For the months of February and March, I plan to have a gender ratio of 80/20 in favour of women, flipping the abhorrent ratio that currently exists within the industry … In the process, [we'll be] challenging other outlets to do the same.

Though the initiative failed to attract much mainstream coverage, it quickly spread through social media, and by mid-March Khan was well on his way to fulfilling his goal. Through tweets, e-mails, and Facebook posts, women heard about the initiative and lined up to contribute.

Global Voices women step up

The women of Global Voices were no exception, and by the end of March they had substantially contributed to the Opinion section. This shouldn't be surprising: just last month, a study published by The Guardian showed that Global Voices has a 51% contribution rate from women, consistent over time. The article praised Global Voices for its diversity, noting:

However you slice it, Global Voices publishes a diverse set of voices at all levels of participation, from the most prolific to the most casual.

Global Voices has always sought to bring the voices of bloggers and netizens into the mainstream — today we'll do the opposite, amplifying the voices of nine GV women (of whom we are very proud) that have made it into the mainstream.

Deborah Esch, a Global Voices author and member of the GV Advocacy Steering Committee (as well as a professor of literature), wrote about her experiences gaining open access to a scholarly archive that had previously been locked to the public, helping her come to terms with the death of activist Aaron Swartz. Esch writes:

Along the way, I found that I was no longer in search of an example – in literature, in historiography – a figure to help come to terms with the death of Aaron Swartz. I had my example: had it as an experience, the unexpected experience of open access to a scholarly archive that had till then been locked away from the public behind the monolithic gates of one institution or another.

Esch also published a second piece on the anniversary of the Exxon Valdez disaster.

Two Global Voices ladies: Jillian and Leila at the Arab Bloggers Summit in Tunisia 2011. Photo shared by Jillian C. York on flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Rayna Stamboliyska, a GV contributor, wrote about the importance of “hacking science,” explaining:

A very powerful concept – “citizen science” – has naturally emerged along the lines of open science. Countless professional researchers blog about their work and discuss online results obtained by their peers. Such open discussion permits non-professionals to participate as well. The surge of the hacker/maker/do-it-yourself movement has tremendously contributed to engage non-professional scientists in science.

Nowadays, there are hundreds of projects the world over within which professional and non-professional researchers take part in genuine scientific studies. A clearly visible shift has operated in the recent years from citizens helping merely collect data to citizens actually analysing it, producing valuable results and interpreting them as well as generating new hypotheses.

Leila Nachawati Rego, a Spanish-Syrian contributor and member of the GV Advocacy Steering Committee, wrote of reasons to remain optimistic about Syria. Using the town of Kafranbel as a symbol of hope against tyranny, Nachawati Rego writes:

This northwestern town has become well-known for the powerful and edgy banners. They are being created since the beginning of the uprising and are instantly shared through social media.

Internet users from all over the world look forward to every new message and drawing, which summarise the meaning and the evolution of the Syrian struggle.

Although banners and drawings have captured international attention, Kafranbel is more than that. It is also a model for new forms of self-management emerging from the rubble. Its inhabitants not only have survived several regime bombings, but also have engaged in self-government while rebuilding their own town.

Chan Myae Khine, who writes about Myanmar for Global Voices, analyzed the ongoing conflict between Muslims and Buddhists in her country, explaining:

The background of the latest clash between Muslims and Buddhists, however, is not as clear cut as is reported. Although it is reported to be sectarian in nature, the characteristics of the latest flair of violence are utterly atypical, and at worst, planned. An insecure public, the nature of the extremists and the announcement of a state of emergency are indicative of a regression from the still-ongoing transition towards democracy.

Renata Avila, a transparency advocate and longtime contributor to GV and GV Advocacy, discussed the case of American journalist Nicholas Blake, in which the Guatemalan state was declared responsible for the journalist's disappearance. She writes of her experience:

While I worked as a lawyer for the Guatemalan genocide case, preparing the witnesses who presented their testimonies before Spanish National Courts, I struggled with the lack of information about the Army suspects. Counterinsurgency plans and information of the chain of command were obtained either via whistleblowers or Freedom of Information requests filed in the United States, evidencing the importance of both the freedom of information architecture and whistleblowers as key instruments where not even a Bush or a Kennedy can obtain the truth. Up till now, the Military Archives remain sealed, secret. Key files needed for the cases are reported “missing”.

GV contributor Yoo Eun Lee, who writes about Korea, asked “Who was behind the South Korean cyber-attacks?“, writing:

If the attacks were indeed from North Korea, there is no need to read anything into it. Their message and motive cannot be anymore clear. North Korea has been using all kinds of extreme war rhetoric offline for decades, with statements like “turning the South Korean capital into a sea of fire/blood”. This hacking could be just more blackmailing – only done online.

Although blaming North Korea for the attack provides very convenient and believable explanations – compact enough to fit into saucy headlines – it is completely lazy and misleading.

Kirsten Han, who contributes to GV from Singapore, wrote about the Singaporean government's attempt to increase the country's birth rate, calling some attempts “cringe-worthy at best”:

Young men and women are now being bombarded with “pro-family” messaging, cajoling and coaxing them into getting married and settling down rather than “waiting for all the stars to align”. A married life with children is portrayed as the ultimate desirable outcome, and singles are continually told to get out there and start looking for a spouse…

…it's like constantly being under the gaze of an overzealous aunt, eager to set you up on blind dates with anyone who catches her eye. Young Singaporeans are barely given the time and space to really think about what they want, and with a host of “pro-family” policies – priority in the public housing queue for married couples, parental leave being only applicable to couples who are lawfully married, etc – it sometimes seems like a choice between conforming or working doubly hard. Those who don't fit into the social norm are more or less left out.

In her piece, GV contributor Lakshmi Sarah proposes that the BRIC countries take steps to act responsibly when it comes to women's rights and violence against women:

The BRICs have gained attention since 2001, when the term was initially coined. From 2000 to 2008, the BRICs’ share of GDP rose from 16 to 22 percent. The Times (London) has quoted a financial adviser predicting that by 2050, the BRICs nations will “dominate the globe”. Each BRIC country has its own view of power and responsibility. Each BRIC country also has its own record when it comes to human rights and women's issues.

I contributed my own piece as well, looking at the effectiveness of an activism campaign leading up to Microsoft's recent release of a transparency report:

The campaign could serve as a strong model for future efforts. Unlike popular petition platforms like Change.org and AVAAZ, the letter to Skype used a dedicated website and opened signatures up to both individuals and organisation, adding clout. This helps, as Microsoft is unlikely to be affected by the complaints of individual users.

Continuing the effort

Al Jazeera's Khan hopes that the success of this experiment will lead to greater gender balance in the future. This whole experiences goes to prove that the first step to overcoming gender imbalance is deciding to do something about it. Our community believes strongly in supporting diversity in the media, and we're thrilled for the opportunity to help.

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Four years later, the world — and the Internet — has changed.  The events of 2011 that took place in Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, and elsewhere have demonstrated the extent to which governments can control the Internet, as well as the challenges posed by relying on citizen reporting.  Now, as Israel once again unleashes a barrage of air strikes against Gaza's population, social media has become a secondary battlefield.

One point of discussion has been the relationship between state actors and social media platforms.  As Global Voices’ co-founder Rebecca MacKinnon has written, privately-owned platforms control much of our online speech, making decisions as to what is or is not appropriate based on their own proprietary guidelines.  This week, that subject is being discussed in relation to content posted by the Israeli Defence Forces, both on Twitter and YouTube.  @Mike_Orcutt tweets the following article from Wired:

A Youtube employee tells @dangerroom why the IDF's kill video hasn't been taken down http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/11/israeli-kill-vid/

The issue has arisen on Twitter as well; as the @IDFSpokesperson tweeted what, by all accounts, appears to be a threat, some have asked whether that violates the microblogging platform's terms of service. Nigâr Hacızade tweets:

war by social media is only possible if the platforms over which it's waged give their consent http://bit.ly/THxYlQ  

While Israel clearly has the military upper hand, many see them as losing online.  A game, released by the Israeli Defence Forces on its blog, “gamifies” killing, causing widespread disgust amongst activists and journalists alike; as Jon Mitchell of ReadWriteWeb told Time:

“Innocent people are dying on all sides, and the IDF wants to reward people for tweeting about it … It makes me sick.”

Richard Taylor comments:

Wonder how the IDF will gamify this… RT@farshidk: BBC journalist’s 11-mth-old son killed in Gaza strikes by Israel 

Another concern is that of Gaza's telecommunications infrastructure, which is inextricably linked to Israel's and is therefore vulnerable.  As Nadim Kobeissi tweeted:

An Internet shutdown in a Gaza under siege means stripping war victims from a global voice. Read @evacide‘s article:https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/11/social-media-internet-access-are-latest-weapons-israeli-palestinian-conflict

Anonymous has also gotten into the game, tweeting frequent updates:

Current Internet, telecommunication and death toll situation/status in #Gaza |#OpIsrael #Gaza |http://tmblr.co/ZNMTdvXOLg0b

At the time of publication, their website marked Gaza's telecom status thus:

Broadband: Limited, Intermittent
PBX Lines: DOWN
Mobile: UP
Ham Radio: DOWN
Satellite: Unkown
Electricity: DOWN, Current electricity by Generators

This time around, Reddit is also playing an important role in conflict.  At a time when finding reliable information from the ground is complicated, Al Jazeera correspondent Nadim Baba has taken to the platform for an “AMA” or “Ask Me Anything,” during which the subject is publicly questioned by Reddit users and can answer as they like. Baba has been asked—and has answered—dozens of questions about the ongoing attacks.

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Fed up with EgyptAir's service, English-Egyptian writer Amy Mowafi took to Twitter early Wednesday morning to gripe about her experience booking with the airline:

It has LITERALLY taken me an HOUR to bloody book my ticket @flyegyptair on the phone #FML

Adding a hashtag, Mowafi encouraged followers to tweet their own complaints about the airline:

To all those who've been tortured by @flyegyptair please join me in my plight to get them to answer and explain themselves #DearEgyptAir

Many quickly followed suit.  Waleed Mowafi (@WallyMow) added:

#DearEgyptAir Sometimes when i'm at home I rub sandpaper on my arms because i miss the feel of the Egypt Air blankets @flyegyptair

Mai Eldib (@14inchHEELS) complained:

#DearEgyptAir would it be possible for me to once fly without having pilots smoking in the cockpit @AmyMowafi

@Mayounah had a more pressing concern:

#DearEgyptAir plz don't roll your eyes at me when I complain water is dripping from your ac on board…I'm pretty sure it is an issue

Many were focused on the culinary “delights” offered by the airline.  @ShadenFawaz said of the cake:

#DearEgyptAir have you tried eating that “cake” that you serve!? Well it's not food in case you haven't noticed

@LailaShentenawi quipped:

#DearEgyptAir U make sure no one boards with a nail file! Yet u ignore that if someone got hit with the bread u serve he/she could die!

Waleed Mowafi mocked:

#DearEgyptAir I think you guys are pushing culinary boundaries by creating a fish, chicken & meat dish that all taste the same @flyegyptair

@MarwaAyad was a little more straightforward:

#DearEgyptAir Who prepares and cooks those meals? Seriously who?

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Also included in the initial list of individual signers were several Global Voices authors, as well as co-founder Rebecca MacKinnon.

Though the plan is for participants to contribute to, re-mix, and otherwise encourage the evolution of the document, the simple declaration was published as such:

Declaration of Internet Freedom logo. Image from Free Press website, used with permission.

We stand for a free and open Internet.We support transparent and participatory processes for making Internet policy and the establishment of five basic principles:

Expression: Don't censor the Internet.
Access: Promote universal access to fast and affordable networks.
Openness: Keep the Internet an open network where everyone is free to connect, communicate, write, read, watch, speak, listen, learn, create and innovate.
Innovation: Protect the freedom to innovate and create without permission. Don't block new technologies, and don't punish innovators for their users’ actions.
Privacy: Protect privacy and defend everyone's ability to control how their data and devices are used.

Individuals and organizations are encouraged to sign the document or participate through the efforts of other organizations listed on the site. The Declaration has garnered more than 1,300 signatures thus far and continues to gain momentum.

As it spreads, bloggers have begun to comment–and critique–the document and the process behind it. Here are just a few reactions:

Can we live without the Internet? Definitely! Should we? No.

The above statement comes from Lebanese blogger Micheline Hazou, who offers a summary of the process behind the Internet Declaration, as well as the recent resolution made by the United Nations Human Rights Council to protect freedom of the Internet. Hazou, who previously offered an international perspective on the US copyright bills SOPA and PIPA, lends her support to the Declaration, writing:

If I sometimes look back in time, I wonder whether the Lebanon civil war would have lasted 15 years had the Internet existed in 1975. How different my life would have been…

Whereas now we can’t live for a couple of hours without being connected, we spent all the war years trying to forget telephones existed. The fax was the great novelty that we could only contemplate because there were no telephone lines!

But that’s history!

I am a firm believer and defender of a free and open Internet as a Human Right as well as free WiFi.

Do Not Censor the Internet. But what is censorship?

That is a question asked by Spanish blogger Guillermo Julián, who recently wrote a critique [es] of the Declaration. Though Julián believes that the Declaration is a set of “basic principles on which we should all agree,” he takes issue with the vagueness of the Declaration's wording. On the first principle, he writes:

Si ahora mismo preguntas a los promotores de la ley SOPA, o sin irnos tan lejos, a la exministra González Sinde, si pretendían instaurar un sistema de censura en Internet, te dirán que no. Ellos sólo pretendían proteger los derechos de autor, no prohibir que nadie se exprese.

Y ese es el problema de este punto. Nadie ha dicho qué es la censura. ¿Es censura el derecho al olvido? ¿Podríamos considerar censura el cierre de páginas de pornografía infantil?

En los extremos es muy fácil saber qué hacer: bloquear páginas con pornografía infantil es bueno, bloquear páginas con opiniones que no le gustan al gobierno de turno es malo. Pero, ¿qué hacemos en los intermedios? Es algo que depende tanto de la interpretación de cada uno que incluso la SOPA podría respetarlo…

Who is “we”?

One criticism of the Declaration made by several individuals is that it does not define who constitutes “we.” On the Above the Law blog, Elie Mystal writes:

I hate to get pedantic about things involving the internet — it’s the internet, not a Ken Burns documentary — but defining your terms is crucially important when you are trying to advocate for “freedom” of any kind. It’s all well and good to walk around saying “give us free” if you are in chains, but freedom means different things to different people. I’d like to be “free” to make money off the internet, for instance. Can I still be part of the “we”? The fact that so many different people use the internet for so many different purposes is exactly why we struggle to come up with broad-based consensus on how the internet should be regulated (if at all) in the first place. Defining the “we” is half the battle! “WE” are Americans. “THEY” are followers of a inbred crazy person with a fancy hat. Let’s play our game.

Mystal concludes the post with the following sentence: “Just remember to define your terms. Remember, the Constitution tells us who the “we” is in the first line.”

In the Atlantic, Nancy Scola, who interviewed several of the creators and signatories of the Declaration, has a similar concern:

Arguably, the lesson of the years since [John Perry Barlow's Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace] is that “the wider Internet community” does have something to fear from governments and other powers-that-be — thus the need for this new Declaration of Internet Freedom. Governments didn't really stay away from the Internet when Barlow told them to do so. To be useful, does a document like this new one need to figure out where its authority comes from and what it means to do about enforcing its principles? After saying goodbye to Great Britain, the United States decided upon a geography-based winnowing into local and national representative legislatures. Certainly, there are other ways to do it. But defining representativeness is one way to avoid the swapping of one kind of tyranny for another. And it's probably fair to say that harnessing representativeness and authority is something online politics hasn't really figured out yet. In theory, nearly everyone can participate. How you judge that participation, though, is something that everything from Change.org to Americans Elect to folks who try to email Congress need to wrestle with.

This is not the document the Internet needs

In a point-counterpoint hosted by Dapper Disputes, Blake J. Graham states the above claim, adding that the Declaration “caters to vague descriptions of liberty that fail to articulate how these liberties can be uniquely protected on the Internet, and who will be doing the actual protecting.” Graham elaborates:

Articulation is an essential word here. The American Declaration of Independence took prevailing thoughts from enlightenment thinkers, and articulated those thoughts in alignment with 18th century sentiments toward the British crown. The document’s structure includes a substantial, often forgotten, list of grievances directed at King George III and the specific policies agitating the colonists. It is this type of articulation where the Declaration of Independence stands tall, and the “Declaration of Internet Freedom” wobbles over like a toddler drunk on milk.

Writing for the ACLU's blog, Jay Stanley defends that same vagueness as being strategic:

True, there’s always a danger that a broad concept like “privacy” can become like “the environment” in that everybody is “for” it, even when they’re gutting it. But in the history of environmentalism, it was still a major accomplishment to get to a point where nobody could be “against” the environment. If indeed we are at such a point with regard to the principles articulated in this declaration, that is no small accomplishment, and marking that accomplishment is well worth doing. There’s such a thing as “consolidating your gains.”

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Kristof's approach to journalism was a subject that came up in several circles at the recent Global Voices Summit in Nairobi and is also currently a hot topic in the blogosphere. Here are a few different takes that illustrate why Kristof's work is so hotly debated.

Iran

“Farrah Joon” is a popular Iranian-American blogger who runs the blog Sex and Fessenjoon, described as “shamelessly pushing boundaries” by sharing lived experiences. After picking apart some of Kristof's claims about Iranians and their sexual and other habits, she writes:

Iranians shouldn’t be KNOWN because they like to party and have sex (ahem… like the REST of the world), they should be known for constantly trying to push past the limitations of their government. They should be known for the beautiful culture that they have kept alive despite what the hardliners do to prevent them from celebrating and basking in its beauty.

Richard Jeffrey Newman, in the US, sees value for American audiences in Kristof's reporting, writing:

I’m glad to see reporting coming out of Iran … that is based on a journalist’s first-hand encounters with ordinary Iranians. It’s not just that it’s important for readers in the United States to discover that–gasp!–Iranians are indeed ordinary people, essentially no different than we are; it’s also that this kind of coverage seems to me a fundamental sign of respect.

KABOBfest blogger Sana Saeed chose the route of parody (from the perspective of a Muslim visitor to the US), writing a piece entitled “In the US, they want fun fun fun.” A sampling:

My road trip across America leaves me convinced that change will come here, too, if we just have the patience to not disrupt the subterranean forces at work: dwindling education, an expanding gap between the rich and the poor, growing economic frustration, government intrusion and monopoly on information. My hunch is that if there is no war between the US and the Muslim world — which would probably strengthen our own struggles — hard-liners will go the way of Clinton, and the US will end up looking something like Canada during the Harper era: same dogma, broken teeth.

Kansastan! went a similar route, publishing “In America, they want values, values, values.” One sentence sums it up:

You wouldn’t think that a native Middle Easterner like myself could be made to blush in New York, but I was taken aback by how many Americans were not having sex constantly with anyone in any place.

Finally, Nima Shirazi (@WideAsleepNima) criticized Kristof's entire premise, tweeting:

For @NickKristof, bad part of an illegal, immoral Israel attack on Iran is it “might well help the ayatollahs,” not that Iranians would die.

Africa

Kristof's writing about Africa has previously been criticized by several writers and journalists, from Teju Cole–who says that Kristof's activism-journalism and “good heart” do not always allow him to “think constellationally”–to Elliott Prasse-Freeman, who writes eloquently of Kristof's “anti-politics.” More recently, Hamid Dabashi wrote a biting critique of Kristof in Al Jazeera, claiming Kristof relies too heavily on outdated and orientalist clichés.

Now, in response to Kristof's recent article, bloggers from Africa and all over the world are weighing in.

First, Ugandan entrepreneur Teddy Ruge tweeted in response to Kristof's column, sparking Atlantic journalist Max Fisher to ask: “how should the media cover Africa”? Ruge first tweeted:

Those at the microphone telling Africa's story, too vested in their stayed narrative to adapt to a changing continent, risk being obsolete

He adds:

What's really rising in Africa is a bigger chorus of voices set to obfuscate the need for a singularly-focused Western narrator

And concludes:

Part of the reason am advocating for balanced narrative on Africa is because messaging like this is far too dominant:

Image by Twitter user @tmsruge

Sarah Leonard, an editor for The New Inquiry, quipped:

“Africa isn’t just a place for safaris or humanitarian aid. It’s also a place to make money.” Nick Kristof, truly a columnist for our times.

Academic Kathryn Mathers writes:

[Kristof's] use of travel writing about Africa not only evokes the heyday of eighteenth and nineteenth century explorations, but models similar appropriations of African landscapes while reducing African people to backdrops in the adventures and discoveries of Western travelers. The frontiers and new challenges of science and biology were often the mechanisms that made it possible for colonial explorers to depoliticize and secularize their encounters with African people. Today, as so starkly illustrated by Kristof’s and his companions’ writing, this same depoliticizing process is effectively managed by a relentless focus on humanitarian interventions and the challenges facing Americans who want to do good in Africa. He, therefore, frequently finds himself defending his stories about humanitarian interventions against readers’ criticisms of their costs and compromises…

Graduate student @ArriannaMarie felt that Kristof deserves some blame for Americans’ perceptions of Africa:

“GENERATIONS of Americans have learned to pity Africa.” Yes, Mr Kristof, through representations disseminated by people such as yourself

@Abena_Serwaa, who tweets from Ghana and the Netherlands, seems to have a bit of sympathy for Kristof:

It doesn't matter what Nick Kristof said about Africa/Africa rising/Africa falling….I have a feeling he would have been lambasted anyway.

Marc Bellemare, a blogger and assistant professor, thinks Kristof is the wrong target. He says “don't hate the player, hate the game,” writing:

[I think] the Kristof bashing is unjustified. Instead of criticizing Kristof for his writing, criticize those who enable it.

The New York Times is in the business of selling newspapers. Space in the New York Times‘ editorial pages comes at a premium. Don’t think for a second that the New York Times would publish Kristof’s columns in its editorial pages if they didn’t correspond exactly to what the New York Times‘ readership wants from a foreign correspondent.

These controversies surrounding Nick Kristof remind me of when my folks rant about oil companies raising gas prices before the start of a long weekend. I never fail to remind them that if they’re seeing such high prices, it’s because other consumers are willing to pay such high prices.

After all the controversy, @sassynct might sum it up best:

So I'm not the only one who thinks Nick Kristof is condescending.

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Today, March 15, 2012, marks the first anniversary since the start of the Syrian uprising. One year after protests began in Damascus and Daraa, the Syrian opposition's fight against the Assad regime continues amidst global ambivalence toward the conflict.

On Twitter, Syrians and their allies utilized the #Syria and #March15 hashtags to commemorate the day, remember the country's martyrs, and reflect on the year behind them.

@SYRIAslyJana: Its #March15 in #Syria…1 year ago the struggle for a dignified and free #Syria began, the promises we made still hold today.

@AmalHanano: #March15, the day we finally knew what it meant to be Syrian. Next year, you'll be an official holiday: Eid Thawrat al-Karameh. #Syria

@JudieHOMS: #Mar15 and the we are still fighting for our basic human rights as Syrians inside of #syria. May our 10K martyrs rest in peace.

@RaghdaSalama: One year ago, Syrians have begun paving their road to freedom. Over 10000 lives have been lost. And we are all watching. #Syria

@Maysaloon: I remember the first anti-regime protest I ever went to in London. I had never felt more alive and happier in my life.

@DarthNader: What started as hope turned into somber realism as more and more ppl realized the lengths the regime would go to to crush dissent. #Mar15

@abuhatem: A year ago I was very optimistic for Syria, a year later I have mixed feelings and am aware of the deep challenges but support the rev still

@RazanSpeaks: I can't even bring myself to say anything ‘poetic’ because the reality is far from that. #Syria

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protest 2011/12.

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Shadid, an American of Lebanese descent, was widely respected for his balanced reporting in the region, and was honored in both 2004 and 2010 with the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the American invasion of Iraq and the ongoing conflict there, respectively. In the past year, he had reported from Egypt, Libya (where he was arrested along with three Times colleagues), and most recently, Syria.

Photo by Terissa Schor (CC-BY-SA 2.0)

Lebanese entrepreneur Habib Haddad tweeted:

We mourn the loss of a genius today! RIP #AnthonyShadid http://bit.ly/zohXFW

Anissa Helou mourned Shadid, saying:

so so sad about anthony shadid. his articles were really great and he understood both the people and the situations. RIP

Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, who had earlier tweeted his admiration for Shadid, expressed sympathy for the deceased's family:

Tonight I will sleep thinking of Anthony's wife Nada Bakri, and their kids and the incredible legacy #AnthonyShadid leaves behind.

Saudi philanthropist Muna AbuSulayman shareda similar sentiment:

my deeepest condolences. Mr. Shadid was a role model to journalists..your loss is one that is shared by all of us Arab-americans @nadabakri

Journalist Tamer El-Ghobashy also spoke for the Arab-American community, noting that Shadid did a difficult job with few detractors. He added:

Anthony was the most prominent Arab American of our generation and he did it without making it a brand or a mission. Great by merit alone.

Referring to Shadid, Cairo-based writer Ashraf Khalil stated:

We all wished we could be like him, but without any jealousy or resentment because he was so damn sweet and deserving.

Palestinian @Falasteeni wrote of Shadid:

So sad to hear Anthony Shadid has died. Has always been a cut above the rest in mainstream journalism, and a brilliant writer.

And from Syria, the location of Shadid's final assignment, @BSyria put it simply

I really don't know what to say. Thank you @anthonyshadid.

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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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As Global Voices’ Executive Director Ivan Sigal has written, “there are powerful corporate and government forces who would prefer to see the openness and accessibility of the web restricted.” The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect-IP Act (PIPA) would both force websites to pro-actively censor potentially copyrighted information, and could, as Sigal wrote, “inflict broad damage on the work of digital activists living under repressive regimes, as well as restrict basic speech freedoms around the world.”

Because these bills have the potential to affect Internet users worldwide, members of the global community have joined Americans in protest. From German digital rights group Netzpolitik to Open Media Canada to individual bloggers and social media users, the sentiment is the same: Stop these bills.

Blacking out

French site https://linuxfr.org goes dark against #SOPA

Many sites have chosen to express their opposition by blacking out their sites, either entirely or with an interstitial page. Danica Radovanovic (@DanicaR), writing for Australian blog network DejanSEO, discusses Wikipedia's decision to join the blackout, a decision that affects the site's diverse global community:

Over the course of the past 72 hours, over 1800 Wikipedians have joined together to discuss proposed actions that the community might wish to take against SOPA and PIPA. This is by far the largest level of participation in a community discussion ever seen on Wikipedia, which illustrates the level of concern that Wikipedians feel about this proposed legislation. The overwhelming majority of participants support community action to encourage greater public action in response to these two bills. Of the proposals considered by Wikipedians, those that would result in a “blackout” of the English Wikipedia, in concert with similar blackouts on other websites opposed to SOPA and PIPA, received the strongest support.

French organization La Quadrature du Net has joined its American counterparts in blacking out its website, displaying the following image:

The Pirate Party of Catalunya blacks out in solidarity

Pirate parties are among the most stringent opponents of the anti-piracy bills. In Spain, Catalunya, Switzerland, Argentina, Canada, and Sweden (among, almost certainly, many others), local pirate parties have joined in blacking out their websites.

Also blacking out for January 18 are Germany's Chaos Computer Club and Green Party, and international organization Reporters Without Borders. The latter explained its decision, writing:

We have decided to close our English-language website for 24 hours to symbolize the oppressive gag that would spread over the Internet as we know it if SOPA and PIPA are adopted. These bills would affect an incalculable number of Internet users who are innocent of any kind of intellectual property violation by forcing websites to block access to other sites suspected of vaguely-defined copyright breaches.

For more images of sites blacking out in protest, check out Netzpolitik's SOPA blackout gallery.

Translating the importance of activism

In some countries, bloggers have taken it upon themselves to educate their communities about the importance of opposing SOPA and PIPA. Lebanese blogger Mireille Raad has written an explanation for why Lebanese citizens should care about these bills. She writes:

Being a lebanese, doesn’t stop you from being an internet user – the SOPA will affect the internet in a bad way and it involves websites outside the US, and that’s yours…

…You should care and be pissed of, because, like it or not, the internet doesn’t exist in the clouds, it is made of companies that exist in countries and have to answer to local laws despite the fact that internet is “global”. This fact is making people worldwide care about the SOPA legislation – and even though you may feel powerless, you still should care and take online action – because all citizens in cyberspace are created equal and so their actions resonate equally

An earlier post Taiwanese freedom of information activist CK Hung dubs the anti-piracy bills “The Great Firewall of Chinamerica.” In a graphic [zh], the blogger demonstrates his point:

Edit: An English version of the graphic is also available:

He also writes:

掌權者很樂意用 「保護智財」 或 「阻絕色情」、 「和諧社會」 當做永遠不可能吃到口的誘餌來說服公民支持其強化管制網路的法律和政策 (例如選擇便利管制的工具)， 然後藉由這些法律和政策來強化它對公民的資訊監控。 掌權者很樂意公民只看見海市蜃樓， 卻忽略通往海市蜃樓的道路上， 威脅著社會自由民主的 collateral damages。 不論最終的掌權者到底是微軟、 蘋果、 共產黨、 民主黨、 還是共和黨， 受害的永遠都是絕大多數的公民。

而臺灣， 正是這兩大監控勢力交會處的絕佳實驗場所。

Global Voices’ own Venezuelan contributor Marianne Diaz explains why she doesn't like the bills [es]:

De cualquier modo, Estados Unidos no es el mundo, y las leyes de propiedad intelectual tienen limitaciones territoriales y varían de país a país. Por ejemplo, en Venezuela, la obra entra en dominio público sesenta años después de la muerte del autor. Sin embargo, mediante la aplicación de SOPA y PIPA, Estados Unidos pretende que a mí, a ti y a cualquier siberiano se le pueda forzar a cumplir unas limitaciones que no le son aplicables de acuerdo a la ley.

On Twitter, similar conversations are happening. From the UK, @GokhanKaratay writes:

I really do hope #SOPA and #PIPA bills aren't passed through the senate. Legislation against piracy is needed, but that really isn't the way

Pointing out the participation of Argentine video platform Cuevana, @Gaby_xoa points out:

#Cuevana uniéndose al apagón #ANTISOPA que cuarta la libre expresión!!! twitpic.com/88nzkg

What you can do to stop SOPA and PIPA

Although the international community is limited in how they can affect an American bill, the solidarity expressed in opposition to both bills is certainly helpful to U.S.-based activists.  Aside from the aforementioned examples, bloggers have found numerous creative ways to do so, such as adding an anti-SOPA or anti-PIPA Twibbon or blacking out their WordPress blog.  Fight for the Future is encouraging the international community to sign a petition to the State Department. But just writing about the implications of the two bills can help.

American citizens, on the other hand, have plenty of options. Here are just a few ways to get involved:

• The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a petition as well as a guide to meeting with representatives.
• Fight for the Future's Stop American Censorship project is hosting a letter-writing campaign.
• Free Press has a campaign to petition television networks to report on the bills.

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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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Eight days after her arrest, Razan Ghazzawi has been charged, according to an article from the Lebanese Daily Star, which reports:

According to her lawyers, Razan has been charged with “establishing an organization that aims to change the social and economical entity of the state” and “weakening the national sentiment, and trying to ignite sectarian strife” and “weakening national sentiment” — all of which can lead to a penalty of three to 15 years in prison.

On Twitter, supporters had strong reactions to the charges. Syrian blogger @anasqtiesh wrote:

The logo of the global Free Razan campaign

@anasqtiesh: The charges against Razan Ghazzawi are a farce. Just like everything else the Syrian regime does. #FreeRazan #Syria

@anasqtiesh: ”weakening the national sentiment, and trying to ignite sectarian strife” Should be charges against Assad. #Syria #FreeRazan

Al Jazeera journalist Dima Khatib was similarly dismayed:

I am very sad to read the news about @RedRazan being charged with “crimes”.. Razan is not a criminal. Razan is a freedom fighter #FreeRazan

Karl Sharro was angered by the charges, but especially by one in particular, writing:

But “trying to ignite sectarian strife” is more offensive than anything. Razan is very dedicated to anti-sectarianism. #freeRazan

Global Voices author Laura Vidal, from Venezuela, wrote:

When a government silences a blogger it proves him/her right #FreeRazan

Solidarity campaigns in support of Razan continue. Palestinian blogger Abir Kopty tweeted:

Palestinian bloggers are working on a statement calling to #Freerazan and all Syrian political prisoners. #Syria

A Facebook page is being used to coordinate campaign efforts, while the #freerazan hashtag is used by supporters on Twitter to share updates.

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

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The protests – which broadly focus on all aspects of the Israeli occupation – have garnered some international attention in recent years, with footage filmed by protesters making it into the New York Times. Israeli forces have cracked down on protests in Nabi Saleh and elsewhere throughout the West Bank, at times arresting demonstrators.

This past Friday 9 December, 2011, however, Nabi Saleh experienced tragedy as activist Mustafa Tamimi, 28, was “critically injured after Israeli soldiers fired a tear gas canister at his face, and died at a hospital after his treatment was delayed by the occupation forces who had invaded the village to repress the weekly demonstration,” according to Linah Alsaafin, who also wrote:

One difference that distinguishes Nabi Saleh from other villages with popular resistance committees, like Nilin, Bilin, Biddu and Budrus is that no one has been killed, or martyred in the protests. Beaten up, yes. Arrested, ditto. But never a death. Until yesterday.

Photo of Nabi Saleh protest by Flickr user zaid amr, July 2011 (CC BY-ND 2.0).

On blogs, Twitter, and Facebook, Palestinian activists are mourning the loss of one of their own. Blogger Abir Kopty writes:

I remember your braveness during Nabi Saleh’s weekly rallies, facing the army with open chest. I apologize to you for not having your courage. Your life doesn’t worth less than mine.

…

Dear Mustafa, for the time being I’m afraid to make promises, as we have learned not to make promises bigger than us. I can only promise you that I will continue going to Nabi Saleh, I will not give up the hope, exactly as you didn’t. I promise you that your courage will keep inspiring me and giving me strength.

Rest in peace comrade.

Kopty also tweeted:

Everyday i say tomorrow is a new day, but the anger doesn't go away. #Mustafatamimi

On collective blog Front Line Echo, @amraamra writes:

For those who tell me that I take things too personal, I will continue to take it too personal and at heart because I’m human! I breathe, feel, cry, laugh, love and hate. So when someone hurts me, I hurt. When someone tickles me, I laugh. When we mourn the loss of a fellow Palestinian brother and other desensitized Palestinians are watching on the streets, smirking and making ridiculous comments, I will feel fury. When someone steals the life of another comrade in such a brutal and grotesque way, I will grieve. I will grieve… just like others are grieving.

The blogger continues:

When the international community tells Palestinians to adopt to more peaceful resistance in resisting the ongoing Israeli occupation, that is what we do. Yet, we are met with the same and even more brutal suppression. At this point I do not know what gives me the hope to continue, and I think many will agree. Nothing seems to make sense now. But one thing does make sense. Mustafa Tamimi’s soul has not gone in vain. We will carry him with us in our continuous struggle against occupation. We will not give up Mustafa… and that is for sure!

On Monday 12 December, Israeli soldiers came under fire for seemingly defending the use of fatal force on social media, a story covered by The New York Times. Their defense largely revolved around the fact that Tamimi had thrown rocks at an armored vehicle as it drove away. In response, Israeli-American Joseph Dana tweeted:

Should throwing stones at an antagonistic armored military jeep be a crime punishable by death?

Journalist Haggai Matar, in a post translated for and republished by +972 Magazine, shares one perspective from Israel:

It is simply shocking. Truly shocking. I look around, and I don’t see my society shocked. Not shocked at all of these people, or at the two head injures in Nabi Saleh yesterday, or at the two arrests in a peaceful demonstration in Ma’asara, which didn’t even get any coverage. I see the careful reports reading, “Palestinians claim that…” and the blind faith in the stance of the IDF Spokesperson. And the lack of shock shocks me even more…

This Friday's protest will be in honor of Tamimi; a Facebook page has been set up for coordination.

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As the uprising in Syria enters its eighth month, activists are getting creative to ensure global attention toward the situation does not cease. An initiative by the popular Sham News Network–a grassroots news organization that emerged during the Syrian revolution to aggregate and publish news footage–asks individuals to submit videos in solidarity with Syrian protesters. The videos, which are then posted to the SyrianSitIn YouTube account, contain versions of one statement:

I am in solidarity with the Syrian people. I reject the brutality and killing that the Syrian authorities are committing against the unarmed Syrian people. And because silence is participation in this crime, I declare my participation in the Syrian Sit-in on Youtube.

In this video [ar], a Syrian from the Occupied Golan Heights, expresses his solidarity:

A young woman from Algeria, with the flags of both Syria and her country in the background, shows her support [ar]:

The Syrian Sit-in initiative has received more than 200 submissions

The submissions are mainly in English and Arabic. In some videos, the submitter's face is turned away from the camera or covered by a mask, presumably because he or she is located in Syria and doesn't want to be discovered. Most submitters record the provided statement, while some add their own thoughts or wishes. So far, the initiative has received nearly 250 videos from across the Arab world, as well as from the United States, Germany, Iceland, and Canada.

From Toronto, Canada, ‘The Ugly Truth’ posts a video in solidarity:

Member of Icelandic Parliament and NATO Parliamentary Assembly Birgitta Jonsdottir contributed a video:

“I wish to express my solidarity and my support to the brave Syrian people that have been protesting day after day, month after month, against all odds.”

Syrian-Spanish Global Voices contributor Leila Nachawati also contributed to the effort:

“I am joining the Syrian sit-in because Syrian people are an inspiration for anyone who believes in freedom, and justice, and human rights…And I'm very proud of my Syrian people and horrified by the level of brutality the Syrian regime is displaying.”

Those who wish to join the Syrian sit-in can do so by submitting their videos to SyrianHub@Gmail.com.

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

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Syria has been on the minds and lips of many participants of this week's Third Arab Bloggers Meeting in Tunis. The celebratory spirit provoked by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt has been dampened by discussions about Syria, where regime violence is increasing, the death toll is nearing 3,000, and many see no end in sight.

Several sessions on Syria have taken place at the meeting. On Wednesday, bloggers discussed the impact of digital activism in Syria, focusing heavily on the Syrian Electronic Army, the pro-regime hacking group recently responsible for defacing Harvard University's website. Noting that President Bashar Al Assad had thanked the Electronic Army for its efforts, Amira Al Hussaini commented: “SICK.”

A symbol used by Syrian digital activists, urging an end to repression

One Syrian participant stated that the impact of digital activists in Syria has been “minimal,” and quoting another participant, @weddady remarked that “many of #Syria electronic activists impact was strictly limited to mobilizing foreign media, they're not organizers on the ground.”

The discussion also touched upon the issue of authenticity, with some Syrians inside the country emphasizing the legitimacy of diaspora voices, as @redrazan tweeted:

Treating the voices of Syrians inside as authentic and the ones in disapora as not so much, is ridiculous. #Syria

Anonymously quoting a Syrian participant, @ahmed tweeted:

How can Syrians abroad help protesters on the ground in Syria? Is there ways to do that? #ab11

Bloggers also discussed organizing in Syria, where protests are often quickly dispersed and movement is restricted. @ahmed translated and transcribed the comments of Syrian participants, noting the difficulty of organizing and remarking that Syrians “invented “flying protestes”: quick 2-min protest that gets filmed & uploaded.”

Syria is “pulling at my heart strings”

Thursday morning, one of the Syrian participants who had recently spent time in the country gave a talk on the dire situation in the country, prompting Jordanian blogger Naseem Tarawnah (@Tarawnah) to note:

Hands down, #Syria has been the most emotional talk of #AB11 & as a Jordanian its pulling at my heart strings. #BlessSyria

Quoting the speaker, Tarawnah also wrote that, after seven months, “no opposition group has demonstrated its ability to break the regime,” asking “Where do we go from here?”

Syrian-Spanish blogger Leila Nachawati also quoted the speaker, explaining:

Syrian participant explained the ways in which the Syrian government is trying to ignite sectarianism to provoke a civil war.

Although the situation is dire, the Syrian speaker injected hopefulness into the discussion. According to Lilian Wagdy, the blogger also proclaimed that the only hope for #Syria is #Egypt ‘s revolution ending in success, and that Syrians don't want to “co-exist together, [they] want to ‘live’ together.”

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

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Around the world, and particularly in the United States, Twitter is in a state of morning. The hashtag #RIPTroyDavis is currently trending, and individuals are expressing their feelings about Davis's case, as well as about the state of capital punishment in the United States.

From Philadelphia, @ShamaraOnAir reports:

Watching CNN 11:08 was time of death #RIPTROYDAVIS

From Iowa, @Jasminenkelly tweets:

Troy Davis campaign image, by Tricia Wang uploaded by Flickr user dabnotu (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).

Racism and injustice still exists just on a different scale… we dnt have KKK's in sheets anymore they are our law makers. #RIPTROYDAVIS

Journalist Dan Gillmor rails against the death penalty, saying:

Bad enough that death penalty exists. But tonight, our system of “justice” killed another person whose guilt was hugely in doubt. Travesty.

From Barbados, @bajanswaggboy remarks:

#RIPTroyDavis. No murder weapon, no DNA, 7 of 9 witnesses recant their testimonies. Seriously? How do you execute someone without evidence?

And from the UK, @tweety_coco says:

Still in shock. Just cannot believe this can happen in 2011. #riptroydavis

Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour), a Palestinian-American activist, states:

#TroyDavis will be the fuel I need to continue my quest for social justice. He will never be forgotten. #RIPTroyDavis

While the case of Troy Davis has certainly drawn interest from the public, many are cynical that the case is a one-off, and that US citizens will not continue to fight against the death penalty. Or as Palestinian @Falasteeni put it shortly before the execution took place:

What saddens me most abt expected murder of #TroyDavis is tht nothing will happen, no movement will grow to make sure it never happens again

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