As a British – Born Kurdish Health professional whereby having graduated in the cutting edge field of Biomedical Informatics I wanted to prove locally, nationally and internationally that this is not an accurate reflection of the Kurdish people.

Indeed, after visiting Kurdistan for the first time in July 2011 & October 2011 it was quite hard not to notice the wealth of talent, determination and skills that stem from the Kurdish professionals.

After visiting different universities and hospitals it was clear professionals and the youth were very dynamic and keen to grow. Moreover, the influx of girls being encouraged to study and work was overwhelming and an area that carries my support. As with any system, there will be flaws but a reform is happening and I always think of the saying ‘Rome was not built in a day’.

My message to my fellow Kurds has always been to study and utilize the knowledge gained effectively and contribute it back to Kurdistan. For Kurdish Anfal recognition I started an e-petition on the British Government website urging them to recognize and remember the Kurdish Anfal. Indeed,www.ekurd.net the weapon of defense for our forefathers was riffles but now it’s the pen and it should be used to protect Kurdistan and show the world the talent this forgotten nation holds.

However, actions speak louder then words so I nominated the Slemani Autism Centre a project initiated by a non-political NGO called Kurdistan Save The Children working collaboratively with the Ministry of Labour & Social Affairs for the most prestigious award of public service from the United Nations. This is the first time in history that Iraq has been nominated for such an award and my rationale for doing so was because it promotes and integrates disability into society. it acts as a platform to encourage community partnership & serves as an educational tool in reforming the stigmatization of disabilities.

We may not win the award but at least we are striving hard to try and compete intellectually at that platform and will be recognized for attempting.

Kurdistan may not be independent at the moment but by working collaboratively as one voice we can claim independence at other channels, nationally and internationally which will gradually lead to Kurdistan’s independence by having people informed on our capabilities and peaceful rich culture.

Thus, as Kurds we must never give up, never be pessimistic and always support each other and aim high, with the hope we may become recognized for our good qualities and talented workforce.

Laween Atroshi
UK Health Informatician & Ambassador For Peace (UPF)
All views & opinions are of my own and do not reflect my employers or any organization whom I have a direct or indirect affiliation with.

Tweet me @laweenatroshi and let me know your opinions, I could be wrong but this is how I feel from my experience. My views do not reflect any individual or institution. www.laweenatroshi.com

More than 28 106 student have been denied their right to sit for the exams and pursue their studies for almost a week now and there is hardly any solution to tackle the problem. the dean of the university who had been kept as a hostage in his office opted for the easiest solution: the Suspension of studies.

Prior to January 14, the niqab has never been a visible issue in the Tunisian society and face covering has never been one of the goals of the revolution. If you go back to the videos of the protests that broke since December 2010, you will hear the same slogans repeated over and over again” more job opportunities, freedom and national dignity”.

The fashion of disrupting Tunisian college campuses lately has been one of the missions of these Salafists who aspire to inject the Wahhabi blood into the heart of the Tunisian society, the educated youth. Strangely enough, the heroism of these fundamentalists have been fostered just after the fall of Ben Ali. Given the vulnerability of Tunisia now, these networks of Salafists have envisioned the advantageous climate to disseminate their ideology.

Seeking to implement the gist of Islam, they opt for the same tools that the former regime endorsed to maintain its exclusivist character: violence and intimidation. This group have wiped out any possibility of dialogue from their washed brains and they nurture their convictions through the high-profile Salafi-themed TV channels on Nilesat.

Another similar incident broke out on September in the School of Arts and Humanities of Sousse when a large group of salafists stormed the campus to protest the rejection of the application of a female student wearing a niqab. The fundamental right of other students have never deterred the latter from interrupting the academic year.

What price should we pay after we uprooted with our blood the dictatorship of Ben Ali, another form of dictatorship sponsored by weak minds susceptible to brainwashing?

Let ‘ s clear things up Salafism is but a human interpretation of Islam and I respect the many different readings of Islam but I will not tolerate that some dogmatic minds jeopardize the future of Tunisians just for the sake of looking more pious than other muslims.

I believe that the if face covering veil be allowed in the Tunisian universities, the compromise will be disastrous for segregation will be the next mission for the salafis and heated debates will take other ugly forms and the attacks of the 1990s of throwing acid on the faces of women would bring back a gloomy era to the Tunisian scene.

Yesterday’s parliamentary elections in Egypt is a case in point. Certainly, there was a sense of hope written on the faces of Egyptians who voted, as perhaps a first step in reclaiming their country. But who did they vote for? Undoubtedly, the Muslim Brotherhood will garner a strong position in the new government. But does that necessarily mean an end to democracy even before it starts?

It came as a surprise to some to find out that in recent months, the Muslim Brotherhood has advocated strongly on behalf of foreign investment in Egypt, and on behalf of job creation. Even though there are fears in the air that women’s rights are in danger, and that a return to religious fundamentalism is in the offing, still, the Brotherhood, at least for now, doesn’t seem to dwell on such things, but focuses its rhetoric on jobs. Is this just a ploy to win elections, or is it the real deal?

There is no doubt that ordinary people on the streets of Cairo, and throughout the region, yearn for many of the same things that are sought after the world over, like freedom, dignity and economic security. It would seem to make sense, therefore, that these causes should be at the heart of any successful political campaign, even campaigns conducted by those with leanings toward religious fundamentalism. In other words, to the extent that the people on the street are deeply committed to such things as freedom, democracy and jobs, then to that extent, any political party, regardless of its ideological inclinations, will have no choice but to speak about, and deliver on, the causes which are most important to the people, in order to win elections, and most importantly, to win hearts and minds.

That, at least, is the hope for the revolution that some call the Arab Awakening.

Of course, there are no guarantees, especially when you’re talking about political revolutions. In fact, most times things go badly, before getting any better. But there are things, three things in particular, that may help to move a revolution in the right direction, in a direction that is in line with the aspirations of the people.

The first thing that can help bring success to a revolution is to embrace a vision, a vision of hope, that calls for change which is positive, realistic and attainable. For example, if it is freedom and jobs you want, then advocate on behalf of these, because they are within the realm of possibility. And in fact, personal freedom and job creation go hand in hand. Any regime which strives for economic growth and job creation in this globalized world of ours, will  have no choice but to allow some measure of freedom, as a way of instilling a sense of trust among prospective investors. These freedoms may be limited somewhat, as in the case of China, but greater openness is indispensable to economic growth.

The second factor that helps to bring success to a revolution is to bring life to a vision of hope using the right tactics, and this involves a strategy of non-violence. You don’t want to demonize certain individuals, or certain groups, because this will cause such groups to retreat into their own corners, in preparation for civil war. You want to be inclusive of all people, and advocate on behalf of a vision which is welcoming to all, and which inspires everyone to come together in common purpose. And you want your voice to be heard throughout the land, while shying away from violence, even in the face of violent attacks by the opposition, which for the most part has been the case in places like Egypt and Tunisia. Syria is another matter, but the violence there by the government is so overwhelming, that some violent resistance is inevitable.

The third, and perhaps paramount aspect of a successful revolution is to pick leaders in the mold of visionaries like Gandhi, King and Mandela, who inspired their people, and who used non-violence to give substance to the aspirations of the people. They were not motivated by revenge. Gandhi could have turned the people against the British, but he didn’t. King had reason to turn against his country, but he didn’t. And Mandela could have launched a campaign to turn against the whites, and confiscate their property, but he didn’t. Instead, these leaders chose a different path: to advocate on behalf a vision of hope, to give substance to their vision using non-violent means, to be all-inclusive in their approach, and to deliver on promises made so as to give hope for a better future.

The Arab Awakening is at a crossroads. We can become entrenched ideologically, and consolidate political power by demonizing one another. Or we can choose instead to embrace a vision of hope, and deliver on that promise with real change, change that capture hearts and minds, and that gives life to the aspirations of the people. The choice is ours and everything we love and hold dear hangs in the balance.

Please visit us at www.sellingavisionofhope.org

Nobody really knows, but it probably can probably be rooted in Pre-Islamic middle east. Women in that society were considerably stronger, emotionally and mentally than other women of that time. (Do you think there would be female business women like Khadija now??… I dont think so). It has been postulated before that women would often initiate sex with their husbands and would have very satisfying sex lives, but this increase power in the bedroom could perhaps lead to increased power in society. Now this is merely my own speculation (but how it happened isnt really that important because its undeniable that women were more powerful sexually and mentally in pre-islamic middle east) but i think that in an attempt to lower women’s status in society and make them weak and subservient, the big players during Islam’s early days created rules, some of them added to the Quran perhaps and others said by scholars that became part of regular life for women and men….and thus we are now in the 21 century.

This has huge implications for Arabs and people in the middle east as it always has. This sex phobia has created a society of super horny 17 and 18 year olds that jump at the intital chance to get married to anybody just because they are dying to have sex. I have a female cousin (she hasnt told me that sex was the reason but its pretty obvious) who got married at 18 and then divorced a year later because she said the guy was an asshole. There are other women (and men) who went through the same thing. They hold of sex their whole life, dying to have physical contact of any kind with the opposite sex, they marry, have sex, and within 2 years they are divorced because they actually had the ability to think now that they werent superhorny anymore. Sexphobia also leads to an immense obession with sex. Yes..OBSESSION. These people are so sex deprived that they are looking for any excuse to talk about sex, usually ways to make it less noticable and more haram, but nonetheless, they are looking for any excuse to talk about sex. This is not the way to raise a healthy society, and it does not “honour” women, it degrades them by covering them up and making them afraid of men, it destroys their intellect since they are not taught to be independent at all and it leads to generations of 21 year olds who are already divorced and living in their parents’ flat.

When Ismail Sidqi pasha refused that Egypt would get-in the war of 1948, he wasn’t a traitor to Egypt or loving Israel. All about it is that Ismail Sidqi was responsible for an economic renaissance in Egypt; he was the one to develop Alexandria and its beaches… The man feared that the war would destroy all the economic steps which Egypt took in the past years preceding the war.

But, Ismail Sidqi didn’t continue on his stance, El-Wafd party took a populist stance and went with the flow, supporting the war decision. Ismail Sidqi felt as a politician that he would lose people if he kept his stance, so he withdrew and supported the war, preferring popularity between the people over the interest of Egypt.

We are all subjected to Ismail Sidqi’s situation and we are required to to ask many questions, such as: Is this war in the interest of Egypt? Are we obliged to get involved into the war? Would we choose between the interest of Egypt and our desire to go with the flow along with the crowds to achieve personal political gains? This article discusses these barbed questions.

Firstly: Peace and Democracy
We all know that Egypt had a democratic parliamentary life till the coup d’état of 1952, and since this coup till this moment, we suffer from a totalitarian bloody militarist rule. But, we have to ask ourselves: Why did a coup happen? Does that have a relation with the case of peace and war?

The historical sequencing of events… Egypt entered a war in 1948 despite it wasn’t qualified to fight Israel from the side of development of weapons and efficiency of combatants, so this war changed two important elements:
1- Egypt’s commitment to the treaty of 1936 concerning to the evacuation of the British of Egypt. The treaty included the emergence of the British army after 20 years (in 1956) on a condition that the Egyptian army be advanced and able to defend Egypt. The palace deliberately intended to plunge Egypt to the war, from one hand for king Farouk’s desire for becoming a caliph of Muslims and on another hand, to destroy the Egyptian army, therefore to disable the evacuation process. That exactly what happened, after the defeat of the Egyptian army in the war, the weakness of the Egyptian army appeared to everyone, everything which was already built inside the army was destroyed, therefore, Egypt lagged what it pledged in the treaty of 1936, therefore, the evacuation won’t be on its time… That resulted dangerous political complications, most importantly the cancelation of the treaty of 1936, cutting-off of the diplomatic solution to solve the conflict, which paved the ground for a coup d’état solution to the evacuation issue. The war occurred on the way of Egypt independence.

2- The Egyptian soldiers were subjected to a huge defeat in the war of 1948, the toughest of it was the fall of many Egyptian soldiers under the siege of the Israeli army, the Egyptian soldiers became under the mercy of the Israelis who allowed the passage of food to them in order not to die of hunger. Then, in February 1949, Egypt was compelled to sign the armistice agreement with Israel in order to be able to get back its besieged soldiers. Those soldiers came back to Egypt in shame and dishonor (Gamal Abdel Nasser was personally of them), they went to a war and strongly lost it and were besieged, because of them Egypt was compelled to sign an armistice agreement with Israel to get them back.

In order for those soldiers to take away their shame of themselves, they created the lie of the corrupt weapons, despite the nonexistence of any proof on it. When the judiciary investigated in these rumors and proved their falsehood, they accused the regime of corruption. They didn’t have the courage to admit that the war was lost because of their failure. Starting from here, the claims to cleaning the army began, so the movement of the soldiers happened, which was at its beginning (as the statement of Muhammad Naguib) a movement of military soldiers aiming at cleaning the army, then the army would move back to its barracks. But, after the soldiers found themselves in control of everything, they didn’t abandon the authority, despite that the revolution court proved the nonexistence of any corrupt weapons in the war of 1948 which was the rumor that the coup d’état happened for.

We lost democracy and we suffered from oppression for 60 years, we were obliged to make the 25 January revolution, all of that because of a rumor or the soldiers shy of their defeat in the war of 1948. If we hadn’t entered the war, there wouldn’t had been the defeat and there would had been the rumor, there would had been the coup d’état and we would have been now celebrating 90 years of parliamentary democracy in Egypt. The relationship between peace and democracy is very strong. War opens the door for internal tyranny under the slogans “military secrets, the homeland interest, national security, no voice comes above the battle”. In wars, countries enforce “state of emergency/marshal law”, these are procedures to limit freedoms of citizens, not the enemies. In wars, armies inflate, opening the way for military coups (that’s why Ancient Rome banned the entrance for armies to the capital). Moreover, tyrants exploit wars to turn away the attention of their peoples from democratic reform, we all see how Arab tyrants exploit Israel to distract the Arab peoples from democratic reform issues and to distort the image of honorable opponents with silly charges of the type “Zionism, normalization, agent…”.

Secondly: Peace and Economic Growth
Regardless od the case of Ismail Sidqi which started my article with, Tawfik el-Hakim narrates, in his masterpiece “The Return of Consciousness”, information uncovering for us how wars destroyed the Egyptian economy.

- Tawfik el-Hakim narrates how the Egyptian army, under commands of Nasser, threw sacks of gold to the tribes of Yemen during the Yemen war, in order to sway them to the Egyptian side, which cause the depletion of the Egyptian gold stock… At the time when simple Egyptians were happy with Nasser who made them employees in the government, earning a few Egyptian pounds monthly!

- Tawfik also includes, the cost that Egypt paid during the 6 years between 1967 and 1973. He spread the numbers and said that what Egypt spent on the wars, if it had been spent on internal development, the share for each village would have been a million dollars (noting the difference between the value of the currency at that time; a million dollars in 1967 is equivalent to 5 million dollar by today’s standards). Imagine, what would Egypt look like now if we didn’t enter those wars, and spending this money on building schools, hospitals, streets and developing the civil society? What’s really silly is the governmental non-sense, in order to escape this question says that Israel was the one to start the war and occupied Sinai, when in reality, Nasser had announced the war in his speech on 15 July, 1967, before that he had used the right of land blockade against Israel which is of the rights of the the belligerent country… That if we ignored the historical novel which says that the decision to expel the international forces was taken by the Field Marshal “Abdel Hakim Amer” without Nasser knowledge, at the time when the Field Marshal the Army Chief of Staff, contesting Nasser in his authority!

Taking a look at the world around us… Look how America was hit from its war budgets and how America is solving the problem now by pulling its armies from Iraq and Afghanistan, also by dismantling some of the military bases in Europe.

See how the civil war weakened the Somali people and turned them into poor people despite the natural resources which Somalia has. See how the nuclear ambition of North Korea transformed the citizens into poor people, thousands of them die of hunger monthly. Look at the Axis countries in the second world war (Japan, Germany, Italy) and how they entered the war as strong countries and went out of it smashed under foreign occupation, and still are paying the price of this war till our day.

Peace is the strategic choice for all the people who want to live in luxury. On the other hand, the people who choose the wars would suffer poverty forever till they realize that wars drain their resources and the effort of their people.

Thirdly: Peace and Life of Humans
Does the one who takes the decision of war realize that he is making a decision of execution tens of thousands of humans, including who are going to have permanent disabilities in the war? The life of the one who takes the decision of the war won’t be subjected to danger, he would keep sitting in his air-conditioned office in the capital, while the youth and the patriots from both side are paying their souls because of the failure of the political leadership in reaching a diplomatic peaceful solution.

I can’t believe any official numbers regarding the Egyptian victims in our wars with Israel. Some militarists estimated the victims of Egypt in the war of 1973 as million martyrs! Other than the injured, the lost and the prisoners of war. I can say that when Israel aired the documentary “Spirit of Shaked” about executing Egyptian prisoners of war, Egyptians asked themselves if there were still Egyptian prisoners of war in Israel, but none of the officials knew the answer of the question.

What is the reason to make a country enters a war to lose its youth and the rest lose their limbs, imagine the population percentage between both genders (as what happened in Germany after the second world war, the percentage was one man for every 5 women)! Why all that when there are alternative solutions to solve conflicts?
I know that in the last decades, suicidal orientations have appeared under the naming “martyrdom.. industry of death, asceticism in life, challenging death…), but here I speak to reasonable who seek the interest of their homeland and not committing suicide, who search for life not death.

The goal of any conflict is to solve the conflict, not to exterminate the other. The goal of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is to achieve the full Palestinian right, not exterminating the Israelis. If you were looking for the Palestinians’ interests, then the solution is in peaceful negotiation, not in entering war which both sides die in, the Samson style (on me and my enemies)? But, if you were seeking suicide, please, commit suicide quietly without killing millions of innocents with you.

Epilogue
When I was choosing the title of the article, I wanted to title it “Peace to Egypt, not Israel”, but I preferred it to be “Peace to Egypt Before it is to Israel”… Because, peace would benefit everyone, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, even Iran and Turkey. Peace will benefit the whole world. Our role as Egyptians is to think sanely of the interest of our homeland, the interest of our revolution, the project of democratic transformation, our ambition for economic growth and our fear on lives of our brothers, our children and friends.
The peoples have to choose and each reasonable society have their mind and know their own salvation.

Maikel Nabil Sanad
El-Marg prison – 2 ع [‘ayn]
2011/8/7

Heading a WebZine like Blood or Love and a site like Mideast Tunes tends to make the act of self-evaluation a frequent voluntary and welcome exercise.  The reason for this is simply because the “payoff” from what I do is almost immediate.  Both projects’ core revolve around the desire to promote bands and musicians that would otherwise never be given a second glance in the international arena due to the plethora of extremely obscure projects that crop-up out of nowhere everyday.  That, and, the fact that most people from the West would never think to look to regions like the Middle East for new and interesting music.  I felt the need to remedy this because I truly believe that the unique sociopolitical and culturally oppressive environments of these regions will eventually give rise to a musical revolution as powerful, and as widespread, as that of metal and hardcore punk.  No, it won’t come in the form of a new genre or attitude toward music.  It will, in its unapologetic candor, remind the world of just how powerful music can be.  It is our life-line in the sea of copyright lawsuits and dieing corporate labels that is engulfing us all; people will start to remember that music is an entity independent from race, culture, social class, gender, religion, and political leanings.  It is, much like most of the creative arts, a constant tangible reminder of our shared humanity.

Every time I get a reaction along the lines of, “WOAH!! AND THEY’RE FROM WHERE?!?!”, whenever I introduce someone from the US or Europe to bands like Al-Namrood, Thamud, Qafas, and Odious, the phrase “mission accomplished” may as well be tattooed across my forehead in bright red ink.  The ability to connect people from different regions, mentally and physically, via music that has personally moved me brings fulfillment like that of which I have not experienced in a long time.  So sit back, relax and always remember to keep your mind open when listening to something unfamiliar.  You never know, it just might be something that will change your whole life around.

Prison is about deprivation. Deprivation from everything: traveling, working, friends, love, sex, emotions, alcohols, computers, internet, cellphones.. I hate prisons, give me my freedom back.

Dear Director of El-Marg Public Prison,

Due to the severe injustice committed against me by the Military Justice Administration such as:

1. Having an unfair, secret, trial before a military court, even though I am a civilian
2. The extreme delay of the appeal of the sentence against me by the Military Justice Administration
3. The clear distinction made by the Military Justice Administration between the way my case is treated and the treatment given to similar cases such as those of Nabil Sharf el Din, Hussem Al-Hamlawi and Asma Mahfouz

I have therefore decided the following:

Firstly: Refrain from all litigation before an unfair, military court for it is illogical to ask for justice from the unjust

Secondly: To go on a hunger strike, starting from today. Should there be no response, I will escalate my hunger strike to include water and medicines. It will continue until death or until I am set free

I therefore request you to take the following actions:

1. To edit the minutes of the case as proof and notify the Public Prosecutor to carry out an investigation
2. Inform the management of the prison hospital to take responsibility for my safety
I will not accept any more injustice, and if my death is the price to be paid to put an end to the excesses of the Military Justice Administration, then it is a small price to pay.

Thank you very much.

Maikel Nabil Sanad Ibrahim
El-Marg Public Prison
23 August 2011

      With profound respect

            Maikel Nabil Sanad Ebrahim
            A pacifist activist and the chief of No for Compulsory Military Recruitment Movement
            and the first prisoner of conscience after the revolution
            1 August, 2011
            El-Marg general prison

1- Helping me to distribute my articles
Help me to deliver my articles to the largest sector of readers… Since I was arrested, I wrote 15 articles. Deliver them to all of your friends’ circle… You may help in translating them and deliver them to all local and foreign newspapers.

2- Demonstrate for me
Join the page “Free Maikel Nabil Sanad” with their stand-ins at Tahrir or in front of the Military Court or Ministry of Defense… Get with you a banner against military trials for civilians and refuse imprisonment in cases of publishing.

3- Write about me
Write about me on your blog and on Facebook. Say your opinion frankly, even if you disagree with me… Keep on writing so that the case won’t die.

4- Mail
You may send post mails supporting me, to someone of the following:
a. Ministry of Defense (Obba Bridge/Kobri El-Obba). Tell the Minister of Defense that you object the ruling against me and ask for the unconditional immediate release for me.
b. Minister of Interior (Lazoghli square). Ask for the improvement of the circumstances of my detention at El-Marg prison.
c. Letters to me to the address of the prison (El-Marg General prison). Those letters give me a big psychological support. However, those letters are read before I receive them and sometimes they don’t give them to me, but the letters make the prison management feel that they ought to treat me better.
d. Letters to me through the page “Free Maikel Nabil Sanad” and those are going to reach me without someone reading them, as well as, I would answer you as soon as the letter reaches me.

5- Talk to journalism about me
Talk to Egyptian and foreign journalists who you know and stimulate them to write on my case.

6- Nominate me to a human rights award: That would make a good pressure in favor of my case.

7- Come to visit me in prison: after co-ordinating with the page “Free Maikel Nabil Sanad”.

I thank again all who are struggling for my freedom and I believe that we are going to celebrate together soon for our country, free of militarists’ suppression.

For freedom

El-Marg General prison – Qalyubia
The Experimental Ward – 18th cell
3/6/2011

http://maikel-nabil-in-jail.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-help-maikel-nabil-in-prison.html