No Longer at Ease

Somali Poet Abshir Bacadle dies in Mogadishu

2010-10-12T22:00:00.000+03:00

Poet Abshir Ba'adle died in Mogadishu on Sunday. He was Somalia's first and best known Islamist poet. He came to prominence in the 1980s during a time of ideological struggle between the government and tradtional Sufi orders on one side, and proponents if Islamic revival (dubbed Ikhwan for their resemblance of Islamic brotherhood) on the other.

His poems satirized traditional Sufi orders and it helped him that he started off as a Sufi himself. In some of his famous poems he voiced two characters, an old Sufi sheikh and young opponents. These were memorable and humorous poems, but then the whole country collapsed and those ideological arguments became irrelevant.

After the civil war his image was slightly tainted when some accused him of tribalism because of some of his later poems in which he discusses the conflict between some of the tribes. Life was hard for him having stayed in Mogadishu for the most difficult years of the war.

In his later poems though he advocated for peace and focused on social issue such as a famous poem about Qat and its harmful effects on the individual and society. He also did a lot of humanitarian work helping finance schools and mosques in Mogadishu.

His poems were in standard Somali verse, solid in construction but also made Shirib. Somalia has lost a great son and so has the Somali language. He will be missed.

Time's fabricated interview, reposted on GlobalPost blog

2010-10-11T15:40:00.000+03:00

Time magazine's fabricated interview with Al Shabab leader Mukhtar Godane reposted here. This is my earlier post explaining why I think this is a made up interview. This is the worst type of journalism: to fabricate an interview without regard to the intelligence of the people who might read it. Shameful.

Serious doubts over Time magazine's claim to have interviewed Al-Shabab leader

2010-10-09T02:22:00.001+03:00

Speculation is rife about a helicopter attack that targeted Al Shabab in Marka, a city near Mogadishu. There are several versions of what happened, but there are few things we know: 1) there was such attack 2) there was high level Al shabab member closeby 3) the attack failed and that's why no one is claiming (though the US carried similar attacks before).

But what caught my attention was Time magazine's improbable claim that they have interviewed Mukhtar Godane, the Amir or leader of Al-Shabab. This is a man who reclusive and secretive even by Al Shabab standards, and gives no media interviews - a Mullah Omar of sorts. So for the man not to only give an interview but to choose to speak to Time magazine is very difficult to believe. In fact, I say it's certain that no such interview took place.

Last week a Somali website, Somaliweyn.com, had a picture on their page they claimed to be Godane's, again people who'd met him say it isn't him. It's understandable that there's obsession with reaching leaders like Mukhtar Godane, Mullah Omar or OBL but if you can't get them you shouldn't make up an interview.

It's dangerous to report from Somalia so Western media outlets like Time rely on fixers, often young Somalis with little journalism training (I know, so American journos made up stories too) who send information that's often difficult to verify. But I wonder how much checking Time did at all.

Update 1:
There are other reasons for my skepticism about the interview. For example, the article repeats speculations about Al-Shabab internal struggle almost word for word from other sources. For example, the government published a propaganda statement about how it's pushing back Al Shabab because of their in-fighting. There were a lot of similar speculations in the Somali media but little substance.
This is another reason for my doubts: The Time's interview claims that Al Shabab leader told them they were meeting to solve a dispute between him and his deputy. Al Shabab are very secrative about their internal affairs so for the top leader to volunteer such information is hard to believe.

Update 2:
Abu Mansour, the deputy leader of Al Shabab denied that there is any dispute between him and Godane. The clip of his denial is in VOA Somali (in Somali). More on this in English from Mogadishu Man blog. In the sermon Abu Mansour says there is no dispute at all within the ranks of Al Shabab. I think Time needs to retract and apologize for this fabricated interview.

Back to the future: bodies of AU soldiers dragged in Mogadishu

2010-10-07T13:33:00.000+03:00

A reminder of the images of US soldiers' bodies being dragged in the street of Mogadishu nearly two decades ago. It is happening again with AU and government soldiers' dead bodies burnt, displayed and dragged around Mogadishu. It's worse for those soldiers who're captured alive, like this Burundian soldier in the picture. I made this picture very small for a reason but you can read more on this and see the pictures in Mogadishu Man's blog (but I warn you: it's graphic).

The reality is that Mogadishu residents who live in the Al Shabab controlled part of the city despise the government and the AU peacekeepers, not because they like Al Shabab but because of the AU peacekeepers' indiscriminate shelling. This was highlighted in Human Rights Watch reports in 2007, 2008 and last year, and this is still going on.

The core of the problem is the nature of the mandate of the AU peacekeeping force: to protect the government even if at the expense of civilian lives.

Sudan: the drums of war

2010-10-04T04:46:00.001+03:00

The campaign for maximum gain from the referendum in South Sudan has began and a lot is being said. President Omar Al-bashir warned two days ago of the prospect of south-north war following the referendum. Yesterday, "South Sudan" president Salva Kiir said he wants independence. This is of course is not news: he has always been pro-Independence but this is a break with SPLM position that paid lip-service to unity.

There is much talk about return to war from Sudanese politicians. I think they do this to mask the serious problems within the South and the North. Tribal conflict had killed nearly 2500 people in South Sudan last year and the South Sudanese government has failed to disarm the tribes. The north hasn't resolved Darfur and has other conflicts brewing. So I guess talking up war diverts unwanted attention and bring more donor money.

Same old: US admin's 'new' strategy on Somalia

2010-10-01T03:42:00.000+03:00

Last week at the UN Johnnie Carson presented United States new approach towards Somalia. He said "the new, "aggressive" engagement could help to head off the Islamist insurgents". The supposedly new strategy is that the administration will support the current government and cooperate closely the relatively stable regions of Puntland and Somaliland, and any other group or tribe not affiliated with Al-Shabab.

The only problem with this new "aggressive" is that this is not new at all. The US government supported the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) from the beginning and help create it in 2004. They had for years also worked with Puntland and Somaliland on anti-terrorism and piracy for years.

This is very disappointing. Since the attack in Uganda in July, which Al-Shabab claimed, the US government understandably feels it has to show that it's doing something about the problem. But I'm sure the could have done better than to present what they were doing for years as a 'new' approach. No, it isn't.

The fact is that the TFG is not an answer to Al-Shabab. It has failed since 2009 to gain any ground in Mogadishu against Al-Shabab or to build any government institutions. The UN accuses government ministers of corruption and the army is defecting or selling weapons to Al-Shabab.

So, to what end is US supporting this government?

On the point of engaging with Puntland and Somalia, these two regions have been autonomous for more than a decade and it's obvious that you cannot fight piracy, terrorism or deliver aid there without working with them.

Reading

2010-09-24T19:18:00.000+03:00

Lost Ethiopians in Kyrgyzstan: about 80 Ethiopians who had been stuck in Kyrgyzstan since the fall of the USSR.

The Economist on the South Sudan: an excellent article about the fears for and of the likely indepence of South Sudan following the referendum in Jan 2011. It's just a matter of time but what will then become of the two countries with so many unresolved conflicts already.

Mogadishu Eid

2010-09-14T18:45:00.001+03:00

Pictures of the Eid in Mogadishu, things have changed in Ol' Mogo (from BBC Somali)

Oh, Ogadeniya

2009-05-01T18:55:00.003+03:00

During the so-called ‘Scramble for Africa’ in the late 1880’s, various European empires claimed different African territories and as a result lands with Somali speakers/Somali people were taken by different colonial powers. Somalia become one of the countries that was colonised by several super powers at once; Britain claimed Northern Somalia, Italy took control of Southern Somalia, France took Djibouti whilst the Ogaden was returned to Ethiopia in 1948 after it had previously belonged to Somalia under Italian rule in what was called the Italian East Africa. In the summer of 1960 both the UK and then Italy agreed to grant independence to its territories and thus the two main Somali territories joined to form a united Somali Republic on the 1^st July 1960. My view of this is (of course) bias to me being Somali so I have to point out that Somali people are nomads and that before independence and colonisation, there was never an officially established "Somalia"; only a large area inhabited by various ethnic races at one point or another but where Somali speaking people were always the majority and thus early on became known as Soomaaliya.

As one of the starting points of independence, the new Somali government supported the right of all the Somali speaking lands to be united under a greater Somalia and thus there were often (and still is) a lot of clashes between the borders of Somalia and Ethiopia and Somalia and Kenya (due to the largely Somali-inhabited northeastern region of Kenya). So already we have a very fragmented national history where the maps created and redefined by external colonial powers drew borders that don’t accurately reflect the different people of the regions and often even the majority of each region and thus end up separating people, politically, who otherwise share the same ethnicity, culture, religion and of course language.

Literature wise, the novel that best highlights the plight of The Ogaden is the brilliant Somali author Nuruddin Farah's highly recommend book Maps. As a work of fiction, it deals more with the more complex psychological consequences of living in such a widely disputed area, being Somali but not quite in Somali soil according to official records etc. This whole ongoing issue has fueled my pre-existing obsession with borders and maps (beyond The Ogaden, Palestine or Tibet) and is one of the big reasons why I'm doing my MA in Post-Colonial studies. There are so many on-going border conflicts in different parts of the world (some unfairly lesser known than others) where simple lines, drawn by men, never regard the every-day reality of who is living there and how it affects them. Ethiopia and Somalia are of course neighbours endlessly fighting over literally a desert area between the two countries, metaphorically a child whose disputing parents end up neglecting and not considering what is best for it, in their fight for full custody. One of the more powerful quotes from Maps is when one of the characters says: "it is easier ridding yourself from a colonist beyond the seas than it is to oust an African one..."

It's important to note however that the Somalis in The Ogaden, although the biggest majority, are not the only ethnic race living in that specific region and so the question is: how do those other minorities (within minorities!) become identified in a map? In order for The Ogaden to re-join Somalia, it has to sacrifice its already established identity as a place not just inhabited by Somali speaking people. However, it also cannot remain in this current state of limbo under the umbrella of the Ethiopian empire that's not exactly doing all that it can and indeed should for the area it has politically claimed for strategic reasons. It's frustrating enough that Somalia doesn't get enough press coverage (unless you're a "pirate" - do you really think that people without aid will just quietly perish after being colonised and war torn?) the same way that other African nations and areas do whilst The Ogaden conflict remains swept under the international media rug.

This is a struggle I feel very strongly about both patriotically and emotionally; my grandmother was born in The Ogaden, in Wardheer, and a few weeks ago I asked her how she feels about it being politically seen as Ethiopia and, (my grandmother who has a habit of answering important questions in Somali proverbs and other sayings) said something that can best be translated as: "your landlord might own your home but he has never lived in it the way you have". Enough said.

For more basic information of the region, start here.

Refugees returning to Mogadishu

2009-03-07T21:42:00.003+03:00

Calm has returned to Mogadishu and so have tens of thousands of refugees. They'd fled the two-year long brutal Ethiopian occupation (that's according to Amnesty) and had been living in dire circumstances since. There is no peace yet in Mogadishu but at least there no fighting, for now. The situation is still tense and fighting could brake out any moment but there is also serious talk about peace.

Islamic scholars, from Somalia and outside, are in Mogadishu and have been mediating between the government and the armed opposition. Why Islamic scholars? because both sides are Islamists calling for the implementation of Sharia. Please read Mohamed Adow's excellent explanation of the current situation here.

Just in: Sheikh Sharif Ahmed running for president

2009-01-25T22:14:00.003+03:00

Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the former leader of the Union of Islamic Courts, announced he was running for president, in the peace talks currently held in Djibouti. There are many other contenders, and his announcement doesn't come as a surprise. He has a strong support from the parliament and he himself will select about 200 MPs - he has a good chance of becoming president

Somalia Update

2009-01-25T21:16:00.003+03:00

More deaths in Mogadishu. AU peacekeepers retaliated with heavy artilary to an Al-Shabab suicide bombing in Mogadishu yesterday, the result: more than 20 civilians dead and 30 more injured. The minaret of one of the more famous mosques in Mogadishu, Sheik Ali Sufi mosque, was damaged by an artilary shell.

Al-Shabab, and other Islamist militias, made it clear they will continue fighting the African Union peacekeepers despite the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces from Mogadishu. Now, the 3000 AU peacekeepers are trapped in Mogadishu, attacked by Al-Shabab and despised by the population. Their presence in Mogadishu has only made the situation worse and the question is: what peace are they suppose to keep? Not only is there no peace, there is no political process that could lead to peace - at least not anytime soon.

The government has virtually collapsed but there now sign it might be resurructed. Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the former leader of the Union of Islamic Courts, had signed a power-sharing deal with the government few months ago - it was never implemented, until now.

The opportunity came when former president Abdullah Yusuf, who had opposed the power-sharing deal, resigned. Now Sharif Ahmed, prime minister Nur Adde, speaker of the parliament Adan Madobe and MPs are gathering in Djibouti to select a new president and form a new government that includes Sheikh Sharif Ahmed's Islamist supporters. The talks in Djibouti is sponsored by the UN and has the support of the international community, or so it seems.

Back in Somalia, Al-Shabab and Ras Kamboni brigades reject the legitimacy of the government, even if other Islamists join it and say they will continue fighting as long as foreign troops are present in Somalia. They control large part of southern Somalia including the strategic port city of Kismayo and are heavily present in Mogadishu.

The Ethiopians are still around, too. Barre Hirale, a veteran warlord, told BBC Somali radio that he is heading to Kismayo with his militia along with Ethiopian troops to fight Al-Shabab. Hirale was chased out of Kismayo in 2006 by the Union of Islamist Courts and in 2008 by Al-Shabab, and twice more before that. He is one of a number groups that had been armed by Ethiopia in anticipation of their withdrawal.

Ethiopian had troops inside Somalia since 1996, backing and arming warlords - and Eritea has been doing the same, too. For Ethiopia and Eritrea are back in the business of proxy wars, in Somalia.

Israeli army targets UN-run schools, killing 130

2009-01-07T10:28:00.004+03:00

Israeli army bombed two UN-run schools yesterday, killing more than 130 civilians. UNURWA, the UN agency working in Palestinian refugees, converted the schools into temporary shelters for people fleeing the Israeli attacks. To insure the safety of the schools UNURWA gave the coordinates of the schools to the Israeli army so it wouldn't be bombed - leaving no room for the Israelis to claim it was an 'error', but they were bombed.
Israel claims that rockets were fired from one of the schools, but even if that was the case, though doubtful, it doesn't justify the bombing of schools that the UN labelled a civilian area. I'm I surprised? No. Israel targetted civilians in Lebanon in 2006, and for the past 60 years.

2009-01-01T12:15:00.002+03:00

I'm back from a long break from blogging. I wanted to congratulate everyone on the new year but that would inappropriate when Israel, in only five days, murdered four hundred Palestinians, and injured close to two thousand, in Gaza while the world watches.

The tragedy is that nobody will stop Israel, and Arabs in particular. How could they when their governments are part of the plot, and specially Egypt which had approved of bombing Gaza in the hope of getting rid of Hamas.

The suffering of the people of Gaza didn't start five days ago. For more than a year, they had to endure a merceless seige both from Israel and from Egypt. Basic food and drugs were not allowed in, let alone the loss of jobs and the complete destruction of the local economy. As the Arabic saying goes "the aggression from your brother is more painful than that of the enemy", and for Gazans, it's the Egyptian government that had refused to open the Rafah crossing to let in food and medicine, and it hurts more.

The people in the Arab world have expressed their anger at their governments, but they know better than to expect much from them or the Arab League. Some of the Arab governments, just as it was with the Lebanon war in 2006, are counting on Israel to take out Hamas. At the end, Arab leaders will have a summit and meet when it's all over, and conguratulate themselves that they still have their seats.

And After Israel feels it has killed enough Palestinians and pulls out, the people of Gaza will still be under seige and as the Egyptian president confirmed Rafah crossing will not be opened.

Woo Hah - Busta Rhymes and Islam

2008-12-03T18:19:00.000+03:00

American rapper Busta Rhymes has certainly come a long way since his days of rapping about loose women and easy money, and now as a converted Muslim, has recently spoken out about how America should embody some of the characteristics of Arab culture:

"The one thing that the Arab culture has always exemplified for thousands of years is the significant value of spirituality; all the way down to the spirituality of financial and economic stability. At the end of the day, they grow, groom and condition their children to understand those values. They implement it successfully in their household. It seems really unfair to me, because as a man of Islam myself, I definitely want to make sure that I’m doing my part in being able to re-establish the integrity and the beauty as far as the Arab culture is concerned. It’s contradictory of us to have this impression of a culture that’s not only done so much for this culture, well this country rather. You know the United States don’t really have no culture. We take a little bit from everyone…"

Ambulances For Mogadishu

2008-12-03T00:13:00.000+03:00

It is hard to determine which fact is more horrific; the daily unspeakable violence that is still a reality for the millions in Somalia's capital or that Mogadishu is only now getting an ambulance service for the first time in almost 20 years.

Five ambulances may not seem like much, but as the saying unfortunately goes: it is better than nothing. This is a blessing and a good step forward. I only wish it had come from the so-called 'government' rather than the compassion of Irish charity.

Somalia - quick update

2008-11-18T00:16:00.000+03:00

Somali pirates carried the most daring, and probably the largest, pirating operation ever. They hijacked a Saudi oil tanker carrying two million barrels, worth more than a $100 million. The pirates hijacked the ship 450km of the Mombassa, while 150 ships are guarding the Somali coast.

Meanwhile the Somali government is all but collapsed. The entire government and parliament are outside Somalia, with the president and the prime minister accusing one another for the failure of their government. Insurgents have taken most of southern Somalia, except Mogadishu (the control large part of it), Baladwayn and Baidao. The Ethiopian forces are getting ready to leave Somalia.

Barack Obama Is President

2008-11-05T12:01:00.003+03:00

In the words of the great man himself in his acceptance speech: "it's been a long time coming".

No Degree? No Job!

2008-11-04T21:50:00.000+03:00

Iran's Interior Minister got the boot after admitting that his honorary degree from Oxford University was fake. He previously stated that his degree was issued for his "managerial and executive experience and for submitting a thesis to Oxford University via a person who had opened an affiliate office in Tehran in English language affairs".

Via 'a person'?!

Perhaps he should have claimed the degree was from a slightly less prestigious University to make it more credible. Or better yet, wait until he actually earned one...no wait, this is a politician we're talking about.

2008-10-31T23:51:00.000+03:00

Interesting article on young Islamic bloggers in the Arab world clashing with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Reading

2008-10-24T12:06:00.000+03:00

Iran economy facing perfect storm - BBC

"The International Monetary Fund said in August that Iran would face unsustainable deficits should prices for its oil fall below $75 a barrel."

How we lost the war we won – Nir Rosen, RollinStone
Nir shows the dark humor and confusion in NATO's efforts to fight the Talibn:

As we drive away, Ibrahim laughs. The soldiers, he explains, thought I was a suicide bomber. Ibrahim did not bother to tell them that he and Shafiq are midlevel Taliban commanders, escorting me deep into Ghazni, a province largely controlled by the spreading insurgency that now dominates much of the country.

Why I blog - Andrew Sullivan, Atlantic
An excellent piece on blogging as a literary form and its relation with journalism.

Inside Egypt: Nostalgia for Colonia Rule – Angry Arab, As'ad Khalil
What an entertaining book review! Khalil tells it as it is.

This morning

2008-10-24T11:21:00.000+03:00

Turkey's constitutional court ruled "that key members of the ruling AK Party, including Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, have been involved in anti-secular activities.". The court didn't ban the AK party as some have expected.

Another famous Republican endorses Obama, and it seems they like him in Columbia (that country south of US and A).

Speculation on Palin 2012 is rife and the Economist takes a dip.

Piracy hasn't been all bad for Somalia

2008-10-23T12:45:00.000+03:00

'Toxic waste' behind Somalia piracy - Najad Abdullahi, Al Jazeera

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) reported the tsunami had washed up rusting containers of toxic waste on the shores of Puntland.

Nick Nuttall, a UNEP spokesman, told Al Jazeera that when the barrels were smashed open by the force of the waves, the containers exposed a "frightening activity" that has been going on for more than decade.

"Somalia has been used as a dumping ground for hazardous waste starting in the early 1990s, and continuing through the civil war there," he said.

"European companies found it to be very cheap to get rid of the waste, costing as little as $2.50 a tonne, where waste disposal costs in Europe are something like $1000 a tonne.

"And the waste is many different kinds. There is uranium radioactive waste. There is lead, and heavy metals like cadmium and mercury. There is also industrial waste, and there are hospital wastes, chemical wastes – you name it."

Nuttall also said that since the containers came ashore, hundreds of residents have fallen ill, suffering from mouth and abdominal bleeding, skin infections and other ailments.

Colin Powell: “ ... What if he is a Muslim?”

2008-10-20T01:59:00.000+03:00

Colin Powell asked a simple question that no one in US politics dared to ask, including Obama himself. He deliberately avoided asking it, and instead to state that he was a Christian, because he knew, like most Americans, that it was too risky when it came to Islam: anyone can run for president, Jewish, Mormon or Catholic but not a Muslim - and you shouldn't be linked to them. He also knew that most Americans have little idea about Islam, and that it was probably negative.

So Obama must be relieved that someone else has asked the question. Would anyone take a shot at answering it? Lets wait and see.

Colin Powell: "Those kind of images going out on Al-Jazeera are killing us around the world"

2008-10-19T17:41:00.001+03:00

Colin Powell:

"Those kind of images going out on Al-Jazeera are killing us around the
world. This business from the congresswoman from Minnesota saying, let's examine
all congressman to see who is pro-American or not pro-American." From
Atlantic

A referrence to Al Jazeera's report on racism in the US election, which has received over a million hits and wide coverage in the US media. Watch the report here.

Iraqis: US troops should leave

2008-10-19T01:05:00.000+03:00

A massive demonstration by Moqtada Al-Sadr's followers took place in Iraq today, with one message: Iraqi parliament must reject the security pact to be signed by the US and Iraq governments. Iraqi government last week announced that it has reached a deal after the US government agreed to give in on some of sticking points (US troops to be tried in Iraqi courts and timetable for US withdrawal). But Iraqis, both Sunna and Shia, have come against the deal.

The top US commander in Iraq accused Iran of bribing Iraqi MPs but that's an oversimplification because most Iraqis who're Iranian influence in their country are also opposed to this deal. No doubt, some Iraqi MPs are close to the Iranians but many others are rejecting it because: they don't like what's in this deal, they oppose the presence of US troops in their country or they simply think the US presence should be extended without having to sign a pact that will legitimize American long presence (and bases).

Sistani, the top Shia cleric, opposed the deal and so have the Sunni religious leaders. With this latest protests by the Sadris, it seems this deal will be shot down in the parliament. This will deny president Bush one last thing he would have liked to claim as a victory before his term ends.

Al Jazeera English report reveals racism in the US election

2008-10-18T22:10:00.000+03:00

A report on the role of race (and racism) in the US election by Al Jazeera English's Casey Kaufman received more than a million views, and was written about in Washington post. Casey speaks to people attending a Sarah Palin rally and most of them have clearly racist feelings Obama, here is some of what they've said:

From an older white woman: "I'm afraid if he wins, the black [sic] will take over. He's not a Christian. This is a Christian nation! What is our country gonna end up like?"

An older white man: "When you got a Negro running for president, you need a first-stringer. He's definitely a second-stringer."

A young white man holding a child: "He seems like a sheep -- or a wolf in sheep's clothing to be honest with you. And I believe Palin -- she's filled with the Holy Spirit, and I believe she's gonna bring honesty and integrity to the White House."

An older white man: "He's related to a known terrorist, for one."

An older white man: "He is friends with a terrorist of this country!"

An older white man: "He must support terrorists! You know, uh, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck. And that to me is Obama."

A young white woman: "Just the whole, Muslim thing, and everything, and everybody's still kinda -- a lot of people have forgotten about 9/11, but . . . I dunno, it's just kinda . . . a little unnerving."

A white woman: "Obama and his wife, I'm concerned that they could be anti-white. That he might hide that."

An older white woman: "I don't like the fact that he thinks us white people are trash . . . because we're not!"

Watch the video, it's a great piece of report:

Here is Washington Post article.

I'm back, plus some readings

2008-10-18T20:52:00.000+03:00

gI'm back. For few months I was largely absent from this blog posting only few times though there was so much to discuss. Now, I'm back though. To start with, let me share with you some articles I've read recently:

The can only go so far - by Francis Fukuyama
Fukuyama is back to defend his "End of History" theory of nearly two decades ago. He makes an interesting point that "Democracy's only real competitor in the realm of ideas today is radical Islamism". Of course, he had to say "radical Islam" and not Islam because that's political correct but it's Islam that provides the alternative: both political and economic alternative. This point was also made in the "Clash of civilizations" by Huntington

A shattering moment in America's fall from power - by John Gray
An interesting look at what the financial crisis means for US standing in the world.

Hedge fund manager: So long, idiots! Smoke pot - a letter by a fund manager
A fund manager's take on financial regulation, marijuana and government, and quits.

Somali pirates seize 33 tanks

2008-09-26T20:53:00.001+03:00

Somali pirates seized a Ukrainian ship carrying 33 tanks, this is a very significant news. This news comes only few weeks after reports indicated that ransoms paid to the pirates helped Islamist fighters seize the port city of Kismayo. If the one of the armed groups (Al-Shabab, Islamic Courts or clan militias) decide to use these tanks, and I doubt they could, it would mean a significant military advantage. More on this later.

Uygher Muslims: prohibited from observing Ramdan

2008-09-11T12:24:00.001+03:00

Uygher Muslims in Xinjiang (aka East Turkestan) have long suffered repression from the Chinese government, but for the international media it's Tibet that takes the headlines.

The restrictions on practicing Islamic are aim to remove Islam from the lives of the Uygher people, by force. Some of these restrictions include forbidding anyone under the age of 18 from praying, learning Quran or even going into a mosque.

This Ramadan it has become tougher from Uyghres: government officials, teachers, students are prohibited from fasting - in fact students are forced to eat. Any sign of Ramadan such as changing restaurant opening times is also prohibited. Millions of Uygher are forced to fast secretly.

What's most unfortunate is the silence of the Muslim world about the plight of the Uygher people, I have not yet heard a single criticism from a Muslim leader against the Chinese government.

More in this Aljazeera report:

Parliamentary election in Angola

2008-09-05T16:15:00.003+03:00

Parliamentary election is underway in Angola, the first in sixteen years. The governing party is expected to win, and international observers from EU, AU and SADC have all been invited.

There has been criticism of mistakes made in organizing the election but you've to remember that this a country has been through decades long civil war. It's also important to put this in an African context, this election follows two bloody and violent elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe this year. The good news is that no violence is expected.

Flushing out Bush?

2008-07-21T19:04:00.001+03:00

"Some presidents get carved into Mt Rushmore; others have airports, motorways, and even entire cities named in their honour. But when George Bush leaves office, his most visible memorial may be a mouldering patch of human effluent. In November, the people of San Francisco will vote on a measure to rename one of the city's largest sewage works The George W Bush Sewage Plant, to provide a "fitting monument" to the outgoing commander-in-chief's achievements. "

However, Mr McConnell claimed to have only noticed two forms of opposition during his campaign so far. "First, we get people who say they just want to forget George Bush's presidency," he said. "Second, we hear from those who say that sewage plants perform a valuable public service and, as such, it does not make sense to name one after George Bush."

Now that's just cold...and hilarious.

1st July - Somalia Independence Day

2008-07-01T23:49:00.001+03:00

A bit of nostalgia .

"One day our generation is gonna rule the population, so we keep on waiting, waiting on the world to change " - John Mayer

Lucky Obama?

2008-06-28T01:36:00.003+03:00

"Being lucky is important in politics and Obama does have that aura about him" - BBC blogger Justin Webb

Is 'luck' the new 'capable'?

Facebook can help literacy?

2008-06-24T22:54:00.000+03:00

"The phenomenal speed at which the internet is developing and the rapid take up of new web services by young people can be challenging. However, it's vital that all of us really take the time to understand the way students are using the latest technology, the various features of these new services and appreciate how these new tools can aid good social interaction and learning. Using sites, like Facebook and Bebo, to communicate, collaborate and create means learners use and can develop a wide range of literacy skills", according to a report by Childnet - an organisation promoting internet safety.

Facebook used in the classroom? I wouldn't hold my breath.

Also, does anyone actually use Bebo?

'Lucky' Albinos hunted in Tanzania

2008-06-10T01:08:00.000+03:00

Here's a story that you don't hear too often about Africa; the fact that 1 in approximately 3,000 in Tanzania is Albino (with a population of over 36 million). According to reports, at least 19 known Albinos have been brutally murdered and mutilated in the Tanzania region, where Albino body parts are seen as having 'magical' powers. Albino skin, bones and hair are especially sold by witch doctors as ingredients in potions that promise to make people rich. Rising food prices in the region is seen as one of the reasons as to why some people are taking desperate measures to become rich. Al-Shaymaa Kwegyir, Tanzania's new albino member of Parliament states: "People think we're lucky. That's why they're killing us. But we're not lucky."

Why Israel is talking to Syria now?

2008-05-22T19:42:00.000+03:00

Syria and Israel revealed they're holding peace talks through Turkey. It isn't the first time the two parties talked, in fact most of the major points have been agreed in earlier talks and the issue isn't as complicated as Palestine for example. The big question is why is Israel is talking to Syria now when it had stopped negotiations before and at a time when the US administration is still talking about isolating Syria?

My guess is that this might be related to Israel wanting to 'confront Iran'. Israel has been talking about the need to 'stop Iran' from developing nuclear technology by force. The US is unlikely to go into any adventures so close to the time of the election. But in Israel there is almost no opposition to an attack on Iran, and if Iran retaliates US will have to 'defend Israel' and that's politically less risky for American politicians. So it make sense for Israel to take Syria out of the equation by agreeing on a deal that will drive the Syrian and Iranian interests apart.

It's an interesting theory but it all depends on whether Israel is serious about reaching an agreement, and it doesn't seem like it. Israeli foreign minister demanded that Syria should stop "supporting terror - Hezbollah, Hamas" and distance itself completely" from "problematic ties" with Iran.

Lebanon deal - 'no winners or losers'

2008-05-21T15:44:00.001+03:00

What a diplomatic coup for Qatar! Finally, Lebanese leaders agreed on a deal to elect a new president and form a unity government - a 'no winner, no loser' deal. The consequences had these talks failed were grim, fighting would have immediately broke out in Beirut. Everyone is relieved that an agreement was reached.

As a response the opposition began to remove the protest in the middle of Beirut which had lasted for more than one and half years and had all but paralyzed this important commercial area of Beirut. It's expected that a new president, Michel Sleiman, will be elected in a special session in the parliament on Sunday.

This deal is a blow to the US foreign policy (and Israel), to take out Hizbollah and Syria from the political equation altogether was the center of United State's 'New Middle East' policy, instead they're back at the center of Middle East politics.

The issue of Hizbollah arms wasn't really up for discussion, the pro-government group wanted a guarantee that Hizbollah will not use their arms in any internal conflict and they've got it. But Al-Arabiya and BBC Arabic (radio), unfortunately, continued arguing, until this morning that this was the main point and they've been trying to make as if the Lebanese people were worried about this. Their correspondent in Lebanon, Rula Al-Ayyoubi, went to the street to ask for the people's reaction to the deal and she started with saying that 'Of course, Hizbollah's arms was the most important issue for the Lebanese people ... ' and once again this morning the presenter made the same point to a pro-government minister who responded by saying that the pro-government group were only interested in getting a guarantee that it won't be used, and disarmament wasn't on the table.

This is a great diplomatic achievement for Qatar, to be able to end the Lebanon crisis which had last for several years now. This summer will be important for Lebanon and tourism and business will be boom again.

Fighting in Abyei

2008-05-20T16:49:00.001+03:00

This is one of the most worrying stories out of Africa. There has been huge fighting in Abyei, the city between the south and north Sudan. Though there were serious disagreements between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), this is the first time that it translated into an all out war.

Abyei was one of the difficult issues in the peace agreement between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), and it hasn't been solved yet . The city is home to the Dinka tribes from the south and Messiria tribes from the north. The Dinka are cattle herders and they spend the entire year in Abyei while the Messiria are nomadic and they spend seven months in Abyei every year and the rest of the year in the north. The two tribes have been in Abyei for hundreds of years.

But when oil fields were discovered in Abyei both the north and the south wanted Abyei to be part of their region. Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) has been returning thousands of southern refugees in Kenya (and elsewhere) to Abyei in preparation for the referendum in the south schedule for 2009.

Aljazeera has done some brilliant reports few months ago explaining the complexity of the Abyei issue, it's a great starting point to understand the reasons for the current fighting.

The implications of this recent fighting are serious, this might take Sudan back to the brink of a civil war between the South and the Sudanese government again. And this is happening at a time when the Darfur issue is far from resolved.

So far thousands of people are reported to have fled the fighting, and it seems the fighting will continue at least for few more days. I'll be following this story.

Lebanon - the begining of a civil war?

2008-05-09T22:00:00.000+03:00

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hizbollah, described the government's decision to dismantle Hizbollah wired communication network as a 'declaration of war' and he promised to 'cut off' any hand that reaches out to Hizbollah's defense systems or harms any of those working on it. His speech was a response to the government's decision to dismantle Hizbollah's telcom network and to replace the head of the the airport security, who's a Shia.

There has been fighting in the streets of Beirut prior Nasrallah's speech between Shia and Sunni gunmen. The fighting continued overnight but on early Friday Hizbollah took over Western Beirut, which all the Muslim areas in Beirut (Sunna and Shia).

It seems that the pro-government faction, supported by US and pro-US Arab governments, has badly miscalculated with the decision to dismantle Hizbollah's telcom network. Following Nasrallah's speech Sa'd Al-Hariri, the leader of the Sunni block, suggested the decision to dismantle Hizbollah's network to be left for the Lebanese army as a way to defuse the tensions but that was too little too late. The speaker of the parliament Nabih Birri, who heads Amal party, demanded that the government revoke it's decision.

The situation in Lebanon has been deteriorating in the past two years. Lebanon's political stability is based on a fine balance between the different sects and religious groups. But the current government only includes some of the sects (excluding Shia and some Christian maronites). The country's political leaders, from all factions, also failed to agree on a president, a post reserved for Christian Maronites who're divided between the pro-government and the opposition. The opposition wants the government to be changed or made inclusive for a new president to be chosen but the pro-government grou are against it.

The fear is that Lebanon will slide back into civil war specially if the Lebanese army, which is the only remaining neutral institution in the government, is pulled into the fighting. It seems the only way to stop the fighting immediately is for the government to revoke its earlier decisions. The minister of Youth had suggested for the government to resign as a way out.

The Arab League failed in mediation efforts in Lebanon, it was also seen as favoring the pro-government group. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and US accused Hizbollah of starting a civil war, while Qatar and Syria agreed that the fighting in Lebanon is an internal matter. Yemeni president suggested that the head of Lebanese military, Michelle Suleiman, whom both the opposition and pro-government agree on as a president candidate, to be mediate between the two groups.

The situation remains volatile but it seems Hizbollah will continue to control West Beirut while the army controls the pro-government areas. There's no fighting until in the Christian-dominated East Beirut.

Amnesty International highlights Ethiopian atrocities in Somalia

2008-05-09T19:04:00.000+03:00

Amnesty International's report released few days ago described the atrocities committed against Somali civilians by Ethiopian troops and TFG soldiers. The report included horrifying details related by the victims and witness: rape was used as a weapon, men were slaughtered 'like goats and the bodies of the dead were left to rot in the streets. But this is nothing new, similar reports from journalists, witnesses and previous human rights reports detailed them, too.

There are plenty of examples, some of which were reported in the international media. For example, Ethiopian troops shelled Bakara market - many times - and killed over 30 people in the most recent of those attacks, as a retaliation for an attack that didn't come from the market. Another more Ethiopian attack killed more than a hundred civilians, ten of which were Muslim clerics in mosque who slaughtered.

Ethiopian troops have been using the same tactics in Ogaden, and rape in particular. Recent reports from Aljazeera showed the harsh conditions in Ogaden, how families - who've nothing to do with the conflict - have to move frequently to avoid the Ethiopian army, otherwise the women will be raped and men hanged.

But It's not the Ethiopian troops that are committing these atrocities. Three former warlords - Abdi Qaybdid, Mohamed Dheere and Bashir Rage - who are supposedly in charge of Mogadishu's security have been kidnapping businessmen, journalists and people they suspect of having money. The kidnapped are threatened to be handed over to the Ethiopians or the CIA as terrorists, or to pay up. The forces of these three warlords have also looted Bakara market repeatedly and killed civilians, no one can question them.

US army has been also carrying air strikes in Somalia since 2007, many of which have killed innocent civilians. The TFG usually finds out from the media about these air strikes.

Through intimidation, imprisonment and killing, the local media has been effectively silenced. Somalia is the second country after Iraq in the number of journalists killed. Government soldiers at once even opened fire at a local radio station while the journalists were inside. Aljazeera's bureau as well as a number of independent radio stations have been closed.

So far more than a million people have fled Mogadishu and the brutality of the Ethiopian troops, thousands more have been killed. The UN has labeled the humanitarian situation in southern Somalia 'worse than Darfur'. But still Somalia is receiving less attention because the US is part of the conflict, it funds and supports the Ethiopian troops - and has not condemned, not even once the conduct of the Ethiopian troops - and CIA is operating in Somalia.

How to tell a 'moderate Muslim'?

2008-05-04T17:21:00.001+03:00

Whenever Western politicians and journalists talk about 'moderate Muslims', one wonders: who do they mean? Thankfully a recent BBC article came to the rescue clarifying who 'moderate Muslims' are, or more precisely what moderate Muslims do.

The article is about Al-Shabab, a group fighting Ethiopian troops in Somalia, and the article explains Al-Shabab's 'militant' form of Islam and then contrasts it with the Somalis 'moderate version'

The Islam practiced in Somalia has traditionally been moderate and tolerant. Local cinemas, for example, thrive, showing Bollywood films featuring scantily-clad women.

As far as the BBC is concerned, if you're watching 'scantily-clad women' and you're a Muslim, then you must be a 'moderate Muslim'.

The journalist who wrote the article brags about his "10 years of visiting Somalia", otherwise known as 'Parachute Journalism'. Good on ya mate!

No Iranians for Yahoo! and Microsoft

2008-05-04T16:06:00.001+03:00

I've never this day would come, that I would seriously consider life without Flickr, and to move somewhere else like Google's Picasa. I consider Flickr one of the best social websites out there, it combines good tools and great community better than any other website. But my problem now is with Yahoo! itself.

I found out, unfortunately little too late, that Yahoo! which owns Flickr doesn't include Iran in its country list. That means that if I was an Iranian registering with Yahoo! for any email account (which is a must to get a Flickr account) I won't be able to specify Iran as my country. For Yahoo! Iran as a country doesn't exist. And It isn't only Yahoo!, Microsoft is doing the same for its Hotmail email registration.

The two companies are saying that they're complying with US administration's restrictions on doing business in Iran. But does that include free email, I don't think so. And does anyone have a right to deny the existence of an entire country.

The US State department doesn't deny the existence of Iran, in fact it has a whole page(s) on it. And Google doesn't think so either, anyone can register with a Gmail account and be from Iran.

Bloggers and online activist (specially from US), who're usually noisy when companies like Google works with government like China have conspicuously been silent on this. Though these companies are disarming millions of Iranians from their nationality - you can be an Iranian or a Yahoo! user but not both. The internet is suppose to be a free space for all, but some don't think about it that way.

Many Iranian's and non-Iranians have started boycotting Yahoo!, Microsoft and other companies that deny Iran's existence as a country. Germán Vogel, who's from Chili, is one of the people switching from Yahoo's Flickr to Google's Picasa, a difficult move but one that he felt strongly about.

I hope those who feels strongly about big cooperations abusing people's rights in having free access to the internet will make their disagreement heard: Iranian people shouldn't be discriminated against on the web simply because the US government is in conflict with the Iranian government.

Sami Al Hajj speaks about his ordeal in Guantanamo

2008-05-02T11:19:00.000+03:00

When Sami Al Hajj landed in Sudan he was on stretcher, too weak to stand. Few hours later he spoke to Aljazeera about his ordeal. He talked most about those who were left behind and how they were tortured. He urged their governments to work hard for their release.

See the interview below:

Prisoner345 (Sami Al Hajj) is free at least

2008-05-02T02:32:00.003+03:00

Our colleague Sami Al Hajj, who was detained in Guantanamo for more than six years has been released. His plane has just landed in Khartoum airport.

Like many others, Sami Al Hajj was never charged. His only crime was practicing journalism and telling the stories of the voiceless in Afghanistan and elsewhere that his captors - the US government - didn't want to be told.

Besides the torture and harsh conditions, the US officials tempted Sami Al Hajj to work for them as a spy in Aljazeera in exchange for his freedom, he was again later offered a release with the condition not to go back to Aljazeera: Sami rejected both offers.

The years that Sami and others like him lost in captivity, the torture and humiliation they faced and the loss of their families will not be paid for, and no one from the perpetrators - US government officials - will be questioned. The law of the jungle: the strong does as he pleases.

But Sami Al Hajj never broke, he stood by his believes and innocence, and was on a hunger strike for more than a year.

His release is a triumph for Sami and for all of those journalists, human rights activists and believers in freedom, who throughout these years have rallied for his cause.

Three were three other detainees who were on the plane with Sami: a Moroccan and two Sudanese.

Congratulations to Sami's family, to all his colleagues in Aljazeera and for all of those who care for the freedom of the media.

For more: http://www.prisoner345.com/

Sshh, minister tells muezzins, you’ll wake the tourists

2008-04-26T19:17:00.000+03:00

According to reports, "a Morrocan minister has provoked uproar by suggesting that, to avoid waking tourists, muezzins should make less noise when calling the faithful to prayer at dawn."

Isn't the whole point of tourism to experience a culture different from the one you are from?

Let's Get Loud - Egyptian Style

2008-04-17T00:06:00.000+03:00

I came across this interesting article about the level of noise in Egypt that's both poignant and humorous. It's interesting how quickly I got used to the general sensory overload when I briefly lived in Cairo and it honestly didn't feel as loud as the article states but then again it's easy to become oblivious to noise when you find yourself being louder as well!

"This is not like London or New York, or even Tehran, another car-clogged Middle Eastern capital. It is like living day in and day out with a lawn mower running next to your head, according to scientists with Egypt's National Research Center. They spent five years studying noise levels across the city and concluded in a report issued earlier this year that the average noise from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. is 85 decibels, a bit louder than a freight train at a distance of 15 feet, or 4.6 meters, said Mustafa el Sayyid, an engineer who helped conduct the study. At other locations, it is far worse, he said. In Tahrir Square, or Ramsis Square, or the road leading to the pyramids, the noise often reaches 95 decibels, he said, which is only slightly quieter than standing next to a jackhammer. Noise at the levels commonly found in Cairo physically affects the body. It can cause elevated blood pressure and other stress-related diseases."

A Twitter account + followers for sale

2008-04-13T10:30:00.001+03:00

Did you ever think this was possible? Someone is selling Twitter account + followers on eBay. He explains his decision saying:

I really love my Twitter account but I feel like I haven’t been using it the way I want to. Quite honestly, I feel sorry for all of my followers because they wind up with my tweets in their timelines and I haven’t been able to utilize the medium the way I want to. I also participate in another Twitter account over on Rocketboom so I’m thinking I’ll post more over there and start up a new account to do what I want to do next.

It would be silly to just delete this account I have here, especially if there is someone out there that had like interests and had something to say or wanted to get involved in some relevant conversations. In terms of monetary value, I have no expectations or needs at all so I decided not to put a minimum bid on this. Whatever will be, will be.

His twitter account has 1400 followers, the bid so far is at $455. I wonder if this trend might be passed on to Facebook or even Flickr.

Video killed Flickr?

2008-04-12T14:00:00.000+03:00

Being a Flickr addict, I must admit I loved Flickr without the video. It isn't only me though, it turns out that there's a backlash within the Flickr community against the introduction of video. Hardcore photographers and lovers of photography are extremely upset about the move. Several groups were created to say "No to Video", one of those groups has upward of 26,000 members. Some people in the Flickr community are calling for drastic action, to quite Flickr altoghether. Whether people in Flickr (Yahoo!) are taking notice is another matter.

More photos and groups
Group: We Say No to videos on Flickr
Photo: Flickr video smells

Links for 02-04-2008

2008-04-04T06:06:00.002+03:00

Comment is free: Chorusing disapproval

"It's become quite fashionable for journalists to report on the diminishing popularity of the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (for example in the Independent, the Herald Tribune and the New York Times), especially focusing on the consequences of his economic policies, which were seen as one of the main reasons he was elected."

interesting article from Hossein Derakhshan.

Links for 30-03-2008

2008-04-01T06:03:00.002+03:00

Fatal shelling at Somali market
Again, Ethiopian troops shell Bakara market indiscriminately killing dozens.

A new global language will replace English

2008-03-31T20:43:00.002+03:00

According to researchers, English as it is spoken today will have disappeared in 100 years and could be replaced by a global language called 'Panglish' (the article doesn't explain the name further).

"New words will form and meanings will change with the most dramatic changes being made by people learning English as a second language. The global form of English is already becoming a loose grouping of local dialects and English-based common languages used by non-native speakers to communicate. By 2020 there may be two billion people speaking English, of whom only 300 million will be native speakers. At that point English, Spanish, Hindi, Urdu and Arabic will have an equal number of native speakers."

Who's rallying for Somalia?

2008-03-30T17:47:00.003+03:00

All the attention going to Darfur, such as the Global day for Darfur protests that have been planned to take place all over the world next month is a great way to highlight the devastation taking place there. However, my frustration comes from the lack of international attention on Somalia. It's no news that a lot of celebrities and otherwise 'important' people have been standing up for the genocide in Darfur for a while now whilst the on-going devastation in Somalia rarely makes headlines, despite the fact that the situation in Somalia is far worse than Darfur:

"Many of these kids are going to die," said Eric Laroche, the head of UN humanitarian operations in Somalia. "We don't have the capacity to reach them. If this were happening in Darfur, there would be a big fuss. But Somalia has been a forgotten emergency for years. The officials working on Somalia are trying to draw more attention to the country's plight, which they feel has fallen into Darfur's shadow."

There's no doubt that there are a lot of African countries in a state of emergency right now but there seems to be a growing sensationalism around Darfur that unfortunately does not spill over to the other countries also in need.

75 Somali Refugees drown off the coast of Yemen

2008-03-28T19:21:00.000+03:00

Whilst trying to cross from Somalia, according to reports. Approximately 180 people have been reported to have survived.

This comes right after the evaluation of Aid groups warning that Somalia is 'too dangerous' to work in. Seems like a never ending cycle where the innocent constantly pay the price, when will this end?

Links for 26-03-2008

2008-03-28T06:03:00.002+03:00

"شباب المجاهدين" الصومالية تنفي علاقتها بالقاعدة ولا تستبعدها
حركة شباب المجاهدين في الصومال مختار روبو أبو منصور إن الحركة سعدت وتفخر بقرار الولايات المتحدة الأميركية وضعها في لائحة الإرهاب
BBC: Aid agencies warning on Somalia
Forty humanitarian agencies have warned of an impending catastrophe in Somalia unless urgent action is taken.

More Muslims than Christians in Britain?

2008-03-26T15:43:00.002+03:00

It's not enough to be fearful of global warning these days when we have media outlets like The Telegraph warning (who exactly?) about the increase of Islam in Britain to the point where they're estimating that in TWELVE YEARS TIME the number of Roman Catholics going to church will fall to 679,000 (failing to state how high the numbers are now) whilst the number of Muslims praying in Mosques on Fridays will have increased to 683,000 (again, as opposed to how many now?).

"The projections show that, if the Churches do not reverse their historical decline, there will be more active Muslims than Christians in Sunday services across Britain before the middle of the century"

This is yet another 'warning' from The Telegraph after the article by the (Asian) Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali who ironically criticised the growing multinationalism in Britain, covered previously here. Interestingly, the article only discusses the decline of (practising) Roman Catholics. This is the perfect article to throw into the on-going argument of the place of Islam in Britain as it suggestively ends with: "The continuing growth of the Muslim population since the 2001 census would have significant implications for society"

Oh? Was that the end of the sentence? Shouldn't the concern be more about why so few Catholics are going to Church and what to do about that? Or even perhaps what that implies for society?

Sami Al hajj's sketches can't be published

2008-03-26T13:04:00.002+03:00

US authorities have stopped the publishing of hand drawings by Sami Alhajj, Aljazeera cameramen imprisoned in Guantanamo, depicting his hunger strike and how he was tortured.

World ignores Somalia

2008-03-24T17:12:00.004+03:00

"The international community must overcome its reluctance to get involved in Somalia and help put an end to abuses there", is the powerful statement made by Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, a Special United Nations Envoy. He goes on to state: "While more people are talking about Somalia, there is still little action to stop the violence. I am not asking outside countries to become active for moral or altruistic reasons. They have a clearly mandated responsibility to become involved in [countries] where there are widespread violations of human rights and humanitarian law."

Now let's hope actions will speak louder than words.

Violence makes young Iraqis less religious

2008-03-19T15:24:00.002+03:00

An interesting article in the NY Times about how the violence in Iraq has left the younger generation doubting corrupt Clerics, and as a result of that, Islam. It's a shame that it doesn't explore the key point more in what the Sheikh says below: tyrannical 'leaders' who strategically use Islamic verses out of context are essentially manipulating the young into believing their acts are due to religion and not their own misguided greed.

“When they behead someone, they say ‘Allahu akbar,’ they read Koranic verse,” said a moderate Shiite sheik from Baghdad, using the phrase for “God is great.” The young people, they think that is Islam,” he said. “So Islam is a failure, not only in the students’ minds, but also in the community. Atheer, a 19-year-old from a poor, heavily Shiite neighborhood in southern Baghdad, said: “The religion men are liars. Young people don’t believe them [and because of that] guys my age are not interested in religion anymore.”

Photo: Mosque at Plage d'Ouakam, Senegal

2008-03-17T15:18:00.000+03:00

Cheap shot

2008-03-17T13:16:00.000+03:00

One thing we know about the inner workings of the Iranian government is that no one knows, let alone commenting on personalities. BBC's Jon Leyne commenting on the results of the election in Iran writes:

And the internal battle within the conservatives may rather suit him. He has always been a leader attached to the principle of "divide and rule."

I'm amazed at the assured tone he uses, I wonder what information did have to reach this judgement? It could be true, but that was a cheap shot.

US missile strike in Somalia kills 3 cows and a calf

2008-03-12T15:13:00.003+03:00

The fourth known attack by the US inside Somalia since 2006 was unsuccessful as it failed to hit its target - Saleh Ali Nabhan who is allegedly connected to the 1998 US embassy bombing in Kenya amongst other things. This attempted attack on a "known al-Qa'ida terrorist" only managed to hurt 6 civilians and kill 4 animals, according to reports.

Is anyone surprised?

DNA2008: Panel - video journalism

2008-03-10T10:55:00.000+03:00

The panel was chaired by Aljazeera's Richard Gizbert. Sitting on the panel were:

Pat Loughrey, Director, BBC Nations and Regions
Tone Kunst, Editor-in-Chief, NRK Nordland
Christian Trippe, Brussels Bureau Chief, Deutsche Welle
Michael Rosenblum, President, Rosenblum TV
Adrian Monck, Head of Journalism, City University (UK)

Pat Loughrey started by pointing out that video journalists were, after all, journalists and that he was worried of creating sects. What was important, he stressed, is the skill of narrative journalism. One of the mistakes news organizations make - including the BBC - is sending video journalists who lack the necessary skill and experience to cover the story: "Air miles in journalism is a requirement". Loughrey points out that most news organizations send either a a crew (producer, cameraman, reporter ...) which is more suitable for covering events like Tsunami or a video journalist who're best in covering 'human stories' - i.e. people effected in floods - which closer to documentary: using this mix is the most effective way.

Adrian Monck said that news organizations have resisted taking advantage of video journalism for twenty years but now they're paying a closer attention. "You should ask yourselves - the audience - if you're organizational politics is stopping you from taking full advantage of VJs". As for how video journalists faired, Monck admits it has been a mixed bag, some have done well and others not so great but the difference, he says, is good journalism - there's no substitute for it. Talking about quality, he says the audience don't reward a beautifully shot video as much as great content. One of the disadvantages of sending one person to the field with a camera is that that person will miss out in learning from an experienced correspondent.

Michael Rosenblum took the most radical position: he believes video journalism is the only way forward, that sending anymore than one journalist with a camera into the field was a waste of money and talent. Just like newspapers do, they send one journalist to a place who writes the story and sends back, so why should it be different in broadcast journalism. "Journalism is not a team sport". Gizbert relates that sometimes when he's working on a story, a producer would point out something or add an idea: surely, two heads are better than one. But Rosenblum isn't convinced, if the journalist can't do his job alone then s/he shouldn't be a journalist, s/he should looking for another career. Gizbert referrs to Rosenblum's approach as 'close-minded', just like those who're opposed to video journalism altogether.

DNA2008: Aljazeera's Tony Birtley wins breaking news VJ award

2008-03-08T21:31:00.000+03:00

Aljazeera's Tony Birtley won the Concentra Award for breaking news for his footage and reporting from Myanmar. Accepting the award, he pointed out that as a correspondent he usually works with a crew but in this case solo video journalism was the most appropriate. He secretly entered Myanmar and was the only correspondent from an internal news organization; Aljazeera kept his identity secret while he was inside the country so the Myanmar authorities wouldn't find out.
I caught up with him later to congratulate him. The whole social media thing was new to him, he told me later. What a great guy!

The winner of the Concentra Outstanding Video Journalism award went to Idar Edvin Krogstad's "The Nightwatch", the moving story of two nurses dealing with life and death in a nursing home, well deserved.

DNA2008: People - Michael Rosenblum

2008-03-08T21:10:00.000+03:00

I got a chance to speak to Michael Rosenblum about an hour ago, you can imagine my surprise when he greeted me in Arabic and recited the first chapter of the Quran: he studied Islamic history. He likes to keep things original so he would have been a Salafi, he said, if he'd been a Muslim, what a fascinating man.

For those who don't know Michael Rosenblum, he's the man who's wants to transform broadcast journalism, he says there should be no more TV crews: it should be a one man show, a journalist with a video camera telling a story. He worked with the BBC for five years to train hundreds of their journalists to become effective video journalists. He's extremely radical in his view. If Rosenblum was the president of a country called broadcast journalism, it would be a one party state with everyone in the country working for the party as Video Journalist producing content; people might do some part-time work like HR or management but their main job would be videojournalism.

DNA2008: Robin Hamman on using blogs and social media

2008-03-08T20:04:00.000+03:00

The presentation was titled "Using blogs and social media to find and engage with new audiences", and it was intended to show journalists how they can turn much of what they do to prepare for programs into useful content, and create a conversation around it. While waiting for the presentation to begin Robin showed us how the people working on iPM, a BBC radio program with a blog, have been bookmarking their research in delicious which is then posted on the blog. They also use twitter to request audience contribution, and they post their plans for the show on the blog as well. Recently they've done a Google Earth mashup showing the location of 22,000 of the audience, bit geeky but it looks fantastic.

The presentation began, the presentation was divided into three parts:

Current models of audience engagement
Blogs and social media - something different
The whole web is your canvas

Robin described three models used by news organizations to interact with their audience. The first is creating an online community, like BBC's Have Your Say and web chats. This model has a number of problems:

If a large number of people participate - which is what you want - then it's no longer an a conversation
News organizations tend to create these spaces and forget about them, instead of assigning people to look after them.

The second model is the "Send us your stuff" model, and sometimes referred to as user generated content ( BBC and CNN). There are many issues with this model, too: people send content that are irrelevant or fake, moderation is extremely difficult and costly, and you need an IT infrastructure to receive and archive the content. And, when someone sends you a photo or a video they expect you to use them, and if you don't use them they won't send you again. Robin showed Jon Steward's take on the iReport, hilarious - felt sorry for the guy from CNN in the audience.

I liked Robin's description of the three 'types of blogging': the personal type where the blogger talks about things that are 'intimate', and therefore is of interest mainly to those who know him/her(i.e. Pete and Katy's blog); the professional or informational blog written by an expert (or pseudo-expert) with little conversation going on (i.e. BBC's Evanomics). And, finally, the conversational blog which caters for a wider audience and the blogger(s) engages with the audience/readers.

A number of important web services - to generate, organize and reuse content - were covered in the presentation: how to create a blog and write a post, using social bookmarking, storing and sharing photos on Flickr, geotagging - and more.

Moving on to video, Robin thought it was a waste to post your videos directly to your website/blog: it prohibits others from sharing and embedding them. Instead, Robin recommends you post them on websites like Youtube and then embedding them in your website, and you wouldn't have to worry about copyright or ownership issues.

Robin concluded by demonstrating BBC's Leicester Radio as how Flickr - for example - can be used to solve the problems with the "send us your stuff model": they've created a flickr group - which can be joined only by invite - and selected five people from their audience to post photos of the weather to that group; and these photos are displayed on the website without having to worry about hosting, moderation or copyright issues. They're also reposting their Flickr favorites on the website - and it takes only a click to add a photo to your fave.

I liked the presentation, specially in illustrating how your contents like the program research and planning can be turned easily into content and how to engage with audience better in the social web.

Why some Jewish women are wearing the veil in Israel?

2008-03-07T17:20:00.001+03:00

Muslim women are imitating Jews to try to gain God's favour with modesty. The truth is that the women of Israel are lessening in God's eyes because the Arabs are more modest in dress. If the Jews want to conquer the Arabs in this land they must enhance their modesty,” added M, who covered her face for over a year, but currently wears just a loose cloak over her garments.

DNA2008 - Rosenblum and the prefect storm

2008-03-03T11:43:00.002+03:00

The organizer introduced Richard Gizbert, who was going to chair the first day's events, as the host of the best program about media in English anywhere. Can't argue with that.

Then Micheal Rosenblum was unleashed. He described journalism as "the child of technology" - referring to the printing press, radio and TV - therefore we'd to deal with these new technologies. But pointed out that we - journalists I suppose - don't respond well to new technologies; we accept them partially like the introduction of small camera which rejected by the TV stations at first.

Rosenblum went even further: any business that doesn't accept technological change will be dead and he give the grim example of the ice business which had died after the introduction of the fridge. Another example he give was Kodak who the best maker of film cameras but then refused to go into digital camera because they "thought" they were in the film business: they were wrong and look at what happened to them, Rosenblum says. The same for journalists, we're in the business of finding and telling stories (journalism he meant, close enough), regardless of what technologies we use.

Rosenblum named telcom, internet and the video camera as the technologies behind this change.

The keynote was entertaining and perhaps useful for those executives who needed a wake up call and would then rush out and hire a consultant. But others were not conviced: there business was grounded in solid, good, old journalism.

Digital News Affairs (DNA2008)

2008-03-02T20:07:00.003+03:00

I've arrived this morning in Brussels to attend NDA2008. The two day conference gathers some of the top professionals and executives at the intersection between news media and new media. The agenda of the conference promises to "answer the key questions" but I don't think there are "answers" as each organisation has a different approach to the issues discussed, instead, various approaches will be presented: CNN's iReport, Aljazeera's Youtube channels and the BBC's usage of social content.

Video content (and video journalism) is given plenty of space in the conference with panels like "Can video save the print industry?", "Video journalism goes mainstream?" and "How online video changes the broadcast industry?", to name a few. Other panels will look into news content in blogs, mobile devices and social networks, as well as panels on news content in video games (virtual reality) and, of course, dealing with user generated content. Branding, advertising and free content are all discussed in the second day.

There were few topics I'd hoped would be featured - but I can't find them in the agenda - including training (journalists and the executive management, for example). But I'm sure a discussion on this will surface somewhere in these panels.

The first day of the conference will be chaired by Aljazeera's Richard Gizbert who presents The Listening Post a weekly media critique program. Russell Merryman the Chief Editor of Aljazeera English - mistakenly printed in the conference literature as Aljazeera International - will be speaking on couple panels.

I won't be presenting or taking part in panels so I'll try to live blog (but I need to get an adapter for my charger first). Stay tuned!

U.S. Exchange Student Starved by Egyptian Host Family

2008-03-02T16:04:00.000+03:00

This is by far the most ridiculous story I've come across so far this year.

17 Year old Jonathan McCullum lost 50lbs after being 'starved' by his host family in Alexandria, Egypt. The family, who were Coptic Christians, fasted for the large proportion of his 4 month stay and gave him 'meager' amounts of food and hid treats in their bedroom. He said he never got breakfast and his first food of the day usually was a small piece of bread with cucumbers and cheese that he would take to school for lunch. There was a late-afternoon dinner consisting of beans, vegetables and sometimes fish, and a snack of bread later in the evening. When he returned home to Maine the 5-foot-9 teenager weighed a mere 97lbs and was so weak that he struggled to carry his baggage or climb a flight of stairs. Doctors said he was at risk for a heart attack.

And the reason why this boy didn't go downstairs and buy some shawerma and foul is because...?

Next up he wants to visit Zimbabwe this coming summer to build homes and trails...

Pledging pupils in South Africa

2008-02-29T00:23:00.002+03:00

The Education Minister of South Africa, Naledi Pandor, has unveiled plans for a pledge to be recited by school children across the nation every morning. Pandor has stated that she's confident that no parents will object to this proposal that is "intended to internalise those values we as South Africans have thought to be important".

The idea does have its backers, including the National Association of School Governing Bodies, the opposition Democratic Alliance and the Afrikaans teaching union Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie to name a few. However, others in the media circle are less eager to embrace this pledge that is being accused of introducing totalitarianism and making the large population of white children feel guilty about something that is not their fault.

The oath reads as follows:

“We the youth of South Africa, recognising the injustices of our past, honour those who suffered and sacrificed for justice and freedom. We will respect and protect the dignity of each person, and stand up for justice. We sincerely declare that we shall uphold the rights and values of our Constitution and promise to act in accordance with the duties and responsibilities that flow from these rights.”

Is this a guilt trip or a good idea?

Aljazeera wants your views

2008-02-28T17:35:00.000+03:00

Turban Obama

2008-02-27T03:49:00.002+03:00

"A shameful and offensive fear-mongering" is the statement that the official Barak Obama camp proclaimed yesterday on the distribution of a photo of Presidential candidate Barak Obama dressed like a Somali elder in a turban. The photo, taken in 2006 during a visit to Kenya, is speculated to have been released by Hillary Clinton supporters and according to Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe "This is part of a disturbing pattern", alluding to a previous controversy in which a couple of Mrs Clinton's volunteers had been dismissed for forwarding an e-mail falsely stating that Mr Obama is a Muslim. The Clinton camp quickly denied knowing of the photo's existance by saying that it is a “transparent attempt to distract from the serious issues confronting our country”.

Clinton is currently leading in the polls in Ohio but needs to win the March 4 primaries to slow Obama's 11 straight wins.

"Oxfamming the whole black world"

2008-02-24T23:40:00.002+03:00

A witty and satirical article on Neo-colonialism in Africa and its effect on the African identity, written by the equally as witty Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainaina, a columnist for the South African Mail & Guardian and author of 'How To Write About Africa'.

Here is a small excerpt:

"Would you like an Oxfam biscuit? Can we fly 103 of you to France to be loved? We can breastfeed you. We can save you from yourself. We can save ourselves from our terrible selves. Help us to Oxfam the whole black world, to make it a better place. We will shut all your industries and build our organic Jeffery Sachs-designed school inside your national parks, where you can commune with nature, grow ecologically friendly crops, trade fairly with eco-tourists and receive visitors from the United Nations every month who will clap when you dance. Instead of sweatshops, we will have Ubuntu shops where you can arrive in biodegradable loincloths to make bone jewellery for caring people who earn $1million a year, live in San Francisco or Cape Town and feel bad about this. In our future world you will have three balanced meals a day. Trust us. You can’t do it yourselves. We have dedicated our lives to you. Come kitties, come to mummy".

Help Foud

2008-02-24T15:25:00.000+03:00

Fouad, who was jailed awaiting trail for creating a fake facebook profile of a Moroccan prince, has been sentenced to three years in jail. His family sent a letter to the prince requesting clemency:

Fouad Mourtada, like thousands of people who create fake profiles of well-known personalities or celebrities on Facebook, has in no way acted in a willingness to cause nuisance to Your Highness, for whom he has always shown the greatest of respect

Help Fouad was launched, a website to help free Fouad. Moroccan bloggers also stopped blogging for 24 hours. His family also say that he was beaten unconscious at the time of his arrest.

This is just insane.

Fighting off pirates with noise

2008-02-20T13:14:00.000+03:00

American army used noise to repel pirates off the coast of Somalia:

America’s armed forces are also accused of using loud rap music and television theme tunes to disorient and disturb prisoners both in Iraq and Gunatanamo Bay. Another technique is to impose absolute silence as part of a sensory-deprivation programme. And both American and Israeli armies and some less scrupulous police forces around the world are said to have used a sonic tool, the “long range acoustic device”. It emits unpleasant high-pitched wails that are intended to disperse crowds. In 2005 a cruise ship even reported its use to repel pirates off the coast of Somalia. But the effectiveness of the device is subject to much dispute.

Is that all what it takes!.

Links for 20-02-2008

2008-02-20T07:05:00.000+03:00

White African: Standardizing Your Profile Across Social Websites
"Their concept is simple, create a standardized way for people to own their own profiles, so they're not tied into (and recreated) on every social website (like Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Twitter, MySpace, etc…)."

Fidel announces retirement

2008-02-19T11:25:00.000+03:00

Fidel Castro announced his retirement in a letter to newspaper. His brother Raul, who was already running the day-to-day affairs of the country, is his likely successor.

Kosovo declares independence

2008-02-18T01:28:00.000+03:00

Kosovo has declared independence from Serbia. The long wait is over. It's a great moment, how often do you see a new country born, and what if it's a predominantly Muslim country in the heart of Europe?

EU and US recognition is expected to come tomorrow, together with many Muslim countries. Russia and Serbia have made it clear that, though unable to stop Kosovo from becoming independent, they'll make it painful for the kosovars.

Jailed for a fake Facebook profile

2008-02-17T10:18:00.000+03:00

Fouad Mourtada was arrested in Casablanca for "villainous practices", for creating a facebook profile for Prince Moulay Rachid, the younger brother of the Moroccan King. Needless to say, this is the first such case anywhere. It must be devastating for something as simple and innocent as creating a fake Facebook profile. His family, interviewed on BBC Arabic, say that Fouad created the profile to impress the opposite sex, and has not sent or received any messages on the account.

Fouad is currently awaiting trial, and he could be facing anywhere between eight months or five years in jail: for a fake facebook profile!

The Moroccan government exercises heavy censorship on the media, specially when it comes to news about the royal family, but they've generally adopted a handsoff approach to bloggers and social networks; this latest incident signals a change.

Links for 14-02-2008

2008-02-16T07:05:00.002+03:00

Yahoo - CIA Monitors YouTube For Intelligence
Think twice before posting your videos to Youtube!

BBC: Putin repeats threat on missiles

"We will then probably be forced to retarget some of our missile systems at these systems, which threaten us," said Putin.

Links for 15-2-2008

2008-02-15T07:03:00.000+03:00

BBC: Kenyans to review disputed poll

Kenya's rival political parties have agreed to set up an independent panel to review last year's disputed elections, Kofi Annan has said.

Reuters: Somalia is worst humanitarian crisis, UN official

Somalia is the world's most urgent humanitarian crisis - worse even than Darfur

Reuters: Peak hunger season in Somali Region
The Ethiopian government isn't only killing Somalis in Somalia but is starving them in Ogaden region as well.

Chad Update: Gov. wins the battle for N'Djamena

2008-02-10T09:22:00.001+03:00

The government is in full control of the capital N'Djamena, after the army successfully thwarted rebel attacks. The president who remained in the presidential palace, and refused French offers to escape the country, spoke to the reporters, and as expected, lay blame wholly on Sudan. The two countries have been exchanging accusations of the supporting each others' rebels.

Haru Mutasa, Aljazeera English reporter, was one of the few journalists to stay in the N'Djamena throughout the rebel onslaught. Here's her latest report.

Chad update - Day 4 & 5

2008-02-06T16:17:00.001+03:00

The government is in control of the capital N'Djamena for the moment. The rebels are saying they'll return. But the most development has been in the French position: it seems they've made their minds up in supporting president Idris Deby, though few days ago they seemed to be waiting to see who will win. The UN resolution calling on members of the Security Council to lend support to the Chadian president raised the prospect of French intervention. The French defense minister said that their helicopters have been monitoring the Chadian-Sudanese border to expose any foreign intervention.

Thousands of Chadians have crossed over to Cameron, and hundreds of civilians are reported dead or injured. You can watch the latest here.

Interview with Barak Obama's grandmother

2008-02-05T18:48:00.001+03:00

Aljazeera Arabic interviewed Barak Obama's grandmother. Check out the interview below (in Arabic):

Luxury Mud Hut is the new Green

2008-02-05T18:13:00.000+03:00

It’s no news that a large percentage of rural Africa has used mud as the foundation material in housing for centuries and whilst this is often associated with humble and simple housing structures, Englishman Simric Yarrow is currently building his own version in suburban Muizenberg in Cape Town, South Africa - a 1 million Rand (just under $135,000 USD) budget cot, claimed to be the first in the country.

With up to 4 bedrooms, 2 lounges, 2 shower rooms and a garage amongst other things, this is by no means the traditional African home made out of mud but it’s promised to be run by solar power and use recycled water etc. This otherwise inexpensive and environmentally friendly mode of house building is not used to solve South Africa’s housing crisis due to the negative and misinformed view of these homes, as ‘mud huts’, being viewed as old fashioned and backwards.

Yarrow, who works for an NGO in South Africa says: “What we've tried to do with this house is show something people can aspire to – seeing mud as chic. I didn't understand why people were continuing to build houses with bricks and cement when the resources are here and the climate is right to build it this way, which is much cheaper and more environmentally friendly.”

Chad Update - Day 3: fighting resumes in N'Djamena

2008-02-04T18:31:00.000+03:00

Fighting resumed in the capital N'Djamena for the third day. Earlier the government claimed to have pushed the rebels back (rebels say they've retreated from the capital to allow the civilians to leave). Aid workers say bodies litter the streets.

Chad Update - Day 2: rebels pull back from the capital city

2008-02-04T08:22:00.000+03:00

Rebels pulled back from the city saying that they want to give foreigners time to leave the city before waging another assault but the government claims they've pushed back the rebels.

Chad Update 04:00pm (N'Djamena time)

2008-02-03T18:18:00.000+03:00

Eyewitness reports that the rebels have been pushed back, the sound of gunfire has been moving away from the presidential palace, and the meridian hotel where many expats and Chadians are sheltering. There were also reports of French helicopters flying over the presidential palace, together with Chadian helicopters. The president earlier refused a French offer to take him out of the capital.

Update: BBC is reporting that French troops have take some of their combat planes out of the country, which explains the French helicopters seen flying over N'Djamena.

Chad Update 11:30 (N'Djamena time)

2008-02-03T13:31:00.000+03:00

There are reports the French have offered the president to take him out of the country but he refused. He remains in the presidential palace. There is now fresh fighting in the capital despite a Libyan brokered ceasefire. There are also reports that governments are retreating, that's yet to be confirmed.

Chad: rebels storm the capital

2008-02-03T11:11:00.001+03:00

The latest news from Chad confirms the rebels are in control of most of the capital and are surrounding the presidential palace. President, Idris Deby, is reported to be inside the palace, the rebels said earlier they will allow him to fly out of the country. Gunfire can be heard around the city, and so far there are no reports of civilian causalities.

There are about 1200 French troops in the city as well, so far not engaged in the fighting, they are protecting expats in different parts of the city including the Meridian hotel. Government officials, however, dispute these accounts and insist that their troops are in control. The airport, TV and radio have all been closed.

The rebels took off just five days ago from the East of the country, near the Sudanese borders. Chad and Sudan have been exchanging accusations that each is supporting the others' rebels. Chad supported and armed rebels in Darfur and so did Sudan with Chadian rebels. In 2006, the rebels reached the outskirts of the capital N'Djamena but they were pushed back with the help of the French troops. There is no doubt that Sudan will be delighted with a change of leadership in Chad.

It also seems that the EU, and particularly France, sees president Idris Deby as a liability; he has presided over fraudulent elections and changed the constitution so he can have a third term. His ongoing rivalry with the Sudanese government is also making the deployment of UN troops in Eastern Chad and Darfur much more difficult.

The African Union, already overloaded with the crisis in Kenya, Darfur and Somalia, has said that Chad will be suspended from the organization if president Deby is deposed and "until normalcy and democratic rule is restored in that country".

Aljazeera's Haru Mutasa is one of the few reporters in N'Djamena. Check out her latest report and Aljazeera exclusive pictures below:

A good question

2008-02-03T10:47:00.000+03:00

On Behind the News program, in Aljazeera Arabic, a representative of Chadian rebels, who are now in control of most of the capital, was asked about French reaction to their advance. He said that France realizes that the Chadian society desires change and no longer wants president Deby ...., at which point the presenter interrupted to ask him: "Since when did France care about what societies want".

An excellent question.

Al-Qaradawi debate, again

2008-02-01T19:47:00.000+03:00

Some in the British parliament are calling for Sheikh Qaradawi to be banned from coming to England for medical treatement, on the basis that he's inciting hatred against Jews and homosexuals. Of course, the fact that he's a Muslim is the real reason:

Should he be banned from coming here for inciting hatred? There are two elements to this too. What's the objective evidence? And is it applied consistently or only to Muslim preachers?

The law seems pretty unambiguous on the first issue. A few years ago the Board of Deputies of British Jews compiled and presented a dossier to the Met police, who handed it to the CPS. Within two days they concluded the evidence was insufficient to charge him. Say what you want about the police and CPS, but you can hardly accuse them of appeasing British Muslims given Forest Gate, 28/42/90 days and Jean Charles De Menzes. Legally then, al-Qaradawi is not inciting hatred. And that's the measure we value, otherwise we'd be locking up the BNP for general nastiness too, right?

My issue is applying these standards consistently. The same baying mob that was saying "So fucking what?" when British Muslims said they were offended by the Danish cartoons are now falling over themselves to declare they're being offended by this preacher and therefore he shouldn't be allowed in. It's that stinking smell of hypocrisy again.

Violence in Kenya continues

2008-01-28T09:03:00.001+03:00

Latest on the situation on the ground, from Aljazeera English. I'll try to write a little more on this in the coming few days.

Congolese casualties add up to the population of Denmark

2008-01-23T18:33:00.000+03:00

Surveys conducted by a major humanitarian agency show that the death toll in war torn Congo far outweighs that of Darfur, Rwanda, Kosovo and Bosnia. Although the war in Congo, also known as Africa’s World War, officially ended 5 years ago, new reports conclude that: “The Congo conflict and its aftermath, in terms of fatalities, surpass any other nation since World War II”.

"Congo's loss is equivalent to the entire population of Denmark or the state of Colorado perishing within a decade," George Rupp, President of the International Rescue Committee, said in a statement. Most of the casualties, caused by preventable and treatable diseases, are claiming up to 45,000 lives each month, which estimates that around 1,500 people are dying every day. Hopefully the talks of a peace deal between the government and rebels will finally end the devastating crisis.

The situation in Gaza

2008-01-23T16:55:00.000+03:00

Palestinian women broke through the Egyptian-Palestinian border yesterday, and overnight the border crossing was blown up. The situation in Gaza is dire, and the suffering is so great that the people aren't really afraid of gunfire or the Egyptian security, they just want to eat and feed their children. Many of those who've crossed to the Egyptian Rafah came back after they bought the food supplies they needed. Aljazeera was one of the first channels to cover it, perhaps the first, and certainly had the best coverage and footage. Luckily, these reports are available online, on Aljazeera's Youtube channel.

The graveyard of miracles!

2008-01-21T11:51:00.000+03:00

So much for winning the hearts and minds. Afghans are flocking to the graves (mass graves, actually) of the Arabs who died in American attacks in 2001. The thousands, who come from as far as Pakistan, believe that drinking from the salty water nearby will cure diseases. Here's a translation, by my good friend Hashmat, of the original story from the BBC's Persian services:

Thousands of Muslim Arabs moved into Afghanistan after Taliban consolidate their gains on the major city in the south of Afghanistan. Qandahar city was one of the most desired cities for the Arab families. However, After the events of 9/11 ,an the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan, many of these Arab families lost their lives in the American carpet bombings. On the road to Qandahar, and on the road to Spinbuldak, are Arab villages which have been raised to the ground by the American Carpet Bombings. Many of these Arab families have been killed and are now buried in Kandahar’s main cemetery. Over the past few years these graves have become a place of visiting for thousands of locals who believe that these people are saints. The American-backed government of Afghanistan has tried to stop the people from visiting these graves, but the news of the graves have spread throughout the south, and even as far as Pakistan. Men and women flock to these graves for special prayers.

Bush's Middle East tour

2008-01-17T17:17:00.000+03:00

The most powerful in the world, the American president, is touring the Middle East, and the international media is reporting, analysing and repeating every aspect of his trip.

To cynics like myself, Bush might appear somewhat "contradictory": he discusses peace with the Palestinians and Israelis but threatens Iran, he's preaches democracy but is praises Arab autocratic regimes (and calls them moderates), he talks about freedom but calls the occupation of Iraq "liberation", he says the US deeply cares for Lebanon but he supported Israel when they mercelessly bombed Lebanon, he offers aid to some countries but starves the Palestinians in Gaza, he denies Iran the right to have nuclear technology but encourages the Arabs to have it, and he says he wants peace in the Middle East but sells weapons to the Arabs (moderates, I mean). Paradoxical?

Clearly Bush had a good time, based on what we see on TV. In the Gulf ,he was shown handling falcons, dancing with sword, and threatening Iran (must be his favorite pastime). Iran, however, wouldn't be too worried. In a recent interview with Aljazeera, former Iranian defense minister Ali Shamkhani smiled mockingly when he was asked about US threats to attack Iran, he simply replied with an Iraqi proverb, "He who is drowns in the river (can't swim), would he venture into the sea". President Bush is in his last few months as a president, he knows Iran can make or brake his 'surge' strategy in Iraq, that won't be good for the republicans running for presidency. Besides, the CIA's recent report on Iran didn't do him much favor, and Russia and China won't accept an attack on Iran, they've interests there. There's nothing he can do to Iran except to use 'strong words'.

Bhutto's posthumous fame

2008-01-15T21:36:00.000+03:00

"People from all over the world are demanding fabrics with printed photos of Benazir, autographs, books and articles containing her famous quotes and signatures"

According to reports, Benazir Bhutto's assassination has dramatically increased her popularity as items of her, such as postage stamps and photographs, are in high demand worldwide. She has also been chosen for Ireland's 2007 Tipperary Peace Prize which will take place in April 2008. Former winners include Nelson Mandela and assassinated Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Extremism in Britain

2008-01-13T20:24:00.000+03:00

“It is now less possible for Christianity to be the public faith in Britain.”

Those are the words of the Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali from his article in the British Telegraph. It is evident by its title that his argument is based around the notion that Islamic extremism is growing because Christianity is decreasing. The article avoids discussing why there is a growing increase of British people who consider themselves to have no religious affiliation at all. Instead, he is criticising the authorities’ public recognition of Britain as a ‘multi faith country’ by claiming that “the British [are] losing confidence in the Christian vision which underlay most of the achievements and values of the culture and, on the other, they [seek] to accommodate the newer arrivals on the basis of a novel philosophy of multiculturalism.”

The use of ‘newer arrivals’ suggests that this issue is about immigration as much as religion, if not more. Whilst he states that more people and newer developments (of Islam) are creating a “no-go” area, he is also paradoxically praising the influx of Christian immigrants – “If it had not been for the black majority churches and the recent arrival of people from central and eastern Europe, the Christian cause in many of our cities would have looked a lost one.” It seems that the current issue of immigration in Britain is swept under the rug as long as the ‘right’ kind of foreigners arrive. The Bishop, the only Asian one in his Church, is an immigrant who came to England from Pakistan.

I agree that a segregated country will not be a prevailing country and that there are greater issues of isolated communities that need to be dealt with but the otherwise interesting article is tainted by his conclusion that tackling these problems “has to do with the Bible's teaching that we have equal dignity and freedom because we are all made in God's image. It has to do with a prophetic passion for justice and compassion and it has to do with the teaching and example of Jesus Christ regarding humility, service and sacrifice.” By limiting qualities such as dignity and compassion to just the Bible, it excludes the larger population of agnostic Britons who don’t equate 'freedom' and equality with the influence of any religion. Therefore, isn’t he essentially fighting one kind of extremism with another?