Global Voices

Russia: Q&A with Tina Kandelaki

Kevin Rothrock — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:01:15 +0000

Tina Kandelaki is many things. She is a Russian journalist, a TV celebrity, a co-owner of Apostol Media Group, a widely read blogger, and — more recently — a visible presence in Russian politics. Her Twitter account (@tina_kandelaki) has nearly half a million followers, and her LiveJournal blog has received more than 128,000 comments, since its creation just four years ago. Be it on the cover of Russian Maxim magazine or in her endorsement of United Russia and Vladimir Putin, Kandelaki has aroused the interest and sometimes the ire of other prominent actors on the RuNet and elsewhere. In mid-May, 2012, Global Voices' RuNet Echo spoke to Ms. Kandelaki over email. What follows is the text of that exchange:

Tina Kandelaki. Photo by W Communications, used with permission.

Ms. Tina Kandelaki, Global Voices warmly thanks you for agreeing to this interview, and we're very excited to discuss your career as a journalist and voice on the Russian Internet.

Thank you, I'm glad to be here.

In January this year, Echo of Moscow and several other media outlets published a list [ru] of Russia's 100 most influential women, where you were ranked 28th [ru]. Kirov Governor Nikita Belykh offered commentary on your rating, saying that your “capacity for work” and your “energy” are “uncharacteristic for women” and that you “think absolutely like a man.” Do you agree with this assessment? Has your femininity been an asset or an obstacle in your professional life?

I am a close friend of Nikita Belykh, and I can honestly say that his character assessment is accurate. I have been working since a young age, and that’s why I possess some male characteristics — a certain independence and ability to stand up for myself. At the moment, I am responsible not only for my family, but for 280 people employed at my company, Apostol. I am not afraid to be responsible for a large number of people — responsibility means moving forward.

In the past six months, your public support for United Russia and Vladimir Putin have often been contrasted with Ksenia Sobchak's recent emergence as an oppositionist. Do you consider your relationship to have become a political rivalry? Whether yes or no, why do you think social commentators have identified a feud between the two of you?

Ksenia and I were colleagues and partners. At one point, I made the decision to stop working in entertainment-television and I started my own business. I was interested in educational issues, and have since become the host of “The Smartest” (Samyi umnyi), an intellectual TV-show for children. Meeting so many talented youths, I wanted the opportunity to help such children realize their potential. So, in 2009, I accepted an invitation from Dmitry Medvedev to become a member of educational commission of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation. I have been attracted to both business and public activities, and for me they have been connected. Ksenia continues working in the sphere of entertainment-media, but there is no political rivalry between us, and we have never argued because of politics. The thing is: we have different points of view concerning the best path for Russia and its future. Regarding social commentators, I can say that nothing there surprises me — the Internet is a very sensitive sphere, and Internet users pay attention to everything that happens, though they don’t always interpret everything correctly.

Your project “Nereal'naia politika” began as an Internet series and later migrated to network television. Ksenia Sobchak's show “GosDep” initially aired on Russian MTV, but it was quickly canceled and later revived as a web-based program on Snob.ru. Why do you think these shows developed in the opposite directions, yours Internet-to-TV and Sobchak's TV-to-Internet?

To be honest, I don’t think we can compare these two projects. In the case of Sobchak's show, “GosDep,” she simply had no choice — she would have had to close her show completely, if she did not start broadcasting it on the Internet. “Nereal'naia politika” was the first online start-up in Russia to become hugely popular on the Internet. It appealed to a large audience, and for that reason was sold successfully to a television channel.

In recent months, you have devoted attention [ru] in your blog and elsewhere to the potentially dangerous influence the Internet can have on young people, citing violent trends that promote bullying and even murder. Oppositionists often describe the Internet as a tool to circumvent state-controlled media channels, allowing the public access to unfiltered information that, they argue, increases the odds of opposition to the Kremlin. How do you think the expansion of Internet access will influence the politics of the next generation of Russian citizens?

As I’ve already noted, I have no doubts that the Internet is the future of mass media. On the Web, there is true freedom of speech. You know, in February, I was a guest on [Vladimir] Pozner’s program, where we discussed the social and political aspects of my public activity. I was surprised to find out that an extract, where I mentioned Alexey Navalny, was cut from the final broadcast. Nevertheless, the whole and uncensored video could be found easily on the Internet.

Besides, the Internet enables people to create their own content and react quickly to all news and events. This type of communication can very easily and quickly receive feedback, as well. There is another side of this total freedom, however: it gives a very broad field for the distribution of dangerous information. Teenagers abuse their classmates and post it on the Internet. Most disturbingly, these videos attract a huge number of views, creating deeply unfortunate role models for impressionable teenagers. Taking into account all of these facts, we need to take measures to control such information. We need to find balance between the freedom of speech and the control over dangerous content. On the question of the Internet’s influence on the political activity of citizens, it’s obvious that peaceful demonstrations became possible only thanks to online social networks. This kind of feedback from citizens is very important for governments because it truly reflects the needs of the people.

As citizens get the right to speak up, slowly but surely a Civil Society appears that can affect key presidential and governmental decisions to improve our country.

In a December 2011 interview [ru] with Roman Dobrokhotov, you said that “proving [election] falsification is an issue for lawyers — not journalists and bloggers.” You then added, “But [journalists' and bloggers'] role in this process is extremely important.” What exactly do you think bloggers' role in Russia's recent elections should have been?

The main difference and peculiarity of bloggers is foremost that they can express their own personal opinions about events. Secondly, social networks are very dynamic environments — new information can be disseminated immediately. Journalists sitting at a press-conference can post new quotes to Twitter, which instantly produces material for bloggers. The honest coverage of events by active bloggers is very important, because they can do something beyond the scope of journalists.

In that same interview with Dobrokhotov, you stated your concerns that direct elections for governors would “return [to Russia] the problem of regional sovereignization.” As you may be aware, Putin recently ordered [ru] the Ministry of Economic Development to draft a law creating a new goskompaniia to oversee the development of Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. Do you view this as an attempt to stem possible “sovereignization” that could result from the direct election of governors? How do you respond to critics, who claim that the new goskompaniia is Moscow's way of ‘colonizing' the East?

You know, I think it’s too early to draw any big conclusions about the new structure. There is a certain traditional reaction to all innovations — people are afraid of them and criticize new things without even grasping their gist.

As far as existing experience goes, we have a number of very effective state corporations today that make other enterprises (some frozen for many years) more effective, as well. State corporations act as the guarantors for foreign investors and attract new technologies and money to the Russian economy. That’s why we need to look closely at how this project develops.

You were very active in the monitoring group “Za chistye vybory” over the course of Russia's elections this past March. Days before the vote, you invited [ru] several oppositionists to visit the organization's headquarters, though Georgii Alburov, a coordinator for Rosvybory (the brainchild of Aleksei Navalny), ultimately refused to come, on the grounds that “Za chistye vybory” was a “Kremlin project.” You have always denied such accusations, though your special access to state officials is well established. Indeed, you told Dobrokhotov, “One can write a lot of posts in a blog or on Twitter, but for decisions to concrete problems it is contact with the authorities that accelerates their solutions.” Why do you think oppositionists view your “contact with the authorities” as evidence of the state's control over you?

The answer is simple. Control can be implemented in two ways: through money or power. I don’t get money or influence from the authorities. I have my own business that provides a good income; my company doesn’t have any state contracts, and I am not a state official. Being a member of the Public Chamber helps me appeal to high-ranking politicians, and it helps to solve some problems faster, but it is a social role.

For instance, I worked to address an issue with the Moscow Cadet Corp, where a new building is under construction, though the process was expected to last another 13 years. 1.7 billion rubles were invested, but the building work was stalled. The head of the Cadet Corp reached out to me and asked me to help publicize this situation, and I appealed to the Moscow city government several times. During a meeting with Dmitry Medvedev, this issue was raised and a solution was reached. This is an example of my so-called “affiliation” with the authorities. I consider it a resource, and not something to fear.

On the other hand, I strongly agree with Dobrokhotov: we do need to build a dialogue with the authorities. The government is not as sacred today as it was five years ago. At the moment, the gap is narrowing: people want to talk to the authorities; people want to participate in changes to both the country and their lives; and I hope the government will be ready for that. Already, we are talking about some new innovations that — if they get enough support — will be transmitted to the State Duma. I hope that such initiatives will be implemented and that they will multiply, and that they will change the forms of social and political interaction we have today.

Tajikistan: Singers Turn to Religious Motifs

Alexander Sodiqov — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:54:40 +0000

In his blog, journalist Kayumars Ato writes [tj] that pop singers and rappers in Tajikistan increasingly use religious motifs in their songs. The use of music for religious purposes remains a controversial topic in the country.

Azerbaijan: Live Eurovision Human Rights Discussion on Facebook

Onnik Krikorian — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:59:09 +0000

On the eve of this year's Eurovision Song Contest final in Baku, Azerbaijan, RFE/RL is planning a live Facebook chat with Elisa Munoz, Acting Executive Director of the International Women's Media Foundation, and Khadija Ismayilova, investigative reporter and talk show host for RFE/RL's Azerbaijan Service, at 13.00 EDT (17.00 GMT) on Friday 25 May.

Armenia: Fascist Rubo (Hayrapetyan)

Onnik Krikorian — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:21:46 +0000

With anti-gay hysteria breaking out in nationalist and official circles, Unzipped: Gay Armenia now reports that Ruben Hayrapetyan, a ruling Republican Party MP and President of the Armenian Football Association, has joined in by declaring that homosexuals should be ‘punished.' One of Armenia's notorious oligarchs also known as ‘Nemetz (German) Rubo,' the blog says that one social media user has suggested he change his nickname to ‘Fascist Rubo.'

Taiwan: When News is Sold to the Chinese Government

Huma Yusuf — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:14:23 +0000

In recent years, more and more Taiwanese media workers have been worried that press freedom has been eroding since the lifting of martial law in 1987. In fact, Taiwan's ranking in Freedom House's Annual Press Freedom Report has been regressing since 2008.

In addition to the “embedded marketing” practice which cloaks advertising as news and makes journalistic articles less reliable, the mainland China government has extended influence on the Taiwan public sphere through news industry acquisitions.

Influence of mainland China

On May 7, 2012, a public hearing was held because the Want Want China Times group plans to acquire the second largest cable television system in Taiwan. Since Taiwanese businessman Tsai Eng-Meng purchased the media group in November 2008, China Times, one of the most influential newspapers in Taiwan, has made a subsequent change in editorial policy [zh] in the direction of softening criticism of the Ma administration, Beijing, or improvements in cross-strait ties.

Image from Reject China Times Facebook Campaign Page

More than 50 social science and journalism professors in Taiwan signed up to the ‘Reject China Times' campaign [zh] in February 2012, in response to Tsai's interview with the Washington Post, in which he claimed that the June 4 Massacre (Tiananmen Square) did not happen.

The campaign statement pointed out that:

事實上，《中國時報》自蔡先生入主後所展現許多「積極排除不利中國言論」之「自我審查」事例，早已引起知識界的嚴重質疑。蔡先生以其在中國所取得之資本，搖身成為台灣媒體集團大亨後，在華郵所發表之為中國打壓民主、踐踏人權種種極權行徑擦脂抹粉的荒謬言論，更印證了我們對於中國企圖透過直接間接掌控我國媒體，操縱台灣公共輿論與市民認知的憂慮。

In fact, since Mr. Tsai purchased China Times, a large number of “self-censorship” incidents to “erase words that are critical of China” have taken place and the knowledge community has been very critical of such practice. Mr. Tsai obtains his capital from China and has turned into a media tycoon. His interview in the Washington Post which praised the authoritative mainland Chinese government is repressive towards the development of democracy and human rights in China. Such ridiculous comment has also proven our worries that the Chinese government has control over Taiwanese media, our public opinion and our citizens' rights to truthful reports.

The further expansion of Want Want China Times from printed media to cable television has undoubtedly alerted many Taiwanese. In fact in the recent public hearing, Tsai admitted that he had received money from the mainland Chinese authorities to publish “news” that propagates a positive imagine of mainland China. However, his defence was that “embedded marketing” has been a common practice in Taiwan and there is no reason to stop China Times from doing it.

Journalism Professor Chang Chin-hwa pointed out that such political advertisement is a potential threat to national security (via a report from ‘Reject China Times‘ [zh] campaign website:

張錦華教授亦憂心地提醒，不僅是我國政府在「買新聞」，連「中華人民共和國的政府」也在台灣買新聞，並促使監察委員吳豐山提出調查報告加以指摘，在這個事件中，「中國時報就是主犯」！旺旺中時收了錢以後，它自己賣新聞不算，它竟然去跟其他的報紙「幫中國政府買新聞」！在監察院的糾正報告中，即指出這種行為不僅影響新聞專業，更已提昇至危及「國家安全」的層次。

Professor Chang Chin-hwa is worried and reminds the public that “not only our government is buying news, now the People Republic of China (PRC) is buying news in Taiwan”. She urged the Control Yuan member Frank Wu to start an investigation and condemn such practices, “in this incident, the China Times is the prime suspect. Want Want China Times takes the money, however, it not only sells its own news, but helps other newspapers to sell their news! The Control Yuan has already pointed out [in 2010] that such practice has affected the professionalism in journalism and posed threat to our national security.”

Embedded marketing

For years, the issue of “embedded marketing” has been criticized by many media workers. Back in 2010, an experienced journalist Dennis Huang (黃哲斌), quit his job on the China Times and launched an online protest [zh] against embedded marketing:

從昨天起，我離開了工作十六年又五個月的《中國時報》。我越來越難獨善其身、越來越難假裝沒看到，其他版面被「業配新聞」吞噬侵蝕的肥大事實，新聞變成論字計價的商品，價值低落的芭樂公關稿一篇篇送到編輯桌上，「這是業配，一個字都不能刪」。然後，它們像是外星來的異形，盤據了正常新聞版面，記者努力採訪的稿件被擠壓、被丟棄。記者與主管被賦予業績壓力，不得不厚著面皮向採訪對象討預算、要業配。

Yesterday I left China Times, where I have worked for 16 years and 5 months. It is more and more difficult to focus on my personal interests and pretend not to see the ugly truth that the embedded advertisement (cloaked as news) gradually invades more and more pages in the newspapers. News becomes a kind of good that we can calculate its value by counting the number of words. Trashy news releases are sent to the editors one by one, and the editors are told, ‘this is embedded marketing and we cannot change any word in it.’ Later, they invade the pages for ‘real’ news like aliens, and those articles written by hard-working reporters are shortened or thrown away. Both reporters and their supervisors are given the responsibility for selling news, so they need to ask the interviewees shamelessly for budgets and embedded marketing.

我更相信，「人生總有非賣品」。例如，讀者的信任；例如，專業判斷與良知；例如，自己的人格與報社的信譽；例如，寫或不寫的自由權利。業配新聞破壞了這一切，奪走了這一切，它以每字一、兩百元的代價，將新聞變成廉售的開架商品。

I believe that there is something in your life not for sale. For example, the trust of my readers, professional judgment, my conscience, my integrity, the reputation of a newspaper company, and the freedom to decide whether to write or not. However, the embedded marketing destroys all of them and takes them away. It makes news a piece of cheap merchandise on a shelf.

在各種業配新聞中，公部門以納稅人的辛苦錢收買媒體，最是可議，我常說，「政府左手伸進我們的口袋，拿錢賄賂媒體，然後將右手伸進我們的腦袋」…政府不努力為政策辯護、不努力作民間溝通，現在連文宣廣告都懶得做，直接砸錢買新聞，這是一種最最混蛋加三級的媒體控制。

In various kinds of embedded marketing, the most arguable one is government sponsored news. The government pays the media with taxpayers' hard earned money. I like to put it like this: ‘the government puts its left hand into our pocket to get the money to bribe the media, and then it can extend its right hand into our brain.’ …[By doing so] the government does not need to defend its policy or communicate with the citizens. Now the government is so lazy that it does not want to write its own propaganda. They just need to buy up the news. This is the most tedious and obscene kind of media control.

Bangladesh: Using Blogging to Expose ‘Eve Teasing'

Rezwan — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:21:59 +0000

Eve teasing (sexual harassment of women) is one of the major problems in Bangladesh which many women face everyday. This social problem exists everywhere be it in rural or in urban areas. One of the main reasons of girls being married off at an early age or them dropping out of school is “eve teasing”. Many times these incidents lead to violence and even deaths. There had been instances of parents or siblings giving their lives to stop “eve teasing”.

Strict laws and regulations cannot deter these incidents from happening. Sometimes the harassers get away because of the silence of the society. Recently in the capital Dhaka, a blogger has taken a strong stance against the perpetrators of an “eve teasing” incident and he asked the help of other bloggers to unmask the identity of these violators.

On 11 May, 2012, Sorbonasha, an anonymous blogger, wrote a post titled ‘At this moment I am seeking help of thousands of bloggers from somewhereinblog.net (blogging platform) … right now‘ [bn]:

Then he described an “eve teasing” incident:

দাঁড়িয়ে ছিলাম ধানমন্ডি এলাকার রোড ৫/এ, মেডিনোভার উল্টা দিকের মেইন রোডে। রাত তখন প্রায় ৯:৫০ এর মত বাজে। হঠাৎ দেখলাম, ইউ ল্যাব ইউনিভার্সিটির দিক থেকে কিছু উঠতি বয়সী ছেলে হেঁটে হেঁটে স্টার কাবাব যেদিকে, সেদিকে যাচ্ছে । একজন তরুণী দাঁড়িয়ে একটি সিএনজি অটোরিক্সার সঙ্গে কথা বলছিলেন। ছেলেগুলো তাঁর থেকে অনেক কম বয়সী হওয়া সত্ত্বেও হঠাৎ তারা মেয়েটির জামার নিচ দিয়ে হাত বাড়িয়ে পাজামার পেছন ধরে টান দিল .. দিয়ে হাসতে হাসতে এগিয়ে চলল .. ঘটনার আকস্মিকতায়, অপমানে তরুণীটি হতবিহ্বল হয়ে দাঁড়িয়ে আছে, লজ্জায় মুখে কিছু বলার ভাষাও হারিয়ে ফেলেছে।

I was standing on road 5/A of Dhanmondi, on the main road opposite Medinova (medical center). It was almost 9:50PM at night. Suddenly I saw some young lad walking towards the Star Kabab & Restaurant. There One girl was trying to hire a CNG Autorickshaw. The boys were younger than that girl, however, one of them slipped his hand on to her tops and pulled her pant down from behind… then they continued walking laughing. In a state of sudden shock, the girl stood perplexed, harassed, she did not have anything to say in shame.

Then he described how he fought for her [bn]:

আর সহ্য করতে পারলাম না, দৌড়ে যেয়ে ছেলেটিকে পাকড়াও করে প্রতিবাদ করলাম। নিমিষেই ছেলেটির সঙ্গী-সাথীরা আমার উপর চড়াও হল। উপর্যুপরি কিল-ঘুষি-লাথি-চড় !! আমি চিৎকার করে এর প্রতিরোধ করতে চাইলে ছেলেগুলো তাদের ইউ ল্যাবের ছাত্র বলে পরিচয় দেয়। আমাকে টেনে সেদিকে নিয়ে যাবার চেষ্টা করে। মেয়েটি আমার সাহায্যে এগিয়ে এসে হাও-মাও করে কাঁদতে থাকে। আশ-পাশে এরই ভেতর অনেক লোক জমে গেছে। তারা জানতে চাইলে আমি তরুণীটিকে দেখিয়ে ঘটনা বর্ণনা করি।

I could not tolerate it anymore. I ran towards the boys and protested. They immediately attacked me. I was greeted with punches, kicks and slaps. I called for help and they identified themselves as the students of University of Liberal Arts Of Bangladesh (ULAB). They tried to pull me towards their campus. The girl now was in tears trying to help me and was crying for help. Many people had gathered by then. When they asked I described what happened with her.

However the blogger was surprised to see that many were advocating for the perpetrators instead of the victims [bn]:

লক্ষ্য করি যে, ইউ ল্যাবের ছাত্র, পাশের সিগারেটের দোকানদার, ছাত্রদের গাড়ী চালক সবাই ঐ বদমাস ছেলেগুলোর পক্ষে সাফাই গাচ্ছে, কেউ কেউ ওদের সমর্থনও করছে। বলার চেষ্টা করছে, রাস্তা-ঘাটে এরকম হতেই পারে, ওরা হয়তো একটা ভুল করেই ফেলেছে, কিন্তু তা বলে আমার এত বাড়াবাড়ি করা উচিৎ হচ্ছে না, ঝামেলা না বাড়িয়ে আমি যেন তাড়া তাড়ি সেখান থেকে চলে যাই .. আর আমজনতার বিশাল এক অংশ নীরব, নিশ্চুপ। প্রতিরোধ দূরে থাক, অন্যায়ের প্রতিবাদটি পর্যন্ত কেউ করছে না।

I noticed that the students of ULAB, the cigarette sellers, the chauffeurs of some students were advocating for the boys. They were trying to say that perhaps they had done a mistake, but I should not exaggerate it as these can happen. Some also advised me to leave the place immediately without causing much trouble. I noticed a large section of people standing there silent, watching inactively. Let alone defending me, nobody was even protesting the incident.

But the blogger did not stop there. After reaching home he wrote a blogpost trying to identify those boys. He proposed some steps including a blogger's meeting. In his post he asked the netizens to help him expose the real identity of those involved in that harassment.

The post was widely read (43,839 times at the time of writing the post) and many people commented on it (1062 comments).

Shafiul Alam [bn] commented that he will be able to help in finding their identity.

অনেক কিছু বলার ছিল, কিন্তু কিছু প্রবলেমের কারণে বলতে পারছি না। যাই হোক। আমি ঐ এলাকার এবং ইউল্যাবের অনেকের সাথেই পরিচয় আছে। যদি ওরা ইউল্যাবের কেউ হয়, তাহলে মনে হয় বের করতে পারব।

I could say many thing, but cannot because of some problems. I know many people of that area and have contacts in ULAB. If those boys are students of that institution, I think I will be able to find out.

Nostalgic [bn] is angry to learn about this incident. But he is hopeful seeing the protest of the blogger:

জঘন্য অনুভূতি হলো পড়ে!

আপনার সাহসকে সম্মান জানাই! আমরা সবাই ভিড়ের মানুষ হয়ে যাই নাই। আপনার মত মানুষ আছেন, যারা ভিড় ঠেলে সামনে দাঁড়িয়ে প্রতিবাদ করতে ভোলেন না এখনও।

I felt awful reading it. I admire your courage. We have not all become passive bystanders. Still there are people like you who stand alone from the crowd trying to protest.

Birendra [bn] tells why these criminals should be punished:

সামগ্রিকভাবে সমাজের নৈতিক অবক্ষয়। আপনি যে প্রতিবাদ করেছেন এ জন্য আপনাকে অনেক অনেক ধন্যবাদ।

এদের যদি শাস্তি হয় তাহলে ভবিষ্যতে অপরাধ কমবে।

This shows degradation of morals in the society. Many many thanks to you for your protest. If these people are punished we can expect a decrease in such crimes.

Sajid [bn] commented that these kinds of problems can be solved through everybody's help:

আপনাকে স্যালুট, কারো পক্ষে সম্ভব না এর সমাধান করা, যদি না আমজনতা জেগে উঠে

Salute to you. Nobody can do it alone if people do not rise.

Ashikur Rahman Amit [bn] was angry to see bystanders doing nothing:

কোথায় চলে গেছে আমাদের নৈতিকতা, ঘৃণা প্রকাশ করতেও লজ্জা লাগছে ইউল্যাবের ঐ সকল জানোয়ারদের প্রতি। সেই সাথে ধিক্কার তাদের প্রতি যারা প্রতিবাদ করতে দেখেও এগিয়ে আসেনি।

Where have our morals gone? I feels ashamed to express even my hatred towards those animals of ULAB. I condemn those who did not come forward to protest.

Noman Mir [bn] lauded the courage of the anonymous blogger:

আপনার মানবতা এবং সাহসিকতার জন্য স্যালিউট।
তবে থেমে না থেকে এগিয়ে যান, আমরা আছি।

I salute your humanity and courage. You should not stop and should go forward. We are with you.

Kangal Murshid [bn] has expressed his support in this initiative from afar. He also expresses his concerns:

আপনাকে ধন্যবাদ দিয়ে ছোট করব না - আপনি যা করছেন তার প্রতি অকুণ্ঠ সমর্থন রইল। আমি থাকি চট্টগ্রামে, তাই ব্যাক্তিগত ভাবে অংশ নিতে পারছি না। আপনারা এগিয়ে যান - বিবেকবান মানুষেরা নিশ্চয়ই আপনাদের সাথে থাকবেন। শুধু একটাই অনুরোধ - বিষয়টি কিছুতেই যেন রাজনৈতিক ইস্যু হয়ে না ওঠে।

I cant thank you much – I support you in all your steps. I live in Chittagong, so I cannot join you in person. Please go forward, people with conscience will be with you. But one small request, dont let this turn into a political issue.

The blogger did not limit this campaign online, he called [bn] a meeting offline to help in this cause.

প্রস্তাবিত তারিখ : ১৩ মে ২০১২
প্রস্তাবিত সময় : রাত ০৮:১৫
প্রস্তাবিত স্থান : টি.এস.সি. চত্বর, ঢা.বি.

আগ্রহী সবাই দয়া করে মন্তব্যের স্থানে উপস্থিতির ব্যাপারটি নিশ্চিত করুন।

I call every blogger, online activist and anyone interested in this cause to a bloggers meeting:

Proposed date: 13th of May 2012
Proposed Time: 08:15 PM
Proposed venue: TSC square, Dhaka University

Many expressed interest to be in that meeting. The ULAB authority also posted a comment on the blog [bn]:

আপনার ব্লগে প্রচারিত ইউনিভার্সিটি অব লিবারেল আর্টস বাংলাদেশ (ইউল্যাব) এর শিক্ষার্থীদের জড়িয়ে একটি বক্তব্য ইউল্যাব কর্তৃপক্ষের দৃষ্টি গোচর হয়েছে। এ ধরনের একটি ঘটনা যা ইউল্যাব ক্যাম্পাস এর অদূরে ঘটেছে তা অনাকাঙ্খিত ও অত্যন্ত নিন্দনীয়। আমরা এই ঘটনার শিকার সকলের প্রতি গভীর সহমর্মিতা ও সমবেদনা প্রকাশ করছি। এটা অত্যন্ত দুঃখজনক যে, আজকের সমাজে জনারণ্যে আমাদের মা বোনেরা নিরাপদ নয়। এই ধরনের একটি বিষয়ের বিরুদ্ধে উচ্চশিক্ষা প্রতিষ্ঠান হিসেবে ইউল্যাব সবসময় বিপক্ষে দৃঢ় অবস্থান গ্রহন করে।

The ULAB authority took notice of the incident cited in your blog which indicates that some students of this institution was involved. It happened near to the campus and we regret and condemn such incident. We express our wholehearted compassion and sympathy for the victims. This is really unfortunate that in our society our mothers and sisters are not safe from these sadists. As an institute for higher education the ULAB administration always takes a firm stand against such crimes.

In the statement the institution expressed their support in the investigation [bn].

বিষয়টি নিয়ে ইতিমধ্যে ইউল্যাব তার নিজস্ব পদ্ধতিতে তদন্ত শুরু করেছে। আমরা ইতিমধ্যে SOMEWHEREINBLOG এর কর্তৃপক্ষের মাধ্যমে সংশ্লিষ্ট ব্লগার এর সাথে যোগাযোগ এর চেষ্টা করেছি। তদন্ত প্রক্রিয়াটি দ্রুত ও সঠিক করার লক্ষে আমরা পুনরায় তাকে আমাদের সঙ্গে সরাসরি যোগাযোগের জন্য আহবান জানাচ্ছি। এ ক্ষেত্রে ব্লগার ও ভিকিটিম কে আমরা পূর্ণ সহযোগিতার আশ্বাস দিচ্ছি।

ULAB has started their own investigation on this. We have already tried to contact the anonymous blogger with the help of Somewhereinblog authorities. To expedite the investigation and ensure accuracy we would request him to contact us directly. We express our full support for the victims.

Many commented on this statement and some did not support this kind of internal investigation

Headsir [bn] says:

সব ঠিক আছে। তাদের তদন্ত কমিটি যা আসল সত্য প্রকাশ করবে তার কি নিশ্চয়তা? যেহেতু এইটার সাথে ইউল্যাব এর সুনাম বা অন্য স্বার্থ জড়িত তারা সর্বোচ্চ চেষ্টা করবে এটাকে ধামাচাপা দিতে।

Everything is ok. Where is the guarantee that the investigation committee will reveal the truth? To keep the goodwill of the institution untainted they will try to bury this incident.

Konad [bn] says:

এই ঘটনার তদন্তের ভার কর্তৃপক্ষের হাতে ছেড়ে দিলে আসল অপরাধীরা কখনোই বের হয়ে আসবে না। তাছাড়া অপরাধীদের সবাই ইউল্যাবের নাও হতে পারে। তাই আমাদের, ব্লগারদের অনুসন্ধান অব্যাহত রাখতে হবে।

If we let the investigation the hands of the ULAB administration then the real criminals will never be exposed. And all perpetrators may not be from this institution. So we have to keep our search efforts running.

But many praised the stance of the ULAB authorities:

Zia Chowdhury [bn] said:

ইউল্যাব কর্তৃপক্ষকে ধন্যবাদ জানাই। এবার ইউল্যাবের ছাত্রদের এগিয়ে আসা উচিত অপরাধীদের ধরিয়ে দেয়ার ব্যাপারে।

I congratulate the ULAB administration. Now the students of the Institution should come forward to expose these culprits.

After the first statement the ULAB administration posted an update on the steps taken by them.

While some commented in the blog post that the anonymous blogger reacted dramatically, most of them did not negate the incident as it sadly happens in Bangladesh.

The bloggers meeting, ULAB's statement, and the subsequent discussion of the bloggers with the administration involved common concern of how to nab the perpetrators. But after all these the boys are still to be identified. Nonetheless, one blogger raised his voice against one crime and thousand voices echoed to support him.

Video: How Societies Work - a Look at Unconventional Arrangements

Juliana Rincón Parra — Thu, 24 May 2012 01:17:05 +0000

The VJ Movement has partnered with the London School of Economics to bring us videos and stories that attempt to show how societies in conflict and crisis-affected areas across the globe are facing their futures.

In places such as Afghanistan or Zimbabwe, despite the apparent lack of clear structures of governance, “things” still seem to get done. This happens in large part thanks to all sorts of local customs, new-found practices and intricate deals made between groups in power. Understanding these everyday arrangement is key to knowing what kind of policies can help to improve the lives of those living in these countries affected by conﬂict and crisis.

From Central American countries dealing with the murders of journalists, to indigenous people struggling to defend their territories, to women from East Asia defending their right to be mothers and to work, the subtitled videos cover a wide range of topics and all provide a look into the problems and issues faced by the communities, and the steps they've been taking to overcome them. Here is a sample of the type of stories featured in their project

In Philippines, government run programs train women to become better domestic workers, assuming and accepting the fact that most of the national income is brought in by migrant workers. In this video story, a young woman, Mia, travels to a training center where she learns how to use appliances and clean houses with equipment that is far from what she would use to clean her own house. All this, in the hope of going overseas and being able to bring in enough money to help her family back home.

Disabled women in Thailand face prejudices and obstacles from a society which deems them unfit to be mothers, judging and shaming them while excluding them from mobility in a city full of staircases and crumbling pathways. This video shares their stories and the message they would like to send out to their society.

This video challenges common preconceptions on indigenous people with an example from Peru:

70 families from the ethnic Group Shipibo conibo, moved from Pucallpa (near the border with Brazil) to look for a brighter future in the Capital City of Lima.

Despite the backlash from some anthropologists saying they should return to their Amazonian lands and defend the forest, they are determined to make their way in this new community where without losing their roots - their children go to bilingual Shipibo-Spanish schools - they are looking for progress and advancement with better opportunities for income, education and health.

In Karachi, Pakistan, a former schoolteacher took it on herself to start a free school for those children who could not access the free education programs the government provides. With funds raised in the USA during half of the year and her own personal funds, Rafat Ishaq gives these students a shot in life their parents possibly never dreamed for them.

Video: Youth Media Organization Sign up for Mozilla Popcorn Story Camp

Juliana Rincón Parra — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:51:41 +0000

Mozilla will be running a free six weekly modules summer camp to empower youth to use online tools for telling compelling interactive stories. Youth organizations can sign up on behalf of their students. (via @futuresoup)

Peru: Iquitos Faces Aftermath of Record Floods

Louella Mahabir — Wed, 23 May 2012 22:04:07 +0000

The recent floods that ravaged the Amazon regions of Peru as well as the city of Iquitos, and reached and surpassed the highest point [es] recorded in history since 1986 (see illustrative photos of the reported floods taken by a member of the Red Cross), began to subside at the end of April [es] and started visibly draining away in the first days of May.

Rodrigo Rodrich, correspondent residing in Iquitos commented [es] in the middle of this month:

Al día de hoy los ríos llevan un par de semanas en descenso sostenido, pero aun por encima de sus límites de desborde. Son síntomas de esperanza. Sin embargo, hay poblaciones que fueron inundadas durante tres meses y se dice que lo peor es lo que ahora viene, cuando el agua se retire y deje evidente el desastre.

As of today the rivers have been running for a few weeks in a constant decline, but still above the limits of their banks. These are symptoms of hope. However, there are towns that have been flooded for three months and they say that the worst is yet to come as the water subsides and reveals the real damage.

Flooded zone in Belén, Iquitos. As the floods rose, the villagers built paths with wood boards to move around. Photo by Juan Arellano.

The consequences left by this natural phenomenon, beyond the number of the victims, which is estimated to be about 200,000 people [es], should raise concern due to the lack of foresight [es] and disaster management plans [es] on part of the authorities of the regions. Once the waters began to recede, the victims returned to their homes in the flooded zones and the scenery is prime for the next possible flood.

One of the more controversial measures taken to quell the disaster was the suspension of classes for various primary schools in the city of Iquitos to serve as temporary shelters [es] for the victims. This, plus the classes suspended in schools affected by floods, affected the school year, and although classes have resumed [es] progressively in schools, it has been said that there will be no vacation time in the month of July and that classes would be extended until December 28.

Classroom converted into a temporary shelter for victims. Photo by Juan Arellano

Among the things most feared during the period of flooding, and even now, was the quick spread of diseases, starting with dengue fever, for which fumigation has been [es] and is still being done [es]. Later, there was an outbreak of leptospirosis [es], a disease mainly spread through the urine of rodents. Recently, the Contamana zone has various reported cases [es] of pertussis or the whooping cough. As a supporting measure, the central government has transferred funds [es] to the regional government for measures to be taken against dengue, yellow fever, hepatitis and malaria.

Support initiatives for the victims are not lacking either. Some from the private sector, such as from PetroPerú [es], others form the educational sector, like the drive [es] by the teachers and students of the National University of the Peruvian Amazon or UNAP (Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana), whose Flickr account comments [es]:

El jueves y viernes los alumnos, docentes y trabajadores administrativos de la UNAP tuvieron largas faenas de trabajo. El jueves recorrieron calles y avenidas tocando puertas para solicitar alimentos, ropa y medicinas, con gran acogida. El viernes el trabajo tuvo lugar en la plaza Serafín Filomeno y allí se recibieron los donativos, mientras los estudiantes demostraron su talento artístico.

On Thursday and Friday the students and teachers and administrative workers of the UNAP had grand tasks to accomplish. On Thursday they coursed the streets and avenues knocking on doors asking for foodstuff, clothes and medicine, and were largely welcomed. On Friday, the drive took place at Serafin Filomino Square and there they received donations, while the students displayed their artistic talent.

Shelter for victims at the Parque Zonal, Iquitos. Photo by Juan Arellano

But the people from UNAP did not only ask for donations, (watch the video displaying the activities here) they also carried out service projects, seminars on prevention and orientation, and organised brigades [es] for the collection of debris:

Desde tempranas horas, los estudiantes levantaron carpas y se instalaron por grupos para dar atenciones a los damnificados. Las Facultades vinculadas a las ciencias de la salud dieron tratamiento a los dientes, desparasitaron, sensibilizaron, fluorizaron y atendieron en medicina general; también realizaron triaje […] lo que permitió detectar a varios niños con serios problemas de salud que fueron llevados con prontitud a un hospital por los males que presentaban.

Since early in the morning, the students have constructed tents and worked in groups to give attention to the victims. The Faculties affiliated with the science of health care have been giving dental treatment, treating parasites, sensitising, fluorizing, and administering general care; they also created a triage […] which permitted the detection of serious illnesses in children who were promptly sent to a hospital for their apparent symptoms.

Flooded houses in the south zone of the Boulevard de Iquitos. Hauma, an aquatic plant, can be seen growing on the water. Photo by Juan Arellano

In Lima, Unicef Perú [es] has organised a charity drive and in this manner aids and contributes to alleviating the needs of the victims, above all the children, by distributing basic hygiene kits, supplements and school supplies. They have until now produced two videos, one [es] with actress Monica Sanchez, and the other [es] with popular singer Gianmarco.

To get a better idea of the level of damage these floods have done, here are some videos filmed at the ending of April, when the water had begun to subside. This is in the market zone entering Plazuela de Belén.

You can see a continuation of this video here. The following video is of a boat ride from Plazuela de Belén to the river Itaya. Normally only the final stretch of the river, already reaching the river, is flooded.

This next video, filmed at the beginning of this month, is in the Nanay zone, to the outskirts of Iquitos. The zone is normally a road with transit of buses and other types of transportation.

With the end of the recession of these waters comes the beginning of a possible drought [es] in the Amazon region. What once again may severely affect not only Iquitos but the entire eco-system. While the flood, as well as causing death in land species, leaves the soil rich in sediment coming from the Andes, the drought brings death and desolation to plant and animal life as well as aquatic creatures.

However in this recent flood, not everything was negative, as biologist José Álvarez narrates [es] in his experience in a community on the river bank of the Napo:

La gente de Yarina Isla nos recibió cálidamente, y en los días que estuvimos ahí no escuchamos ni una queja, ni un reclamo, ni un pedido de ayuda más allá de apoyarlos con sus proyectos educativos y de ecoturismo. […] Pregunté si no faltaba comida. Me dijeron que no: “Hay pescado, y todavía tenemos algo de plátano, algunos se han salvado. Además, todas las familias han guardado masa de yuca, algunos en panero, otros la han enterrado. Así dura varios meses, hasta que salga la yuca nueva”. […] Me sorprendió escuchar que por acuerdo de asamblea se había respetado a los animales refugiados en las restingas [*] de la comunidad. “Nuestros niños, hasta los más pequeñitos, conocen a los animales y los respetan, nosotros queremos que también nuestros nietos los conozcan. Anda vete a ver a otras comunidades, todititos los han terminado en las restingas, luego no van a tener animales ni para que conozcan.”

The people of Yarina Island received us with warmth, and the days that we were there, there was never a word of complaint or reproach, nor a plea for help other than asking for support with the educational and ecotourism endeavours. […] I asked if they didn't need food. They said no: “There is fish, and we still have plantains, some have been salvaged. Also, every family has kept yuca flour. That way, it will last two months, until there is new yuca.” […] I was surprised to hear that by an agreement of a town meeting they have respected the surviving animals in the restinga [high altitude zones that don't normally flood in the rainy season] in the community. “Our children, even the youngest ones, know the animals and respect them, we want our grandchildren to know them too. Go and see other communities, all of the animals in the restringa have been killed, and they won't even have animals to know anymore.

Before elaborating development and disaster preparedness plans that are completely out of touch with reality, there is a need to appeal to the local people's ancient and traditional knowledge of their environment.

The original versión of this post [es] was published on the personal blog of Juan Arellano.

Iran: “Let's Save Lake Urmia With Our Tears”

Fred Petrossian — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:45:15 +0000

Protesters fighting to save Lake Urmia in Iran from permanent environmental damage have not given up. On May 21, 2012, once again people in Urmia and several other cities in the Azerbaijan region of Iran have called on the government to save the dying Lake Urmia, one of the world's largest salt water lakes. In Khoy (photo above) protesters hung a banner on a bridge saying “the death of Lake Urmia is the death of Azerbaijan.” One blogger published a cartoon saying “Let's save Lake Urmia with our tears.”

Here are a couple of videos shared by Iranian citizens of demonstrations in Urmia.

Heavy security presence

Police strike back

Ecuador: ‘Conectándonos' Event Kicks Off May 24

Silvia Viñas — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:16:09 +0000

The event ‘Conectándonos' Ecuador (”Getting connected Ecuador”), co-organized by Rising Voices and the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja [es] (UTPL for its initials in Spanish) will kick off tomorrow, May 24. You can follow the event on Twitter through the hashtag #ConECU. Furthermore, a roundtable [es] will be live-streamed tomorrow.

Italy: Army Evicts Art Workers from Occupied Building

Ylenia Gostoli — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:25:28 +0000

In the early hours of the morning on May 22, 2012 police and army entered Palazzo Citterio in Milan, Italy ending an occupation by the artist and precarious workers collective, Macao.

[All links in Italian except where otherwise stated]

The group of architects, visual artists, students, communication and education workers had occupied the 16th century building on May 19, after their eviction from the Galfa Tower, where they had stayed for ten days [en]. The eviction order for Palazzo Citterio, however, was issued immediately. The eviction was non-violent and found no resistance on the part of the occupiers.

On May 5, the collective began occupying the Galfa Tower, a 33-floor skyscraper in the heart of Milan. Owned by the financial services company Fondiaria SAI, the tower has been empty for the past 15 years. The collective re-named it Macao, an acronym whose meaning, they say, is open to interpretation, reflecting the openness of the project itself.

On the first day of occupation, a banner was unfolded from one of the top floors that read: “We could even imagine to fly.” The tower was cleared by police on May 15 and ten of the participants were arrested. The collective then camped out in front of the building for four days, until they decided to proceed with the occupation of Palazzo Citterio.

Public assembly in front of the occupied Galfa Tower. Image from Macao's Facebook page.

Macao's aim is to ‘liberate' space for the arts in a city where spaces for the young and for creativity are scarce. During the ten days of occupation, some of the skyscrapers' floors were cleaned up and made accessible for meetings, assemblies, workshops and seminars. As summed up by one of their tweets:

@MacaoTwit: #MACAO non intende essere un altro centro per le arti, ma un nuovo centro per le arti : #tuttiSUmacao

Macao doesn't want to be just another art centre, but a new art centre.

The Milan occupation is only the latest in a series that blossomed throughout Italy over the past year, including at the Coppola Theatre in Catania, the Garibaldi Theatre in Palermo (both in Sicily), the Knowledge and Creativity Nursery in Naples, the Sale Docks in Venice, the Valle Theatre and Cinema Palazzo in Rome. Together, these form part of the network Lavoratori dell’Arte (Art Workers).

There are two main reasons behind the occupations. On the one hand, the shutdown of public bodies such as the ETI (Italian Theatre Association) and cultural spaces, which followed the cuts to public sector funding for the cultural industries implemented by the Berlusconi government since 2010. On the other hand, the job insecurity blighting the culture and communications sector, whose workers (most of whom are freelancers or employed on short-term contracts) tend to lack traditional trade union representation and access to welfare.

It is in this context that the movement of the Art Workers is born. As they explain on their website [en]:

Art Workers assert that Art and Culture should obtain the status of common good. The common good is not an abstract concept but a new living form of democracy that aims to overcome the dichotomy between public and private sectors.

For this reason, we, as Art Workers, must explain the precarious conditions in which we operate with clarity. It is very important to recognize the dynamics, the ambivalence, the extent of precariousness, especially where the term seems to be devalued. Moreover, we can only field effective countermeasures by starting from a lucid diagnosis, especially when the economic crisis has implemented the severity of our condition.

Let’s say that artistic languages are a political fact and that insecurity obstructs experimentation, ambition, intelligence, radicalism and art’s global reach.

Macao's press release [en] similarly states:

We are the multitude of workers of the creative industries that too often has to submit to humiliating conditions to access income, with no protection and no coverage in terms of welfare and not even being considered as proper interlocutors for the current labor reform, all focused on the instrumental debate over the article 18. We were born precarious, we are the pulse of the future economy, and we will not continue to accommodate exploitation mechanisms and loss redistribution.

Occupiers set up camp by the unused empty tower after eviction. Photo from Macao's Facebook page.

The Art Workers define themselves as brains in struggle, not in drain [en]. Similar experiments took place in Portugal, where a self-managed community Es.col.a was evicted in April [en]; in Spain with Hotel Madrid [es]; and in the United Kingdom with the occupation by the activists of Occupy London of an empty building in the City of London, owned by investment bank UBS and renamed Bank of Ideas [en].

Despite the evictions, the projects have tended to gather a degree of public support, which was formerly unthinkable seeing as occupying public or private buildings remains illegal. In Italy, a tradition of occupying social centres [en] dates back to the struggles of the 1970s, but these occupations have reached record levels of support, including from high-profile figures like Nobel-prize winning satirist Dario Fo [en], and even some local authority officials.

Furthermore, Macao's Facebook page has already garnered 30,000 likes, whilst the hashtags #macao and #iostoconmacao were trending on Italian Twitter on the day of their eviction from the Tower. Well-known journalist Luca de Biase opined on his blog:

‘Give voice to art' By Claudio Chiarenza, from Macao's Facebook page

Lo sgombero del Macao avviene in una città che non ha protetto lo spazio pubblico – fisico e culturale – dall’invasione delle recinzioni e delle privatizzazioni – fisiche e culturali. E che quindi oggi si interroga su uno spazio privato che alcuni interpreti dell’apertura pubblica volevano riconquistare.

The eviction of Macao happened in a city which wasn't able to protect public space - physical and cultural space - from the takeover of gated communities and privatisations - physical and cultural. This city today must therefore ponder on the meaning of a private space that some proponents of a certain interpretation of the ‘public' want to take back.

On the other hand, there are those who criticise the project for its frivolity at a time of crisis, like the authors of the blog Frankestanislao:

Certo i fighetti radical chic che indossano l’abito da indignati della domenica mi fanno ridere, ci sono altre priorità per cui scaldarsi!..

The ‘radical chic' hipsters playing the indignant can only make me laugh, there are other priorities to get worked up over!..

For others, such as for some of those who have left Italy searching for better opportunities, Macao becomes the symbol of hopeful change; as Francesco Cingolani, one of the many young professionals who joined Italy's “brain drain”, writes on his blog Immaginoteca:

Tutto questo mi fa venire voglia di tornarmene in Italia per fare una fuga di cervelli al contrario

All this makes me want to go back to Italy for a brain drain in reverse

The local council administration has offered an alternative space to be used as an art centre open to all, but Macao has so far refused the offer. The debate is still open, and at the time of writing the collective continued to hold public assemblies.

To sign a petition to save Macao, one can e-mail proteggiamomacao [at] gmail [dot] com

Qatar: Shopping and Phones Permitted!

Miran Hosny — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:59:31 +0000

Netizens in Qatar have responded indignantly to an article published on the Sydney Morning Herald website, which claimed that Qatari women were not allowed to go shopping, and did not have easy access to technology.

The article, published on May 23 and called “Tech tea parties help women stay in touch with the world”, addressed the difficulties women in certain countries face in accessing technology.

Qatar was the first country to be mentioned; journalist Matthew Hall wrote:

The seemingly simple act of buying a phone can come with stigma in some countries if you're a woman. In Qatar, women can usually communicate only with men who are family members. Going to a shop is mostly off limits. This has prevented women from joining the technology revolution their counterparts enjoy so freely in other places. The solution? Tech Tupperware-type parties, in one case by Vodafone, hosted by female sales agents in women's homes across Qatar's capital Doha.

“Cultural issues come to play in a number of ways,” said Ann Mei Chang, a senior adviser for women and technology at the US State Department, and an advocate for women's right to benefit from technology. “Husbands or brothers or fathers are concerned that if the women and girls in their lives have access to mobile phones or the internet they will become promiscuous. So they don't want them to have access, even though there are a lot of benefits.”

Villaggio Mall, Doha, Qatar. Image by Flickr user Frédéric Gloor (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).

At the Doha News blog, Shabina Khatri responded to the Sydney Morning Herald article. She said:

In the latest example of how journalists egregiously, woefully, incorrectly report on Qatar, Hall includes the country as an example of places where women miss out on technological developments because men hold them back. Qatar is mentioned only in the first few paragraphs of the article, mostly because female sales agents working for Vodafone do house calls here. But the assumption behind why these agents hold tech tea parties in Qatar is just plain wrong. […] More than likely, Vodafone visits Qatari women’s homes because it’s well worth their while, not because these women can’t go out and buy themselves a nice phone (or two, or three). The rest of the article goes on to state very real examples of countries in which women are being left behind in terms of their access to technology, a legitimate problem. But as anyone who has spent even five minutes in a mall here can attest, Qatar - which recently launched a national women’s basketball league - is not one of those places.

Reactions on Twitter varied from disbelieving and sarcastic to offended.

Jennan asked:

@Dalla3ah: What era do they think we're living in?!!!

VelvetinQatar tweeted:

@VelvetinQatar: Seriously? I read it and was like “Qatar Qatar? As in, the Qatar where I live? I must be missing something!”

Sybil Knox said:

@SybnDoha: Poor poor Qatari women…are those just TOY Blackberries they hold to their ears?! I'm so confused.

She added:

@SybnDoha: They [the Sydney Morning Herald] are in need of some serious “calling out”. ‪#ignorance‬

Sarah commented:

@quizzy_mj: Ridiculous. They should know every single Qatari owns at least one Blackberry or iPhone and goes shopping pretty often.

Meanwhile, Vallath imagined the subject of the next article about Qatar's women:

@Vallath: At least they're getting creative. Next up: Women-only internet to be launched in Qatar.

Cuba: “Mob” Attack Linked to Heart Attack?

Janine Mendes-Franco — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:54:03 +0000

Further to this, babalu reports that another elderly lady “suffered a fatal heart attack after her home was violently attacked by a paramilitary mob.”

Barbados: The Jaws of Justice

Janine Mendes-Franco — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:48:35 +0000

“Bajans deserve the truth, all the truth and nothing but the truth. It is not enough for the Court of Appeal or the news media to gloss over this story”: Barbados Free Press is curious about a case in which a man who bit a police officer apparently got off scot-free.