Dangerous Hashtags

While the kingdom of Saudi Arabia escaped much of the violence associated with the Arab spring, the monarchy still has to deal with challenges created by protesters. Increased investment in the economy and arrests of dissidents eased the tension temporarily. However protests have occurred regularly since 2011 and the government has struggled to limit the organizational power of the opposition.  In a country where protests are legally forbidden how does the kingdom deal with the challenges of expanding freedoms and controlling the spread of information and opinions?

Israel Strikes Back in Gaza

Overnight aerial attacks by the Israeli Air Force took aim toward two Palestinian militant groups starting late Wednesday and into Thursday morning. The strikes were in retaliation of Hamas and the militant Islamic Jihad group shooting rockets into southern Israel.  Nobody was hurt from the airstrikes and no serious damage was reported.

The strike by Israel is the first since an eight-day campaign that took place back on November 15 in 2012.  The Israeli Air Force stated that the current targets were successfully hit and directed against terrorist groups in located in Northern and Eastern Gaza.

Israeli Forces (http://news.sky.com)

Hamas members were believed to have fired two shells toward Israel.  The reasoning behind their actions was presented by press release and had a familiar tone condemning the continued mistreatment of Hamas prisoners at the hands of their Israeli captors. This was similar to the scene earlier in the year in February following the death of Arafat Jaradat. Remember him the man who died while in custody of the Israeli police?  Jaradat was arrested and interrogated because of an incident of his throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers in what has now become known as a "stone-throwing terror attack". His arrest and death resulted in a stream of protests within the West Bank. More recently, the death of Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh who was also connected with the Hamas has drawn their ire.  According to Israeli sources, he died of cancer while serving a life sentence in custody. The Palestinians blame the Israeli jails for his death explaining that it was a case of medical negligence to a prisoner.  Hamidiyeh was serving a life sentence for attempts to bomb a cafe in 2002 around Jerusalem.

Protests in Gaza (Mondoweiss.net)

This rocket attack from the Hamas was the third one since the ceasefire agreement with Israel.  Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said, "We will not in any way allow a routine of rocket fire steadily dripping on our civilians and soldiers,"(SkyNews).  Israel has not been hesitant to demonstrate a show of force to the Hamas especially after being fired upon. The Palestinian group reports that more than 4,700 of its people are being held in Israeli jails still today. 

Protests are starting to become more violent as protesters have responded to the deaths and attacks from Israel forces, with rocks and firebombs.


Everything had been quiet since the Israeli Operation “Pillar of Defense” previously implemented, that left 170 Palestinians and 6 Israelis dead. The ceasefire that was put into place after the eight-day war seems to be the subject of skeptics and open to much criticism now as both the Hamas and Israeli forces point fingers at each other.

Palestinian Hamas militants hold a symbolic coffin of Maysara Abu Hamdeya (Sky.News)

Cited Sources

• Reed, John. "Israel strikes at sites in Gaza Strip."Financial Times. N.p., 3 Apr 2013. Web. 4 Apr 2013. <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c35981ec-9c12-11e2-a820-00144feabdc0.html
• Deitch, Ian. "Israeli planes strike Gaza in response to rocket fire Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/israeli-planes-strike-gaza-in-response-to-rocket-fire-1.1221213
• "Gaza Strip Comes Under Israeli Air Strikes." Sky News. N.p., 3 Apr 2013. Web. 4 Apr 2013. <http://news.sky.com/story/1073236/gaza-strip-comes-under-israeli-air-strikes>.
• Services, Wire. "Israeli Forces Strike Gaza Targets." World News NBC. N.p., 3 Apr 2013. Web. 4 Apr 2013. <http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/08/14289249-israeli-forces-strike-gaza-targets-after-rocket-salvo?lite>.
• FOX, NEWS. "Israel launches air strike on Gaza ."FoxNews. N.p., 2 Apr 2013. Web. 4 Apr 2013. <http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/04/02/israel-launches-air-strike-on-gaza-after-reported-rocket-attack/>.

VIDEO LINKS
Israeli Airstrikes Hit Gaza

Israeli Airstrike Kills Hamas Military Commander

After 3 Months, Are the French Finished in Mali?

Rumors are flying in Mali that the French are ready to begin the withdrawal of their troops after months of clashes with the Jihadist rebels in northern Mali in an attempt to take back major cities that have fallen to the rebels throughout the civil war. French President François Hollande has announced a tactical plan and schedule for French withdrawal from Mali is in the works. The main goal, claimed by the French, is to train the Malian army and then hand back control of the “peace enforcement” back to the Army. However, many are starting to express concerns over how the Jihadist groups of the north pushed over the borders of Algeria by the French army will begin to return to the Tuareg territory once the Malian army is fully in control of patrolling the borders; The city of Timbuktu, reclaimed early by the French, has been experiencing increased chaos in the past few days as small, radical rebels demonstrate their longevity and determination in the fight through small-scale but deadly attacks on the city. Chad has additionally increased its military presence in Mali to aid the French and Malian armies in the retaking of the north.

A French soldier in Timbuktu, Mali. http://www.guardian.co.uk

The Malian civil war has further drawn the attention of additional international actors in the past few months. The UN is pledging assistance for the Malian government by offering to send UN Peace Keepers to the region. The UN has also condemned the use of violence against the civilian population in the Tuareg north by a fragmented Malian army. The U.S. recently sent U.S. Congressmen into the war-torn nation to make observations and determine where and when the U.S. could input aid to the fight.

http://www.nytimes.com

The international community is putting their full backing towards the Malian army and the former government to re-establish stability over the nation; yet, even if the French and Malian armies are successful at removing the terrorist threat from the country as the West encourages, they have not yet addressed the issue of the underlying ethnic tensions in the nation that led to the initial clashes, failure of communication, and the fall of the country into the hands of a military coup and rebel terrorist groups. The French have placed little attention on the issues stemming between the Malian majority groups and the Tuareg ethnic group. The U.S. is undoubtedly interested in Mali due to the comparisons of Mali’s disruption by the underground terrorist organization, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, to that of the issues we’ve fought for years in Afghanistan.

Reports of civil rights abuses by the Malian army against Tuareg citizens in the northern cities have re-incited the public expression of feelings of discrimination and frustration in the Tuareg people. Al-Jazeera notes that the Tuareg people are still expressing their desire for an independent ethnic state; many Tuaregs claim this is the only way they see to reach peace. The focus on removing al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb from the country has distracted many international observers from the underlying tensions that are increasingly building again. These disputes over access to land and resources will continue to plague Mali and the state long after the Jihadist groups are removed from Mali and the West has long gone home.

Sources:

Vall, Mohamed. "Bracing for Chaos in Northern Mali." Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera, 1 Apr. 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

Crumley, Bruce. "Jihadi Strike in Timbuktu Reflects Altered Terrorism Threat in Mali." Time World. Time, 1 Apr. 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

Ahmed, Baba. "US Senators McCain, Whitehouse Visit Mali." Yahoo! News. Yahoo!, 02 Apr. 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

"Mali's Ethnic Tuareg Accuse Army of Abuse." Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera, 2 Apr. 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

Photos:

http://www.nytimes.com

http://www.guardian.co.uk

Sextremism: FEMEN and Women's Rights in Tunisia

On March 11, a 19-year-old Tunisian woman named Amina uploaded photos of herself on Facebook with the words “my body belongs to me, and is not the source of the honor of anyone” written across her bare torso.  This act reignited a national dialogue on women’s rights in Tunisia that has burned steadily since the dawn of the revolution, inspiring many Tunisian women to post photos of themselves with slogans written across their upper bodies on Facebook as well.

Amina.  Source: NYDailyNews.com

Amina’s act was inspired by FEMEN, a Ukranian feminist group founded in 2008 that has spread worldwide advocating for women’s liberation.  The group organizes topless protests to gain attention for women’s issues.  FEMEN has invoked polarized reactions globally.  Supporters applaud its use of “shock value” to call attention to issues, but critics question their use of female sexualization as a rebranding of feminism, as well as their “one size fits all” approach to feminism in all cultures and societies.  Today, April 3, FEMEN activists burned black Islamic flags displaying the Shahada in front of a mosque in Paris.

Source: facebook.com/Femen.UA

Amina is not the first woman in the Arab World to have used her body as a medium for political expression after the 2011 uprisings.  Egyptian Aliaa Al Mahdi, at age 21, posted topless photos of herself on her blog in October 2011, sparking the “Topless Jihad” movement that spread throughout the region.  FEMEN declared that this movement will culminate on April 4, proclaimed “International Topless Jihad Day,” on which supporters are supposed to bare their breasts in front of Tunisian embassies in their countries.

Source: facebook.com/Femen.UA

Dialogue on gender equality has been contentious in Tunisia, especially due to the platform of Ennahda, the “moderate” Islamist party currently in power.  Article 28 of a draft constitution released in the summer of 2012 outlined the current government’s vision of men and women in Tunisian society as such:

"The state guarantees the protection of women and supports their achievements, considering them as men's true partners in building the nation, and their [men's and women's] roles complement one another within the family. The state guarantees equal opportunity between men and women in carrying out different responsibilities. The state guarantees the elimination of all forms of violence against women."

This article was widely interpreted to stipulate that women would be “complementary,” and therefore unequal, to men in Ennahda’s vision of Tunisian society.  This is certainly a logical vision for a government inspired by the values of Islam, but it has angered secularists who see the country as more Western-oriented.  It is unclear to exactly what extent the article would affect women’s rights in Tunisia.  The article does not appear to impact the Personal Status Code (PSC), the legislation that made Tunisia the most progressive Arab country regarding women’s rights in 1956, but it would likely make it difficult for Quranic-based laws in the PSC, such as the inheritance code, to be overturned.

Ennahda is facing strong opposition in the form of the Union for Tunisia, the opposition front comprised of Nidaa Tounes, Al Joumhouri (a merger of the Progressive Democratic Party and Afek Tounes), and smaller parties.  The Union for Tunisia represents to a much greater degree the idea of gender equality tied to Western liberal and individualistic conceptions of human rights.  Nidaa Tounes declares “Justice and equality between all social classes, between regions, and between men and women” a primary value of their party.  They are currently polling neck-and-neck with Ennahda, but they have substantial issues to overcome before the next elections due to some prominent members’ ties to former dictator Ben Ali’s Neo Destour party.

The debate over women’s rights in Tunisia is one part of a large discussion on the future of Tunisian society.  Tunisia’s relative economic success, homogeneity and continued attachment to European culture and values (in comparison with its neighboring North African countries) turn Tunisia’s post-revolutionary narrative less toward pragmatic approaches to current problems and more towards an ideological struggle between Western and Islamic values in the creation of a new vision for Tunisia.  If Amina and FEMEN achieve what they set out to do by calling mass attention to the issue of women’s rights in Tunisia, it is possible that April 4 may be seen as a turning point in the evolution of women’s rights in the country, but it is much more likely that their offensive approach will create increased resentment towards feminists within Tunisia.

Works Cited

Dreisbach, Tristan. "Femen Debate Grows as More Women Upload Topless Photos." Tunisia Live. N.p., 22 Mar. 2013. Web. 03 Apr. 2013. <http://www.tunisia-live.net/2013/03/22/femen-controversy-grows-as-more-women-upload-topless-photos/>

Khlifi, Roua. "Topless Feminist Protest Comes to Tunisia." Tunisia Live. N.p., 18 Mar. 2013. Web. 03 Apr. 2013. <http://www.tunisia-live.net/2013/03/18/topless-feminist-protest-comes-to-tunisia/>

Kraidy, Marwan M. "The Revolutionary Body Politic: Preliminary Thoughts on a Neglected Medium in the Arab Uprisings." Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication 5 (2012): 66-74. Print.

Marks, Monica. "'Complimentary' Status for Tunisian Women." Foreign Policy. N.p., 20 Aug. 2012. Web. 03 Apr. 2013. <http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/08/20/complementary_status_for_tunisian_women>

Marks, Monica. "Uniting for Tunisia?" Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. N.p., 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 03 Apr. 2013. <https://carnegieeurope.eu/2013/03/28/uniting-for-tunisia/fuf1>

Murphy, Megan. "There Is a Wrong Way to Do Feminism. And Femen Is Doing It Wrong ‹ Feminist Current." Feminist Current. N.p., 31 Oct. 2012. Web. 03 Apr. 2013. <http://feministcurrent.com/6619/there-is-a-wrong-way-to-do-feminism-and-femen-is-doing-it-wrong/>

"Nidaa Tounes: Notre Parti - Nos Principes." Nidaa Tounes. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2013. <http://www.nidaatounes.org/findex.php?inc=detail&a=849>

Samti, Farah. "Feminist Group Declares April 4 “International Topless Jihad Day”." Tunisia Live. N.p., 29 Mar. 2013. Web. 03 Apr. 2013. <http://www.tunisia-live.net/2013/03/29/feminist-group-declares-april-4-international-topless-jihad-day/>

Fuel Shortages Cause Further Problems for Egypt

Jenna Goldsmith

April 2, 2013

Along with the political crisis that Egypt has been dealing throughout the last 2 years since the revolution ousted and replaced Hosni Mubarak with President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt is recently facing a catastrophic economic situation, which the government is not adequately addressing.  This dire economic situation has been caused by fuel shortages, which have dramatically increased the price of food, fuel and electricity.  Economists say that the fuel shortage is caused by the fact that “Egypt is running out of the hard currency it needs for fuel imports [while] the shortage is raising questions about Egypt’s ability to keep importing wheat that is essential to subsidized bread supplies.”  Because wheat farmers already “lack fuel for the pumps that irrigate their fields, [they fear] that they will not have enough for the tractors to reap their wheat next month before it rots in the fields”, leading to undoubtedly a serious food shortage in the future.  While the global community and independent analysts inside Egypt understand these economic problems, Morsi’s government refuses to admit that there is a problem.  Naser el-Farash, the spokesman for the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, states that “those who say Egypt cannot afford fuel are trying to make problems for Dr. Morsi and his party,” and Morsi has resisted deals to borrow loans from the International Monetary Fund, declaring that “Egypt can wait”.  Other officials, economists and experts outside of the Muslim Brotherhood, along with the Western world, agree that the situation is urgent and needs to be handled as soon as possible.

We should care about this issue because a continued increase in economic problems caused by this, such as hunger and increased unemployment, will no doubt contribute to a revolution that would complement the political protests that exist against Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood today.  Because the lack of fuel and wheat is going to damage Egypt’s economy, already the government’s “reserve of currency has fallen to about $13 billion from $36 billion two years ago”.  It is important that Morsi, along with the international powers, make sure the situation doesn’t become too dire, especially if the Egyptian people become violent towards their government. We do not want to see another escalating civil war in an already fragile region.

Policymakers, especially those in Egypt, need to address this situation before it progresses further.  Because there is the large problem that the majority of the imported fuel is being kept and sold on the black market instead of making it to the country’s gas stations, Morsi talked about “installing a smart card system for the tanker trucks, to track the supply of fuel and ensure that full shipments reach their destination.”  Farash has said that this will solve the problem in a week or two.  This is not enough of an action taken by the government.  Morsi has said that they will wait to make a decision on carrying out a “package of tax increases and subsidy cuts tied to a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund” until the new Parliament takes session. Since the Parliament elections have been postponed to this fall at the earliest, Morsi needs to address this situation immediately and make the deal with the IMF.  What do you think the Morsi’s government should do to prevent this economic situation from getting worse? Do you think the international community should be more involved?

Sources:

Kirkpatrick, David D, “Short of Money, Egypt Sees Crisis on Fuel and Food,” The New York Times, 30 March 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/31/world/middleeast/egypt-short-of-money-sees-crisis-on-food-and-gas.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&ref=global-home. 

Lebanese Prime Minister Resigns

Lebanese Parliament (Wikipedia)

Uncertain times have arrived in Lebanon, as the government dissolved in late March following the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Miqati. Lebanon had already been experiencing some troubles, with the civil war in Syria not only next door, but occasionally spilling across the border as well. Due to the multitude of ethnicities and religious groups in Lebanon, alliances in parliament can be difficult to attain, and the government previously collapsed just two years ago. That was just before the Arab Spring broke out, however, and the situation is very different this time, especially with the Syrian situation.

Balloons Bahrain and Doctors Without Borders

March 14th marked the second anniversary of the intervention of Saudi-led forces in Bahrain. The clashes on the 14th between protesters and riot police were the worst in several weeks¹. Despite the intervention and despite continued harsh repression by the regime in Bahrain, protests and riots are still a daily occurrence. 

A New Normal

The protests in Bahrain may have started from diffusion of the Arab Spring protests in other countries, but two years after its start the conflict in the tiny nation has taken on its own character. One aspect of Bahrain’s new norm is the constant starting and stopping of ‘talks’ between some opposition groups like Al Wefaq and government representatives. Many however see these meetings as pointless since the regime shows no indication that it plans to ever share power. The regime seems intent on maintaining all real control in Bahrain and all important governmental and military positions are still hand-picked by the ruling family. The government has changed its tactics somewhat however. From installing a white balloon in the capital that “observers in Manama claim…is used to monitor the population of the capital’s restive suburbs,”² to revoking the citizenship of prominent opposition leaders and protesters, the regime has been approaching repression with a more nuanced game. When reporting the protests on the 14th, the state-run Bahrain News Agency stated that the suburbs saw "acts of terrorism committed by saboteurs for the purpose of intimidating and jeopardizing the lives of citizens"³. This word choice is interesting considering the many ways that citizenship in Bahrain has been manipulated by the regime.

Balloon over Manama

Scrutiny and the International Community

Last week Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontiéres, MSF) announced that its planned conference in Manama would be canceled due to the regime’s unwillingness to give the group final permission. The conference was planned to discuss medical ethics and conflict. MSF Director of Operations Bart Janssens stated that, "It's a fact that in many countries, as in Bahrain, hospitals have become forefront places for political struggles, and people who are injured cannot find in any way a sort of neutral space where only clinical medicine is practiced and not find political discussions – or worse. For example in Syria, hospitals are basically traps for people to get arrested."⁴ Dr. Janssens’ comments on Syria no doubt are meant to call to mind the arrest of doctors during the 2011 uprisings in Bahrain for treating injured protesters.  Four of the at least 40 doctors arrested during the uprisings are still imprisoned.

The news of MSF not being allowed to hold a conference with such a controversial theme in Bahrain is not surprising, but what it highlights is the lack of international scrutiny against Bahrain as well as the regime’s unwillingness to allow scrutiny within its borders. With such a situation as well as the U.S. and Saudi Arabia both desiring the status quo be maintained, intervention in Bahrain on the side of the protesters seems bleak at best.

Doctors embrace after treating victims of the 2011 clampdown

Works Cited

1. "Protests mark anniversary of Bahrain uprising." Aljazeera 14 Mar. 2013. Online. <http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/03/201331419353482107.html>.

2. Kerr, Simeon. “Bleak Bahrain struggles among high-flyers.” The Financial Times 18 Mar. 2013. Online. <http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/a14abd1a-8f5a-11e2-a39b-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2PFjK1tYR>.

3. "Protests mark anniversary of Bahrain uprising." Aljazeera 14 Mar. 2013. Online. <http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/03/201331419353482107.html>.

4. Fisk, Robert. “Bahrain hit by doctors' desertion: Major medical ethics conference is cancelled in the troubled kingdom.” The Independent 24 Mar. 2013. Online. <http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/bahrain-hit-by-doctors-desertion-8547097.html>.