Global Voices

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The world is talking, are you listening?

Egypt

Egypt must release jailed bloggers before Thursday's elections for the UN Human Rights Council, said UN Watch, a human rights organization based in Geneva in a statement issued today. Among other conditions, UN Watch requires that Egypt “must release journalist Huwaida Taha Mitwalli, who is currently imprisoned for attempting to report on the government's use of torture, as well as bloggers including Abd al-Monim Mahmud and Abd al-Karim Nabil Sulaiman (a.k.a. Karim Amer),who have been imprisoned for exercising their internationally protected right to freedom of expression.”

Morocco

“Sometimes, a scarf is just a scarf, it's not a symbol for a country,” says Laila Lalami, recounting a reading she recently did of her book, Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, at one of Morocco's more conservative universities in Kenitra.

While discussing the characters with the audience, the author found that their interpretations were a bit lacking: “During the Q&A, a student raised his hand and asked why the father character in “The Fanatic” tries to stop his daughter from covering her hair. “This is strange, ” he said, “because most of the time the fathers do want their daughters to cover.” I wasn't sure exactly what he based this statement on, particularly since he was a man and did not really know what a daughter's experience is like. I pointed out that, in the amphitheatre where we sat, there were many women who covered, and many who did not. I said that no one, least of all my father, had ever asked me to cover. It's a woman's choice, I said. A bearded young man behind the questioner interrupted me, “Actually, it's not a choice.” A few people laughed at his temerity, and then I explained that, above and beyond the debate over the veil, the story dealt with a very specific father, a very specific daughter, certainly not people who represent every gamut of experience in Moroccan society.

Iran

Leonlog says[Fa] once Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,Iranian president, was visiting a factory where a worker told him that there is a long distance between her home and factory and employer does not pay for workers' transport.According to the blogger,Ahmadinejad told her a bitter joke ” do you want we bring factory close to your home.” Then he moved away.The blogger says what Ahmadinejad did not understand is that according to the law employer has to provide means of transport for the workers who live in a far distance.

Iran

According to[Fa] Akbar Montajabi,blogger and journalist,Ham Mihan, a new journal,in its first days of publication has become a success stroy.This new journal can be considered a non conservative and pro reformist journal.Shargh,another pro reform journal gets permission to get republished.

Mali

Sanaga Peregrinations compares and draws lessons from the recent

Pakistan

All Things Pakistan has some rib-tickling photographs of bureaucratic error. “. But right now the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic is visiting Islamabad, and the Capital’s PR people have adorned a number of (very) large banners to welcome him in the spirit of good hospitality. The only problem is that instead of putting the ‘Czech’ flags on the banners, they have ‘Check’ flags!”

Bangladesh

Mash on the threatening comments on various Bangladeshi blogs that followed the case of the Tasneem being arrested. “At the time he posted, the commenter had information about the negotiations to free Tasneem from military custody that was not yet public. He was also posting his comments from Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was widely assumed that he was affiliated with elements within the Bangladesh military.Today the commenter “ABC” is back. He has posted a threatening comment on a number of Bangladeshi blogs.”

Sri Lanka

One One Things on the civil service in the subcontinent. “I was in Delhi last week and met some fascinating civil servants, mainly from India and Pakistan and their respective foreign services. Diplomats are like actors, you never really know what they’re up to. They’re trained to appear interested in the most boring of environments and to coat everything in five layers of sugar.”

Nepal

Kathmandu Speaks on the Madhesi Movement. “Even one can hear and feel the sense of isolation and increasing distance between the two communities which has remained like brothers and sisters for so long in the region. Mistrust and feeling of insecurity is their perception of each other today. But it should be realized that Madhesi movement is not directed against the Pahade communities, not directed towards eliminating Pahade Madhesis from Terai. It is a movement to free Madhesis and ensure their rights.”

Bhutan

For a Democracy on the economy of Bhutan. “The people of this country are not suppressed politically but also economically. The country has been exposed as the most economically advancing in the South Asian region. But have you ever gone through details if the incomes have been invested for benefited to the poor people of the country.”