Archive for
April 2nd, 2009
Stories
Lion Poisoning causes FMC to Withdraw Furadan from Kenya Market
One of the lions poisoned in 2008
The American chemical manufacturer, FMC, has withdrawn the pesticide, Furadan, from the Kenyan market after CBS News aired a documentary on ‘60 Minutes'. The documentary depicts how Furadan has become the preferred product for herders who poison lions suspected of killing livestock in and around the Masai Mara National Reserve.
Dr Paula Kahumbu has the entire press release on The Baraza Blog, and Martin Odino serializes the use of Furadan to kill all sorts of wildlife in his blog Stop Wildlife Poisoning on WildlifeDirect.org
FMC issued a statement on 29 March 2009 condemning the reported misuse of this highly potent agricultural pesticide as depicted in the documentary.
FMC strongly condemns the use of its products to kill wildlife and is very concerned about these allegations
In the press statement, FMC reports that it has taken several actions to curb the abuse of Furadan in Kenya including:
- Stopping all sales of Furadan to Kenya immediately after learning of an incident in May 2008
- Immediately initiating a Furadan buy-back program in Kenya to remove any remaining product from the market
- Direct outreach to leading conservationists to get any data concerning lion poisonings
Egyptian Baha'is under attack
Earlier in March, I wrote a post congratulating Baha'is in Egypt when the Supreme Administrative Court removed any grounds for preventing them from receiving proper official identity documents. After a TV appearance Baha'i houses were burnt down in Upper Egypt's governorate - Sohag.
Arabawy called for Solidarity with Sohag’s Bahai’s:
Voice of Egypt wrote
الجميل بقي انه الأخ جمال عبد الرحيم طلع عنده مدونة بينشر فيها سمومه و كتب فيها مقالة بعد الحلقة يكمل فيها شتيمة في البهائين شوية
مستنيين ايه من بلد بينتخب فيها واحد زي جمال عبد الرحيم عضواً في نقابة الصحفيين؟
منستنيين ايه من بلد يحكمها حزب أريفنا كل يوم كلام عن المواطنة و أمين شباب الحزب بيطرد الناس من قرية علشان بيؤمنوا بدين مش عاجبه؟
What would you expect from a country where a man like Gamal gets to become a member in the syndicate? What would you expect when the ruling Democratic Party preaches talk about citizenship and its secretary for youth evicts citizens from their village because he is not fond of their religion?
Egyptian Baha'i wrote:
Suppressed Citizen drafted a reply to the fanatics who who accuse Baha'is of relinquishing Islam:
ثانيا : خرج علي الاسلام اي انه اصبح ضد الاسلام وضد نظمه وقوانينه ويريد محاربه هذه النظم والقوانين اي انه يخرج علي الاسلام ليحاربه والدليل لماذا قامت حروب الرده ؟ فهذا رد علب كل متعصب ديني يحاول اتهام البهائيين بالرده واستباحه دمهم وقتلهم عليكم ان تفهموا الدين اولا ثم فكروا كما شئتم فالبهائيين ليسوا مرتدين ولكنهم اصحاب عقيده ولا يصح ان نقول عليهم مرتدين
Israel: Teen Killed, Child Hurt in Terror Attack
Breaking news in Israel– Two boys were attacked with an ax yesterday (April 2) in the West Bank community of Bat Ayin. Thirteen year old Shlomo Nativ (may his memory be a blessing) died from his injuries, while 7 year old Yair Gamliel was rushed to the hospital with a fractured skull. The incident, deemed to be a terrorist attack, lead the Israel Defense Forces to the nearby town of Khirbet Safa, where the attacker is believed to be hiding. In the Jewish tradition of burying the dead, Nativ's funeral was held in the same evening.
YNetNews reports:
According to eyewitness reports, the terrorist fled the scene after running wild and attacking passersby. Residents alerted the security forces to the scene. The mayor of Gush Etzion Regional Council said that Bat Ayin's local security watch squad shot at the terrorist who carried out the attack, but that the terrorist managed to get away.
“The terrorist came in with an axe and injured two boys from Bat Ayin,” said Mayor Shaul Goldstein… “It is clear that the terrorist came in with the intention of murdering and terrorizing. The only way he could have come in was through infiltration.
The Jewish Chronicle elaborates with further details from an eye witness account:
A local resident, named only as Avinoam, described how he seized the axe from the attacker’s hands but could not stop him escaping. He said the man chanted “I will kill, I will kill” while they grappled. “He had a longing for murder in his eyes, the struggle lasted several minutes,” he added.
The Jewish Chronicle explains that Shlomo Nativ's parents were among the founders of Bat Ayin, while Yair Gamliel's father is currently serving time in prison for planning a terror attack against a girls school in East Jerusalem in 2002. The Palestinian Telegraph notes that the name of the group that planned the attack was the Bat Ayin Militia. Insufficient information exists about the circumstances of the attack to posit whether Nativ and Gamliel were specifically targeted.
The Palestinian Telegraph also comments:
The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, praised the attack. In a statement the group said it “congratulates this heroic attack that comes as a normal response to the Israeli assaults against Palestinians, to Netanyahu, and to threats to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
On Twitter and their blogs, Israelis were quick to respond.
Jameel of the Muquata is keeping a running timeline of the events as they unfold, from the time the attack was reported at 12:15 pm until 4:30 pm, shortly before the funeral. He includes the news that a Hezbollah rocket fell in northern Israel today, which is notable, but seemingly unrelated.
Israellycool's daily timeline notes:
4:02 pm: Today's terror victim Shlomo Nativ. May G-d avenge his blood.
4:57PM: Here is how the palestinian Ma’an News has reported today’s terror attack resulting in the murder of a 16-year-old boy and serious injuring of a 7-year-old: Israeli settler killed in apparent West Bank ax attack; Israeli forces overrun nearby villages
6:10PM: Here’s how CNN has reported today’s axe-attack murder of 13-year-old Shlomo Nativ and injuring of 13-year-old Yair Gamliel. [Large blank space] Yep. Nada. Zilch.
On Treppenwitz, guest author Zahava references the Passover seder in which Jews dip bitter herbs in salt water to remember the tears from “when we were slaves in Egypt.” She writes:
….there is at least one family who will not need the Seder salt water for dipping their bitter herb to symbolize the tears of our ancestors… I can taste my own bitter tears as I type. I can barely see the screen as my heart and soul cry out in pain and in anger. ברוך דיין אמת [Baruch dayan emet: Blessed is the one, true judge].
A family in a neighboring yishuv [community] will have the unbearable task of burying their 13-year old son sometime today… May Hashem [G-D] comfort this family. May He grant a full recovery to the 7-year old.
Ruti Mizrachi of Ki Yachol Nuchal! posts Shlomo Nativ's photo, as almost every blogger has done, and echoes:
Shlomo Nativ, Hy”d [Hashem Yikom Damo: G-D will avenge his blood]. Age 14. Dani is 14. Noam is 14. There are no words. If there were, “peace” would not be one of them.
In a post entitled, “Why I Love Being a Mother,” A Mother in Israel's Hannah Katsman's number one point is that motherhood creates instant bonds, but adds:
I can't let this post go by without mentioning the gruesome murder of an innocent child. Fear of terror attacks and the need for our sons to serve in the army give Israeli mothers an added dimension to bonding that I wish didn't exist.
A Soldier's Mom reflects that as her son is an officer who has a soldier in his unit from Bat Ayin, where the attack took place, it is practically a given that his soldier and the boys' families will know each other. In her comments section, three bloggers respond.
Ye'he Sh'mey Raba Mevorach, a mother of five, writes:
I was also kind of wondering what kind of person attacks two children with an axe. On the other hand, since they draft children of these ages into their fight, perhaps they don't see our children as … children.
RangersGirl responds:
Oh wow. How terribly sad. Murdering innocent children in this way (in any way)is not holy — its 100% evil. When things like that happen here in the US, it isn't terrorism, its just a crazy person who had become so filled up with evil and a horrible act was how it was ‘let out'.
And ProphetJoe concludes:
Here in America, we rarely call anything “terrorism”, but then again we don't have Canadian or Mexican extremists teaching their kids to wear suicide belts and kill Americans! Thoughts and prayers to those suffering…
A Palestinian terror group known as the Martyrs of Imad Mughniyeh have claimed credit for the incident. Mughniyeh, a senior member of Hezbollah, was killed by a car bomb in February. He is thought to be responsible for the murder or kidnappings of over 400 people.
More information will unfold in the course of the search for the missing murderer.
Egypt's First Adult Graphic Novel on Trial
In April 2008, freedom of speech and creativity in Egypt was hit in its core with the confiscation of Magdy El Shafee's adult graphic novel - Metro.
Culture and Politics in the Arab World reported the incident saying:
The policemen targeted the remaining stock of Metro, a book published a year ago. According to the Egyptian law, an honest citizen had complained against an outrageous publication (using dirty colloquial words says more or less the accusation).
Metro is not an ordinary book. It is the first “graphic novel” in Arabic. Magdy El Shafee spent five years working on that detective story whose main character, Shihab, is a young Egyptian IT engineer who decides to rob a bank. The money being hidden in the subway, the real problem is to find the way out… A question that many Egyptian ask themselves nowadays.
Mohamed El Sharkawy - the publisher - and Magdy El Shafee were subpoenaed to go to court on March 28 and the trial was postponed to April 4.
On his blog, El Sharkawy wrote:
The editors of Words without Borders urged the international community to Say No to Metro Confiscation and Trial:
Shortly after it was published Shafee’s novel was confiscated. He and his publisher are on trial for its distribution. According to the “The Daily News Egypt” “Shafee and El-Sharqawy [Shafee’s publisher] are being charged under article 178 of the Egyptian penal code which criminalizes the printing or distribution of publications which ‘infringe public decency’” which “‘forms part of a bundle of repressive laws that violate rights relating to freedom of expression.’”
They also quoted Madgy El Shafee's petition on Facebook:
Your NO for confiscation is YES for our freedom … is `YES for our solidarity … is NOOOOO for the government prelude of harder stringing of freedom of the art and word, in the press, the satellites, the internet and now the independent publishing houses. We invite you to say: NO for metro confiscation and trial, Support freedom of arts and expression. Metro is considered the first graphic novel in Egypt. written and illustrated by Magdy El Shafee who won the UNESCO gratitude for best African comics 2006 … Egyptian government officials said the book was “harmful to public manners” due to its alleged political and social commentary.
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (HRinfo) - a pan-Arabic network that promotes freedom of speech has rejected “the confiscation of the novel and considers it a severe violation against the freedom of expression.
With the coming court session next saturday April 4th, HRinfo and 4 human rights organizations announced a new condemnation in March 30th entitled: [Egypt`s Farouk Hosny goes to UNESCO, and Magdy El Shafee goes to the court!! the Author of Egypt`s graphic novel “metro” threatened with 2 years jail sence.] ([in Arabic])
The Comics Reporter, Baroque in Hackney, The Middle East Times, Al Dostoor, Al Badeel, and Youm 7 showed their consolidation with the author and his publisher. The English Pen Worldwide Atlas stated that it is good news that Magdy El Shafee is receiving support from the global blogosphere
Bassem Sharaf wrote:
On March 25, Shaymaa El Gammal celebrated Magdy's Comic Experience in Goethe Institue saying:
Graphic Novel أخرى لاتسعت قاعدة هذا الفن أكثر وصار انتشاره أمراً مقبولاً.
On March 28, Shaymaa reported on the trial and commented:
Daniel named Metro a Damned Book:
Personally, I think that any book has the right to be published even if it was offensive to some people, any writer who has the creativity in him/her should be able to say whatever he/she feels like saying, and the debates between any two groups should take place in more neutral atmosphere than a court.
The freedom of speech in Egypt is not a political concept at all, it's a human right that should be giving to anyone who's asking for it, a right to talk about any subject that any Egyptian can talk about without the fear of being pushed to court, or damned by any group of people, or even the leaders of any religion.
The book might be right in some places and wrong in others, I didn't read it so I wouldn't know, but no person should be banned or attacked because of his/her thoughts or the way it was expressed, and any creative act just be treated gently and with care.
Fantasia's World blogged about Metro in the Dark Ages:
Freedom for Sharkawy .. Freedom for El Shafee!.
On Facebook
Global Voices partners on G20Voice project
As part of the G20Voice project, 50 bloggers from around the world have gathered in London to act as our “eyes and ears” as world leaders convened today (April 2) in London for the G20 Summit. The bloggers come “from 22 different countries, and between them represent a global audience of over 14 million readers and online participants.”
Global Voices is pleased to have been a partner on the G20Voice project, along with Oxfam Great Britain, Save the Children, One, and Blue State Digital.
See the G20Voice coverage at http://www.whitebandaction.org/en/g20voice
Indian General Elections and Nepal
For centuries, India and Nepal have shared a very close relationship. Geographic proximity supplemented by cultural and religious similarity have helped the two neighbors remain friendly.
Now winds of change have swept Kathmandu and New Delhi is not too thrilled about it. After the Maoists came to power, Indian press and political circle are busy discussing the “dangers” of Red Nepal and the issue is being debated during India’s general elections campaign. In Nepal the discussion is picking up too.
Next month India will hold Lok Sabha election. Tarun Vijay at Rediff.com discusses the effect on India‘s large Hindu population of once Hindu Nepal being declared secular under the Maoist leadership. He puts the change and the security threat posed by Pakistan and Bangladesh to India on a same plate.
“And we are increasingly surrounded by a Nepal, once a Hindu nation and now a threat for Hindu survival.
We have a Pakistan and Bangladesh that have bled us continuously for the last three decades of intermittent terror wars — Khalistan, Operation Topac, the jihad in Kashmir and the ignominious forced exodus of Kashmiri Hindus.
We have lost more than 60,000 Indians in terror attacks directly sponsored and encouraged by Pakistan — whether its army or Inter Services Intelligence or the sheepish conspiratorial silence of their leaders, only the naive would make a difference and absolve the culprits.”
Vijay, who is very close to Hindu nationalist party Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) represents a section of Indian media which has been very focused on the religion and culture aspect of Maoist rule in Nepal. In this particular article, he asks the readers to:
“Hence choose those who choose India as their life-force and not just a platform for money making and dying like dirt. The choice is yours to practice in the coming elections.”
From the article it is fairly clear that he wants a new government that will be more proactive on Nepal and be ready to intervene if necessary.
On the Nepali press side, India’s new government’s foreign policy is a big issue. At KantipurOnline, Bhim Prasad Bhurtel discusses India’s growing interest in limiting China’s growing influence in Nepal.
“There is an exaggerated and irrational demonizing of and paranoia about Nepal’s engagement with China in India’s foreign policy establishment. India itself is strengthening its relationship with China. However, why is India so cautious about Nepal’s move to strengthen its relationship with China?”
He also points towards the opportunity India has to have a balanced playing field with China, with Nepal’s help.
“Nepal offers greater opportunities to play China off against India being the hyphen between India and China. The open border and deep cultural and religious ties with Nepal are undeniable, but it is time to rescind such relics as the Indo-Nepalese treaty of 1950 which makes it clear that India has legitimate security interests and it is also determined to protect the same.”
Bhurtel, executive director of the Nepal South Asia Centre, Kathmandu, a South Asian think tank, presents a view echoed by significant number of Nepalese who don’t want India to be suspicious of Nepal’s new relationship with China.
At Telegraph Nepal, N.P. Upadhyaya presents a more combative attitude towards India’s apparent “big brother” attitude towards Nepal. He mentions new extradition treaty between Nepal and India, which the current Indian government is in a hurry to sign could turn into a big foreign policy issue during the election campaign, considering its controversial clause.
“The Extradition Treaty which India wants signed by Nepal government have some clauses and articles which allows the Indian establishment any third country national deportation to India from Nepal whom she considers that his or her continued presence in Nepal may have an impact on her security situation.
Any third country national thus should have to be deported to India by Nepal if India wanted his or her deportation. The Target could well be first the Pakistanis and then the Chinese which may encompass later the Europeans and Americans.”
Links for Thu, 2009-04
Ana Maria Salazar writes about US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Mexico and speculation on the next US ambassador and what it might mean for relations between the two countries.
Lionel Bopage at Groundviews comments: “The National Flag of Sri Lanka represents the country and her heritage, but is also a rallying device that integrates the races within a majority and minority design framework.”
After a local academic argued that Fiji's chiefly system holds back the country's democratic progress because it could allow certain people to grab resources for themselves, Luvei Viti: Children of Fiji counters the organization of chiefs binds society together and offers solutions for handling disputes, especially at the village level.
“Puerto Rican artist Antonio Martorell will receive the Haydee Santamaría Medal for his artistic production through the last five decades”: Repeating Islands Blog has the details.
Repeating Islands Blog notes that among this year’s honorees at the Santo Domingo International Book Fair is “fiction writer and cultural critic José Alcántara Almánzar, who will receive the Dominican Republic’s most prestigious literary award.”
“Hopefully, the silly, but dangerous rhetoric will provoke greater scrutiny of the dictatorship, and greater support for Sanchez and the others. Sanchez is not defenseless. She is guarded by the power - and truth - of her words. And more importantly, by the attention of the world”: Uncommon Sense shines the spotlight on Havana-based blogger Yoani Sanchez, whom the Cuban authorities have reportedly called a “professional dissident”.
“Last weekend, yet another Barbadian woman lost her life to domestic violence”: Cheese-on-bread! wants to know “how many more women are going to die before the authorities and all of us take this issue of domestic violence seriously.”
This site is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
Please read our attribution policy.
Suzanne Lehn12 posts 
Leonidas Mejia7 posts 
Kamla Bhatt60 posts 
Nicholas Laughlin229 posts 
Tarek Amr64 posts 
Eman AbdElRahman119 posts 
Andriankoto Ratozamanana1 posts 
Diego Casaes14 posts 
Roger Franchini2 posts 
Rocio Diaz10 posts 
Riyadh Al Balushi39 posts 
Marisol Ramos1 posts