Global Voices Online » Video

Russia: Local Authorities Slow Broadband Development

Alexey Sidorenko — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:35:00 +0000

Town of Kraskovo coat of arms (from the official site)

Russian activists gathered in Kraskovo, a small town near Moscow, to call for increasing broadband Internet access and protest against Internet provider monopoly. The activists also talked about superficial regulations that slow down the development of wide Internet access in the country.

The story goes back to the beginning of 2008 when an Internet service provider (ISP) “CDMS, Ltd” ( “Creative Direct Marketing Solutions”) announced its plans to offer broadband Internet access to the residents of Kraskovo. Russian laws require an ISP to obtain a permission from municipal authorities before offering its services in any town. An ISP also has to get an approval of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and install a hardware that would potentially allow to sniff the Internet traffic.

With 10 years of experience in business, the CDMS got used to all sorts of bureaucratic hurdles. The vice-president of the company Vladimir Korvatsky (lj-user korvatsky [RUS]) writes on his blog that minor problems with local authorities are nothing new but Kraskovo case is different.

According to a Russian newspaper Moskovski Komsomolets [RUS], when the CDMS applied for a permission to install Ethernet-network in Kraskovo, Mikhail Chuiko, a newly elected mayor, sent the application back with a note that the process should be coordinated with the FSB “to ensure protection against terrorists.” When the FSB finally authorized the application, the mayor requested another approval from the security service. This time he wanted the FSB to investigate the company.

This shouldn't surprise anyone in Russia. Government officials usually come up with many excuses to delay the approval process so they can make businesses pay a bribe to speed it up. But, unlike in many similar cases, the Kraskovo authorities did not want any bribes from the CDMS. They stopped all contacts with the company representatives and showed that they did not want the CDMS to enter local ISP market.

Kraskovo currently has two ISPs offering a broadband access: netts.ru and avk-wellcom.ru. Korvatsky states [RUS] that his and other companies are not allowed into the town because of strong ties and commercial interests uniting local ISPs and the town authorities.

Vladimir Korvatsky and the youth organization “Our Yard” organized a protest against the status quo with ISPs in the town:

The Moscow Region Anti-monopoly Service recently issued a statement [RUS] declaring that the Kraskovo authorities violate anti-monopoly law.

This case is far from being unique. There are thousands of small Russian towns where people don't have a luxury of the broadband services. Very often geographical isolation and the lack of initiative are just excuses for widespread corruption of local administrations in those towns. The example of Kraskovo shows how ISPs try to overcome those issues by taking public actions. At the same time, it gives an additional reason for local authorities to accuse the ISPs of astroturfing.

Brazil: Do banks have metal or melanin detector doors?

Paula Góes — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:38:05 +0000

On the eve of Brazil's Black Pride Day – celebrated on November 20th, when the country renews its ongoing fight against discrimination – the Circo Voador Audiovisual Collective did an experiment. They filmed two members of their group, of apparently the same age and dressed similarly, trying to enter the same bank at two different moments, carrying the very same bag filled with metal - keys, coins, mobile phone. One of them took a few seconds to get in with no issues at all; the other one could not get in, barred at the revolving door, a regular feature in many Brazilian banks. The first guy was white, the second, black. See the result:

According to the filmmakers, the experiment showed that the metal detector doors are in fact activated by the banks' security guards. In other words, the security method currently employed by banks is based on their personnel's pre-judgment, often plagued with preconceptions, stereotypes and discrimination against certain types of people. On their blog, Circo Voador [Flying Circus, pt] invites readers to join forces, sending their own videos of as many different banks as possible. They explain the experiment:

Na primeira cena aparecem várias pessoas ao redor da bolsa. Todas elas fizeram o teste com a mesma bolsa, algumas foram barradas outras não. Em nenhum momento alguém alterou o conteúdo dos pertences na bolsa. A escolha da imagem do MC Shackal não se deveu ao fato dele ser negro e sim, por termos nos utilizado de câmeras escondidas e o momento em que o registramos, não sofreu interferências externas, como carros ou pessoas paradas na frente da câmera.

There are several people around the bag in the first scene. They all took the test carrying the same bag, some of them were barred others were not. Nobody ever changed the bag's contents. We have chose to include the scene we shot with MC Shackal not because he's black but because we used a hidden camera and when we shot him, there were no external interferences, such as cars or people standing in front of the camera.

Many people reacted on the Circo Voador blog's comment box. Some of the readers shared similar experiences, such as Dona Biologia [pt], a teacher:

Coloquei chaves, celular, bolsinha de moedas no local indicado e a porta apitava e travava. Por fim, o rapaz chamou um pseudo gerente que atravessou a porta e, dentro do caixa eletrônico da agência, me fez abrir a bolsa de provas e quando não viu nada que justificasse, teve a audácia de dizer que fora a minha bolsinha de lápis. Me arrependo até hoje de não ter processado o banco pelo constrangimento.

I put keys, mobile phone, coin purse at the indicated place and the door set the alarm off and locked. Finally, the guy called a pseudo manager who went through the door and, inside the bank's ATM, he made me open my bag of [students] essays and when he found nothing to justify [his attitude], he had the audacity to say it was my pencil case. I still regret not having sued the bank for the constraint.

Christiano J. Jabur [pt], who was once barred at a metal detector door in São Paulo because of a digital camera, claims that discrimination against people in the same revolving doors happens in banks regardless of the colour of the skin:

Tive que colocá-la numa caixinha para conseguir entrar no banco. Mas uma senhora de idade, também branca, que tentou entrar na agência da Nossa Caixa, na mesma cidade, foi barrada e não conseguiu entrar de jeito nenhum, mesmo chamando a polícia. O gerente do banco ininuou que ela poderia ser criminosa, pois existem muitas pessoas hoje, acima dos 50 e 60 anos de idade, cometendo crimes (o que não deixa de ser verdade). Não vou dizer que não exista preconceito contra negros e pardos nos bancos, por parte de vigilantes e atendentes. Mas dizer que são só os negros que são barrados nas portas giratórias é uma bela de uma mentira.

I had to put [the camera] in a box in order to go inside the bank. But an elderly woman, also white, tried to enter a Nossa Caixa branch in the same city and was barred and could not get in at all, even after calling the police. The bank insinuated she could have been a criminal, because there are many people over 50 to 60 years committing crimes nowadays (which is actually true). I will not say that bank security guards and attendants have no prejudice against black and brown people. But to say that black people are the only ones to be barred by revolving doors is a lie.

On the other hand, a security guard called Leandro [pt] explains in the same comment box how the system works, and criticizes the way the video has been interpreted by some:

Sou Vigilante (segurança), e posso afirmar, este sistema é falho, mas este vídeo esta sendo usado para sujar a imagem de profissionais que estão apenas cumprindo ordens… os ‘controles’ podem sim travar e destravar as portas giratórias, mas isso não é valido para todas as agencias, são sistemas diferenciados pra cada agencia ou cada porta giratória… e não temos controle sobre o “Nível de travamento“ de cada porta (isso é de responsabilidade do gerente), que costuma variar de 4 a 7 níveis, por isso vc pode entrar em uma agencia e ficar travado e em outra passar sem problema algum…
Sei que intenção de vc's não é esta, li o que estão propondo e apoio totalmente, mas não esta sendo divulgado desta forma, outros sites e meios de comunicação estão colocando informações “picadas”, pela metade… eu mesmo recebi um Email como Titulo: “Vigilantes racistas?”

I am a security guard and I can tell you this system is flawed, but this video is being used to soil the image of professionals who are just following orders… there are ‘controls' that can indeed lock and unlock the revolving doors, but this is not valid for all branches, the system is different for every branch or individual revolving door… and we have no control over the “level of locking” of each door which usually ranges from level 4 to 7 (this is the managers' responsibility), and this is why you get caught in a branch but may go inside another one without any problems…
I know that it was not your intention, I have read what you are proposing and I fully support it, but it is not being circulating this way, other websites and media have published bits and pieces of half information… I have myself received an email with the subject line: “Racist security guards?”

The video has gone viral on the blogosphere too. Rafael Cesar [pt] says that whether the doors shut on white or black people is besides the point:

A questão é que sabemos que aquele detector de metais é muito mais uma desculpa para os seguranças fazerem o controle da forma como julgam apropriada do que qualquer outra coisa. O que trava, mesmo, é aquele controlezinho que eles carregam. Comigo é rotineiro, sem qualquer exagero, passar por aquela porra sem metal nenhum na mochila (já deixei até estojo naquela caixinha ao lado por causa de lapiseira) e me travarem. Ou seja: o que volta e meia detectam em mim é um meliante em potencial, porque por várias vezes não havia qualquer metal a ser detectado. Se eu não tinha metal, por que ‘a porta’ travou? E, se eu tenho metal, por que logo em seguida ‘a porta’ destrava?E nessa de o crivo da segurança passar pelos olhos dos seguranças, é claro que o indivíduo negro leva a pior. Assim como leva a pior com a polícia, com emprego etc.

The point is that we know that a metal detector, more than anything else, is just an excuse for the security guards in charge to use their own judgment the way they see fit. The doors are locked, in fact, by the litlle remote control they carry. For me it's a habit, with no exaggeration, to go through that shit without any metal in my backpack (I have even left a case in the box next to it because of a pencil sharpener) and I get stuck. In other words: what they detect in me every now and then is a potential thief, because several times there was no metal to be detected. If I was carrying no metal, why did ‘the door' locked? And if I am carrying metal, why is it that soon after ‘the door' unlocks? As the security measure is filtered through the eyes of security guards, of course the black guy is worse off. The same way he is worse off with the police, in employment, etc…

Helio Ventura [pt] takes the opportunity to republish a text written in March 2007 asking if revolving doors detected metal or melanin after a black customer was killed inside the bank in Rio de Janeiro:

Rio de Janeiro, sexta-feira, 22 de dezembro de 2006, 13 horas e 20 minutos. O micro-empresário negro Jonas Eduardo Santos de Souza, 34 anos, estava na fila da agência do banco Itaú da Av. Rio Branco, da qual era cliente há 10 anos, para operações de rotina. Mas ele foi vítima do racismo que persiste em existir em nosso país, apesar de muitas vozes da elite e da intelectualidade negarem. Ele foi morto com um tiro no peito por Natalício de Souza Marins, 29 anos, vigilante da agência.
Ao tentar entrar na agência bancária, Jonas foi parado pela conhecida e constrangedora porta giratória. Ele foi abordado por Natalício e obrigado a pôr na bandeja todos os objetos que possuía. Como a porta continuava travando, Jonas foi obrigado a tirar inclusive o cinto. O gerente foi acionado por Natalício, e só autorizou o acesso do jovem micro-empresário à agência após exigir que Jonas provasse ser cliente da agência, mostrando um cartão do banco. Após o constrangimento, já dentro da agência, Jonas e Natalício continuaram a discutir, até que o vigilante, demonstrando total despreparo para o exercício da função, sacou seu revólver e matou Jonas, que não teve chance de defesa. […]
Assim como também poderíamos estar do outro lado, o de Natalício, também negro, um pai de família que teve suprimidas as oportunidades de acessar uma profissão que pudesse dar melhores condições à sua filha de 5 anos, que se viu obrigado a pleitear apenas funções que exigem menor qualificação, como a de vigilante. Ele também foi atingido pelo racismo estrutural que assola este país. Isso em nada muda o fato dele ter agido equivocadamente: é um homicida e deve receber as sanções legalmente previstas. E ser também negro não atenua o crime. Mas nos faz perguntar: que sistema é este que coloca dois semelhantes em lados opostos, fazendo com que um tire a vida do outro? Até quando fatos como este acontecerão? Percebemos o quão perverso é este “racismo à brasileira”, uma política de extermínio silenciosa, disfarçada de risco social e fatalidade.

Rio de Janeiro, Friday, December 22 2006, 1:20 pm. Black micro-entrepreneur Jonas Eduardo Santos de Souza, 34 years old, was queuing up at branch of an Itaú bank in Rio Branco, of which he had been a customer for 10 years, for routine transactions. But he was the victim of the racism that continues to exist in our country, despite the denial it exists which comes from many sections of the elite and intelligentsia. He was killed with a shot to the chest by Natalício Marins de Souza, 29, a security guard at the branch.
When trying to enter the branch, Jonas was stopped by the well known and embarrassing revolving door. He was approached by Natalício and forced to put all his objects in a tray. As the door was still locked, Jonas was forced to take even his belt off. Natalicio called the manager, who only authorized the young micro-business owner to get in after requiring that Jonas proved he was a branch's client, showing his bank card. After the embarrassment, inside the bank, Jonas and Natalício continued to argue until the security guard, showing total unpreparedness for the job, took out his gun and killed Jonas, who had no chance to defend himself. […]
We could just be siding with Natalicio, also black, a family father who had had no opportunity to find a profession that could provide better conditions for his 5 year old daughter, being forced to apply only for jobs that required lesser qualifications, such as security guard. He too was hit by the structural racism that plagues this country. This does not change the fact that he acted wrongly: he is a murderer and should receive the penalties provided by law. And also being black does not mitigate the crime. But it does make us wonder: what system is this that puts two likes on opposite sides, causing one to claim the life of the other? How much longer will events like this happen? We realize how wicked this “Brazilian racism” is, a quiet policy of extermination, disguised as a social risk and fatality.

Andréia Freitas [pt], who once managed to get undisturbed inside a bank with a kitchen knife she had bought earlier on in the day, says that the sad conclusion is that people only see each others' surfaces:

Por que será que cresceram os assaltos a banco realizados por homens de terno e gravata? Por que será que hoje existe o roubo de carros em estacionamentos e os assaltantes chegam no local pra assaltar de carro importado? Golpes de estelionatários em hotéis de luxo, em lojas de grife, em restaurantes cinco estrelas…

A resposta é óbvia: O mundo é movido por “aparências”! Sim… se você é considerada uma pessoa “bem apessoada” a vida fica mais fácil pra você em todos os aspectos. Agora… se você não está tão “bem vestido”, ou seu cabelo “acordou” num dia ruim, ou seu sapato tá meio surrado, pode apostar que a vida não será bolinho pra você.

O ser humano vê as aparências! Se as portas dos bancos fossem realmente controladas por uma máquina, por um dispositivo eletrônico de segurança, os dois caras do vídeo do YouTube tinham sido barrados! E nada mais justo do que barrar OS DOIS, que portavam objetos de metal.

Why is it that bank robberies are increasingly being carried out by men wearing suits and ties? Why is it that nowadays there are cars being stolen inside parking lots and the robbers arrive there driving imported car? Scam in luxury hotels, designer shops, five stars restaurants…

The answer is obvious: the world is moved by “appearances”! Yes… if you are considered a “handsome” person, life is easier for you in all aspects. Now… if you're not as “well dressed”, or have had a bad hair day, or your shoes are a little worn out, you can bet that life will not be a piece of cake for you.

Human beings see appearances! If the doors of the banks were actually controlled by a machine, an electronic security device, the two guys of the YouTube video would had been barred! And nothing more fair than barring the TWO OF THEM, as they were both carrying metal objects.

An online petiton [pt] launched with the experiment demanding that Brazilian banks stop using revolving doors and invest in x-ray systems or safety equipment that shows customers' real belongings has been signed by over 2,000 people so far. Over all, the plea is that everyone is treated with respect by the banks.

Japan: British teenager becomes a YouTube star

Scilla Alecci — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:54:17 +0000

She is British, blond, slim and cute. Her name is Beckii Cruel [ja] and, at age 14, has become an idol on the Japanese web.

Beckii Cruel started to gain popularity at the end of this year thanks to some videos posted on YouTube where she appears dancing in her room, to the tune of anime songs, attracting the interest of inveterate fans of anime and manga.
After becoming a celebrity on the Internet as user xBextahx, she was invited to perform in Akihabara, the district in eastern Tokyo that is widely acknowledged as the symbol of the otaku culture [en].

bluecafe09k48 sums up Beckii's profile for us.

イギリス・マン島在住の美少女、１４歳ですね～。
マンガ「フルーツバスケット」を読んで以来、
日本のオタク文化に嵌ったのが３年前とのこと。
ベッキー・クルーエル自身が日本のアニメソングなどで踊っている動画を
ＹｏｕＴｕｂｅで公開したのが今年の３月くらいから。
「男女」がニコニコ動画に転載されたのが５月頃で、人気が爆発。

She is a pretty 14 year old girl living on the Isle of Man, England.
After she read the manga Fruits Basket three years ago, she went crazy for the Japanese otaku culture [she says].
This March, Beckii Cruel published on Youtube videos of herself dancing to Japanese anime songs.
After the video Danjo (Man and Woman) was shown on [the Japanese video sharing website] Niko Niko Doga in May, her popularity exploded.

PV of Danjo (男女)

Beckii Cruel's popularity is certainly a Japanese phenomenon, as demonstrated by the fact that the only Wikipedia entry on her is in Japanese. However, the word of mouth has spread also among those foreigners who are passionate fans of Akihabara and the otaku culture in general.

GodLen, at Animevice. com, for example, comments with a bit of mock jealousy on the British idol's career.

Beckii Cruel, oh how I wish I were her, for she is the Cinderella story of the otaku world. This 14-year-old girl from England has won over the hearts of moe-loving otaku in Japan by posting videos of herself dancing to anime and Jpop songs on youtube. Yesterday she had the opportunity to dance in front of over 600 fans at the Enta Matsuri in Akihabara; amazing, and it all started with a youtube video. Now she has a DVD coming out in Japan (which you can pre-order now) that features her dancing her dance, and being overall moe.

Sankei News interview to Beckii Cruel at Akihabara Enta Festival

Beckii Cruel, who was recently chosen by candy and sweets maker Lotte to promote the Fit's Dance Contest together with other celebrities, performed live for the first time at Akihabara Enta Festival on October 25 [here are some pictures of the show].

Uruguay: Film About Robots Invading Montevideo

Eduardo Avila — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:18:30 +0000

The locally produced short film called Panic Attack! created by Fede Alvarez shows the science fiction story of robots invading the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo. The blog El Bachural [es] enjoyed the short because it showed his city in a different light.

Featured Author: Elena Ignatova

David Sasaki — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:15:37 +0000

Elena Ignatova covers Macedonia on Global Voices, is in charge of Global Voices in Macedonian, and works for the Metamorphosis Foundation, which seeks to seeks to enhance the use of information in Macedonian government and society. Among the posts we mention in the interview are: Macedonia: Use Facebook If You Want to Flirt With Politicians, The Balkans: “Whose Is This Song?”, and Macedonia: Student Protest Ends in Violence.

Transcript:

I'm Elena Ignatova. I'm an author for Global Voices and the Lingua Editor for Macedonian and I'm working at Metamorphosis Foundation, which is an organization for the development of information society.

So, Macedonia is in the Balkans and it's the country that has problems with Greece and the name, but we are hoping that we will solve the problem very soon.

David: OK, so that's probably what it is best known for in an international sphere, but what do people not know about Macedonia that you have to tell them?

Elena: Well, it is a country that is very small. It has two million inhabitants. And it's very pleasant to live here because everybody knows each other and you will always find a person who welcomes you while you're walking through the streets.

David: You wrote a post about politicians on Facebook - Macedonian politicians - and I think there was a newspaper article that said “here's a way that Macedonians can flirt with politicians online.” But have you seen any evidence that people are using it to engage with their politicians and become more active politically?

Elena: I don't know. I didn't check the campaign afterward so I don't know what's actually happened. Because we had a research that we did about election campaigns for president and local elections. And most of the politicians didn't use new media or Facebook to react for their campaigns. So I'm not sure that they are using it so much.

David: Have you been in touch with any politicians via Facebook?

Elena: No.

David: Why?

Elena: Because they are not answering questions. Because we were sending them questions through new media … not through new media only … but with emails, Facebook, Twitter but we didn't receive any feedback so I don't try anymore.

David: OK, so another story that you wrote about Facebook had to do
with a protest and a counter-protest about a proposed church that they want to build in the main plaza. Can you describe that?

Elena: Well, the protest was actually because the students of the architectural faculty didn't want that they build a church on the main square and the problem was that some people that were for the church came to the protest also and there was a conflict between the two groups so it ended badly.

David: How did it end?

Elena: Well, some of the students were beaten well, not beaten really, but they were attacked.

David: Do you think that in this case Facebook was a productive use to protest?

Elena: Yes because they were organizing everything through Facebook. Like sending invitations, planning the event, and everything. They didn't have a web page or email. Everything went through Facebook.

David: And now it looks likely that the church won't be build, right?
Elena: Yeah, probably.

David: You published another post about reactions to a documentary called “Whose Song is This” and I thought it was a really insightful look at the role of identity in Macedonia and the former Yugoslavia. Can you describe a little bit about the documentary itself and then also the reactions to it.

Elena: Well, the documentary was about a song that is translated into several languages in countries throughout the Balkans. And each country said that the song was theirs. And there were very good reactions because most of them were accepting the song. Like, “oh really? There is a song in that country?” It was very interesting. None of them were like, “this is our song.” Or something like that. But everyone was pleasantly surprised that the song was translated into other languages.

David: How do you choose what articles you translate into Macedonian?

Elena: Well I choose articles that are interesting for me. Basically, if there is some article connected with ICT or something like that I translate it. Because it is connected with my work. If not, I choose some article that is about new culture or somehow connected with new media or something like that. And some of the articles need to be short.

David: And what have you learned as a GV author and translator?

Elena: Well, I learned about many cultures and very important things about the lives of people in other countries because our main newspapers and portals don't report about stuff happening in other countries so it is very interesting to know what is happening in the world.

David: And you'll be seeing some other GV authors soon, right? At a conference?

Elena: Yeah, we will have a conference e-Society.mk which will be on the theme iMedia … actually, more about active citizen participation through new media. And Onnik and Sylwia will come to present.

Colombia: Video interview of 12 year old drug dealer

Juliana Rincón Parra — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:32:40 +0000

Giovanni Lopera interviews Jorman, a 12 year old in a Colombian working class neighborhood who tells how he deals drugs to help at home with money, giving half his earnings (6 USD for 6 hours) to his mother. He was kicked out of school when they discovered his illicit activities and he is planning to enroll in night-school to finish his studies, although he would have to quit his work.

Nicaragua: Farmers express thoughts on Rural Development through video

Juliana Rincón Parra — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:14:04 +0000

: Seed by theogeo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/theogeo/ / CC BY 2.0

The Alzar las Voces (Raise the Voices) project in Nicaragua brings farmers in rural communities the possibility to speak out through video telling of their concerns, their projects, their wishes and ideas.

There are six organizations in Matagalpa Honduras who are working on this project including women's collectives, Matagalpa Organization for the Blind, farmer organizations and an information center for Sustainable Development with the aid of Simas. The website is part of a project which will serve to showcase the work these organizations are doing with the members of the community by having members of the rural communities speak about their life, concerns and interests.

In this next video, Marcial Gonzalez, a promoter of the Farmer to Farmer program, explains how the program has helped them: first, they learned they shouldn't burn their lands to clear them, how to build or grow ditches and barriers to help control erosion. Another lesson they've learned is the importance of saving and keeping seeds from national varieties of plants, since they are ideal to grow in their environment and why trees should be kept and not cut down, since they provide oxygen, shade and maintain the water sources.

Juana Urrutia, in another video, explains what it means to be a community promoter. A Promoter is in charge of a group or community, protecting the community's interests, be it in fieldwork, production or socially. They also transmit knowledge which they received during workshops or activities, since it is their responsibility to put into practice what they have learned within their communities.

Martha Elena Montenegro is a beneficiary of the credits and programs to help women start their own businesses. She makes some products using materials she harvests from her farm, however, after all the effort, she now has to pay back her loans, and she uses the video medium to ask how she should best distribute her earnings in order to be able to pay back her loan.

Italy: Online activism fires up “No Berlusconi Day”

Bernardo Parrella — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:18:55 +0000

On October 9, Italy's highest Court ruled that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's immunity from prosecution while in office — guaranteed by a special law passed by his own center-right government in 2008 — was unconstitutional. This decision has reopened two pending trials that accuse Berlusconi of false accounting and bribery.

Since the court decision, the prime minister has launched a campaign accusing “leftist” judges, the national and foreign press, and even Italy's president, Giorgio Napolitano of political bias against him. Last week, the government introduced a bill promoted as “one of the most radical reforms of Italy's snail-paced justice system since the end of World War II”, which the opposition, magistrates, and consumer advocacy groups insist is yet another “ad personam law”, tailored to help Berlusconi avoid corruption trials.

On the same day of the verdict, October 9, a group of bloggers, citizens and intellectuals, self-defined as “not politically involved or belonging to any parties”, launched the idea of a national protest against Berlusconi demanding his resignation. They promptly opened a Facebook group under this header:

SALVIAMO L'ITALIA, SALVIAMO LA DEMOCRAZIA. BERLUSCONI DIMETTITI.

LET'S SAVE ITALY. LET'S SAVE DEMOCRACY. BERLUSCONI STEP DOWN.

Saturday, December 5 was designated “No Berlusconi Day (NBD)”. The campaign spread quickly on the Internet with videos, blogs, and tweets, as well as offline, through word of mouth. In little more than a month over 280,000 people pledged to host a public event on “No Berlusconi Day” via the main Facebook group, with groups formed in many cities in Italy and around the world, including San Francisco and Sacramento (California), Ottawa and Montreal (Canada), Buenos Aires (Argentina), London, Madrid, Vienna, and Istanbul - where local rallies will be held on the same day.

The initiative has been featured on countless websites, as well as on Italy's leading daily newspapers, la Repubblica and Corriere della Sera. Today the leftist daily L'Unità devoted several pages to the event, including a story underlining the crucial role of citizen media in such “bottom-up initiatives”, comparing it to the protest movement in Iran and even to the Obama election in the USA. An open letter appeared in the London Times.

While the protest appeal document has been translated in 11 languages so far, including Arabic, Turk and Serb-Croat, the No Berlusconi Day blog further explains:

The No Berlusconi Day group is a large, informal, global network of ordinary citizens, spanning all political and cultural backgrounds. The coordinators of the group are unpaid and do not collectively hold specific political affiliations… Although the No Berlusconi Day group is non-political, the group and event has received public support and endorsement from a number of high-profile activists, including Salvatore Borsellino brother of the anti-corruption judge Paolo Borsellino who was murdered by a Mafia car-bomb in 1992.

Beppe Grillo, a well-known Italian comedian who launched a very popular (some say ‘populist') campaign against corruption and illegality of past Italian governments last year, has also announced his support of No Berlusconi Day on his website, attracting more than 1,300 comments, the vast majority supporting his statement:

“Mi sono rotto i coglioni di Berlusconi”. Ditelo in pubblico, al bar, al ristorante. Gridatelo in radio, ai semafori, scrivetelo ai giornali, inviate mail ai siti italiani e internazionali, alle caselle di posta dei deputati, dei senatori. “Mi sono rotto i coglioni di Berlusconi”.

[…]

E' mai possibile che gli italiani, anche quelli rincoglioniti dalle televisioni, non abbiano un moto di rigetto, un conato di vomito a vedere la Repubblica Italiana trattata come una zoccola? Il Grande Corruttore ha corrotto forse ogni coscienza? Tutto ciò che ha toccato nella sua vita si è corrotto, decomposto. E' lui l'H1N1 della nostra democrazia.

“I'm so pissed off with Berlusconi”. Say it on the street, in bars and restaurants. Shout it on the radio, when idle at traffic lights, write it in letters to newspaper editors, email it to national and international website, and to Congress representatives and senators mailboxes. “I'm so pissed off with Berlusconi”.

[…]

How could it be that Italians, even those brainwashed by TV, are not forcefully opposing, are not about to puke in the face of such slut picture of the Italian Republic? The Big Enticer resorted to bribe everybody's conscience? Everything he touched in his life now looks corrupted. He is the H1N1 of our democracy.

The main Facebook group features an ongoing flow of new comments:

Giacomo Spataro: GIORNO 5/12.. TUTTI I NEGOZI CHIUSI…bandiere viola fuori…e tutti a roma….

DAY 5/12.. ALL BUSINESS AND STORES SHUT-DOWN…purple flags hanging…and everybody going to rome….

Diritto Di Parola: La manifestazione si potrà definire APARTITICA e nata ed organizzata dal basso solo se i partiti non esibiranno i propri simboli. Non raccontiamoci frottole :) W il 5 dicembre voluto dai cittadini !!!! Scendiamo tutti in piazza a manifestare per le dimissioni di Berlusconi !!!

The protest could be defined NON-PARTISAN and bottom-up only if political parties will not bring their symbols. Let's not fool ourselves :) Hurrah for a December 5th promoted by the citizens !!!! Everybody in the streets asking for the resignation of Berlusconi !!!

Daniele Nuzzo: Per fare Carpooling per andare a Roma dividendo le spese.

For carpooling to Rome sharing travel expenses.

The NBD organizers chose the color purple to identify the movement, explaining that “purple is not just for mourning, but it is also a symbol of vital energy and self-determination”. Hence some creative ideas on Facebook:

Use this image for your profile or for a t-shirt:

While actual meet-ups are underway throughout the country, the electronic tam-tam is also spreading via Twitter.

On October 31, the first volunteers took to the streets in many cities to start informing people about the upcoming event. Here is a video from downtown Rome, where a journalist from PdCI-TV interviewed the activists on the fly [it]:

No political parties have formally endorsed the protest with the exception of Antonio di Pietro and Paolo Ferrero (leaders of small opposition parties, respectively, Italia dei Valori and Comunisti Italiani), who confirmed their attendance to the Rome rally.

Will people actually take to the streets en masse? For those still in doubt, the following “Joker Silvio” video explains the “top 10 reasons why citizens should participate in the No B-Day, an event born and promoted almost exclusively on the Net” [it]:

Beatrice Borgato contributed to this post.

Georgia: Reaction to lack of media attention on Azerbaijan bloggers' trial

Dodka — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:30:39 +0000

Following last week's sentence on two video bloggers in Azerbaijan, some blogs in neighboring Georgia have posted critical entries condemning the arrest, trial and imprisonment of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli. This also extends to the relative lack of coverage on the case in the local mainstream media as Dv0rsky notes angrily.

ქართული ჟურნალისტიკა და მედია საბოლოოდ ჩაიძირა.
ჩაისვარეს. და არც კი სცხვენიათ.

სიტყვის თავისუფლებაზე რამდენს ბჭობენ, როგორ ”იბრძვიან” - და ამხელა ამბავი გამოეპარათ.

აზერბაიჯანელი ბლოგერები ემინ მილი და ადნან ჰაჯიზადე ორი თვის წინ დაიჭიარეს და დღეს საბოლოოდ გაასამართლეს მხოლოდ იმ ბრალდებით, რომ ისინი მთავრობას აკრიტიკებდნენ, აშარჟებდნენ და დასცინოდნენ. ოფიციალური ბრალდება - ხულიგნობა.

2 წელიწადი იმისათვის, რომ ვირს ჩამოართვა ინტერვიუ - ბევრია თუ ცოტა?

ქართველ ჟურნალისტებს რა უჭირთ, სულ ვირებს არ ართმევენ ინტერვიუებს? სულ თავისუფლად თანაც…

Georgian journalism and the media has sunk low for the last time. They fucked up. And they are not even embarrassed.

So much talk about freedom of speech, how they “fight” for it - and they missed such a huge story.

Azeri bloggers Emin milli and Adnan Hadjizade were sentenced today only for making fun of government. Official accusation - hooliganism.

Two years for interviewing a donkey - is it too much or isn't it?

Georgian journalists have nothing to say - they always interview donkeys. And very freely.

A comment from სულხანი agreed.

სამაგიეროდ ჩვენი ტელევიზიები ძალიან ოპერატიულად (თანაც საღამოს საინფორმაციოს პირველ სიუჟეტად) აშუქებენ პენელოპა კრუსის სავარაუდო ჩამოსვლას ჩვენთან)

ტფუი..

And at this time our TV-stations cover possible visit of Penelope Cruise as their first news. Disgusting.

Another comment, this time from Natosha, remembers that sensitivities surrounding Azerbaijan in Georgia even extend to monuments.

ეს ამბავი რომ გავიგე ერთი რაღაც გამახსენდა.
უხსოვარ დროს ფოტოჟურნალისტიკას ვსწავლობდით და დავალებით გაგვიშვეს ალიევის ბაღის გახსნის გადასაღებად (თბილისში, აბანოებთან რომ არის). ხოდა, იმ ბაღში ძეგლიც დგას.. და პრინციპულად არ შეგვიშვეს ფოტოების გადასაღებად, მანამ სანამ ალაგებდნენ ტერიტორიას. და მერე აღარ მახსოვს ლექციაზე ითქვა, თუ ვიღაცამ თქვა (ძალიან ბუნდოვნად მახსოვს ეგ მომენტი), რომ არ შეიძლებოდა ისეთი კადრების დაფიქსირება, სადაც ვთქვათ, ასფლატს გვიან და ფონზე ძეგლია.. ან მსგავსი კადრები, რომლის სხვანაირად “ინტერპრეტირება” შეიძლებაო. ვოტ.

When I first heard the story, I remembered one thing.
Some time ago we were learning photojournalism. We were given a task and went to the opening of [former late Azerbaijani president] Aliyev park (which is in Tbilisi). A monument of Aliyev also is located in that park. We could not get inside to take photos before the teritory was being cleaned up. Then I don't remember, either in the lecture, or someone else told me why - it was prohibited to take pictures of the monument of Aliyev with the background of someone sweeping or cleaning up. They said it might be interpreted badly.

After one online site criticized the lack of attention in the local media, I commented on the report after posting it on Facebook.

Two Azeri bloggers were sentenced to jail today. Georgian traditional media - silence. Good job! Don't be surprised when others will be silent, when next time you are left without freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Good job, Georgian journalists, good job!

Nevertheless, some online journalists such as თავისუფალი სიტყვის ბლოგი made entries on their blogs about the case, pointing out why Georgian bloggers should be concerned. It was also republished in the local press.

აღსანიშანავია, რომ საქართველოში ჯერჯერობით ბლოგერებს სიტყვის თავისუფლების მხრივ სერიოზული პრობლემები აქამდე ჯერ არ ჰქონიათ. მიუხედავად ამისა, რამდენიმე კვირის წინ იუტუბის რამდენიმე მომხმარებელს მცირე პრობლემები მაინც შეექმნათ. გასულ თვეში ვიდეოპორტალზე გავრცელდა პატრიარქის გაშარჟებული ვიდეოები, რასაც საზოგადოების მხრიდან უარყოფითი რეაქცია მოჰყვა. დაიწყო გამოძიება. შინაგან საქმეთა სამინისტრომ ვიდეოების გავრცელებაში ბრალდებული ორი ახალგაზრდა დაკითხა და ნივთმტკიცების სახით მათ კომპიუტერები და ფოტოაპარატები ჩამოართვა, აგრეთვე გაჩხრიკეს მათი სახოვრებელი სახლები.

It's worth mentioning that bloggers in Georgia have encountered problems with freedom of speech. However, a few weeks ago some YouTube users got in trouble. Video-jokes about Georgian Patriarch Ilia II were made and uploaded to YouTube and society responded negatively. An investigation started and the Ministry of Internal Affairs detained two youngsters suspected of making the video. Their computers and photo cameras were confiscated, and their houses were searched.

Meanwhile, despite the criticism, Social Blurbs, a new English-language Georgian blog on social media, suggests readers acquaint themselves with the Hajizade and Milli case on Global Voices Online as well as on a support site. It also notes how some Georgian bloggers and journalists were covering the case.

Although the trial was not the hottest topic for absolute majority of the Georgian social media contributors, still having couple bloggers (Dodka and Cyxymi) representing Georgia at the WBF2009, helped to interest few others in here.

All day Dodka was tweeting from WBF about the case. Later Giga Paichadze aka Dv0rsky retweeted and posted about it also blaming Georgian media “that is fighting for freedom of expression and does not notice” such a big event next door, however some links in comments indicated that media has covered the trial and arrest of Azeri bloggers.

Meanwhile, full coverage of the detention, trial and imprisonment of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli is available in the Azerbaijan section of Global Voices Online and on the OL! Blog (in English and Azeri). The hashtag #EminAdnan is also used on Twitter.

Azerbaijan: More reaction to video blogger trial verdict

Onnik Krikorian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:36:45 +0000

Days after the sentencing of two video blogging youth activists in Azerbaijan, other bloggers are starting to speak out about the imprisonment of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli. The two online activists will spend 2 and 2.5 years in jail after a trial which most consider to be politically motivated and an attempt to silence dissent in the country.

They join others such as the Presidency of the European Union, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Reporters Without Borders as well as many others in condemning the verdict.

Amnesty International has also declared the two men to be prisoners of conscience. Interesting Times, an “online initiative monitoring attempts throughout the world to censor and restrict free access to the Internet,” puts the trial in context.

The latest show of repression by state forces in Azerbaijan leaves no doubt that both journalists and bloggers exercise their right to express themselves freely at their own risk.

[…]

Thanks to international pressure such as the WPFC letter and several others, the Azeri government has been compelled to release journalists from prison.

But this latest act of repression against two bloggers leaves no doubt that, if left alone, public officials in Azerbaijan will continue their abusive ways.

Notes from Abroad is also not surprised by the verdict.

On Tuesday, two young bloggers were sentenced to prison — one for two-and-a-half years, the other for two years — on the ridiculous charge of hooliganism. The whole thing is a sham — driven by political motives, but it is not surprising.

[…]

Since Azerbaijan is an oil-rich fiefdom, the West has treaded carefully in responding to this very undemocratic behavior by the Azeri government.

The Azeri government must be strongly condemned by the democracies of the world that this kind of behavior is unacceptable.

The Blogar, however, is nearly speechless.

So the verdict is in.
Emin and Adnan are officially hooligans.
At a loss here on what to say.
Supposedly social media had a role in putting them behind bars, a role in getting the word out on the street about the injustice but was unable to change the minds of the corrupt Azerbaijan legal system.
Dont mess with Ilham.

[…] My thoughts are with their families and them.

However, with an appeal due to be lodged and possible action in the European Court of Human Rights, L4L, a new English-language Azeri blog, says that this is just the beginning.

What to do next? First of all we should not stop. We should continue working towards liberty of our friends and towards freedom of all Azerbaijan. […] Adnan and Emin showed no fear and we should not be anything less than courageous and inspiring.

[…]

This is hardly end. It all begins now.

Parvana Persiani and Global Voices Online's David Sasaki, World Blogging Forum, Bucharest, Romania © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2009

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the World Blogging Forum in Bucharest, Romania, Global Voices Online held a first aborted interview with Parvana Persiani, an Executive Board Member of the OL! Azerbaijani youth movement which her boyfriend, the imprisoned Adnan Hajizade, co-founded.

More updates will be posted as of when. Meanwhile, full coverage of the detention, trial and imprisonment of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli is available in the Azerbaijan section of Global Voices Online and on the OL! Blog (in English and Azeri). The hashtag #EminAdnan is also used on Twitter.

Russia: Videos of Ulyanovsk Arms Depot Blasts

Veronica Khokhlova — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:54:09 +0000

LJ user oleg_kozyrev posts six YouTube videos of Ulyanovsk arms depot blasts, shot by Russian video bloggers.

Featured Editor: Onnik Krikorian

David Sasaki — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:46:59 +0000

Onnik Krikorian is a British blogger, journalist, and photographer of Armenian decent who has been living in Yerevan, one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities, for the past 11 years. He is the Caucasus Editor for Global Voices where he amplifies the latest discussions taking place among bloggers in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. Most recently he has focused his efforts on covering the case against two Azeri bloggers who were sentenced to two and two and a half years in jail.

In addition to his own blog, he also writes at Frontline Club and tracks his photojournalism on Lightstalkers and on his website.

Transcript:

My name is Onnik Krikorian. I'm the Caucasus Editor for Global Voices Online. I actually can't remember how long I've been working for Global Voices which maybe is a good sign … I think maybe two years. But I've been aware of it since it started pretty much. I went to the London conference but I don't think I was officially working for Global Voices then. I am based in Armenia, though I am from England, and I cover Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

Usually it is whatever is happening Unfortunately, with the region, it tends to be political and especially around elections or arrests or violence after elections. Stuff like that. I mean, I have tried to do more cultural things but generally, because of the environment in the region, most of the active, well-known bloggers tend to write about politics.

David: Most recently I see that you've been writing a lot about two Azeri bloggers who I think were just sentenced to prison today. Can you describe a little about that?

Onnik: Yeah, actually, it's one of the delights, strangely enough, has been to encounter the use of new media by youth activists in Azerbaijan. Totally unprecedented for the region and also exemplary for other countries such as Armenia and Georgia. Of course, their use was so effective that they showed up on the government radar screen in Azerbaijan. And, as a result, they ended up being detained after they were attacked. When they went to make a complaint at the police station the government/police/whoever turned it around and used the charge of hooliganism against them even though they were the victims. And it was pretty much a clear signal to youth activists in Azerbaijan: be silent. And, yes, they were sentenced today to two and two and a half years respectively.

David: What got you so involved in that case?

Onnik: I guess as someone who has lived in the region for 11 years, and as someone who works for Global Voices Online, who is monitoring the use of new media, who uses new media himself and who believes in it as a potential medium for change … after being disappointed in Armenia where the blogs became very politicized, I suddenly saw a really impressive, mature, intelligent use of new media in Azerbaijan. So I was following their activities anyway, and then when they were attacked, and when they were detained, it was just like, this needs to be covered. And, of course, it would need to be covered anyway. But the point is that I was always aware of them anyway.

As for me, it was an example to the whole region of how new media could be used by civil society to try to promote change in authoritarian countries of which actually all of the states in the South Caucasus are.

David: What do you see as some similarities and differences in the region that you cover on Global Voices and other regions that are covered on Global Voices?

Onnik: I guess I might get kinda jealous of the other regions. Mainly because usually the internet penetration is higher. The use of blogs is higher. The number of blogs is higher. Even, if you consider that most of the countries of the South Caucasus have very tiny populations - like Armenia is not more than three million Georgia is about five, Azerbaijan is seven. So, already you have a small population in the region. And internet penetration is very low as well so it means that there are less blogs. Also, I would like to see some more mature use. I did say that I did see that happening in the region, but the blogosphere is not as developed as in other regions.

The other difference is because of the nature of the South Caucasus the key events - and it's not just blogs, it's also the media unfortunately - the main areas of interest in the South Caucasus usually relate to falsified elections, war, and that's it really.

David: Give us a story that you've covered in the South Caucasus that doesn't have to do with politics.

Onnik: OK, one of my favorite Global Voices posts in fact was, actually again, from Azerbaijan and it was about Novruz which is the Zoroastrian new year The Iranians celebrate it, in Turkey they celebrate it and in Azerbaijan. And there are actually some cultural blogs which have been very refreshing for me to see based in Azerbaijan. And one of the blogs, “Sheki, Azerbaijan” is a wonderful wonderful blog which really sums up the culture, customs, and traditions of Azerbaijan. And there were many others as well dealing with Novruz, and that was one of my favorite favorite posts. It was nice. It wasn't violence, it wasn't elections it wasn't war, it was just a really nice post that summed up the richness of the culture of the South Caucasus.

David: We've talked a little bit about the use of social media to bring people who are from different communities or different countries together. Do you have some examples or thoughts about that?

Onnik: Actually, Global Voices has been a good example of that because, for example, I am based in Armenia, I am half Armenian. And Armenia and Azerbaijan are at war with each other over a disputed territory situated within Azerbaijan. Communication links are closed, borders are closed, it's impossible even for me as a British citizen to visit Azerbaijan because of my surname, which is an Armenian surname.

However, writing about some of these blog entries on Global Voices has actually got me emails from people in Azerbaijan thanking me. And that was actually kind of unprecedented and was such a pleasant surprise. Even most recently because of the coverage of the Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli case I even received an email - again, a reader message from my Global Voices page - from a 24-year-old Azeri refugee from Armenia who was forced to leave Armenia at the age of four when the war started.

Again, just thanking me. And now we're in communication. Now we're Facebook friends. Those sorts of things have happened because of new media and because of Global Voices. I mean, nothing can replace that. That has been one of the best highlights of this year.

Algeria-Egypt: Online Feud Over Football Match

Hisham — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:28:46 +0000

Tension is building between Egyptian and Algerian football fans ahead of a decisive match due to take place in Cairo on November 14. The encounter will determine which of both teams will qualify to next year's FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Egypt needs at least a two-goal win to force a playoff on a neutral ground while Algeria, which has failed to qualify to the World Cup since 1986, will battle to keep its current leading position in the qualifiers group. Ahead of the Saturday showdown, rival fans have been gearing up offline, as well as in heated online exchanges, escalating into a bitter “cyber-war” of intimidation.

Algerian blogger Adel [Fr], sums up the chain of events that led to the row. He writes:

Ce n’est pas sur le carré vert que le match a commencé à se jouer mais sur la toile. En attendant l’entrée des 22 joueurs sur la pelouse du fameux Cairo Stadium, la rencontre a débuté de manière assez peu banale entre les «Facebookeurs» (membres du réseau Facebook) algériens et égyptiens. Tout a commencé par de simples discussions dans les forums avant que cela ne prenne de l’ampleur. Voulant montrer leur savoir-faire dans la retouche d’image, les Egyptiens ont été les premiers à ouvrir les hostilités en publiant des photos «anti-algérien».

Les Egyptiens voulaient expliquer à travers un tel acte que leurs joueurs sont «très forts» et qu’ils sont en mesure d’écraser l’équipe nationale algérienne. Cela donna le top à une guerre d’un genre particulier. La guerre des images et des parodies.

It seems that the match already started online, away from the football pitch. Well before the 22 players entered the famous Cairo Stadium, a bitter showdown began between Algerian and Egyptian Facebookers. It all started with friendly discussions in forums, before things got out of proportion. Wanting to show their expertise in image editing, the Egyptians were the first to open hostilities by publishing “anti-Algerian” photographs.The Egyptians wanted to show that their players were the “strongest” and that they are able to crush the Algerian national team. This gave the go-ahead to a war of a peculiar kind. A war of images and parody.

Videos, dubbing scenes taken from famous Hollywood blockbusters, flooded YouTube, placing the face-off at a Homeric level.

In the following video [Ar], posted by hakemvoip [Fr], Mel Gibson is Rabah Wallace (Braveheart), an Algerian war leader who tries to galvanize his troops ahead of the much expected confrontation:

In this other video, Egyptian ulyesis welcomes Algerian fans to what he calls “hell” in Cairo:

Blogger GEMYHOoOD [Ar] posts pictures of thousands of Egyptian fans who queued up in different parts of Cairo, hoping to get tickets for the match. He publishes pictures of the gatherings:

GEMYHOoOD also posts some eyewitness accounts:

انا خدت اجازة اليوم ونزلت من الصبح لنادي الصيد الساعة 8 الصبح وللاسف لقيت موت ناس وزحمة وطابور فيه حوالي 3000 واحد ودفع وشتيمة والناس كل شوية بتزيد ومش عارف اقف من الزق والعرق بجد مهزلة

I took the day off to come to the club at 8 AM [to get tickets]. Sadly I found a huge crowd and a large queue of about 3000, with people pushing and swearing. I couldn't move. I was stuck. I thought, this is a disgrace.

The official bus of the Algerian football team, which arrived in Cairo on November 12, was allegedly assaulted by local fans, as the following video, posted on YouTube by Vidéos Mouloudia Club d'Oran, seems to be showing:

The world football governing body FIFA, felt it necessary to issue a warning to the football associations of Algeria and Egypt, reminding both that “the preliminary competition for the 2010 World Cup should end as it began, in the spirit of fair play with the necessary cooperation of all the parties.”

A website, Algerie Egypte Match [Ar, Fr], dedicated to the event and monitoring all kind of news related to the match, was created by Algerian fans.

Within this climate of bitter rivalry, some people created a group on the social networking website Facebook, pleading for more tempered feelings. Laama Bouchema posts a message on the group's Wall saying:

[A]s much as i am angry for what happend to the algerian team, i do not judge a whole nation for what some idiots did! it is stupid what angry fans are doing! for god's sake it wont matter who gets in the [Wold Cup].

Egyptian blogger Lasto Adri [Ar], deplores how what was supposed to be a sporting event, degenerated into a nasty confrontation. She writes:

مندهشة من التعصب وتدنى مستوى لغة الحوار بين مشجعى منتجب مصر ومنتخب الجزائر والظاهر بوضوح فى التعليقات على المواقع الإخبارية أو الرياضية… ومندهشة أكثر بتغذية هذه المأساه إعلاميا بتعليقات من بعض المذيعين (من كلا الجانبين)…
المشجعون الجزائريون أخطؤوا فى المبارة السابقة.. لكن هل الرد يكون هكذا؟.. هل الرد يكون بطلب البعض تسميم اللعيبة ولا إقلاقهم فى منامهم ولا توليع الإستاد وقت الماتش من التشجيع؟..

ونرفزتنى التعليقات على أغلب المواقع.. وإفتكرت لما الجزائر -بزعامة الرئيس الجزائري هواري بومدين- كانت أكتر دولة ساندت مصر فى حرب 1973، رغم فقرها الشديد..
حزينة ان انتهاء علاقة مابين شعبين تكون بشقاق على كورة…

I'm surprised by the level of intolerance and the mean language used by fans of the Egyptian and Algerian teams, which appears in most comments on news and sport websites… I'm also bewildered by the way some anchors and journalists (from both sides), are fueling this tragedy through their fiery comments…
Algerian fans misbehaved in the previous game .. but is the Egyptian reaction right? .. Should the answer be (as some suggested) the poisoning of Algerian players? Harassing and depriving them from sleep? Setting the stadium ablaze the day of the match?
I am upset by the comments on most sites .. I remembered when Algeria - led by President Houari Boumedienne - despite its extreme poverty, came to the support of Egypt in the 1973 war..
I'm saddened by the fact that such a relationship between two peoples might break up over a foot ball…

USA: Fort Hood massacre puts spotlight on Muslims in Army

Bhumika Ghimire — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:00:35 +0000

A shooting rampage carried out by US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan that killed 13 and injured 31 in Fort hood, Texas has once again put Muslims in America under the spotlight - especially those serving in the army.

Moments after Major Hasan was announced as the suspected shooter, there was clear discomfort among newscasters and commentators regarding his religious and ethnic background. It's also been widely reported that Muslim service members have sometimes faced attacks from fellow services members.

Howard M. Friedman, Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Toledo, says in his blog ReligionClause:

“The military has been actively recruiting Muslims with the linguistic skills and cultural understanding needed to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. However Muslims in the service face suspicion by some of their officers. “

Whatever suspicions of Muslim service members existed before the shootings, one can only fear that they may have been heightened by the mass murder in Fort Hood. Questions are still being raised as to whether Major Hasan was an extremist who carried out the attack based on religious ideology or he was simply mentally ill.

In Canada, writer Gwynne Dyer, at Vancouver weekly free paper Straight.com, argues that pointing out the murderer's religion overlooks some very serious issues:

“After a few days while the commentariat hesitated before competing narratives, the media are settling on the explanation that it was ethnic/racial/religious abuse that drove Nidal crazy. Bad people doing un-American things were ultimately responsible for the tragedy, and there’s an end to it.

The one explanation that is excluded is that America’s wars in Muslim lands overseas are radicalizing Muslims at home. Never mind that the homegrown Muslim terrorists who attacked the London transport system in 2005, and the various Muslim plotters who have been caught in other Western countries before their plans came to fruition, have almost all blamed the Western invasions of Muslim countries for radicalizing them. Never mind, above all, that what really radicalized them was the fact that those invasions made no sense in terms of Western security.”

Fox News, often criticized for its bias on issues related to immigration and conservative politics, is reportedly calling for the “screening of Muslims” in the army. At the Veterans Today website, a retired officer of the United States Coast Guard, Tom Barnes, says the news channel is playing up the stereotype to create “us versus them” tensions:

“… the news channel is being very “unhelpful” to say the least if this initially reasonable question soon turns into another Fox Channel crusade against “them”. This stuff is not only getting old, it is dangerous. The story is here.

As I have previously pointed out, this kind of thing has happened before in the U.S. Armed Forces. I am getting tired of Fox News telling me who my enemies are. All the time. Non stop. I had no idea there were so many “thems” out there!”

A number of newspapers are now examining how Major Hasan's actions will affect Muslims serving the in US army, and Muslim residents around Fort Hood.

Here is a video report by euroamericannews on YouTube about how some Fort Hood Muslims view the events.

As the investigation of the massacre continues, the spotlight on Muslims serving in the army will likely continue.

USA: Veterans ask Obama to reconsider Afghanistan

Solana Larsen — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:46:25 +0000

Brave New Foundation posts a petition and YouTube video with young veterans asking Obama not to send more troops to Afghanistan.