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Not long after publishing the tweets, Kashgari began to receive death threats.  His address was posted on a social media site, and clerics began calling for him to be executed, or tried for apostasy.  On February 8, he fled the country, headed for New Zealand…but was caught in transit in Malaysia by local authorities, who detained him; shortly after, news emerged that Saudi Arabia had issued an extradition order.

Malaysian Home Minister Hishammudin Hussein was quoted as saying that Malaysia would repatriate Kashgari to Saudi Arabia. A Facebook page in solidarity with Kashgari that emerged mid-week has more than 1,500 members.

As of the time of publication, an interim order had been issued to stop Malaysian authorities from deporting Kashgari:

@FadiahNadwa: Justice Rohana Yusuf jz gave interim order 2stop Govt fr deporting #HamzaKashgari to Saudi Arabia.On our way to serve court order to police.

There were, nonetheless, conflicting reports that Kashgari had been extradited.

A battle of opinions

A battle of opinions is being waged on social networks, with many of Kashgari's fellow Saudi citizens continuing to argue for him to be tried. Their calls seem to be outnumbered by calls from members of the international community, as well as citizens of Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, for Malaysia not to extradite Kashgari.

Saudi blogger Ahmed Al Omran believes that there's more to the case than meets the eye:

While I understand how many Muslims would take offense at anything that touches the prophet, I don’t think it explains the whole story. Yes, many feel strongly about such matters and therefore they reacted accordingly. However, it is clear that many on the right decided to take advantage of the incident to score points and make political gains. It was a low hanging fruit.

While some may perceive religious conservatives defending the Prophet’s honor simply as piety, others say there is more behind it, that this is actually part of a long-term plan.

Mariam, a writer for Arab News, is dismayed by the potential charges:

@onlymytweets: I don't recall an Ayah or Hadith saying God has transferred authority to mankind to judge. Or is it just me? #HamzaKashgari @SalmaanTaseer

Self-described Saudi-American poet Bint Talal has been tweeting her concern for Kashgari's safety. She tweets:

@majda72: I want to go to sleep but I'm consumed with fear for #HamzaKashgari I keep checking twitter & fear the worst.

@RFatani is angered by the reactions on social media, tweeting:

@RFatani: 1000's of tweeps calling for #HamzaKashgari head to roll! They should be banned from entering countries that have ‘inciting hate' laws

Writer Khaled Almaeena's [ar] tweets expressed the widespread sentiment that the threatened punishments do not fit the crime:

Among those in Saudi Arabia who were happy to hear that Kashgari might be extradited was @AboTamem, who tweeted:

@AboTamem: @nsurendrann Our brother HAMZA in the way to his home…he is not under your law!! #hamzakashgari

@mkabmr also felt that Kashgari went too far:

@mkambr: Personally anyone who ridiculed prophet Muhammad PBUH is a persona non grata #HamzaKashgari

But @ArabRevolution's tweet was more representative of the general sentiment on Twitter:

@ArabRevolution: Just putting this out there, neither I or millions of other Muslims agree to what Saudi decides to do with #HamzaKashgari #freehamza

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The three-minute movie, posted below from YouTube, shows a Saudi family living in a cemetery. It has no script, nor a dialog. It features members of the family and their children playing around the cemetery and the abject poverty they live in.

Saudi tweeps were emotionally touched by the movie and below are some of their reactions under the hashtag #ma8barah.

@MarwanAlrouqi describes the logic behind the location [ar]:

A screen shot from the movie

@hayaalshatti asks [ar]:

And in reaction to the video, which has been watched more than 148,000 times on YouTube, smartman7779 says [ar]:

Three hours after publishing the movie, Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel, who is Vice-Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees and Head of the Executive Committee of the Al-Waleed bin Talal Foundations, announced on her Twitter [ar] account:

@malsahli [ar] comments:

and @essamz stresses on the power of the social media:

Two days later, @BaderAlHomoud announces:

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With all of the social media successes throughout the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, it would be all too easy to overlook the struggles faced by bloggers and netizens throughout the region. And yet, 2011 was an extraordinary difficult year for free expression, from Egypt's shutdown of the Internet to the numerous harassed, arrested, and detained bloggers from the Maghreb to the Gulf.

Iran: No room for free expression

Less than a week into 2012, Reporters Without Borders puts the number of jailed netizens globally at 126. Within the list, Iran stands out, as my colleague Fred Petrossian writes:

In 2011, the Iranian regime was faithful to its reputation as an enemy of internet as it continued to repress bloggers and even threaten their lives. Blogger Sakhi Rigi got a record breaking 20-year jail sentence. Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, who is serving 15 years in prison, struggled for his health and for a period was deprived of contact with his family and lawyer. RSF talked about the plight of seven netizens in Iran in July 2011. These cases are just the tip of the iceberg. While a few bloggers likeShiva Nazar Ahari andHossein Derakhshanwere released on bail, others like Mohammad Reza Pour Shajari may face charges of ‘Waging War Against God' (moharebeh), for which a death sentence can be pronounced. As Omid Reza Mirsayafi's tragic death shows, the more a blogger is isolated and deprived of a network, the more he is in danger.

Egypt, Syria, Bahrain among the region's worst

But while Iran may rank worst in terms of the number of bloggers detained, life for bloggers in much of the rest of the region has been no picnic. In Syria, where the uprising that started last spring shows few signs of abating, several prominent bloggers were arrested in 2011, threatening countless more into silence. Razan Ghazzawi, a former Global Voices contributor, spent fifteen days in prison in December until being released on bail, but still faces trial for “weakening the national sentiment,” among other charges. Hussein Ghrer, released in early December, also faces trial. Meanwhile, Tal Al-Mallohi, the teenaged blogger imprisoned in 2009, is serving a five year sentence.

Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah poses with his wife and fellow blogger Manal Hassan in Tunis just one month before his arrest

Egypt–where social media had arguably the largest impact in 2011–has also seen numerous bloggers struggle for their freedom. Blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad, who was arrested in March, was recently sentenced to two years in prison for criticizing the interim military regime on his blog. Sanad has spent much of his incarceration on hunger strike. Alaa Abd El Fattah, who was released on December 25 after nearly two months in prison, still faces trial on a number of trumped-up charges, a clear indication of his being a target for his outspokenness against the military.

Another blogger, Ayman Youssef Mansour, was sentenced in October by a civilian court to three years in prison for insulting religion on his Facebook page. Several other netizens have faced military questioning for online postings. The Egyptian campaign to end military trials for civilians has been instrumental in highlighting such cases.

A third country in the region ranks among the worst in 2011, though one wouldn't know it from following mainstream media coverage. Bahrain, where a nascent uprising was all but quashed early in the year, levied harsh punishments on several bloggers in 2011, including Global Voices Advocacy contributor Ali Abdulemam, who was sentenced in absentia to fifteen years in prison and is currently in hiding.

Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam at the 2009 Arabloggers Workshop in Beirut

Similarly, Abduljalil Al-Singace was given the same sentence. Earlier in the year, authorities briefly detained prominent bloggers Mahmood Al-Youif and Mohamed El-Maskati, while closer to the end of 2011, Zainab Al-Khawaja was briefly imprisoned, her brutal arrest caught on video. And most tragically, Zakariya Rashid Hassan Al-Ashiri became the second blogger ever to die in prison in March.

Elsewhere in the region, the struggle continues

Though perhaps less systematically, other countries in the region targeted bloggers as well in 2011. Prior to the fall of Ben Ali, Tunisian bloggers Slim Amamou (a Global Voices Advocacy contributor) and Azyz Amami were briefly imprisoned. Amami was then arrested again and beaten by police in September. Though the arrest was not for his blogging but for a joke told near a police station, it demonstrated the tenuous state of free expression in the country.

In Morocco, a blogger and several activists were arrested in September, while Saudi Arabia went after video bloggers who had been documenting poverty in the oil-rich country. And in the UAE, a female blogger was summoned for interrogation over a tweet.

Fighting for a better 2012

Though this represents only a fraction of those intimidated, harassed, and imprisoned in 2011, it is illustrative of the continued struggle faced by bloggers, activists, and other netizens in the region. And as 2012 kicks off with such a large number of bloggers in prison, it is apparent that there is more work to be done to ensure that the right to free expression is guaranteed for everyone. And fortunately, a growing number of grassroots organizations in the region are taking up the fight for digital rights. But nevertheless, bloggers must be ever vigilant, and consider the risks they face as they take their activism online. Global Voices salutes these brave bloggers and will continue to make sure their voices are heard throughout the world.

This post is part of our special coverage 2011 on Global Voices.

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Every time a year comes to an end, evaluations of it are made. Sometimes we tend to be very objective and other times, subjectivities float to the surface. Most of the time, these assessments, recollections and lists of the ‘best of the year' do not satisfy everybody.

Some members of the team of translators at Global Voices in Spanish [es], who during the past twelve months have worked behind the scenes to translate the best of what Global Voices Online publishes in English on a daily basis, decided to briefly express what we liked the most or what impacted us the most of what we have translated or seen posted. And as we say colloquially, let's put the ‘floro‘ (palaver) aside and get to the point:

Elisa López tells us about the post she enjoyed translating the most, and adds a note of personal information:

I really enjoyed translating Estados Unidos: ¿La NASA ha descubierto un planeta habitable? [es] (Has NASA Discovered a Life-Friendly Planet? [en])

I found the topic appealing. My husband and I are always discussing science-related events, and we had been discussing that particular topic a couple of days ago. And when I started working on the translation, I found the article well-written: clear, concise, and showing different points of view. Interesting information and good writing, a great combination!

Natán Calzolari shares his feelings and sentiments about Global Voices' involvement with world events:

This is one of the posts that I most enjoyed translating: Egipto: Los internautas se levantaron en apoyo a los egipcios en su Día de la Rabia [es] (Egypt: Netizens Rise for the Support of Egyptians on their Day of Rage [en])

While I was translating it I found myself really moved by how the whole world was helping the Egyptians to put their word out there. Needless to say, Global Voices did an incredible job amplifying their voices, and it was really exciting to be a part of it.

Isabel Guerra shows her amazement about a fact she wasn't aware of:

I enjoyed translating this one Filipinas: Debate sobre proyecto de Ley de Divorcio [es] (Phillipines: Debate on Divorce Bill [en]) because I wasn't aware that there was still a country that does not allow divorce!

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Rivera tells about her sadness while translating a post from Libya:

For me, Libia: De duelo por la muerte de Mohammed Nabbous [es] (Libya: Mourning Mohammed Nabbous [es]) was a very special and sad post to translate. Since Libya's revolution started, I followed ‘Mo's' reports and even watched his live feed. I just couldn't believe it when the news broke on Twitter that he had died. I knew, right away, I wanted to translate the post related to his death as soon as it was published as a tribute to a man I consider a hero and an inspiring citizen journalist. The post did him justice. It was sensitive, complete and very well phrased. Needless to say, I shed some tears while writing it and felt very connected - by heart - to the Libyan people and their struggle.

Although she didn't translated the post, Catalina Restrepo comments she was impressed with the situation women face in many countries:

It's no translated for me but was wonderful when I saw this article in Spanish: Arabia Saudita: Condenada a 10 latigazos por conducir un automóvil [es] (Saudi Arabia: Outrage Over 10 Lashes for Female Driver [en])

Generally Women here [Colombia] are not worried about their role in the society but about the fashion or beauty. When I read this story, I discover again that it's necessary for women [around the world] reflect on the importance of being a woman in honor of others who do not have the same “freedoms”.

Gabriela García Calderón shares her sentiment about the first news of what later would be known as the Arab Spring:

Even though it is actually a post published on late 2010, I think the most important post I've translated is Túnez: El intento de suicidio de un desempleado provoca disturbios [es] (Tunisia: Unemployed Man's Suicide Attempt Sparks Riots [en]).

This post tells us the plight of 26-year old Mohamed Bouazizi, who set himself on fire out of desperation for not being able to earn a living for himself and his family.

This at first isolated and individual action was the spark of was later known as the Arab Spring, a series of events that set the standard for the whole year. As usual, Global Voices was there to inform its reader about important events, almost while they are still happening.

Adriana Gutierrez tells us about her chosen post, also related to the Arab Spring:

It's kind of hard to pick just one memorable post for me (every single entry is special, one way or another), but I enjoyed translating this one: Egipto: Graffiti - Por una revolución colorida y un recuerdo inmortal [es] (Egypt: Graffiti - For a Colorful Revolution and an Undying Memory [en]).

I found very moving and creative the way egyptians took a very “simple” and ordinary thing as a street wall and converted it in a canvas to express their thoughts about revolution and to pay tribute to the martyrs, claming the street as theirs.

Indira Cornelio was also impressed by the circumstances some women have to live with:

I enjoyed translating this one Global: Bloggers debaten opiniones contra el nicab [es] (Global: Bloggers Take Issue With Anti-Niqab Punditry [en]) because it really got me thinking about the importance of tolerance as sometimes I find hard to understand how women in other countries live, and the laws or practices they have.

And said:

As a fan of hyperlinks, I like texts that starting off with just two or three lines can take you to new and various texts that may, sometimes, represent a lot of reading. It's just like opening a little wormhole on the generated mental image and taking to another dimension, just to come back to take off once again. That's why, I love posts just as CEE: More on Václav Havel and His Legacy, due to their concentrated richness.

With this small and humble sample we, the Global Voices Spanish team, wish to encourage authors all over the world to write their articles and to go on doing so. We want them to know that their texts not only inform, but also generate sentiments, discoveries and awareness in all the readers.

Thank you, and a happy 2012.

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

Written by Juan Arellano · Translated by Gabriela García Calderón · View original post [es] · comments (29)
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Protests

2011 was a year of popular uprisings. The end of the year is no different than the past months, with fed up people turning to the streets in their hope to get their voices heard and make a difference.

Middle East- North Africa

Kuwait: Stateless Protesters Attacked for Demanding Rights
Police attacked stateless protesters in Kuwait, who were demanding their rights to documents, education, healthcare, employment and naturalization.

Egypt: Women Against SCAF - Who Wins?

Egyptians are outraged at the Supreme Council for Armed Forces continuing brutality and abuse against women; this time they beat and in the process, undressed a veiled female protester, an action which was caught on video.

Egypt: Women Rally for Dignity

A couple of days after the events on the previous video, women marched in Cairo protesting against the abuses to women and also called for the fall of military rule as told in Bahrain: A Bloody National Day, a Funeral and More Suppression.

Iran: Where Is My Classmate?

A student campaign was launched on December 7 to remember all those students who have been unable to return to Iran's universities due to religious or political reasons: some banned, others expelled, some in prison and some of them were killed on the streets. Support from other places in the world was shown through videos to remember the departed and repressed students. This video was sent in from Barcelona, Spain.

Saudi Arabia: Netizens Use Online Activism to Draw Attention to Qatif Protests

The month of November marked the return of protests to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia in 2011, as the people of Qatif took to the streets to demand reforms, equality, the release of their detainees, and political freedom as many of their slogans and chants have expressed. So far, four protesters have been shot dead by security forces as a result.

Occupy Protests Worldwide

See special coverage page.

USA: Uncertain Future of Student Occupy Movement in California

After the pepper spray incident and video, the University of California's participation in the worldwide Occupy movement gained media attention. They are protesting against a 40% enrollment free increase, the high interest rates for student loans and the decreased availability of state financial aid.

Bahrain: #OccupyBudaiyaSt Continues

Peaceful protesters in Bahrain who are pressuring the government to release political prisoners and pay tribute to the more than 40 people killed by security forces since February have been faced with police attacks, brutality, tear gas, and rubber bullets. This comes after police were caught on different videos brutalizing 25 protesters on a roof with batons and knives.

Philippines: “Occupy” Protests Overcome Police Brutality

Highlighting the theme “sawang-sawa na tayo (we are fed up),” the campout protest tackled a broad range of issues from the Aquino administration's budget cuts for education and social services, nonstop oil and basic commodities price hikes, land reform, migrant issues, urban poor demolitions, and persistent human rights violations.

Elections

Electoral unrest has also motivated thousands out into the streets. In Russia the result reporting more than 140% of voters has already become a meme. And although the Congolese diaspora was unable to vote, they made sure to get their voices heard by the world.

Eastern and Central Europe

With the elections in Russia, online video has proven a useful tool in documenting electoral violations such as disappearing ink pens, paid voters and inflated turnouts as well as the later post electoral protests. Posts like Russia: No Violation of Election Violations and Russia: Second Day of Post-Election Protests explain the motives behind the protests such as election results, blogger arrests and also the clashes with anti-activists groups recruited and shipped into Moscow from other regions to demonstrate support for Vladimir Putin. An example of the electoral violations is the use of erasable pens left in voting booths:

Subsaharan Africa

D.R. of Congo: Congolese Diaspora Erupts Against Kabila

The Congolese nationals based outside the Congo demonstrated in front of embassies in several different countries. Although they weren't granted the possibility to vote in the past presidential and parliamentary elections, they protested to bring awareness to the situation in their country and in some cases to protest the results of the elections and to demand the departure of President Kabila. International governments have already approached the Congolese government to intercede and stop the violence in their capitals.

Culture

Is culture found in the traditions handed down through generations or is it found in the behaviors and activities which get adopted and followed by the population? In Mexico, children are growing up believing they are less because of their skin color. In Cuba, very popular but sexually explicit music gets censored, and in Trinidad, a religious Shia Muslim commemoration has in turn become a festival.

Latin America

Mexico: The Results of a Racism Experiment with Children

These children demonstrate how pervasive racism has become in Mexico. All that was needed was a pair of dolls, one light skinned and one dark for children to express how they felt the whiter doll was better, even if they identified more with the dark-skinned one.

Caribbean

Ashura Commemorations Around the World

The Shia Muslim commemoration of Ashura takes place in many places around the world. In Trinidad and Tobago it has transformed into the festival of Hosay and the ritual is shared with Sunnis, Hindus and Afro-Trinidadians.

Cuba: Reggaeton Hit ‘Chupi Chupi' Denounced by Authorities

A popular reggaeton song which sings explicitly about oral sex has been denounced as obscene by the authorities in Cuba. The debate on censorship has moved online where people debate on the song's merits as part of the actual culture of the island, whether people like it or not, and the impact the authorities comments will have on the songs popularity.

Global Voices Online

I would like to thank you for reading and supporting our work, thanks to which we can bring you these and other stories. Please take a second to read about our new fundraising campaign which comes with a lovely video:

Global Voices is a volunteer community of over 500 writers, translators, and digital media activists who bring you underreported stories and conversations from around the world. Watch our new video highlighting images and quotations from some of our supporters:

The video is also available in multiple languages.

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According to news reports, the woman was accused by the religious police who arrested her for “tricking people into thinking she could treat illnesses” and charging them money for the “treatment.” She was arrested in April 2009 and convicted in a Saudi court.

Amnesty International described the beheading as “deeply shocking and highlights the urgent need for a halt in executions in Saudi Arabia.”

“The charges of ‘witchcraft and sorcery’ are not defined as crimes in Saudi Arabia and to use them to subject someone to the cruel and extreme penalty of execution is truly appalling,” said Philip Luther Amnesty International’s interim Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme.

On Twitter, Ahmed Al Attar, from Abu Dhabi, the UAE, mocks:

@AhmedwAlAttar: Lets all congratulate Saudi, the beheading of the dubiously-judged “witch” means they have now entered the 16th century.

Emirates-based journalist Tom Gara jokes:

@tomgara: Doesn't Saudi Arabia know that beheading a witch only increases her magical powers?

And Canadian Kevin Carter adds:

@wapimaskwa69: Woman beheaded for being a witch. Not a Monty Python sketch, just another day in Saudi Arabia.

Qatar-based Foreign Policy editor Blake Hounshell asks:

@blakehounshell: Curious to know: How does one prove the charge of witchcraft in Saudi Arabia?

The question garnered some funny reactions. Fatma Makki, from Muscat, Oman, responds:

@fatamo: @blakehounshell 1)See if she floats if u drop her in a barrel of oil 2) Give her car keys: if she knows what to do with it she's obv[iously] a witch

And Bahraini Abdulla Al Romaihi notes:

@Abdulla287: No, they push them off a cliff if she flies she's a witch, if not then she dies & goes to heaven ( :

Saudi Arabia has executed at least 79 people, including five women, this year, according to Amnesty International. This is triple the number of executions, compared to last year when 27 people were beheaded.

The human rights organisation adds:

Hundreds more people are believed to be under sentence of death, many of them convicted of drugs offences. They have often had no defence lawyer and in many cases have not been informed of the progress of legal proceedings against them.

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One of the signs held in Qatif protests. Photo credit: Crowd Voice

The regime justified its acts saying protests in Qatif are plotted by a foreign agenda, hinting on Iran since the Eastern Province is inhabited by a large number of Shias.

The youth of Qatif used YouTube, Facebook and Twitter as their platform to spread the news from the protests by posting videos, pictures, and updates.

It was clear that the world and in specific Arab mainstream media supported the protests in just the same way the Bahrain protests were treated, especially when they first started back in February 2011. Following in this report are some of the videos posted from the Qatif protests.

Western media have reported four shot dead, however, through social networking, users from the Eastern Province claim that there were at least ten killed so far throughout November, including a seven year old girl, but they have not provided any evidence.

In this video, posted on 25 November, 2011, by YouTube user The Qatifi, protesters chant “We will not give up”:

Protesters chant against member of the Al Saudi Royal family Mohammed Bin Fahad, who is the Governor of the Eastern Province, as they get shot at in this video, uploaded on YouTube by Revolution2East:

In this video, posted on the 21 November, we can see anti-regime graffiti on the walls. The video was uploaded on YouTube by user NesrinMusaNM. In this video, the protesters are chanting: “We will only kneel to Allah (God).”

This next video shows a small group of men from Qatif marching and chanting against the regime. They have covered their faces to protect them from prosecution by the Saudi authorities, as protests and all forms of dissent are banned in the Kingdom. In this video, uploaded on YouTube by Revolution2East, the protesters are chanting: “Al Saud Out Out! The Arab Peninsula is Free!”

Here's a montage video [Warning: GRAPHIC. Viewer discretion is advised] of the protests, showing security forces shooting, and footage of a killed man before his burial.

On November 20, Qatif witnessed the shooting of its first protester. The authorities are said to have refused to hand his body to his family. His name is Nasser Al-Mheishi and he was only 19 years old. In reaction, protesters took to the streets again on November 21 and another young man called Ali al-Felfel was shot dead.

This video, posted on the 23 November by YouTube user NesrinMusa NM, shows footage taken from the funerals of both martyrs:

In the demonstration that followed on Wednesday, two more protesters were killed - Munib Al-Adnan and Ali Qarayrees. This video [Warning: GRAPHIC] shows the bullet in Al-Adnan's head.

Here, in this video uploaded on YouTube by AwamiaTV, the people of Qatif mourn Al-Adnan:

And in here, in this video uploaded on YouTube by YaShaheed33, they mourn Qarayrees:

In reaction, this video, posted on the 26 November by YouTube user Al Watani Al Hur, shows Bahrainis protesting in solidarity with the people of Qatif. The protests took place in the village of Nuwaidrat:

The protests also moved to Istanbul, Turkey, where this video, uploaded on YouTube by Mashe Hossein, shows angry Turkish protesters chanting against the Saudi royal family and burning pictures the Saudi monarch King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud:

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In this post we look at different Ashura rituals around the world, and bloggers describe what Ashura means to them.

Last year during Muharram, Pakistani blogger Fahad Desmukh mapped commemorations in different countries:

View The Globalization of Muharram in a larger map

Fahad wrote a post to accompany the map:

The map is far from exhaustive, as there are literally thousands of Muharram videos on Youtube from all over the over the world. I've just selected a few that show the wide diversity of the rituals as they have spread around the world.

The map and videos quite neatly reflect the migration and displacement patterns of people from the time of the events of Karbala in 680AD to all corners of the globe today. It also shows something about how rituals and tradition are defined, and then continuously moulded by time and migration.

So, for example, here is one path taken. The rites travelled east from Iraq, across Persia, to North India sometime between 1300 and 1700 AD. Although Shi'ite Muslims claimed ownership of the rites, in India Sunnis and even Hindus were active participants.

In Mauritius, Ashura is known as Ghoon. This video, uploaded by YouTube user MrKheiz, shows Ghoon back in December 2010:

Fahad wrote:

During the days of the British Raj, thousands of Indian indentured labourers travelled to far flung regions of the British Empire, such as Fiji, Mauritius and the Caribbean Islands, taking these rituals with them. In Trinidad, the rites became known as the festival of Hosay, in which not only Sunnis and Hindus participated, but also Afro-Trinidadians. In Trinidad, the Dhol-Tasha drums (referred to as ‘Tassa') and Tazias ('Tadja') can still clearly be seen.

Video by RajkumariCC on YouTube, December 31, 2009.

In Qatif in eastern Saudi Arabia, blogger Mujtaba Alsaif has written about his experience of Ashura:

The days of Ashura are always filled with a lot of activities in Qatif. Stepping into Qatif during this season, the visitor can't help but realize that there is something happening. This activity can consume the individual's time positively as he can visit the many lectures that may hold a significant value, or attend a session of a Latmiya [recitations commemorating the days of Ashura] to understand this region's struggles during a specific period, or just to walk around and discuss with the people to gather their understanding of these blessed days and what Imam Hussain's sacrifice means to them. Muharram in Qatif has always been special to me because it is truly a season that brings people of the region together and abolishes the negativity they have for one another.

An Ashura commemoration in Ghana uploaded to YouTube by Asad1969 on July 30, 2010:

In Atlanta in the United States, blogger Taahira Abdul-Halim has put down her thoughts:

Without Imam Hussain's sacrifice, I would be just like all of the others in the world who wander like drones on this Earth, passing time, questioning their existence, seeking to find temporary satisfaction in trivial things. I wouldn't have Islam. The single most imprtant aspect of my life. The single most important part of being me. I'm starting to get a little bit emotional now because I just know how awful it would be to not have Allah swt [Subhanahu wa ta'ala - may He be glorified and exalted] in my life.

An Ashura commemoration in Moscow, Russia, uploaded to YouTube by djeyxun on January 19, 2008:

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When interrogated, she said she drove her car because she had no means of public or private transportation and needed to get to the hospital. Over the past 48 hours, Saudi tweeps confirmed that Jastaniya received the court's lashing order and has 30 days to appeal. Unlike other women who drove in Saudi Arabia, such as Manal Al-Sharif and Najlaa Hariri, Jastaniya did not video-tape herself when driving to post it online.

What came as a bigger surprise to Saudis was actually the leaked document that the court sent to Al-Watan newspaper summoning two female journalists to court for writing the news article on the lashing sentence Jastaniya received two months ago. The two female journalists are Nissrin Najm Al-Din and Samya Al-Essa and here is a link to the story they wrote about the lashing, where they refer to the first two letters of Jastaniya's name.

An illustration by Emirati Wafa Al Marzouqi in support of Saudi "Women to Drive" campaign. The caption reads: I have the right to drive.

On Twitter, Saudi Fahad (@Solidus_Fahad) was enraged by the news. He tweeted:

@Solidus_Fahad: If a woman can be whipped just for driving could you imagine what would happen to her for speaking her mind out loud?!

@Solidus_Fahad: Saudi woman with great progressive beliefs will be whipped in public in the name of religion and male supremacy! Because of driving!

From Jeddah, Noha Aldhahri (@MsNohaAldhahri) tweeted the news on the two female journalists called to court. She wrote:

@MsNohaAldhahri: #Saudi Ministry of Information suing two #reporters for covering #Shaima #lashing case.

Saudi Human Rights activist Waleed Abu Alkhair (@abualkhair) who was taken to court last September, posted the leaked document that called the two reporters to court:

@abualkhair: The document from #Saudi Ministry [of] Info Suing 2 Reporters 4 publishing #Shaima lashing case http://twitpic.com/7dzqgi

From Riyadh, (@Anwaar33) criticized what she described as the corrupt system in Saudi Arabia [ar]:

A Saudi-American tweep nicknamed (@Ana3rabeya) referred to Princess Amira Al-Taweel, the wife of Prince Waleed Bin Talal, who tweeted two months ago saying that Shaima got her sentence dropped:

@Ana3rabeya: Fictional TruthSeeker: “Was there, or was there Not, Royal Pardon issued 4 #Shaima Lashing Sentence?”, Ameerah Al-Taweel: *Crickets*.

Blogger Majed Al-Enizi (@QMajed) criticized the laws in Saudi Arabia [ar]:

Hala Khalaf (@tbaish) too wanted to see a change. She wrote [ar]:

Farah Al Ibrahim (@farah_alibrahim), a female Twitter user based in Dubai, UAE, wrote [ar]:

Several Twitter users, mostly writing under pseudonyms, have cheered for this decision saying whoever crosses the law should be punished. Others used the opportunity to bash “liberals” and those seeking reforms in the Kingdom. This Twitter user used the discrimination card against women activists [ar]:

Abdullatif Mohammad (@AboLa6eef) was complaining of tweets in favour of Jastaniya, saying she deserved her punishment [ar]:

He added:

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Tweeted picture of Firas with his little brothers after getting released

Around two weeks ago, Saudi Arabia arrested three young video bloggers Firas Buqna, Hussam Al-Darwish and Khaled Al-Rasheed for producing an episode of their show Malub Alena about poverty in one of Riyadh's areas. The name of the show can be translated into We Are Being Fooled and this episode was actually their fourth episode after previous shows on youth and police corruption. Before the arrests, the show was having a good number of views but in few days after their arrests, it was viewed for more than 600,000 times.

Here's a copy of the video, with English subtitles, from YouTube:

The show's title also turned into a Twitter hashtag #Mal3ob3lena, where Saudis condemned the arrests of those three young men and also expressed their sorrow against the oppression of free speech in the kingdom. This came hand in hand with the use of another hashtag that has been alive for months #e3teqal (translated to: Arrest) where people post updates and discuss the issue of thousands of Saudi detainees, many of whom arrested for no valid reasons and are being denied the right to fair trials.

Saudi blogger Haneen wrote a post [ar] about what those three young vloggers have done:

Twitter surely carried most of the Saudi reactions towards the news of releasing the three vloggers. Firas' mother (@omm_feras) joined Twitter after his arrest only to post her prayers and thus gain attention, support, and sympathy for her son's case. After his release she tweeted for her 6000+ followers, whom she gained over two weeks, saying:

Saudi blogger Khaled Al-Nasser (@Mashi9a7) found the arrests helpful for the cause:

Saudi blogger Abdullah Al-Suwaiyan wrote a post after the arrests entitled Firas.. the prophet of new media:

Saad Al-Najdi (@SNajdi) used the opportunity to compare between mainstream media and citizen media:

Lahem Alnasser (@lahem88) made the connection between the vloggers and political detainees in Saudi Arabia:

Another Saudi user (@SaudiLibral) saw releasing the vloggers as a victory:

Ali Al-Nuaim (@nuaim2), Firas' friend, tweeted the Firas' words after his release:

Saudi (@eyad94Z) expressed his happiness with the release:

Dhary Al-Sahbibi (@iDharoooy212) asked a question which was repeated by others:

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It is not as if Saudis didn't see this coming; however, a sort of wishful thinking kept imagining that King Abdullah might choose someone else. Now, with the official news appointing Naif as the crown prince, who will stay in charge of the Interior Ministry as well, Saudis are expecting stronger support for religious authorities and the police, as well as less freedom and more arrests. Prince Naif has been known for these actions over the past years of his management of the Interior Ministry.

Saudis tweeted this picture of Prince Naif with a quote that shows his opposition to women driving: "I said it in the Shura Council, Women will not drive cars as long as I am alive."

Reactions online

Saudi tweep Ali J. Al-Dawood (@abu_jafar) [ar] commented sarcastically on the news, saying the new era might put all Saudis in jail:

والله عندي إحساس ان الشعب السعودي كله راح يتهشتق

Waleed Al-Khodhairi (@i_Waleed) [ar] has also hinted about arrests under Prince Naif:

اللهم موّت الشعب في يوم واحد ويصحى بعدها الزعيم ما يلاقي حد يسجنه

Saudi journalist Ebtihal Mubarak (@EbtihalMubarak) posted a link to a Facebook group three days ago:

@EbtihalMubarak: Saudi FB page: “No for Prince Naif as Crown Prince” لا للأمير نايف ولياً للعهد on.fb.me/nlsiGH

And after the news came official, she posted those two tweets:

@EbtihalMubarak: Saudis fave word tonight “The horror, the horror” http://bit.ly/cSjlpq #NaifHalloween

@EbtihalMubarak: It's not like Saudis experienced democracy under Abdullah's reign but they're weeping over his soon to end days sums it all.

Another Saudi female tweep called Norah (@Hit_Zero) [ar] referred to freedom of speech in Prince Naif's coming era:

تويتر في الطريق للحجب .. حفلة وداعية لجميع حديث العقل.. واقبال متوالي لشراء الطيران

Khaled Hothaly (@k_hothaly) [ar] brought up the issue of arrests:

إعدام أعمار البشر في المعتقلات كإعدام الأجساد بالرصاص .. لا فرق

A 15-year-old Saudi high school student Saud Bin Khaled (@SaudBinKhaled) [ar] addressed Prince Naif saying:

يجب على الامير نايف .. ان يلتزم بالدين لا بالعُرف ، و أن يعترف بالحوار

Another Saudi student (@reefaa_) [ar] tweeted in fear of the coming days:

الله يطول بعمر ابو متعب اعتقد ايامه راح تكون ايام دلع ب النسبه لنا عقب مايصير نايف ملك اللهم اعطنا خيره وأكفنا شره

One more student (@AwthahAbs) [ar] referred to the oppression of free speech under Naif's rule:

إلحمدلله اني وقفت توترة عن بعض المواضيع تجهزا لهاليوم المبارك:$

Kuwaiti tweep Saad Alajmi (@alajmi_saad) [ar] referred to how Naif's era will not be in favor of women demands:

كان يا ما كان، كان فيه نساء حلوين يحلموا يقودوا السيارات

من منطلق استراتيجي مرحلي، ادعو المرأة السعودية للمطالبة بحق قيادة المرأة “للدراجة الهوائية”! أما السيارة ففي الجنة ان شاالله

Haneen Alhawas (@haneen_alhawas) [ar] referred to the same issue of women rights:

اقول جميع نساء المملكة انسي انك تسوقين سيكل بحوشكم

Saudi Blogger Fouad Al-Farhan (@alfarhan) [ar] has always referred to the Saudi Kingdom under Prince Naif as the new North Korea and today he received the news by posting the national anthem of North Korea, in bitter sarcasm:

النشيد الوطني لـ كوريا الشمالية http://bit.ly/vR3n77

Ali Al-Amer (@_3amr) [ar] wrote one more tweet about the issue of arrests:

كل مواطن الآن زادت نسبة احتمالية دخوله السجن ثلاثة أضعاف

Abdullah AbdulRahman (@3badi8) [ar] has also showed his fear of the police:

جيب الشرطة البني صار مرعب أكثر من قبل

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