Oblivious Bernie

Bernie Ecclestone yesterday finally put rumors to rest and declared that the F1 race would definitely take place in Bahrain this year. He also claimed in his statement that everything is peaceful and quiet in Bahrain and that everybody is happy with the outcome of this decision. There had been much debate and deliberation prior to his announcement over whether or not the F1 race would be pulled from Bahrain due to the government’s ongoing heavy-handed repression and discrimination of its pro-democracy protesters. The reasons to why the people are protesting are varied and have been covered in this previous post so I wont recite the points again. But bear in mind since my post there have been have been a plethora of abuses of human rights and injustices that have occurred.

In hearing the news of the commencement of the F1 race as scheduled Amnesty responded criticizing the decision stating that:

“as the country prepares to host the Grand Prix, daily anti-government protests continue to be violently suppressed by the riot police that uses tear gas recklessly with fatal results.”

Not only that but on the same day as the announcement was made a young 14 year old boy was shot in the chest by government forces during a protest.

So peaceful and quiet Bernie says. If this is quiet and peaceful I’d like to see his idea of violent. Armagaddon is probably a walk in the park for this Hard-as-nails character. This race should not be held in a country which continues to ignore and repress the cries of its people.

But there are those who argue that the other side of the argument should be given some recognition. This side claims the F1 race will bring in revenue through tourism and jobs. To this I say yes it would, but right now ‘revenue’ is not what the country needs. Instead ‘Justice’ is what it should be seeking as the seeds of discontent and division continue to be sown. And anyway, whatever way you look at it, Bahrain is NOT exactly struggling economically. Fact: It’s not a picture of poverty and depravity. If it has survived countless years without the F1 race, I am sure it will manage to survive this year and the many more years to come without it. After all, this F1 race isn’t exactly going to be a constant yearly fixture on the Bahrani calendar.

Instead the Race should be cancelled. A message should be sent, however small, that no government who serves its needs over its peoples will be rewarded, be it with something as superficial as an international F1 race.

Injustice should not be Ignored, let alone rewarded.

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Revolution Lives On

At least five people have been killed in a violent assault by the Egyptian army and police to evict protesters from Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Hundreds of soldiers and police, backed by armored personnel carriers, used teargas, rubber bullets and batons to evict several thousand protesters from the square that was at the heart of the popular uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak a mere nine months ago.

The mass protests were held to protest against the current ruling military Junta (Supreme Council of the Armed Forces) who are seen by many Egyptians to be preserving the institutional rule of the past and therefore threatening Egypt’s future. 

Now, the fact that Egyptians are still protesting isn’t something that should be simply decried. On the contrary, it should be something that’s in some way applauded. Why? Because in the run up to Mubarak’s toppling all the nay sayers could be heard saying something along these lines: ‘Even if Mubarak goes…nothing will change…someone will come in to replace him’. It would simply be a case of a different leader but the same type of leadership.

What has the recent protests in Tahrir shown? That the people who fought for this, bled for this, sacrificed for this WON’T let their efforts go to waste..won’t let their efforts get hijacked by a few enriched elite…won’t let the status quo rule again..won’t let their country slide backwards instead of move forwards…won’t let their children grow up in a world that was no different to theirs.

It’s dam well not perfect and its not easy, but no one who has studied revolutions or history would dare tell you any different.. but it’s all you have…. and by far..it is better then what you had.

In a revolution, as in a novel, the most difficult part to invent is the end ~ Alexis de Tocqueville

Nothing in life worth having comes easy

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Ripple Effect

In a surprising turn of events, Kuwait has seen itself embroiled in the midst of growing political crisis after dozens of anti-government protesters managed to storm their way into Kuwait’s parliament during a debate over efforts to question the prime minister about corruption allegations.The demonstrators managed to briefly chant before they were forced out as hundreds of others protested outside on Wednesday evening.

Opposition parliament members have sought to question Prime Minister Sheik Nasser Al Mohammad Al Sabah over claims that government officials illegally transferred money to accounts outside the Gulf country. But these attempts have been thwarted by pro-government lawmakers who have managed to vote down a request for the questioning. Undeterred, opposition groups have filed another motion to force another debate later this month. Looks like the effects of the Arab spring continue to dominate a far-reaching ripple effect throughout the region. It seems that it doesn’t matter who you are and where you are as a leader, your people will hold you to account sooner rather than later. The age old technique of ruling through fear or suppression is being eroded. A new awareness of what citizens are capable of has swept the region and its pace is nowhere near slowing. Its a welcome breath of fresh air to see people demand their overdue rights and hold those who rule to account through their actions and not just their hushed voices

People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people

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Begging It

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In a recent interview Yemen’s embattled President Ali Abdullah Salah vowed he will leave office ‘within 90 days’ of an agreement with the regional Gulf Cooperation Council. Yemen, like many countries in the region, has been swept up in the Arab spring and has for months been the scene of protests and violent crackdowns as the protesters demand the removal of Saleh after 33 years of holding office. During his interview President Saleh of Yemen said: “I will not hang onto power. Whoever hangs onto power, I think, is crazy”

Well this is awkward. I don’t know exactly how Saleh’s Baro-meter works when it comes to how long is to long for someone to hold office for….but 33? Come on, surely once you get into the double digits you must be thinking to yourself ‘maybe just maybe I’m pushing my luck’. When you have been in power long enough to see the fade of boys jeans trend start from waist high to barely-ankle high then you know you have overstayed your welcome. And is it just me or does Saleh seem to have the wrong definition of what counts as ‘hanging on’? Because as I recall this guy had massive unprecedented protests erupt on his streets on a weekly, if not daily, basis for months, then got attacked in his compound by a bomb, then because of said attack had to jet off to Saudi to have burn surgery, then had his country erupt into joyous protest when he left… BUT yet this guy still decided to return EVEN though no one was really missing him/asking about him/In the least bit interested in his existence. This is not forgetting the fact that Saleh has appeared on countless occasions to be on the verge of agreeing to hand over power only to change his mind last minute.

Hanging on to power? No no, Clinging-tightly-to-powers-legs-as-your-dragged-through-the-Mud-&-dirt….Yes.

Dignity Saleh… Get some.

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The Syrian ‘Contestation’

I know I haven’t written a new blog post in a while but I have unfortunately succumb to the laziness of the summer holidays. Plus I have been doing a bit of traveling and this has unfortunately messed up my writing schedule…yes I just used the word schedule to describe my erratic posting, I thought I’d bring a bit of sophistication to this post.

But it was actually through one of my travels that I was inspired to write this next blog post. I recently got back from a Viva Palestina conference which was held in Lebanon. It had a wide range of speakers who lectured at this event, from people like Salma Yaqoob, Ghada Karami and Karma Nabulsi to more controversial speakers like George Galloway. It was actually the last speaker who actually spurred me to write this post over his unabashedly biased and unfair views on the Syrian situation. So this post will basically flesh out some of the points I heard and have heard about before, regarding Syria.

Syria is Unique

Now this argument basically states that we cannot compare Syria to the revolutionary upheaval that is going on in other countries in the Middles East as Syria is ‘unique’ and is dealing with a ‘special’ set of circumstances.

Well to this I say, yes Syria is unique…so what? So is every other country on this earth and every human being for that matter. No one is stating that Syria is a de facto carbon copy of Egypt, Tunisia etc., all we are saying is that its PEOPLE share the same grief. What I don’t think is unique to Syria is the desire by its people to simply be free of tyranny, oppression, torture and censorship.   The power structures do differ in each of the different countries in the Middle East but that doesn’t mean we can’t judge each regime as harshly or as equally when it comes to the crimes it commits against its people. This excuse of Syria being a ‘unique’ case baffles me. It baffles me because it not only was the same tried and tested excuse used by dictators like Gaddafi, Mubarak, Saleh etc. but it is an excuse which is as vacuous and hallow as its orators morals.

Bashar looking for peace and reform-

Correct me if I am wrong, but last time I checked Bashar wasn’t traipsing round Syria blowing bubbles, handing out daises and making peace signs.

Fear of sectarianism-

This point has been highly debated, so I won’t go into too much depth. But what I say is whose fault is it if it does turn into sectarian warfare? Syria, like Bahrain, suffers from a minority complex, a twist let’s say on the Napoleon complex. By simply keeping the status quo the threat of ‘sectarian’ warfare is only exacerbated as it simmers under the flames of injustice. You are not going to resolve these so called fears of sectarian warfare by sticking to the status quo and wishing the so-called divisions away.

Plus remind me again who is the one currently loudly spouting these fears of ‘sectarian warfare’? Yes you guessed it, none other than the state itself. Suddenly the people murdering their own civilians in cold blood have acquired a sense of worry and attentive care over the possibility that its people might supposedly kill each other without its help.

I have yet to hear protesters in the street abroad or in Syria scream and rant about sectarian warfare. Last time I checked the chants weren’t sectarian in nature but specifically Bashars-&-the-rest-of-his-regime-should-f-off in nature.

And to say this is purely sectarian would be a grand disservice and affront to the many Alawites who have also stood against the Syrian’s regimes actions. This belief in the sectarian card seeks only to benefit the regime in power.

Need Syria to stabilize region-

When has the region ever been stable? Countless wars and conflicts have time and time again torn the region apart. And these wars and conflicts usually have the fingerprints of foreign powers all over them. But this revolution sweeping the Middle East is the first time initiation and actions have been spurred by the domestic populace and not some elitist twats in offices in Washington or London etc. It is only through the direct rule of the people that the region will finally find some sort of stability or peace. No longer will we have to put up with the west’s feigned cries of concern about bringing democracy to the shores of the Middle East…through bullets & bombs. This democratic spirit will instead be carried and resolved by the voices and chants of the people.

Pro-Palestine & Anti –Israel:

Now this excuse was a big favorite with a few *cough George Galloway cough* pro-Palestinian activists. This excuse basically states that Syria is basically one of the few countries in the region which is unabashedly pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli in its foreign policy. This is in stark contrast to lets say countries like Egypt under Mubarak’s rule which had stood by and done nothing to help ease the Palestinians plight.

So let’s tackle this point head on. Because Syria is ‘Pro-Palestine’ and ‘Anti-Israel’ (which by the way I don’t actually believe is truly the case) it means that it should be cut a little slack. What a Joke. How about if we used this type of logic and implemented it into another scenario. Just because a murder is a registered annual donator to Oxfam, Amnesty, The Red Cross etc. does not mean he should be judged any differently than a murder who is not as tickled pink when it comes to his charitable donations. That would be complete lunacy. I don’t care about Bashar’s foreign policy what I care about is his current disgraceful domestic policy. So even If he were to single handedly head into Gaza ready to do battle with Israel guns blazing like some Rambo stunt double, not a dam thing would change in my opinion. His people are still dying and being shot at in the streets. Fact. I don’t care if he cares & nurtures ill puppies to full health in his spare time and helps old ladies cross busy motorways as a hobby. This all doesn’t change the fact that as I type people are being shot at and bombed for the sake of securing his backside on the throne for a longer period of time.

And another thing, so he is pro-Palestine, tell me what has changed in the years he, or his dad in that case, have been in power? Correct me if I’m wrong but Palestine is still occupied and Gaza is still blockaded. Fat help his pro-Palestine stance has been to resolving the issue.

Also, there is a cloud of contestation surrounding the actual relationship between Israel and Syria. Israel in fact is not exactly popping champagne bottles and toasting to the idea of the Syrian regime maybe falling. Because as people rightfully say, better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.

So Bashar’s regimes political standing on the issue of Palestine doesn’t at all justify or excuse the brutal crackdown on protesters we see occurring. It’s still a tyrannical dictatorship regardless of whether or not it’s in bed or in a ring with Israel.

The blood of Syrians shouldn’t be used to wash away the blood of Palestinians, freedom should be a right afforded to all and not just the select few.

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Till Next time,

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The Real Hero’s

Have you ever asked yourself what would happen if you lived elsewhere or were born into a different life or fate? Would you be the same person you are now or would your current self be a hollow shell of your potential self. The fact you were born and live in a western developed country already means you have won the lottery of life by being in the top bracket of richest people in the world. This is because the west holds 45% of the worlds wealth even though they only compromise 13% of the worlds population. And that’s simply a fact from birth.

We all fall privy to taking the things we have for granted by complaining about things which would probably not even register on the radar of concerns of the majority of the world’s population. We all have needs and desires, but I’m guessing if we hadn’t won the geographical lottery our needs and desires would probably be markedly different. I’m not saying its evil or bad that we have been so lucky in life and that we can at times take things for granted. After all we are only human and as humans we are flawed and are in a way programmed to survive, live and adapt to the direct environment surrounding us. I’m just saying this becomes a problem when we choose to not look beyond our self-engrossed lives and fail to take heed of the lives and concerns of others. It’s when we become immune to the world around us that we begin to falter and loose balance and perspective. Some may call it ignorance; I like to call it pure laziness.

The current events in the Middle East I feel have really highlighted this for many people I know. People who were apolitical or not bothered suddenly have found their eyes opened to this new awareness of reality. Its mainly because many of my friends are Arabs like me and happen to have or know of people in the region. So seeing this turmoil and unrest occurring close to home has affected them. But the problem I sometimes find I ask myself, is what would happen if we were in the heart of that revolution? Would I act differently? Would I be that person who doesn’t speak up out of fear? Would I be complacent? Would I be as brave as those we hear about daily on the news?

The reason I wanted to speak about this was because of two main events I heard about that both distressed me.

The first one relates to the 13 year old child named Hamza Al-Khateeb who was beaten up arrested and grotesquely mutilated by security forces in Syria for joining a protest. The link below I think does his story justice in recounting what actually happened:

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/05/201153185927813389.html

He was only 13. Imagine that, at 13 I was busy worrying about which toy I wanted my parents to buy me or where I wanted to go out to with my friends. But here is this 13 year old protesting and enduring things that not even a fully grown man could endure. The torture he suffered is that straight out of the worst horror movies. But yet he had to suffer through it all and loose his life simply because he chose to join a protest. Protesting? Something many of us would go out of our way to avoid doing. And I will be the first to hold my hands up and say I don’t go to as many as I should and that’s something I will personally work on changing.

And the second event that brought this closer to home was finding out some news from a good friend of mine about her 17 year old cousin who has been arrested, detained and beaten by police for simply wanting to start up a protest with friends in Saudi Arabia. The details below of what happened were sent to me by her and I have paraphrased it as best as possible:

He wanted to start a protest in Qatif with around 6 other boys about the current situation in Saudi with the arbitrary arrests and the abhor able role of Saudi forces in Bahrain. So they all decided to go to Qatif and just as the boys started to gather, they arrested him. His aunt wanted to see him so she went to the prison place and asked the people there where he is. Of course they sent her from center to center from Qatif to Demmam until 3 in the morning trying to find where they had detained him. When they found him he had obviously been beaten. He has exams next week and the family doesn’t know when or if they will let him out. His dad offered to pay money but they said no. His name is Mousa Jaffer Alsadah and his date of birth is 13 august 1993.

So for those who ask me what is the point of all these revolutions and protests I say it’s for people like Hamza, Mousa and the many other brave souls like them. People whose unashamedly brave & bright light should not be dulled & crushed by a repressive dictatorial self-interested-and-engrossed regime. People whose actions put the majority of supposed ‘real’ men & leaders to shame. They do this all so that subsequent future generations can live without fear of this ever occurring to them. So that they never have to deal with such inhumane depravity. They sacrifice their today for the bright future of others tomorrow. Not many of us would be able to do or endure what they did. And I’m not asking any of you to do that, all I’m asking is that you make sure their actions aren’t all in vain. So do your bit and please spread the word anyway you can by sharing this article if you haven’t already. This is especially a pressing matter of concern regarding my friend’s cousin Mousa Jaffer Alsadeh who is still being unfairly detained as I post this.

Till next Time,

Rest In Peace Little Angel, Hamza Al-Khateeb

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How do you solve a problem like Saudi?

Saudi..Saudi.. Saudi….aghh…What a little old conundrum you are. Where do you even begin when there are so many contradictions to pick from.

I personally think many of the problems in the Middle East can be directly linked to that oil-rich monarchical piece of land. It’s as much to do with the monarchy as it has to do with the oil. Because of its geopolitical situation and because it pumps out 55% of the world’s oil the west is keen to keep it sweet and stable. It also doesn’t mind acting like the west’s lackey every now and then as long as it gets to do as it pleases in its nation without scrutiny, criticism or comment. So think of its relationship with the west as a symbiotic corrupt rave.

But let’s bring these back to recent events which highlight how Saudi Arabia likes to react to the revolutionary atmosphere that has swept the Middle East.

Well, when it occurred in Egypt King Abdullah was non-to-pleased. He threw his own version of a hissy fit over the phone with Obama saying that if he pulls his military aid budget from Egypt he would personally make sure that Saudi picked up the tab and cost. Not only that, but boi was not happy about the tone Obama used towards Mubarak, he wasn’t being ‘supportive’ enough.

Alright just to jog people’s memories a bit, let’s remind ourselves of some of the *best loved * phrases that were used during that time period:

‘Orderly Transition’ ‘Restraint on both sides’..

Yea that’s about it….I know…FREAKIN HARDBALL BIGMAN words being thrown about the place….if words could cut…these bad bois would have sliced and diced you in no time.

But on a serious note anything other than America having literally espoused these words while sat lovingly on the lap of Hosni Mubarak couldn’t have made their reaction to the events any tamer. They only started talking in more blunt and harsh terms when Mubarak was literally packed suitcase in hand and out the freaking door. But yet King Abdullah apparently couldn’t stomach this…wait till he gets ahold of what people say about him behind his back/across-the-atlantic-since-they-fear-and-value-their-lives-and-don’t-actually-like-the-idea-of-being-jailed-and-maybe-killed…boi is gonna be FUUUUUU-ming

Now if that wasn’t enough, it was also revealed later on that King Abdullah personally spoke to Mubarak during the protests and URGED him to crack down harder on his protests….yes…apparently thugs with sticks, stones, Knives, guns, bombs and PIMP-MY-RIDE camels and donkeys to boot just don’t cut it with him…its  Go big or go home with King Abdi *yea he is getting a nickname*…all out bloodshed or nothing..

And we can clearly see what King Abdi would have liked to see unfold in Egypt with the events occurring currently in Bahrain. What’s worse is that the Bahraini security forces where already clearly cracking down hard on the protesters before the Saudi troops were sent in…as there where many deaths and injuries reported and recorded on video footage. But apparently that wasn’t enough. Big Daddy had to get involved and show ‘em how it’s really done. And so Big Pappi has sent in the ground troops to ‘bolster’ the forces and bring a quick and ‘decisive’ end to the protests going on in Bahrain… I think the most striking thing is that this is the first time I have seen the Saudi troop being used properly in any type of battle scenario…. and it’s against other Arabs and Muslims… doesn’t sound really Islamic from the get-go but go figure… Hypocrisy wouldn’t be their middle name if they didn’t act hypocriticaly .

Now I won’t go into detail into why King Abdullah feels the need to get involved, as I don’t think his rabid thought process deserves the time of day or justification, but to summarize it for those who aren’t aware, it basically revolves around his inherent fear and paranoia about the Shia unrest in Bahrain spilling into his back garden and spurring the Shia in the Eastern province of Saudi to rise up against him. So therefore quell the protest in Bahrain bloodily in his eyes, and you’ll fix the problem….yea…like I said…really doesn’t deserve the time of day. Especially considering that all the recent protests in the Middle East have highlighted that the more people die and the more bloody the conflict, the more ardent the protesters get to achieve their goals and the more courageous and far-reaching their- demand’s get. But common sense doesn’t seem to be an important thought process in his eyes.. he likes to take a more Gaddafi-esque approach.. he’s all for the latest trends and apparently this is all the rage.

Which then moves me onto the small protests in Saudi. The reasons why the protests haven’t really gotten off have been due to heavy police presence on the roads and citizens being warned explicitly that if they protest they will simply be jailed. This has already occurred with the few brave protesters who have managed to hit the streets. The King has also done what he does best and made it rain dollar dollar bills to try and appease some of the population and keep them content and complacent.  Not only that but to show how seriously the monarchy fears the whole unraveling of a protest type movement they have even wheeled out the tried and tested ‘religion’ card…oh yes…they have ‘consulted’ *aka basically told them they better back them up one way or another, proof or no proof, or they can say hello to spending the rest of their lives in the god dam clinker* with the ‘scholars’ and have issued a fatwa *religious ruling* banning protests…. Yes…how ‘convenient’.

It just astounds me how BLATENLTY the monarchy can flaunt the fact it can use and twist religion to suit its own selfish ends and to secure its seat of power….this IS a case of a country turning into a ruler-ship cult where everything that matters revolves around the monarchy.

Out of all countries I think Saudi is the one that grinds my gears the most, not only are the ruling family a bunch of self-proclaimed hypocrites, but they wrongly claim to embody an ‘islamic’ kingdom…so not only tarnishing the lives of its people, but also tainting the name of the religion in the eyes of people around the world.

Unfortunately this blog post is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Saudi but to save this from turning into a book this is the most I could really put in. But for all those wanting to read roughly more about the protests in Bahrain consult *how formal am I.. I’d fit right in with the Queen* my previous blog post on Bahrain. It sketches out things briefly.

Till Next Time,

 

Ripple Effect: Bahrain

I meant to post this a while back but then the events in Libya started to unfold so never really got the chance to finish this up. So sorry about lateness.

So this post is going to deal with the current turmoil we see occurring in Bahrain. Hopefully to those who don’t know much about what’s exactly going on this might help to shed some light on the situation as I know the situation is one that is albeit a bit more complicated.

The revolutionary mood that has struck Bahrain has caught many people off guard for the simple reason that it was always seen economically speaking as better off than its Middle Eastern partners. The situation in Bahrain is tinged with a slightly different problem then we have seen voiced previously within Egypt and Tunisia, though the concerns and demands of the people remain just as legitimate.

The dilemma in Bahrain has an element of discrimination in it which wasn’t generally present in the previous countries. Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni monarchical family which has been in power since the inception of Bahrain. It, like every other Middle Eastern country, claims a monopoly on power and the exercise of power. The country is ruled by the Al-Khalifa family who are of course the unelected heads of Bahrain. The ‘problem’ with Bahrain is the fact that its majority population is 60-70% Shia and this fact doesn’t sit well with the paranoid ruling class. And unfortunately, this percentage of the population faces discrimination by those in power because of their general numbers. For example, many high level or senior positions are reserved solely for Sunni’s.  It’s also gotten to the point where the people in power constantly grant Bahraini citizenship to Sunni’s around the Middle East to help balance the figures in their favour.

Once again we see the interests of the powerful eclipsing that of the people. Rather than disregard the religious identity of the people in its country it chooses to make an issue out of it, go figure. This is a constant issue I have with many leaders in the Middle East, they take the mantra of ‘divide and rule’ to heart. We have seen this in Egypt where Mubarak went on a rant and rave about how he was the only man standing between Egypt and an Extremist Al-Qaeda led take-over of Egypt. Well, looking at Egypt today, I think we can all rightfully call Bull**** on his rabid claims.

The Bahrani government has of course also followed suit in the same vein though adding its own take on who the ‘enemy’ is. It has claimed that these protesters are simply proxies of Iran and if it wasn’t for their brave stance against the protesters we would have a mini-me Iran on our hands. I find this pathetic excuse which is insulting to everyone’s level of intelligence and intellect.

It’s this simple –minded view that ‘oh they are Shia, and Iran is Shia’ THEREFORE they MUST support each other and be one and the same. There apparently is NO divergence of opinion. Really? Because if that’s true then that means every Sunni I know *me included* should be waving and extolling the virtues of Saudi Arabia just because it’s corrupt, extremist-and-distorted Wahabist outlook has some sort of Sunni strand in it. But the truth is, THAT isn’t the case. I’m no fan or supporter of what’s going on in Saudi regardless of what they claim to be religiously. And the same goes for Iran. Iran itself is facing protests over its rule from within its population a fact Bahrain should take note off.

I’m not a blind human who overlooks injustice simply because of how it’s packaged and presented, and for the Bahrani government to claim the same kind of thing about the protesters legitimate demands is an INSULT and a DISGRACE. Don’t belittle your people’s legitimate concerns just to fit your political agenda. It’s especially disrespectful to the protesters you have gunned down and slain in your efforts to quell the protests.

But having said that i must reinforce that this is not simply a Shia protest, Sunni’s have also laid a stake in this movement and are protesting side by side with the Shia’s demanding their rights to freedom, equality and a demand for real democracy. One of the main claims being spearheaded by the protests is that the ruling family should replicate the monarchy in Britain, by simply being no more than a figurehead of state and taking an apolitical back seat. It’s a claim which ‘shock horror’ has no religious connotations to it. What frustrates me is that this so called divide between Sunni and Shia is constantly perpetrated and reinforced by those in power and therefore magnified to preposterous levels. At the end of the day Sunni or Shia, we are all Muslims.

Let us not fall into the trap laid by our power-hungry and corrupt leaders and show them that regardless of colour, creed, religious outlook and gender, we are all human and deserve to be treated as such with dignity and not as cheap pawns in their petty power-driven-selfish-ego-tistical games.

Till Next Time,

 

Libya: Where is the much needed Uproar & Concern?

I am so proud of what the Egyptians & Tunisians have achieved with their people’s revolutions…but i am ashamed at the people who have so swiftly abandoned the revolutions of the other countries in the middle east. People are still battling & risking their lives to attain those same dam rights that their fellow brothers have already attained…where is the uproar on facebook? the care and support? We are all humans and we all share the same dam earth… so why can’t we also share the same pain and suffering? Mubarak & Ben Ali have nothing on Gaddafi when it comes to the amount of cruelty that has and still is being inflicted on his people.

The nation of Libya is a small and minuscule one compared to that of Egypt and Tunisia…Estimates are:

Egypts population: 71 million!

Tunisia: 10 million!

Libya: 5.7 million

Already unconfirmed reports suggest the death toll has reached 300, with the least estimate being 200! That’s the death toll and the protests haven’t even reached their full swing…it’s has only been going on for a mere few days!

I don’t want to compare the numbers of dead with Egypt and Tunisia, as I think that would be a crass way of looking at things …the value of one life mercilessly lost is already one too many.

Gaddafi is also, unlike in Egypt and Tunisia, less restrained. The pull of the West that was ever present in Egypt and Tunisia is not as strong in Libya. The army’s there where backed & funded by the U.S & so could not directly be seen to slaughter their own citizens for fear it would taint the U.S and lead to their vital funding being pulled. Libya on the other hand is freer to do as it pleases in that sense…they have already started hiring African mercenaries to solely battle the protesters!

Also Libya is under the cloak of darkness. The journalists have been banned unequiovicaly from the start from entering Libya. Even News Channels like Al-jazeera have found it hard at times to access what’s going on directly, instead relying on libyans on the ground for updates. You can find proof of how hard it is to gain access into Libya by simply trying to search for pictures of the protests and what’s going on, most of the photos shown are only of pro-Gaddafi protesters as those are the ones distributed freely in the Libyan media.  This is in stark contrast with for say Egypt, where Cameras and the world-wide media eye & circus was ever present & focused on the situation.

All of these factors coupled together mean that Libya is more susceptible to being swept off the media agenda and maybe even forgotten. So please, the least we can all do, is to raise awareness off the tragic events occuring in Libya.

We are lucky to be born where we are, we take these rights that are awarded to us by the west for granted many times. We have never fortunatly had to fight tooth and nail for the right to speak freely, or protest etc.. Instead we have had people in the past do it for us. So i’m asking for you all to do the bare minimum in helping those people suffering in Libya and in other similar countries i.e. Bahrain, Yemen etc. . Just stay informed, inform others, and keep the people & protesters in both your thoughts and prayers.

And if you are interested in doing more for Libya and it’s people, read this informative note:

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=156771611045493&id=173489990204

Till Next time

 

How to make revolutions more appealing

Before you read any further i do warn you all that this is a light-hearted post so to speak so don’t take it literally and to heart.

Ok, so i thought i would do my bit for charity and post a helpful and useful post. We all know of someone who finds it hard & tricky to get their heads around what’s going on in the Middle East revolution-wise. So how do we rectify this? How do we break it down into a simpler bite-size form?

I think i might just have the answer: use Analogy’s…and in particular…football analogies.

Why football I hear you cry? It’s simply because no other sport can capture the hearts & minds of the majority of the world’s people so intensely. Proof being, every time there is a match on that involves a team of 11 over-paid-&over-valued footballers playing against another team of 11-over-paid-&over-valued footballers my facebook newsfeed blows up. People’s facebook statuses become alight with news and updates on what’s going on…it’s so mind-blowingly gripping that some people even manage in their excitement to mistake their facebook’s for an official football commentary channel….i am so well informed i feel like i am literally part of the team….if not on the pitch then at least on the subs bench

So how about we mould this enthusiasm and interest into a topic like the revolutions in the Middle East. Consider this a template:

Imagine the police/pro-government forces are one team, and the anti-government supporters are another….Disregard if you can the idea of a limit imposed on how many players you can have on a team…we are trying to be all-inclusive. Throw in an imaginary football whenever you are watching scenes of unrest between the two crowds. When they are clashing…the match is on….when they are not…it’s half time….One again…i stress the need also to eliminate the component of ‘time’ when you’re watching this ‘match’…If you can’t seem to do that think of it as ‘overtime’…it’s meant to cover all the wasted time the ‘dictators’ have been in power.

But where does the dictator fit into all these football shenanigans? Well he is the manager of the police/pro-government forces… whilst the manager of the opposing team is Mr common sense & dignity.

When the police/pro-government forces are using dirty underhand tactics against the anti-government supporters i.e. beating them, shooting at them etc. That’s their version of playing foul. So of course this should be met with a stern rebuttal by the referee.

Yes there is a ‘self-imposed’ referee in all this and its the international community…in specific …the leaders of the countries that really matter on the world stage…so yea…Imagine Obama or anyone from the U.S state department in a referee kit whenever they are making a speech…whenever you hear the words ‘restraint’ that’s a straight up yellow card….when the words are on the level of ‘transition’ you know things have gotten serious and big daddy is pulling out that red card.

Oh and before i forget, you must be wondering about the goalposts and how goals are actually scored. Well the overall goal is for either team to get their hands on the ‘throne of power’ trophy….the current holders of this trophy are the team headed by the ‘dictators’.  You can also think of the army as ‘goalkeepers’ for both teams, as they are the ones that really determine whether the goals can actually be scored or prevented.

So overall, this post is a messy business for anyone who has no clue what football is. But for everyone else, rejoice, this revolution can now be shared and watched by all football fans with as match fever and vigour as countless other football matches … albeit it being a match with a few ‘minor’ adjustments.

Till Next time,