Global Voices » United Arab Emirates

Proposals for Union of Arab Gulf States Prompt Concern

Salah Almhamdi — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:48:53 +0000

The governments of the Gulf are discussing transforming the current Gulf Cooperation Council into an EU-style union. The move comes in an atmosphere of uncertainty and tension caused by the Arab uprisings and Iran's growing influence. As a first step, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain might seek closer union.

Full discussions of the issue have been delayed until December.

GCC civil society groups have requested that their governments postpone the move and engage their people through a referendum. Iran has called for rallies against the proposed union of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain which it describes as an annexation of Bahrain (and its comments were in turn protested by Bahrain).

Across the Gulf concern has been expressed regarding the plans for a union.

GCC states. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Aiyah Saihati, a Saudi blogger and entrepreneur, slammed the plan:

Saudi’s attempt to create a union for the purpose of countering Iran, which is not a threat, is only to enhance the sectarian narrative. Shifting the narrative from democratization to a sectarian frame changes how potential protests in the country are handled. The smaller countries with denser resources are ahead of Saudi in some of aspects of development and already have partially and soon fully elected parliaments. Uniting with Saudi just means inheriting its dogmas and problems. It means diluting dense resources over a larger more problematic constituency as well as diluting power per square area if one considers the total area governed by Al-Saud. If I were Qatar, why would I dive in?

Kuwaiti Ghassan El-Wagayan tweeted:

@Ghassanw: Thank you but NOOOOOO thank you

In Bahrain, Ali Al Saeed asked:

@alialsaeed: Oh no, women drive in #Bahrain? How can there be a union with #saudi? Ban female drivers?! #GCCunion

Kuwaiti Mishal Al Mutire expressed his concerns:

@MishalALmutire: اكثر ما اخشاه من هذا الاتحاد كل صاحب راي بالمنامه .. يُحاكم بالرياض ! ‎‫#اتحاد_خليجي‬‏

What I fear most from this Union is [the possibility that] someone with an opinion in Manama could be tried in Riyadh!

Bahraini journalist Wafa Alamm wrote:

@wafaalamm: من يعتقد أنني ضد قيام اتحاد خليجي فهو مخطأ/ الاتحاد الخليجي مهم ولكن ولادته بدولتين فقط لظرف معين يفقده قيمته لانه يصبح معاق ‎‪#bahrain‬‏ ‎‪#GCC‬‏

Whoever thinks I'm against a Gulf union is wrong; the Gulf Union is important but its birth with just two states [responding to] a specific circumstance deprives it of value because it becomes handicapped

Journalist Mohammad Albaghli questioned the feasibility of the move:

@albaghli74: دول الخليج صار لهم 9 سنوات مو عارفين يتفقون على مشروع بسيط مثل الاتحاد الجمركي ،، اليوم يبون اتحاد خليجي شامل بين دول الخليج !! تتغشمرون ؟!

For nine years the Gulf states haven't been able to agree on a simple plan like the customs union… Today they want a complete Gulf union!! Are they kidding?

Madawi Al Rasheed, a Saudi professor of social anthropology, tweeted:

@MadawiDr: الوحدة الخليجية ليست عملية مصاهرة بين البنين و البنات بل مستقبل شعوب تطمح لوحدة من نوع اخر ‎‫#اتحاد_خليجي‬

Gulf unity is not like arranging an alliance between boys and girls, but the future of peoples aspiring for unity of another kind.

Arab World: Netizens Turn to Twitter to Complain About Dust

Amira Al Hussaini — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:05:47 +0000

A massive sandstorm hit the Gulf region, disrupting air traffic in Yemen, and closing schools in Saudi Arabia. Netizens from Yemen, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar turned to Twitter to complain.

In Dubai, UAE, Iyad El-Baghdadi complains:

@Iyad_elbaghdadi: God there's dust everywhere, in my eyes, in my nose, on my desk, between my fingers, in my glass, on my keyboard. And I'm sealed indoors.

From Qatar, Hannah laments:

@hshurey: I am so fed up with this dust in Doha. I can barely even remember what fresh air is!

Ahmed Al Hashemi, from Abu Dhabi, UAE, notes:

@ADHashemi: Covered in so much dust I'm gonna need a car wash to get it all off. To make matters worse its really doing a number on my eyes

And Ozair Taher, from neighbouring Dubai, UAE, adds:

@Ozair25: Dust, dust, dust, dust & D.U.S.T “We should all pray for rain seriously!” #Dubai

Rain is also on Wael Al Jaber's mind. Al Jaber, from the Saudi capital Riyadh writes:

@W_Jaber: That awkward moment when people are talking about rain but all i see is dust #RiyadhWeather

Håkon Gaarder-Larsen, a Norwegian hotelier who lives and works in Riyadh, notes:

@Haakon_G_Larsen: Funny how a week of sandstorms and dust in Riyadh makes me look forward to the polluted air in Cairo next week

And Hisham Wyne jokes:

@HishamWyne: It's not a sandstorm. It's just that the dust bunnies are breeding ferociously. They're allowed four wives each too.

Meanwhile, in Sanaa, Yemen, schools are closed because of the dust storm. Noon Arabia clarifies:

@NoonArabia: Tomorrow and after will shut down too “@WomanfromYemen: dust storm in #sanaa caused schools to shut down today #yemen”

UAE: Use of VPN to Fight Censorship

Amira Al Hussaini — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 16:10:59 +0000

On Twitter, UAE commentator Sultan Al Qassemi writes: ‘The UAE is in the top ten VPN users of @golden_frog, company president says to me “You guys like the Internet but you don't like censorship”‘

Arab World: Where Even Valentine's Day is Different

Amira Al Hussaini — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:29:37 +0000

It's Valentine's Day today! The occasion was not forgotten despite a year of protest across a large portion of the Arab world.

From the UAE, Yasser Hareb tweets:

@YasserHareb: I don't believe in valentine's day. True love has no occasion.. True love is the occasion #Valentine

Abdullah Al Rasheed, from Saudi Arabia, which bans all forms of Valentine's celebrations, writes [ar]:

لا أريد أن احتفل بهذا اليوم .. أحرقوا كل أعيادهم وأعطوني مجتمعاً لا يشوه الحب .. لا يحاصر القلب ! ‎#valentine‏

@ALRrsheed: I don't want to celebrate this day. Burn all their festivals and give me a society which does not tarnish love … and does not arrest the heart

And Ramu Salame jokes:

@ramisalame: Hey, Saudi tweeps, I have a question: Tomorrow, for Valentine's Day, are we supposed to avoid red meat?

Eyad Joudeh explains why this question is plausible in Saudi Arabia. He tweets:

@EyadJ: Valentine's day, the only day of the year where people in Saudi Arabia can go to jail for wearing a certain color.

While reminds Sultan Angari reminds us [ar]:

سوف نضحك يوماً ما..بأنه كان بيننا أُناس يمنعون إهداء الوردة الحمراء أو حتى بيعها وشراءها في يوم محدد من ايام الله! ‎#Saudi‏ ‎#Valentine‏

@AngariSultan: We will laugh some day about how we had people living amongst us who banned people from giving, selling or buying red roses on a certain day of the year

Saudi Arabia bans all forms of Valentine's celebrations. It's notorious Commission for the Prevention of Virtue and Prevention of Vice raids shops in the run up to Valentine's Day, forcing owners to remove all symbols of the Valentine's, including roses, hearts, balloons and red wrapping paper.

Egyptian Nermeen Edrees finds a heart drawn on her red car. Photo credit: Nermeen Edrees, shared on Twitter

Moving on, Egyptian Nermeen Edrees was welcomed after work with a lovely surprise. She tweets:

@NermeenEdrees: Nice surprise..someone decided to draw a heart on my car :D

Meanwhile, in Bahrain, today marks the first anniversary of the start of massive protests, styled after the so-called Arab Spring revolutions which have also rocked Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen, to name a few.

There, blogger Mahmood Al Yousif comments on the brief detention this afternoon of human rights activist Nabeel Rajab by saying:

@mahmood: #FreeNabeel another special #Bahrain hash tag on this lively Valentine's day @NABEELRAJAB

Anonymous, the loosely formed international group of hackers, also presented Bahrainis with a Valentine's present. Human rights activist Maryam Al Khawaja tweets about it:

@maryamalkhawaja: “#Anonymous to People of #Bahrain: Happy #Valentine's Day” Anonymous takes down websites of contractors tht sell to Bahrain regime #feb14

And finally, back in Egypt, Mohammed El Dahshan could be in trouble. He exclaims:

@eldahshan: Ha! I managed to spend the entire day without speaking about Valentine's day and… oh crap.

Arab World: RIP Whitney Houston

Amira Al Hussaini — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:37:41 +0000

Arabs join the rest of the world in mourning the death of superstar Whitney Houston, who was found dead in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, at the age of 48. Reactions on social media platforms ranged from sadness and shock to those questioning why the death of Houston got more coverage in a few hours than the death of thousands of Syrians over the last 11 months.

From Dubai, UAE, Official Herv on YouTube shares this video showing the Dubai Fountains synchronised with Houston's I Will Always Love You!. This video has been watched 115,600 times since it was uploaded yesterday:

Back on Twitter, Egyptian Marwa G H draws a comparison to how news of the daily carnage in Syria is being received around the world. She tweets:

@Marwa_G_H: everyone is sad & posting about Whintey's death?! 100 people die every day in #Syria - it makes no-one sad. Maybe they should start singing?

Misha Zand, who lives in Cairo, responds:

@MishaZand: Thank you! WH has been a process of suicide waiting to happen for almost two decades now! While others fight to survive. #syria

Singer Whitney Houston performing on Good Morning America, 2009. Image by Flickr user asterix611 (CC BY-SA 2.0).

And Fadi Al Qadi adds:

@fqadi: either we'ren't informing world properly, or it doesn't want be informed: millions of RIP to Whitney Houston, few for 1000s #Syria victims

Syrian Amal Hanano looks at it from a different perspective, sharing lines from a Houston song:

@AmalHanano: “No matter what they take from me, they can't take away my dignity.” #Homs #Syria #favoritewhitneysong

While Dalia Ezzat questions:

@DaliaEzzat_: What is it with the twitter conscience police? Whether people want to tweet about Syria, Greece, or Whitney Houston is their prerogative.

Finally, Qatari diplomat Nasser H Al Khalifa reminds us:

@NasserIbnHamad: Whitney Houston passed away and with her part of my generation memory.She had a great voice and deep feelings you can feel listening to her

MENA: 2011, a Year of Struggle and Triumphs for Bloggers

Jillian C. York — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 07:46:56 +0000

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

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.

Photo credits: Jillian C. York.

UAE: Several Islamists' Citizenships Revoked

Amira Al Hussaini — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:39:24 +0000

The UAE has revoked the citizenship of several Islamists. Sultan Al Qassemi has more in this blog post.

UAE: Female Twitter User Rowda Hamed Summoned for Interrogation

Mona Kareem — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:38:53 +0000

Twitter avatar of UAE female twitter user Rowda Hamed

On Wednesday morning, a female Twitter user from the United Arab Emirates called Rowda Hamed (@Rowda_Hamed) tweeted saying that she has been summoned for interrogation. She is one of the few Twitter users from the UAE supporting the five detained activists who recently went on hunger strike, which she joined in to show support, according to her older tweets. Blogger Khalifa Al-Nuaimi (@Alnuaimi_k) started the hashtag #RowdaHamed to support her and spread her case through Twitter. Many tweeps, especially from outside the UAE, have tweeted to show solidarity. Rowda wrote explaining how the summoning came [Ar]:

والدتي منهارة من خبر استدعاء جهاز الأمن لي،بغضّ النظر عن الأذى الذي سأتلقاه أنا أو أسرتي،أنا ثابتة على موقفي

@Rowda_Hamed: My mother is devastated over the security's call for me, despite the harm that I and my family will go through, I insist on my stand.

للعلم هذا رابع استدعاء لي،ذهبت مرتين،وفي الثالثة لم أذهب ومع ذلك أوذيت،الله وحده يعلم ما يحضّرونه لي من مفاجآت طالما لم تنفع القوة والتهديد

@Rowda_Hamed: For your information, this is the fourth call I got, I went twice and the third I did not and no harm was done to me. Only God knows what surprises they're preparing for me when force and threats don't work!

الاستدعاء لا يعتبر رسميا،طالما كان عن طريق الاتصال بأخي،لذلك لا أنوي الذهاب حتى لو أرغموني بالقوة

@Rowda_Hamed: The call is not official because they called my brother. I do not want to go even if I were forced to.

Saudi female blogger Nouf Abdullaziz (@nofah1) wrote one of the early reactions to Rowda's ordeal:

روضة ساعدتني في مجال المعتقلين دون أن تنتظر جزاءًاأوشكورًا لم تقل هؤلاء ليسوامن بلدي، بل بادرت،اللهم انهانصرتنا فأنصرها ياالله

@nofah1: Rowda helped me in the case of Saudi detainees without waiting for any reward or thanks. She did not think that they are not of her country. May God help her.

From the UAE, Ibrahim Alharam (@IbrahimAlharam) condemned such action against activists:

روضة حامد مثال للفتيات الاماراتيات اللواتي يحملن هم هذا الوطن ،، لا للاجراءات الأمنية التعسفية ضد كل الناشطين

@IbrahimAlharam: Rowda Hamed is a role model for Emirati women who care about their country. No to the oppressing security acts against activists.

Rashid Al-kaabi (@rashid580) wrote in criticism of Gulf leaders:

تستغرب عندما يغردون القاده العرب والخليج بشكل خاص وينصحون بشار ونسو انفسهم

@rashid580: You wonder how Arab and Gulf leaders in specific, advise Bashar Assad and forget about their own acts.

Qatari lawyer Ahmad Alkhanji (@aalkhanji) has also criticized the Emirati authorities on this:

كيف تدعي الرغبة في الاصلاح السياسي ثم تعتقل من يتعاطف مع سجين الرأي؟

@aalkhanji: How do you claim that you want political reform then arrest someone who sympathizes with political detainees?

سلطات ابوظبي تخلق لنفسها مشكلة وتشوه صورة الامارات امام المنظمات الحقوقية .. والله من لا شي!

@aalkhanji: Abu Dhabi authorities are distorting the UAE's image in front of human rights organizations. And for no reason!

Active Saudi Twitter user (@SAUDI_LIBER) referred to the case of Rowda as an example of what Gulf rulers do:

روضة…صورة من النفاق السياسي لحكام الخليج..وازدواج المعايير..وفي كل دولة خليجية الف روضة

@SAUDI_LIBER: Rowda shows the image of political hypocrisy of Gulf rulers and double standards. In each Gulf country, there are a thousand Rowdas.

Abdullah Al-Balasi (@3bdlla) draws a comparison between his country, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE:

بالرغم من سوء الموقف المحلي لدينا في السعودية، لكن يبدو اننا لانقارن بالامارات! الفتاة ليس لها تأثير والفلوزر ألف ليه التحقيق؟!

@3bdlla: Despite how bad the local situation is in Saudi Arabia, it does not seem comparable to the UAE. The girl has no influence and only got a thousand followers, why would she be interrogated!

An Emirati engineer called Tariq Alhammadi (@Tariq_Alhammadi) asked a logical question:

سؤال يطرح نفسه : قبل ان يسرف الجميع في الحديث عن موضوع روضه حامد ، حد منكم يعرف روضه حامد شخصيا ومتأكد من مصداقية ما تقول ؟!

@Tariq_Alhammadi: Before everyone talks about Rowda Hamed, does any of you know her personally and sure of how legitimate her claims are?

Emirati Sami (@bnt3bdallah) wrote to clarify and admit:

@bnt3bdallah: I don't believe that the UAE is at this level of oppression.. BUT I don't think its fair that we r n the dark about the 5 convicts.

Another Twitter user (@dankendonuts) from the UAE wrote in optimism:

السلطات الإماراتية مستحيل تضرها بِ شي ! و روضةة راجعتلگم ، وحتى المعتقلين بإذن الله بيرجعون، حگومتنا ما تظلم

@dankendonuts: UAE authorities will never harm her! Rowda will be back to you, and the five detainees too. Our government is never unfair.

Several Twitter users from the UAE with anonymous identities were bashing Rowda and the five detained activists too. This one for example, which uses the same conspiracy theory popular in the region now, which is to claim that anyone who opposes the regime is an Iranian:

روضه حامد إيرانية وليست إماراتية … ولا تمت بصله للإمارات

@Rozez_r_rEd: Rowda Hamed is Iranian not Emirati. She has nothing to do with the UAE.

This one, on the other hand, brought the common Emirati charge which puts any one from the opposition as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood group:

يا سلام يا الإخونجيه بتلعبون علينا تفووو عليكم تحرضون على الدولة بهذي الإيرانيه ههههههه الحق بيبيين كالعادة

@AliAlisaeed5: You Muslim Brotherhood groups want to play on us. I spit on you. You are calling on people to stand against the state with this Iranian woman. The truth will come out as usual

UAE: Detained Activists Begin Hunger Strike

Mona Kareem — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:57:45 +0000

Seven months ago, five activists were arrested in the United Arab Emirates and put on trial on a number of charges such as using the Internet to insult their rulers, to call for a boycott of Federal National Council elections and to call for demonstrations against the state.

Blogger Ahmed Mansour and activists Nasser bin Gaith, Fahid Salim Dalk, Hassan Ali Khamis and Ahmed Abdul Khaleq have issued several statements to voice their refusal for their trials, saying that they have been mistreated, denied their basic rights, threatened, and insulted. The detainees refused to show up at the court's hearings because they consider the trial unfair, knowing that a verdict will be made on November 27, which they cannot appeal.

Picture of a group of Emiratis protesting against the five activists several months ago. Image by angelashah.wordpress.com.

The five have now started a hunger strike, which they announced in a joint statement saying their open-ended strike aims to reveal the truth to the Emirati people and to demand conducting investigations regarding the seven months they have so far spent in prison.

The activists have also referred to the mistreatment and frustration their families are having to endure as they have been targeted by campaigns such as the campaign run by anonymous persons nicknamed Lethal Character (Shaksiyya Fatake) and Proud Emirati, which have fomented a climate of general hostility to them and their families. They say this campaign has even interfered with a judicial proceeding.

International organizations have offered more attention to the case of the five UAE activists than netizens. One can find few reactions towards their case in social networks. Also, instead of support, one can read many insulting messages towards them written by anonymous accounts that use the pictures of UAE rulers as their Twitter avatars or Facebook profile pictures.

Some of the sympathatic reactions also came from outside the UAE. Iraqi activist Khalid Ibrahim (@khalidibrahim12) reported the news of the hunger strike with the following tweet:

@khalidibrahim12: UAE: The Five detained human rights defenders to start a hunger strike tomorrow to protest against their ill-treatment and unfair trial.

Twitter user @ResistPrevail mistakenly thought the five activists started the strike on November 11, when their joint statement came out, and commented:

@ResistPrevail: 11/11/11 was the first day of the #UAE prisoners of conscience hunger strike.

The Gulf Center for Human Rights (@GulfCentre4HR) tweeted in solidarity:

@GulfCentre4HR: The GCHR considers all five activists as HR defenders at risk and call on the UAE government to release them immediately and unconditionally.

Lamis Shejni (@lamisshejni) thought the case of the activists can be seen as an indicator for change:

@lamisshejni: My thoughts are w/ oppressed rights activists in #UAE #KSA #Bahrain #Oman #Kuwait … to #GCC I say, revolution is coming! #arabspring

Dhabya Al Mehairi from the UAE (@Dhabyaa) expressed doubt:

@Dhabyaa: The 5 activists began a hunger strike. Will this change their fate ? I'm not so sure. Their life is practically over in this country.

Matt J. Duffy (@mattjduffy), a professor of communication at Zayed University, in Abu Dhabi, criticized how media is covering the case of the five activists:

@mattjduffy: I do not applaud @TheNationalUAE for ignoring hunger strike of #UAE5. Perhaps they will after the F1 crowd clears out. #badjournalism

Emirati journalist Aliya Al Ghaith (@AliyaAlGhaith) [ar] referred to the mistreatment the activists went through:

إذا تم حجزك في سيارة مظللة لمدة 18 ساعة و تم منعك من قضاء الحاجة و إقامة صلاة الفريضة فاعلم أنك أحد معتقلي الإمارات الخمسة

@AliyaAlGhaith: If you were kept in a car with tinted windows for 18 hours, now allowed to use the bathroom or do your prayers, then you must be one of the five UAE detainees.

Taher Al-Baghli, from Kuwait, (@taher_albaghli) [ar] has been one of the few Twitter users who constantly followed updates on the five cases and tweeted to advocate for their release daily. In this tweet he reacts to their hunger strike decision:

تدهور مستوى الحريات والقضاء في الامارات يضطر خمس نشطاء محتجزين يخضعون للمحاكمة للاضراب عن الطعام املا بالحصول على العدالة المفقودة

@taher_albaghli: The decline of the level of freedoms and jurisdiction in the UAE, have pushed the five detained activists on trial to go on hunger strike hoping to seek the lost justice.

Arab World: Is the NYPD “Pulling a Mubarak?”

Amira Al Hussaini — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:39:47 +0000

Arab netizens are watching with awe news of New York police forcefully evicting Occupy Wall Street protesters at Zuccotti Park in New York. Some say they are “pulling a Mubarak” in reference to the brutal manner in which Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak dealt with protesters who ousted him in the Egyptian revolution.

Among them is Egyptian activist Gigi Ibrahim, who is in New York, who notes that the New York police force is “pulling a Mubarak” in the way they suppress protests:

@Gsquare86: Cut trains, prevent press, tear up tents, use pepper spray, & arrest journalists ? NYPD are pulling a Mubarak on #Occupywallst

She adds:

@Gsquare86: NYPD is reminding me of Egyptian Army raiding of Tahrir sq on Aug 1st to end July8 sit in OWS..same pigs different face

and continues:

@Gsquare86: NYPD chasing OWS around lower manhattan. It would almost be comical if it wasn't so sad.

Bahraini writer Ali Al Saeed notes:

@alialsaeed: What's funny is that Obama has a lot to say about arabspring yet fails to recognize what's going in in his own backyard.

Egyptian Mosa'ab Elshamy adds:

@mosaaberizing: If they were *really* inspired by Tahrir, now maybe a good time for the Occupy protesters to test their rock-throwing skills. Just saying.

And Egypt-based journalist Bel Trew asks:

@Beltrew: Why are police forces& governments around the world so terrified of people occupying spaces?When will this violence end?it's shameful

Meanwhile, UAE-based journalist Tom Gara jokes:

@tomgara: Every time you seriously compare Occupy protests to the Arab uprisings, God kills a puppy.

UAE: Telecom Regulator in Talks on Banning iPhone Messaging Features

Amira Al Hussaini — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 08:03:47 +0000

From the UAE, Tom Gara tweets: “Interesting to see UAE telco[m] regulator in talks on banning messaging features on new iPhone. To protect consumers, of course.”

Arab World: RIP Steve Jobs

Amira Al Hussaini — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:11:58 +0000

The Arab world is mourning the death of Steve Jobs, Apple's visionary leader. Tributes are pouring in via social media as netizens wake up to the news.

From Saudi Arabia, Aziz Shalan tweets [ar]:

شكراً ستيف، ماقدمتة لنا ليس منتجات ربحية، بل فرصة لتغير عالمنا #Stevejobs #StevejobsAR

@Azizshalan: Thank you Steve. What you gave us is not profit-based products but an opportunity to transform our lives

RIP Steve Jobs. Image by Flickr user noppyfoto1 (CC BY 2.0).

Egyptian Ahmed Naguib notes:

@ahmednaguib: The Internet today is all about Steve Jobs. That's how influential he was. #SteveJobs

And Shaden Fawaz, also from Egypt, adds:

@shadenfawaz: “Steve Jobs was born out of wedlock, put up for adoption at birth, dropped out of college, then changed the world. What's your excuse?”

From the UAE, Saleh Al Braik writes:

@FearlessinDubai: #ThankYouSteve for giving my generation the motivation to never give up on our dreams. #RIPSteveJobs

But if religion was not imposed into this, it wouldn't be the Middle East.

Egyptian Bassem Sabry informs us [ar]:

شخص شبه معروف على تويتر كتب تويت بيطالب المسلمين بعدم الحزن او الدعاء لستيف جوبز لأنه غير مسلم. المهم انه كتب تلك التويت من iphone…

@Bassem_Sabry: Someone semi-famous tweets calling on Muslims not to be sad or pray for the soul of Steve Jobs because he is not Muslim. What is important is that he sent his tweet from an iPhone

Dalia exclaims:

@Daloosh: Dear #Salafi: if you're going to tweet a fatwa against mourning Steve Jobs then for the love of God don't do it from an Iphone. #RIDICULOUS

For Jordanian blogger Roba Al Assi, the loss is more personal. She blogs:

A while ago, a friend asked me if I would ever cry over a celebrity death. I said, “Of course I would not”.

But this morning, I woke up to the terrible news of Steve Job’s passing.

And I cried.

Steve wasn’t a celebrity. He was a man who changed the world.

I didn’t just cry over the loss of a brilliant man. I also cried over death. Death by cancer. Death by liver cancer. And he was only 56. I don’t think I ever mentioned it here, but we lost our father three years ago to liver cancer as well. It was sudden. He was only 53. Another brilliant, kind man, lost forever.

RIP Steve Jobs.

UAE: Five Activists on Trial for “Insulting” President

Mona Kareem — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:39:47 +0000

During the ten month old Arab Spring, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) expressed its opposition to the trial of Egyptian former president Hosni Mubarak and sent troops, as part of the “Shield of the Arabian Peninsula,” to oppress the Bahraini uprising, and arrested several activists who demanded reform. The arrests started with blogger Ahmed Mansour, the other four detainees are Nasser Bin Ghaith, Fahad Al-Sihhi, Hassan Ali Al Khamis, and Ahmed Abdulhaleq Ahmed. All five are accused of publicly “insulting” the country's president and top officials.

"Justice for UAE detainees" as published by blogger Khalifa AlNuaimi

Reactions to arrests

Bin Ghaith seems to have gained a lot of attention from western media lately as he doesn't represent the typical image of an opposition figure; he has served the government as a consultant in the army besides being a war veteran, a columnist, a lecturer, a decorated pilot, and the son of a wealthy family.

The other name that media cared least about is Ahmed Abdulhaleq Ahmed who happens to be one of the stateless people of the UAE, a cause that has always been neglected as the wealthy Gulf state continues to deprive the stateless people of their rights and block any effort to unveil their struggle.

Netizens did not have much to say except share the few news pieces about the refusal of the five activists to show up in court as they spent six months in jail waiting to be prosecuted by a court that will not allow them to appeal the final decision and will most probably sentence them to long periods in jail as it is specialized in cases of anti-regime acts and terrorism.

Among the reactions found on Twitter was Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) the Qatar-based editor of Foreign Policy who commented on Bin Ghaith's case saying:

@blakehounshell: The case against UAE political prisoner Nasser bin Ghaith appears to be complete garbage.

One of the few famous UAE tweeps Sultan Al Qassemi (@SultanAlQassemi) tweeted some news relevant to the activists' trial:

@SultanAlQassemi: UAE authorities have allowed access to the trial. Four rights groups are sending two independent legal observers to monitor today's hearings.

Cecily Hilleary (@VOAHilleary) from Voice of America asked a question about the Arab Spring and the Gulf region:

@VOAHilleary: Why doesn't spring reach the Gulf? Activists on trial in UAE, the quelled uprising in Bahrain, why is dissent always viewed as insult?

Kuwaiti Columnist Nasser Al-Abdily (@bmckwt) [ar] wrote some relevant news about the status of human rights in the UAE:

إقالة ناشط حقوقي في الإمارات من وظيفته بسبب حديثه عن وضع حقوق الإنسان .. متى يتوقف هذا التعسف

@bmckwt: A Human Rights activist in the UAE just lost his job because he spoke of the human rights situation. When will all this suppression stop?

Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth), wrote saying:

@KenRoth: If prominent #Emirate, decorated pilot & Sorbonne lecturer can be prosecuted on trumped-up charges in #UAE, any can be.

Human Rights Watch was typically attacked online by a lot of pro-regime Emiratis who kept referring to the five activists as traitors.

One of them (@UAEVIP100) [ar] called for protests in front of the court against the activists:

الى الأشراف من أبناء أغلى الأوطان - يوم الأحد 2 اكتوبر - سنزحف الى محاكمة الخونة والمحرضين - سنكون بالالاف وسنهتف بصوت واحد - الا الامارات

@UAEVIP100: To the honorable people of my country, Sunday the 2nd of October, we will walk to the court of traitors and instigators and we will be in thousands shouting “The UAE is untouchable.”

UAE blogger Khalifa Alnuaimi (@Alnuaimi_k) published a post that had a statement from Dr Nasser Bin Ghaith two days ago saying that he had been mistreated and denied his basic rights while in detention. This, he said, made him face the reality of his country which will be prosecuting him despite his love and loyalty and for opinions he wrote in online forums.

Another post published by the same blogger talked about how the UAE authorities played a game with the international community, organizations, and media by saying that the trial will be public. AlNuaimi says authorities manipulated what to pass and what to block of the trial's information.

The next hearing is scheduled for October 9. According to human rights organisations, the activists could face a five year prison sentence if convicted.

Arab World: Remembering September 11

Amira Al Hussaini — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 17:46:51 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices 9/11 Retrospective.

Twitter users from across the Arab world paid tribute to the 3,000 victims of September 11 as the world recalled the horrors committed by Al Qaeda terrorists who flew four passenger jets into buildings in the US 10 years ago.

Saudi cartoonist Malek Nejer says September 11 is a hideous crime, no matter who the perpetrators are.

عموماً، ١١ سبتمبر جريمة بشعه، سواء قام به مسلمين أو يهود أو حتى مجموعة كائنات فضائية

@Nejer: September 11 is a hideous crime, whether it had been committed by Muslims, Jews or aliens

From Dubai, the UAE, AbstruseArif notes:

@AbstruseArif: today is one of those days that many wished didnt happen..yet it did..#screamsstillresonates #911

From Bahrain, blogger Mohammed Al Maskati or emoodz, tweets:

@emoodz: My thoughts and prayers go to the American, Afghan and Iraqi victims of the horrific terror acts of #911.. May their souls rest in peace..

He adds:

@emoodz: Lots of lessons to be learnt by how America handled the aftermath of #911.. Focus on the future but never forget the past.. #lulu #Bahrain

Saudi dentist Nouf Abdulrahman blames Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden for the deaths of the September 11 victims, as well as those of both Iraq and Afghanistan - wars the US entered as part of its war on terror.

She tweets:

ضحايا العراق و افغانستان انا احمل بن لادن - لا رحمه الله - دمائهم و دموع أهاليهم وليس ضحايا امريكا فقط #sept11

@Dr_Nouf: I blame Osama bin Laden - may his soul not rest in peace - for the blood of the victims of Iraq and Afghanistan and the tears of their families, and not only the American victims

For Saud Al Sheikh, from Saudi Arabia, the remembrance brings up memories of other atrocities. He tweets:

@SAMAlsheikh: You remember 911 yet you don't remember the massacre of 8000+ muslims in bosnia.

@SAMAlsheikh: You remember 911 but you don't remember an estimated 2million palestinians killed since 1948

From Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, AhmadOTB makes a similar observation:

@AhmadOTB: It's 9/11 in the states but it's 24/7 in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan

And Nora Al Ashaikh, also from Saudi Arabia, adds:

@Neeart: I'm so sorry that some people died in 9/11 but it's happening every day in middle east, people are dying every day…

Fellow Saudi, Haneen Baitalmal is, however, appalled with the lack of consideration from some people. She notes:

@HaneenBa: I truly can't understand people who say 9/11 is overrated. Have some mercy in you for gods sake!

And last but not least, Dubai-based journalist Tom Gara observes:

@tomgara: In the ten years it has taken to almost build a new World Trade Centre, Dubai basically built Dubai.

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices 9/11 Retrospective.

Syria: World Cities Rally Against and For Bashar

Thalia Rahme — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:23:19 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

As the death toll in Syria increases, the International Community is running out of patience and hardening its tone against Syrian president Bashar Al Assad demanding for change and reforms. Abroad the diaspora has also been involved actively since the beginning of the protests in March 2011. Almost all cities around the world have witnessed rallies and demonstrations, some asking Assad to leave, and others declaring their dying love for him.

From San Francisco (11 June, 2011) and Chicago (July 3), to Washington DC ( 23 July), the US capital, where people chanted: ‘‘Leave Leave Bashar” in front of the White House; almost all big cities in the US witnessed opposition gatherings manifesting their solidarity with the people of Daraa, Homs and Deir el Zor among others.

Here is video uploaded by AhmedIbnAlsham on August 6, where protesters where carrying a poster representing Hafez and Bashar Al Assad and written on it: ”Like father, like son”:

Assad also has his supporters in the US like in California (April 3). Chicago too, held another pro-regime rally on April 3 and June 10 while defenders of the regime met in front of the United Nations Headquarters in New York (May 1) to assert their love to their leader.

Wave of rallies hit Latin America as well. On June 26, Syrians in Santiago, Chile, chanted “El Pueblo Quiere Bashar el Assad” or ”The People Want Bashar Al Assad”, as we can see in this footage by Zaizuni:

We move to Europe and start with London (June 18) where Syrians called Assad an assassin, to Brussels (July 23), the headquarters of the European Parliament, to Milano in Italy (12 and 17 July). There, potesters, it seems, are no longer satisfied with reforms or even the call for the toppling of the regime. They want to bring it to trial.

Here's a video by Hazem Daoudi, taken in Geneva on August 6, Switzerland, facing the UN Headquarters:

France which is home to a large Syrian community has been witnessing continuous demonstrations, like in Strasbourg on 2 and 16 July, and this two-week sit-in, facing Place du Châtelet in Paris. YouTube user Mesudh75, posts this video showing a peaceful protest in front of the Syrian consulate and the Syrian Cultural Center in Paris:

In Germany, people took to the streets in Leipzig (July 7), Berlin (July 23) and Bonn on August 6 and August 8, not to forget Munich where on that same day, where this video from HutaafElhurriyyeh shows Germans showing solidarity with Syrians and singing the Syrian National Anthem:

Close to Munich, in Vienna, Austria, another protest took place, where this footage was taken and posted by AhmadSouri during a demo on August 9, in front of the Syrian Embassy:

Anti-Bashar protests also took place in Ukraine (April 22) Romania (June 30), Russia (July 31) and Greece (August 2), calling for the end of fascism:

In Turkey, protesters gathered in front of the Iranian embassy in Istanbul on August 5, denouncing the Islamic Republic stance towards the protest. They were joined on August 7, by members of the Felicity or Saadet party in front of the Syrian Consulate as we can see in this video by khaled111h:

But Assad can also rely on his supporters in Europe, who consider him as the only guarantee for stability and security in Syria. The streets of Paris, France, witnessed severaldemonstrations on June 11 and July 3 , 4 11 and 12 .

Diaspora in Odessa, Ukraine, flew balloons with the Syrian flag on June 4 for Assad. Others marched on June 6 in Kazan City in Russia for the same reason.

Syrians in Armenia also portrayed their support to their president on March 2011:

Despite the turmoil and unrest in the Arab world, and its own inner revolution, its capitals were keen on showing their solidarity and compassion with the Syrians.

This is Tunis on August 6, in a video by wadoodfreesyrian where people were chanting:” Syria is Free! Bashar get out!”:

In Egypt on August 1, OmawiTV shows angry people following the Hama Massacre and calling for the expulsion of the Syrian Ambassador:

In Lebanon, the situation is a bit delicate due to the complex relation between both countries. Quite often, opponents and loyalists of the Damascus regime clashed and the army had to intervene to separate both parties. The latest rally in solidarity with the Syrian people was held on Monday, August 8 in Martyrs Square in Beirut. This was a gathering which was attended by a lot of intellectuals, journalists and activists among which we note the presence of prominent Lebanese composer and singer Marcel Khalife. You can check Mahmoud Ghazayel's photos of the event, on Facebook.

Participants were chanting “This a shout from Lebanon - Calling for Human Rights”:

Jordanians conducted Taraweeh, the nightly Ramadan prayers, on August 2 in front of the Syrian Embassy as we can see in this video taken directly from the scene of events by Basemaggad. Bassem recorded another video in August 8 too.

Similar rallies took places in the Gulf monarchies cities, like in Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, on August 8, where we can hear people shouting “Syria is for us and not for the Assad Family”:

Here is another video from Jeddah at night on the same day by hama19822011:

In Kuwait (August 5 and 7) and Bahrain (August 5, 8 and 9, protesters are demanding the expulsion of Syrian Ambassador from both respective countries and the freezing of the bilateral ties with Damascus. Protests were attended by several political figures and members of both parliaments.

This video by daraahoran shows people in Kuwait in front of Syrian Embassy, calling for the overthrow of the Baath party.

Syrians and Bahrainis rallied in Manama on August 9, chanting“Daraa, we're with you, till death !”

We conclude our round up in the Australian continent, where seems the Assad opponents and partisans also voiced their support and vice versa.

In Auckland, New Zealand, approximately 200 people gathered in protest against the regime for killing innocent Syrian civilians on July 30.

Demonstrations were also held in Sydney, Australia, on August 2 against the regime:

In another demonstration in Sydney on April 3, protested to say that ”Bashar is the best president in the whole Middle East and the world there will be no one like him”.

Protests against the Syrian regime, are penciled in for London, Paris and Tunis tomorrow (August 13).

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

Thumbnail and featured image ‘Protest to support Syrian opposition at State Department - Berlin', by Thorsten Strasas, copyright Demotix (06/08/11).