“Fock !” – yes, do a double-take. It’s a transliterated four-letter word, but not what you first think. “Fock” is part of the new online protest of Tunisians fed up with the censorship imposed by the regime of Zinedine Ben Ali (for background on the man whose ruled since when Ronald Reagan was still in office, see “Stamp of Myself” and “Ben Ali Family Valu […].
Tunisian Activists to Ben Ali : Enough !
Right now there’s an extraordinary online protest coming out of Tunisia. The website, Yezzi.org, is a collection of photos of Tunisians holding up signs in various languages, each with a message directed to Tunisian President Ben Ali. Though the phrase they use, “Yezzi, Fock !,” may appear to be a misguided attempt to curse out a certain swear word in the […].
Freedom of expression in mourning
Since we are physically unable to demonstrate within Tunisian public spaces, we will use the internet to organize permanent virtual demonstrations in order to express our total disapproval with the Tunisian dictatorial regime. À défaut de pouvoir manifester physiquement au sein des espaces publics tunisiens, nous mettons à profit l’espace que nous permet […].
Deterioration of rights situation in Tunisia
Tunisia is currently in the limelight of freedom of expression and other human rights groups as the country controversially is to organise the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) on 15-18 November. The decision to hold the summit in Tunis has been termed scandalous since Tunisian authorities prohibit any free circulation of information. […].
Globalized Islam
Muslims, like other immigrants, have come to the West in search of better economic opportunities. But are they bound to clash with their Western counterparts ? In this Globalist Interview, Olivier Roy — author of “Globalized Islam : The Search For a New Ummah” — explains that, due to globalization, these two groups actually have much more in common today t […].
Tunisian government puts financial squeeze on press to curb freedoms
Tunisia serves as a prime example of how Arab governments, by exercising subtle control over the media, are able to prevent a genuinely free press from emerging in the Middle East. […].
Identity and Human Rights in the Age of Globalization
Non-Western world, especially the Muslim world, has yet to come to grips with the notion of globalization. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the Muslim world faces many challenges, but none more formidable than the issue of how to strike a balance between maintaining cultural integrity and religious identity on the one hand, and absorbing changes as […].
Islam et démocratie:
Le monde musulman, exposé plus que jamais à des changements sociaux intensifiés par le processus de mondialisation, est devenu un terrain d’observation et d’analyse privilégié. Les chercheurs se penchent plus particulièrement sur les rapports entre tradition et modernité politique, entre islam et démocratie ; tandis que pour les acteurs locaux, la situatio […].
Tunisia: the trial of Zain El-Abedeen Ben Ali “the Arabic Pinochet ” opens the door for torture victims in the Arab World to bring their slaughterers to courts.
Gineva primary court opened a law case filed by the Tunisian Activist Abdul-Nasser Naiet Liman, the ex-prisoner against Zein Al_Abedeen Ben Ali and his ex-minister of interior, Abdullah Al-kallal on Wednesday 9th June 2005.the case opened despite Ben Ali’s being on power till now. باشرت محكمة جنيف الابتدائية نظر دعوي قضائية أقامها الناشط التونسي عبد الناص […].
Islamists and Democracy : Keep the Faith
Islamist organizations—that is, organizations that appeal to the religious values and social conservatism of the Arab public in their call for political reform—are the key to democratization in the Arab world. They have considerable support, as measured by the votes they receive when they are allowed to participate in elections, the turnout at their […].
The West and Moderate Islam
Amr Hamzawy looks at Western democracy promotion efforts in the Arab world. He argues that the U.S. and Europe need to engage not only liberal Arabs, but also moderate Islamists to appeal to their popular constituencies. […].
WSIS host Tunisia guilty of denying access to information by filtering internet
In November Tunisia will be hosting the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, which according to the President of Tunisia, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, “constitutes a historic opportunity for the international community to agree on a common vision of the Information Society and to develop an approach for action aimed at bridging the digi […].
Can Women Be Imams?
Analysis Halima Krausen In the face of the controversy over Amina Wadud’s Friday prayer, Muslim scholar Halima Krausen argues that we should have the courage to ask our own questions, to study the matter conscientiously and to reach conclusions which make sense in our times Following the Friday prayers led by Dr Amina Wadud in New York on 18th March and […].
Islamic Jurisprudence, ’Civil’ Disobedience, and Woman-led Prayer
This is a call for Muslims to stand behind women in prayer as a matter of “civil” disobedience in the face of a clear injustice, even in the face of the discomfort. By Laury Silvers, May 12, 2005 […].
The Need for Reform in the Islamic World and the Role of Civil Society
We recognize that the problems of the Islamic world which are yet to be resolved date back before the geopolitical changes that we have witnessed in recent years throughout the whole world and particularly in the Middle East. However, it is also a fact that the developments affecting international order, and in particular the increasing power of globalizat […].
Freedom and Justice in the Modern Middle East -3-
To speak of dictatorship as being the immemorial way of doing things in the Middle East is simply untrue. It shows ignorance of the Arab past, contempt for the Arab present, and lack of concern for the Arab future. Creating a democratic political and social order in Iraq or elsewhere in the region will not be easy. But it is possible, and there are increas […].
Freedom and Justice in the Modern Middle East -2-
To speak of dictatorship as being the immemorial way of doing things in the Middle East is simply untrue. It shows ignorance of the Arab past, contempt for the Arab present, and lack of concern for the Arab future. Creating a democratic political and social order in Iraq or elsewhere in the region will not be easy. But it is possible, and there are increas […].
Freedom and Justice in the Modern Middle East -1-
To speak of dictatorship as being the immemorial way of doing things in the Middle East is simply untrue. It shows ignorance of the Arab past, contempt for the Arab present, and lack of concern for the Arab future. Creating a democratic political and social order in Iraq or elsewhere in the region will not be easy. But it is possible, and there are increas […].
