaths among young children, US sanctions on Iran will have the same effects, open your eyes and react to planned massacre of ordinary people! Our goal is to pressure the Iranian government, particularly the Revolutionary Guard elements, without contributing to the suffering of the ordinary Iranians.
When asked on US television if she [Madeline Albright, US Secretary of State] thought that the death of half a million Iraqi children [from sanctions in Iraq] was a price worth paying, Albright replied: “This is a very hard choice, but we think the price is worth it.”

“Sourena, my son, there was a day long ago when your picture was a witness to my constant pleading eyes. We were entrenched amidst dirt and fire, but we would go on everyday, we would go on for the safety and security of our land.

You were the most precious thing to me in this land, I was there to protect you, to be your knight in shining armor, and I was not alone, we were thousands …

One day, a day as bitter as today, the skies poured rockets and bombs, and the earth became the grave of hundreds of courageous men … They went on an eternal sleep while smiling with the memory of their mothers, wives and children and they were calm knowing that no bomb or rocket could harm them again.

I too got my share with the blood that had soaked my boots and the wires that were piercing my body. I was a captive, a prisoner, but I was at once happy and content knowing of your happiness, your safety, your freedom …

We were the lost men of those years, and year after year, one after another we would die of old battle wounds, under torture … there was no sign of us anywhere. We were lost and forgotten.

All I could do during those years was to pray from the bottom of my heart to see you free. With my fellow soldiers I prayed that you would not see any harm.

But the deep bitterness of today is leagues beyond what I experienced before … you are a captive now, you are in prison, you do not smile … Over a month has passed and I see no signs of you but your captivity …

I am ashamed. What if you have inherited captivity from me?

Why am I alone today? Where are the soldiers along whom I fought? What will I do if they are the ones harming you? What if they do not know? What if they do not know that you have been fighting by my side since you were two? What if they do not know of bullets you endured for me?

I am alone …

My dear Sourena, I have not forgotten the events at the University of Zanjan:

Those who raped the children of this land can not be the ones who were at my side during battle!

Those who scream and shout in violence are not the soldiers who were by my side in battle!

Those who have imprisoned you, have robbed you of the opportunity to attend school, they are not the soldiers who fought with me in battle!

I know those soldiers very well!

Let me believe that these violent men of today are not those soldiers! These men of today are intruders who know nothing of this land or its people.

Let me believe that every last soldier was martyred in that war and I was kept alive to suffer today …

Once long ago, I gave everything I had for your freedom … Now that you are not free, I give everything I have for your safety …

And for the opportunity to see you once more …

~Asghar Hasemi”

Politicians have begun visiting religious leaders, which means elections must be close. This month, the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, along with the vice president, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, went to Najaf to visit the ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. After meeting the ayatollah, Maliki issued a statement giving official refutation to recent criticisms of Sistani from Saudi clerics and clearly currying favour with voters.

There are laws that are supposed to restrict such behaviour but every individual, party and bloc engaged in the election is willing to use almost all means available to win votes. And in Najaf especially, winning votes means aligning with the religious powers.

As 7th March draws nearer it’s not just al-Maliki who is trying to play the faith card. Even the non-Islamic parties are keen to convince the electorate that their campaign is endorsed by the religious authorities.

Hasan Ibrahimi, the regional coordinator of the Shams network, which is concerned with monitoring elections in Iraq, explained this phenomenon.

“We do expect this behaviour from politicians because, in order to get popular support, the support approval of the religious authorities is vital,” adding, “In the previous elections, politicians also used religious authorities to further their ends. The clerics didn’t declare support for any party over another. Any rumours about such support are mere electoral propaganda.”

The influence of religious leaders in Iraqi politics has increased greatly since the fall of Saddam, with the religious authorities not only freer but perfectly placed to step into the power vacuum left by the disappearance of the Ba’ath party.

In Najaf, the most prominent ayatollahs, Sistani, Basheer al-Najafi, Muhammad al-Hakeen and Muhammad al-Fayyad all agreed not to interfere in the political or electoral process. Although other notable religious personalities, such as ayatollah al-Yaaqoubi, whose party had seats on provincial councils and in the current parliament, have created their own political parties and started to promote them, those who have steered clear of an overt involvement in political affairs have actually retained greater influence on voters’ choices.

In the 2005 elections, turnout reached 70%, with many voters attending polls because religious authorities not only supported polling but declared participation a relgious dutyShi’ite political blocs were particularly successful in 2005, claiming that this stance effectively endorsed their list along sectarian lines.

Today, there is concern that a similar situation will come about in this election. Naser al-Asadi, a clergyman and a member of Sadeq al-Shirazi’s office in Karbala, acknowledges that the religious authorities play a role in the election.

“This role, however, shouldn’t be to clearly announce its support to any particular political entity,” he said, adding that such promotion is a contradiction of the status and obligations of religious leaders.

“The religious authority should be the big umbrella over all parties. If any party is deprived from having shelter under this umbrella, the religious authorities loses its credibility.”

Some political parties are still distrustful of the religious authorities, believing they may choose to declare support for one party at the expense of others, despite assurances to the contrary.

Hussein al-Amiri, the director of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) Information office in Karbala, said that these fears are exaggerated and told Niqash that “IHEC’s instructions ban the use of religion in the electoral campaigns,” adding that, “The penalties for violation of these instructions are severe and include depriving those who do so the right to compete in elections. It’s a powerful check that parties would dare not break.”

The World Economic Forum (WEF) conveined in Davos, Switzerland a week ago. It’s the gathering of all the greats in the world, the CEO’s, thepresidents, prime ministers, and murderers.

It was once described to me to be ‘The only place where the CEO of Coca Cola, and the CEO of Pepsi can sit together and have lunch peacefully’

Last years WEF came in a time of turmoil; the economic recession,  and the Gaza War that had 1,300  innocent lives murdered. January 29th marked Turkey standing up against Israel, and leaving the Forum after an attempt to censor their then Prime Minister.

‘One Minute, one minute, one minute’ said Erodgan. Here’s the transcript of the stand up:

Erdoğan: Mr. Peres, you are older than me. Your voice is very loud. I know that you are speaking aloud because of the requirement of a sense of guilt. My voice will not be that loud. About murdering, you know killing very well. I am well aware how you murdered children on beaches. Two former prime ministers of your country had important sayings to me. You have former prime ministers who say when I entered Palestine on tanks, I feel more and more pleased. I can give their names. Maybe some of you wonder. Besides, I condemn those of you who applaud this persecution. Because applauding these killers who murdered those children, who massacred those people is, I believe, also another crime committed against humanity. Look, we cannot disregard a reality here. Here, I jotted down a lot of notes, but I dont have time to answer all of them. But, I will say you only two things:

Moderator: Excuse me Prime Minister, we cant start the debate again.

Erdoğan: Excuse me. First … excuse me, do NOT interrupt me!… First, The Old Testament says in the 6th commandment: “You shall not kill!” But there is murder here. Second, this is also very interesting. Gilad Atzmon, a Jewish himself, says: Israeli barbarity is far beyond even the cruelty. Besides, Avi Shlaim, Professor of Oxford who performed his military duty in Israeli army, says in the Guardian the following:

Moderator: Prime Minister, Prime Minister. I wanna ask to our host.

Erdoğan: Israel became a gangster state. (to the moderator) I thank you, too. For me … Davos is done for me from now on. I will never come to Davos again. You shall all know this in this way. You are not letting us speak. (Showing Peres) He spoke for 25 minutes, but you let me speak 12 minutes. No way!

Turkey’s prime minister has returned home from the World Economic Forum in Davos to a warm welcome after he stormed out of a debate over Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.

Erdogan walked out of a televised debate on Thursday with Shimon Peres, the Israeli president, after the moderator refused to allow him to rebut Peres’ justification about the war.

Before storming out, Erdogan told Shimon Peres, the Israeli president: “You are killing people.”

We’re not the first to realize that t-shirts are a great way to raise awareness about causes. We wanted to make fun shirts that deliver the message of coexistence without being tedious. We hope you like it! Let us know what you think in the comment section.

You can buy the shirts here.

Writing on the shirt:

RT @Bahaullah RT @ProphetMuhammad RT @Jesus RT @Moses Love Thy Neighbor!

about 250 years ago from Town Square

Over the month of January, we at Migrant-Rights.org have covered cases of abuse against migrant workers in Lebanon, Jordan, Libya, Qatar, the UAE, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. Following our documentation of several cases of suicide and attempted suicide by domestic workers in Kuwait, the Kuwait Times has published an expose on the subject. We continued to approach regional embassies this month and publish the stories of the migrant workers in distress who contacted us.

Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2010 was released this month, which strongly condemns the Gulf states for failing to protect the rights of Migrant Workers. The HRW report raises the issues of passport confiscation, abuses of domestic workers and bans on trade unions as key issues in the region. Bahrain and Kuwait have taken steps towards removing the kafala system, which ties the right of a migrant to remain in the country to the permission of his sponsor. However, a disturbing finding is that migrant domestic workers are excluded from the new legislation. This is particularly concerning to Migrant-Rights.org given the spate of suicides and attempted suicides by distressed maids working in the region in recent months (see here and here).

This month, the worrisome trend of suicides by domestic workers in Lebanon continues, with four documented cases of suicide in four weeks (see first, second, and third and fourth). In the second week of January, three migrant workers ended their life in Bahrain.

Highlights

The following section will include stories that we feel are especially important or haven’t received enough public attention:

Qatar a ‘Death Trap’ for Nepali Migrants
Around 217 Nepali migrant workers lost their lives in Qatar in 2009, according to Nepali Ambassador Surya Nath Mishra. This is a rise from the 175 documented cases of death of Nepali nationals in Qatar in 2008. The rapidly-developing Gulf state has long been a favored destination for Nepali migrant workers, many of whom are employed on construction sites.

Bangladeshi Workers Go Hungry in Libya
A group of 46 Bangladeshi workers in Libya who have been living without work, salaries and facilities for months. The workers have been living out in “a shabby abandoned camp with no sanitation and facilities”, according to one of the workers. On days when they can’t find work, they go hungry and sometimes boil leaves for food.

Raped Filipino Worker Faces Lashing after Miscarriage in Saudi Prison
A Filipino woman who worked as a janitor in Saudi Arabia was raped in August of last year by a Bangladeshi co-worker and became pregnant as a result. Her pregnancy was discovered in September during a medical checkup and she was thrown to jail because the police did not accept her version that she was raped, and instead ruled that she had an “illicit affair”. Last month the woman suffered a miscarriage in prison and she is now facing lashings before being deported back to the Philippines.

This was the Migrant-Rights.org newsletter for the month of January. If you wish to subscribe, you can enter your e-mail address into the form at the bottom of the Migrant-Rights.org homepage.

Who followed the MEY posts over the last two weeks, would notice that most of the posts were against Iran and its right to develop nuclear energy. I just wonder WHY? Why an Iranian would denounce his own country and help the West to enslave his people under the false American propaganda of “Human rights” and “democracy”. Are we blind enough not to see how the western governments are blind to human rights when it comes to Arabs and muslims? Cant we see how the west are backing the Nuclear zionest entity while depriving the arabs from any opportunity to develop in any area of science? Why the West backed the racist South Africa with the Nuclear weapons but dispowered it when it became democratic?

How come America back the nuclear, racist and occupying regime of the zionist entity while fighting the Islamic Iran? Why the WEST is so hypocrite regarding human rights? Why “democracy” and “human rights” are used against muslims but the zionists are allowed to do all the crimes against the indigenous Palestinians? Why some of us, specially some mislead Iranians are working against the development and the power of their own country?

Here, is an interview ( by Kourosh Ziabari) with the great American intellectual Prof. Naom Chomsky that would shed some light on the hypocrisy of the West. I just chose it to show the other side of the coin, out and way from the hypocritical discourse of the American canned “human rights” and “democracy” !!!
…………………………………
In this interview I talked to Prof. Chomsky about Iran, nuclear issue, Washington-Tehran relations and the global impact of Zionist lobbies. An excerpt of this conversation was first published by the Iran’s leading English language daily Tehran Times.

Q: Prof. Chomsky; You have reiterated several times that the majority of world countries, including the members of Non-Alignment Movement, support the nuclear dossier of Iran, yet the American neo-cons are still trumpeting their hawkish mottos. Why?

A: Not only the non-aligned movement, but also the large majority of Americans believe that Iran has the right to develop nuclear energy. But almost no one in the U.S. is aware of this. That includes those who are polled, and probably think they are the only ones who hold these beliefs. Nothing is ever published about it. What appears in the media, constantly, is that the “international community” demands that Iran stop uranium enrichment. Almost nowhere is it brought out that the term “international community” is used conventionally to refer to Washington and whoever happens to go along with it, not just on this issue, but quite generally.

Q: Most of the analysts of international affairs cannot still digest the nuclear double standards of the U.S. government. While supporting the atomic arsenal of Israel, U.S. continuously pressures Iran to halt its civilian nuclear programs. What are the reasons? Does the IAEA have the authority to probe into the cases of Israel’s atomic weaponry?

chomskyA: The basic point was explained very candidly by Henry Kissinger. He was asked by the Washington Post why he now claims that Iran does not need nuclear energy so it must be working on building a bomb, while in the 1970s he insisted forcefully that Iran needs nuclear energy and the U.S. must provide the Shah with the means to develop it. His answer was pure Kissinger: “They were an allied country” so they needed nuclear energy. Now they are not an ally, so they do not need nuclear energy. As for Israel, it is an ally, more accurately a client state. So they inherit from the master the right to do as they please.

The IAEA has the authority, but the US would never permit them to exercise it. The new U.S. administration has given no indication that it is any different.

Q: There are 4 sovereign states which have not yet ratified the NPT and freely pursue atomic weapons. Will Iran be extricated from the frequent pressures; should it halt its ratification and withdraw from the treaty?

A: No, that would simply escalate the pressures. Apart from North Korea, all of these countries receive extensive U.S. support. The Reagan administration pretended it did not know that its ally Pakistan was developing nuclear weapons, so that the dictatorship could receive massive U.S. aid. The U.S. has agreed to assist India in developing its nuclear facilities, and Israel is a special case.

Q: What probable factors may hamper the establishment of direct talks between Iran and the U.S.? Is the influence of Israeli lobby over the corporate regime of America a major one?

A: The Israeli lobby has some influence, but it is limited. That was demonstrated in the case of Iran, once again, last summer, during the presidential campaign, the time when the influence of lobbies is at its peak. The Israeli Lobby wanted Congress to pass legislation that came close to calling for a blockade of Iran, an act of war. The measure gained considerable support, but then suddenly disappeared, probably because the White House made it clear, quietly, that it was opposed.

As for the actual factors, we do not yet have adequate internal records, so it is necessary to speculate. We do know that a large majority of Americans want to have normal relations with Iran, but public opinion rarely influences policy. Major US corporations, including the powerful energy corporations, would like to be able to exploit Iran’s petroleum resources. But the state insists otherwise. I presume that the main reason is that Iran is just too independent and disobedient. Great powers do not tolerate that in what they take to be their domains, and the world’s major energy-producing regions have long been considered the domain of the Anglo-American alliance, now with Britain reduced to junior partner.

Q: Will there be a tactical or systematical transformation in the approach of American mainstream media toward Iran during the tenure of Mr. Obama? Should we expect a cut-off in the mass of anti-Iranian black propaganda?

A: The media generally adhere fairly closely to the general framework of state policy, though policies are sometimes criticized on tactical grounds. A lot, therefore, depends on the stand that the Obama administration will take.

Q: And finally, do you believe that the U.S. President should follow the Iranian proposal and apologize for its historical crimes against Iran?

A: I think that the powerful should always concede their crimes and apologize to the victims, in fact go much farther and provide reparations. Unfortunately, the world is largely governed by the maxim of Thucydides: the strong do as they wish, and the weak suffer as they must. Slowly, over time, the world is becoming more civilized, in general. But there is a long way to go.

In preparation for a policy memo on the War in Afghanistan, the editorial staff of Atlantic-Community.org would like your feedback. We want to incorporate more of the opinions of the students and young professionals in the Middle East. Please contribute by answering the highlighted questions and giving concrete recommendations and/or policy suggestions. We look forward to hearing your ideas!

Atlantic-community.org members generally agreed on two major inter-related issues facing NATO operations in Afghanistan: stemming from a lack of coherent strategy and clarity of goals, insufficient engagement of the local population and failing international cooperation, ISAF is seen as being in urgent need of grass-roots, systemic reform. Our members developed the following key suggestions towards improving the ISAF mission.

1. NATO must clarify its goals and strategy.

Strategy changes are necessary, chief among them being a greater clarity of NATO’s goals, as the lack of a coherent strategy is one of the most important obstacles facing the mission. Continued, credible consultations amongst all contributing nations are necessary to achieve a viable plan. The Goals of the mission must be the development of a non-corrupt Afghan state with full domestic engagement and a definition of success that is culturally appropriate to the Afghan context – and does not merely mean an emulation of western-style democracy. A reformed ISAF mission must focus on counter-terrorism, corruption (especially in addressing the political and human dimensions of the drug trade), as well as providing real, lasting security.

Furthermore, the new approach must explicitly recognize civilian efforts, thus creating an effective, multi-dimensional operation. The new strategy must allow local groups to grow into an effective anti-Taliban force.

What are some concrete suggestions regarding how the international community can fight corruption? Should western aid be contingent upon certain standards of development?

A recent poll suggests that support for international troops is up amongst Afghans. What projects and policies need to be undertaken to continue to improve ISAF’s image amongst Afghans?

2. The international community must win the support of the locals.

NATO needs greater support from the local population, and must get Afghans actively involved and invested in civil and security apparatuses. Training new security personnel, as well as updating the Afghan National Army’s weaponry must top the list when it comes to security reform.

Reducing the Taliban’s support base is crucial in order to reverse the insurgency. There is some debate as to whether negotiating with the Taliban is a viable policy option now, though in the long run, some political agreements will have to come about. In the medium term, offering positive incentives, such as secure salaries or lower-level positions in government institutions to non-ideological combatants is necessary: by encouraging these groups to become invested in the political development of Afghanistan, the mission will affect lasting military and political stability.

While this is a way to reduce the pool the Taliban draws its combatants from, preventing the higher echelons, namely militia leaders and those with proven records of human rights violations, from prominent roles in governments – local and national – is essential towards the development and improvement of the rule of law. Thus, the international community must demand that the Afghan government consults with its citizens and “supports justice-focussed political debate in Afghanistan”.

There is a general consensus amongst members regarding the harmful effects of warlords in parliament, as well as holding regional influence. What practical steps should be taken to improve this situation? How can their hold on power be reduced/weakened? How can the international community empower new politicians?

Prof. Galtung is one of the most important dissident intellectuals of our time; distinguished professor of Sociology, Peace and conflict research and world renowned founder of the academic discipline of peace research and founder of PRIO, is currently director of TRANSCEND, a global peace and development network. He has served at so many universities that he has “probably taught more students on more campuses around the world than any other contemporary sociologist. The long life peace activist during the 1970s predicted the downfall of the Soviet Union in 1990.

I had the honor to interview him on Iran.

Q: What is now known as Iran’s Green Movement was born on June 13, 2009, in reaction to massive electoral fraud during the Islamic Republic’s tenth presidential election. Tree reformist candidates claimed the election was rigged but government rejects any claims of fraud. In the aftermath of the elections, anti- government rallies evolved on streets of Tehran, peace full demonstrators participated in silent walks but government of Iran harshly reacted to that, numerous reformist politicians, journalists, Human Rights activists and students were arrested. There are serious concerns of torture, rape, show trials and systemic restrictions of freedom of peaceful assembly and association and freedom of expression, Sum up the situation in Iran as you understand them.

Galtung: I am not so sure about the election issue. As far as I understand the result were very compatible with the polls made by BBC (and ABC) before the election. At any rate, the major issues you mention by far overshadow any election fraud, so I would focus on them.

The crucial point seems to me to be the contradictions built into a theocracy in this age of so much modernity and secularism, also in Iran where I have been many times. Ad the point about theocracy goes beyond freedom of thought. Theocracy means rule by the true, usually self-appointed, believers or at last not declared non-believers. It differs from the Shah rule 1953-78 which certainly autocratic, but not theocratic. What Iranians want, possibly a clear majority, is a system that is democratic. In that system shia Islam will still play a major role, but there will have to be a separation between the theocratic Qom-based hierarchy and a democratic Tehran-based hierarchy, like Italy managed to separate Vatican rule and Rome rule.

Q: I want to ask you about nonviolence and disobedience, there are doubts about success of such strategies wile oil reach regime is using violence in one hand and maintains control of financial section, police, media and backed by support groups of loyalists and majority of Ayatollahs.

Galtung: Nonviolence has been successful against worse combinations than that, like against the whole British Empire, against entrenched racism in the USA, against the post-stalinist regimes in Eastern Europe, against apartheid in South Africa. But there are some conditions. There had to be a relatively clearly formulated goal (independence, equal rights, human rights in general, one-person-one-vote). I have not yet seen that clear formulation from the opposition in Iran; to be against the present regime is not good enough. The whole outcome may actually depend on this as it becomes easy for the regime to say, they have no alternative. There is also some doubt about how nonviolent the opposition is.

Q: United States and EU is blaming Iran for support of terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah? Iranian government though calls them freedom fighters and denies armament of Islamist groups, what do you think about this political dilemma? Are you optimistic about any peaceful resolutions for Middle Eat?

Galtung: In complex conflicts there are always many truths; this is one of them. In no way does it cancel the points made above. A strong opposition can be both genuine and be backed by the USA–UK-Israel. Incidentally, USA and Israel also have strong theocratic elements.

The Palestinians are among the worst treated peoples in modern history by extremely brutal Israeli colonialism, initiated by the UK from 1917, supported by USA from 1967. Yes, I think that within 20 years we have a solution, a Middle East Community with Israel and the five neighboring Arab states, one of them being Palestine fully recognized, modeled on the European Community of 1958. The only way out, and it helps that the US Empire, not the USA, is on its way down (The Fall of the US Empire – And Then What, TRANSCEND University Press, 2009; see www.transcend.org/tup). I understand Hezbollah and Hamas, have had dialogues with them, and think they would have come much further with nonviolence. They have a clear goal, however: a viable Palestinian state based on the pre-June 1967 war borders with some minor modifications. There are extremist who go beyond that and there certainly are extremists in Israel, but this could be viable within a Middle East Community setting. See my 50 Years: 100 Peace and Conflict Perspectives, as above.

Iranians have suffered by intervention of colonial super powers and despotism, now Iran is under UN sanctions for insisting on producing enriched uranium, Nuclear issues are very technical for public, as I understand Iranian nuclear program is in middle of no were but US and UN sanctions are going on. In July 2009, Yukiya Amano, the in-coming head of the IAEA said that he did not see any evidence Iran was trying to gain the ability to develop nuclear arms. I would like to hear your comments on effects of sanctions.

Those sanctions will stimulate the Iranian government and is a major factor keeping them in power, being so obviously unjustified. Countries that have done so much wrong in the regions as that triple, UK-USA-Israel, fearing that their time is running out, naturally become paranoid. My strong feeling is that a full admission and apology for the 1953 coup by the triple and Obama at least acknowledged something, would help a lot.

Q: Group of Iranian dissidents trying to bring a case to ICC to prosecute authorities who are involved in atrocities and major crack down in Iran. Do you think such efforts may help the betterment of daily life for my fellow Iranians?

Galtung: The trouble with ICC is that it has become a court focusing on the minor crimes of countries down in the world hierarchy, particularly those in Africa, letting the triple off with impunity. The bombing of Iraq, the sanctions on Iraq, the Gaza massacre so similar to the Warsaw ghetto. There is no equality for the law, hence no law. A case will maker them even more determined and they will be supported by many in the population.

Q: The Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi in her recent interview said; if the United States pursues sanctions and help convince ordinary Iranians that sanctions are aimed at the regime, not the people. It might eventually help to bring democracy to Iran. If you had a chance to send her a message what would that message be?

Galtung: I would say that such sanctions, often called “smart sanctions” are very difficult to design and operate, like “smart bombs” there will be much collateral damage in the population so they could easily backfire. What is needed is a Conference on Security and Cooperation in the West Asia, under UN auspices, to discuss the Middle East, the Kurdish situation, Iraq and Iran (Afghanistan is Central Asia), modeled on the excellent Helsinki conference 1972-75. That situation was also very complex, confusing and confused with much at stake. USA-UK not being countries in the region would be invited as observers; Israel as a participant which would be difficult for some, but they are in the UN. There is an excellent candidate for the role of Finland: Turkey, now playing a major bridging role in the region.

1. I have used www.Wikipedia.org to introduce professor Galtung
2. PRIO stands for Peace Research Institute of Oslo
3. Galtung is currently director of TRANSCEND INTERNATIONAL
4. I have referred to this Interview of Ms Ebadi
5. About this Photo: The Peace Research course has been part of the University of Oslo International Summer School since 1969. PRIO is responsible for the academic syllabus, as well as for teaching and other practical matters. I was admitted at this program at 2007.

Khamenei has been forced to issue a denial that he leads a rich and luxury lifestyle when compared to the poor that he claims to serve:

Alavi Green Movement (Farsi)

This is a response to claims over the past weeks from those who used to work close to him. These sources provided a very detailed account of every aspect of his routine, money and possessions:

Translation of Makhmalbaf’s article on “The secrets of Khamenei’s life”. Makhmalbaf is a leading opposition figure in exile in France.

I think the fact that Khamenei has been forced into a denial suggests he is worried about the number of people who are learning the truth about his riches while others suffer due to the regimes bad economic management. This seems more likely than what Khamenei wants us to think, if we look at the terrible things he has allowed to happen since the election.

After today bloody day in Baghdad ,I express my emotions in words ,just to express how I felt like a human away from politics and big words , my dear friend and one of great Iraqi activists and bloggers Basma Al-kateeb helped in translation it to English ,her words make my emotions more clear ,I want to share it with you ,this is about people ,who lived and die ..in Baghdad today

.I hate week days..

Now I hate to watch the news,And see how many are dead and how many injured score of people went? Now I hate the days of the week,Especially those that have not become deadly until now,It Terrifies me to the point of death ,Who’d come out today? To go and where to?

Is the next massacre going to be coming Friday? Saturday or Thursday?
I hate the exclusive channels, Showing us images directly from the event

Why aren’t we convinced with what the Spokesperson has to say, he says that out of 58 wounded.. 50 went home..walking!!
And all that blew out were some windows and four houses!!

Why do you insist that we see Iraqi women mourning their deaths, striking their faces in the streets, blood covering their faces?
Are you information channels? Or terrorist gangs?
Why Take us out of our drugged status of feeling secure, our coma,
Why assasinate our rosy dreams?
Now I hate the news
The days of the week
Especially non-bloody ones
Death is playing with us for the sake of playing a dirty game
Wraps the days of the week and we do not know when to expect the next explosion to come today or another day, it’s a Russian roulette game..every day
I hate the news now
my page on Facebook is filled with black
Pictures of the bombing and a hundred dead
here
And 30 there, we remember
the security plan, and the criminals behind this are known :
.. either Terrorist, Baathist ,sectarian …then the Parliament deplores, it even holds an emergency session on security , later on.. some officers will be dismissed
And a ban on broadcasting love songs
How I love the official Spokesperson
his Words tranquilize me..make me feel assured and safe,
He convinced me that the situation is good, even though few terrorists slipped tight security measures..and did this act..but..they managed to catch a hundred of them..so what
!
I wish I was born in a life where I didn’t have any nationality wish
I live in a world without religion or ethnic or national, in a world where we don’t expect the world to collapse after we go to the bathroom..I wish I don’t have to put on casual outdoor clothes, before going to sleep..just so that I can escape in the middle of the night running in the streets..wearing decent clothes
And we don’t have to bid our families farewell before we go to work every day
Now I hate all the political parties
Secular and religious, and environmental
all those who Paid for this bloodshed to sustain
parliamentary privileges
they Become everything, I hate
Even myself and my clothes,
Identity I wish we live
without weeks
Horror stories
Elections
And talk shows
Lord when will you rid us of it or get rid of us all
Because life has become …Comic?
People die, others get richer..quickly..fabulous..now..our blood has become so cheap
Our losses are not valued humanitarianly..
How Iraqis will die? are we going to overcome other global news..wars..disasters..Haiti..football game when Egypt won Cameron?
Why stop the world because Abu Chmagh (abu means a male with) Abu Ghurteh (Bedwin head cover) Abu Qat (wearing a suit)and Abu Turban, Abu Gel hair, Abu Sala (man who brags about being a regular prayer person)..many Abu and Abu and Abu ..
Death is inevitable..we know that..what about our day..of the week..they all turned bloody? Our lives have turned bloody…

Tomorrow we will go to work

Will buy the newspaper
We will not consider looking at photos of the bombing in the paper,
Because the channels forced us to know them by heart..
Each of us will be accused of being behind the bombing,
Each of us will point fingers to the international hidden plot..and factor..
we endure Checkpoints and Inspection
We thank God for the security plan
And Mr. spokes person,
we accetp to our dose of security opium , live on, waiting..and waiting..for the news..
this week passes, and we continue…to play the game of Russian Roulette

The victims included four men and one woman, all were volunteer workers in the organization, the women was a computer engineer, and a prominent women’s rights activist was shot in front of her 5-year-old daughter

Meanwhile a car bomb went off near an Iraqi military patrol close to the office, wounding two soldiers.
The organization is rumored to be linked to Salah al-Mutlak, the prominent secular Sunni lawmaker and his party have been barred from participating in the upcoming parliamentary election because of ties to the previous regime.

The organization’s staff included a candidate for Parliament, Wurud al-Qaisi, who was in the building but escaped unharmed. Ms. Qaisi is running with a list of female candidates as part of a secular, cross-sectarian alliance.

The observers link the attack to a surge in assassinations in Baghdad believed to be perpetrated by the notorious “death squads” which had terrorized the Iraqi capital nearly two years ago.

Four people, including a colonel in the Iraqi army, were killed in three separate attacks by armed militants, security forces confirmed on Thursday,the colonel was killed by militant gunfire in the Al-Kasr area of Mosul, around 400 kilometers north of Baghdad on Wednesday night, Four gunmen robbed a jewelry store in the Binoog district of northern Baghdad, killing the owner and another man ,most of the attacks on jewelry stores target Christians and sabia minorities merchants
Iraqi Government workers in Baghdad say the ever-tighter security precautions around their offices are failing to allay fears of further deadly attacks ahead of March elections.
The government has increased roadblocks and security checks in the roughly 15-kilometre central Baghdad zone where most ministries and state offices are located.

But civil servants say the heightened security has done little to reassure them.
Many Iraqi universities are witnessing in the last few months security deterioration as they turn into arenas for political struggles as election date became near which effects the quality of education. Universities, particularly those located in Baghdad province, have become a target of violence, and the security bodies are unable to protect the safety of the students.
Recently, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki has ordered the closure of the Mustansariyah University in Baghdad as punishment for the beating up of a professor by students on campus.
Baghdad university is surrounded by large wall with tight security measures as the dean of the university told the students that they are targeted by terror and read to them a threat letter to close the university doors or else.
On the 12 of jan 2010 Iraqi security forces blocked large parts of Baghdad on morning and conducted search operations in some neighborhoods, causing large-scale lockdowns in the capital, The source could not tell the reason behind such sudden and wide-ranging operations, but said they are possibly based on information on bomb attacks in the capital ,people could not go to work or schools ,many heard rumors of failed coup in Baghdad green zone
After an explosions last week in najaf city the city council accused the sons of bath members of organizing the attacks ,the council give 24 hours to all bath families to leave the city ,they later said they can leave in few weeks

The future security in Iraq depends on the election next month ,many people fear a wide spread cleansing in Iraq as one known organization related to media activities in London and with good ties to sectarian powers in Iraq published last week a list of more than 200 names of academics ,journalists and scientist and accuse them of being old believers in Bath and spread articles in the net to attack the Iraqi government and accuses them of being linked to the Iraqis in Syria who are blamed for Baghdad 2009 bloody attacks, bath relation has became a new accusation to remove more than 500 candidate to elections ,making many Iraqi fear that a bath cleansing in the future
Future is not clear and media covers the facts in Iraq ,what will happen is unknown but mostly a strong step in Iraq future for better or worse
References:

1-eart times web site
2-aswat Iraq agency
3-al-zaaman Iraqi newspaper
4-rutiers agency
5-al-baghdadia tv

Waiting ! Waiting, Oh!… I don’t know why it came to me to remember a phrase that was written by hand on a table in on one of the city restaurants. I read it while I was waiting for Sonia one evening… (the best things come to those who wait.) ..the phrase was written neatly. It seemed that whoever had written the note had waited a long time before his girl finally came, so he must have written it slowly while expecting her to come. I laughed and felt the hot tears washing my soul. Waiting? Shucks! A wait in which you die every minute for a big warm hug, to throw your head on the velvet shoulders smelling the sweet scent of the swelling bosom.

What a vanity! When would the stab come? How would they thrust it into your stomach??? Sheikh Buddha wouldn’t endure for long, and if he did, they would not leave him alone, they would tear his soul apart until he bought into their game. He would not be able to stand it. I knew him as I know the palm of my own hand, I knew how to read his face and soul perfectly over the last three months. When we decided to start the hunger strike, he agreed at first, but then retreated quickly as if stung by a snake, as if receiving his revelation suddenly. He said the hunger strike is forbidden, it is a slow suicide, and who dies will be thrown into hell on his face!

Did I wait for a long time? I don’t know, but I think they brought him back after four or five hours scratching the floor noisily with his shoes. He sat murmuring his prayers. I asked him no question but I left him to have a rest as I watched him. Surely he knew that I was longing to hear his report. He kept silent for a long time. Never mind! I will wait until he finishes his silent prayers. I am not going to start talking but will let him take his time. After a while, he turned his head slowly to look directly at me; I knew he wanted to torture me by that sullen look, he wanted me to ask, but I will not. He looked at me stubbornly for a long time but finally, he said hesitatingly, as if he was tearing the words out of his lips:

-“They….announced… that… he committed suicide.”
-“How !!!”
-“They…. forced.. me … to hear the radio news.”
-“What!”
-“It …said… that…. a prisoner committed suicide in Jnaid jail.”
-“Damn it ! So fast !!” I said helplessly.
-“ It said also that the authorities formed an investigation committee.”
-“The bastards! How come?”

Buddha said nothing but kept looking at me with his rheumy, scared, weak eyes. ‘What is there behind your languid eyes, Sheikh?’ I thought to myself. ‘What is behind those lashes my dear!! Thousands of questions are already hidden behind those stupid prayers… you are not going to betray me.. their deception was pretty enough to kill us all, don’t crush me more by your wondering look of an old fox!!!’ I cant stand waiting.. it always killed me to wait !!

-“So???” I asked loathingly. I wanted to discover more of the inside space of his mind, to see where I fitted inside it exactly. Then, as if he was forced to confess, finally after an exhausting long round he said crest-fallenly:
-“They… want…. us…. to co-operate with the committee.”
-“So??”

Again, the Sheikh didn’t reply but kept gazing at me, entreating, his eyes glistening with childish tears, until he buried his face in his hands and burst into sobs. Through his sobbing, he murmured poignant cries:
-“What sin did I do to deserve all of this??? What in heaven can I do?… I… want to… get out of here… I… did nothing to be here…”, and again he broke out with hysterical wails.
I interrupted him – and shouted in anguish in his face:
-“Your sin? What do I do then? What did Kifah do? You are coward, for hell’s sake!!”

I felt crushed, I was so miserable, yet burning with internal rage. I felt my heart bleeding, sad to death. I didn’t want to be harsh with Buddha. By Jove, I didn’t want to be any more sadistic to him, but I was raging with fury at him, at myself and the whole world. The blood of Kifah hadn’t dried yet, and they were already bargaining over it. No, never!!… If killing the sheikh could solve the problem, I felt like I wouldn’t hesitate to wring his neck, but he was just like me, thrown here, in this cell, sucking up the dirt of the whole world, feeling the horror creeping into his neck, waking up every night with nightmares of ghosts, skeletons and cut-heads !!!

Time? What is the use of time? It felt like a giant crushing wheel rolling over you to smash your skull, suffocating you, drying your blood, with your chest getting narrower with every passing minute, your eyes rolling in their place until you even lose sense of your own head and your body becomes a useless sack of dirt.

The sheikh became quiet slowly, and stopped wailing as he lay on his face putting his head to the other side of the cell. Finally he was silent. He didn’t move for a long time, his face still buried in his hands. I thought he had fallen asleep, taking a rest for a while from his obsessive nightmares, but then he accosted me with a choked voice as if talking through a pipe, with his face still buried:

-“Be careful, you are their target.”
-“How did you know?” I asked loathingly.
-“I heard Isra saying: ‘that fucken big-mouthed atheist must be silenced.’”
-“So?”
-“I don’t know… I am just warning you.”
-“Damn it… what more would they do?”

Does it matter to take care or not while being in the middle of a battle, Sheikh Buddha? What miserable fate is waiting for you when you jump to avoid a shell only to land on top of a mine? How can you retreat among those hellish tanks heading your way? No!… no dear.. caution has no meaning in the dictionary of the cells, there is only bare confrontation. Retreat means death, escape means suicide. You have to go ahead, always ahead until you get out of the mine-field, or you die, and there your dead body will rot.

To be continued

Sami, the bedouin.

This popular opposition blog was hacked by the Iranian Cyber Army on Monday but is now working again:

Papa Khoshdamagh

Its not clear why the Iranian Cyber Army chose the blog for its most recent attack. Maybe it was because of cartoons of Khamenei and Ahmadinejad?

Yesterday was celebrated as Iran’s Clean Air, Blue Sky Day. Air pollution is a major issue in mega cities like Tehran. Most days, Tehran is clouded by a thick layer of smog making it difficult to breath especially for children and elderly.

Every year on January 19, they celebrate Clean Air day, encouraging people to use public transportation or bicycles instead of their personal cars so that it will reduce the polution of the mega city.

This year, in a symbolic act, President Ahmadinejad first rode a bicycle for a short distance and then joined a group of hiking athletes affiliated with the Federation of Sport and some of the ministers and officials. He seemed cheery, happy and skilled in riding bicycle!

They called on officials and the nation to increase the public interest in physical exercise for having fit and healthy society.

I hope they continue this way, through the year.Iranians are interested in sports but most of them seem to be too busy with their daily affairs to include exercising in their schedule. Many Iranian women attend gyms and clubs to remain fit and healthy, though it’s not yet a national habit.

I wish they would make it easy for women as well and encourage them to use bicycle in Iran. Though it’s not banned for them and some women ride bicycle in public, but still it seems more like a taboo in some areas.