The C.R.I.M.E. Report

ISSUE #17 CONTENTS:


SPOTLIGHT CASES:

No Mannequin's Land: The Head-Less Mannequins of Sharjah

Pediophobia – the intense, irrational fear of mannequins – is an extremely rare psychological disorder. But in Sharjah, one of the emirates comprising the UAE, pediophobia is the law. In fact, the Sharjah municipality recently put shop owners on notice that life-like mannequins are illegal.

If shop owners wish to display mannequins in their store windows, they must remove the head or facial features. This ban is in line with a fatwa, or an Islamic religious edict, that was issued by the emirate's local Islamic Affairs department five years ago. Khalid Al Jaberi, the head of market control at Sharjah Municipality, announced that the ban had been originally placed as a result of complaints by residents bothered at the sight of life-like figures wearing undergarments in public.

With police now enforcing the ban, Sharjah's stores are filled with head-less and feature-less inanimate objects. That's one way to get ahead in business.



Enduring Bondage: When Will Slavery End in Mauritania?

As Black History Month draws to a close, it is a reminder that black slavery in the Middle East is not quite history. On the edge of northwest Africa, in the country of Mauritania, thousands of blacks are born into slavery, with some children trafficked to destinations across the region, including the Persian Gulf.

HAMSA's Nasser Weddady, a Mauritania native and longtime abolitionist activist, has some relatives who still own slaves. He explains that for centuries, black Africans were trafficked as slaves across the Middle East, with a few slave markets even existing into the 1950s. But while colonial rulers made slavery illegal in most countries in the 20th Century, Mauritania was an exception, because of the power of ruling tribes. Weddady recalls once meeting a young boy who had been inherited jointly by two siblings: "He was a kind of 'time-share' – spending half of his time serving one family, and half of his time the other."

The good news is that Mauritania has at last taken steps to address the vestiges of slavery. "Authorities have shown a sincere interest in making progress," Weddady said in a recent interview. "But we need more than just good intentions. We need drastic action to get rid of slavery and banish it forever." It now remains to be seen if Mauritanian officials will begin enforcing new laws, including prosecuting slave-owners and helping former slaves build new lives in freedom.



Not Funny: Tunisian Comedian Jailed for Imitating President

Last month, beloved Tunisian comedian Hedi Ouled Baballah stood on stage at the Laughter Week Comedy Festival held in the southern city of Sfax. As part of his routine, he threw in a classic humor sketch used by comedians around the world: imitating the country's leader.

The audience may have laughed, but President Ben Ali did not. Rather than arrest him directly for the crime of defaming the president, Tunisian security officials “busted” Ouled Baballah for possessing marijuana. He was then sentenced to one year in prison and a 1,000 Dinars (800 USD) fine a few weeks ago.

This is not the first time Baballah has been arrested for mocking the president. Last March, his comedic impression of the president landed him in jail for three days and a beating at the hands of the police. Clearly political humor in Tunisia is no laughing matter.

 

QUIZ:Quiz: What worse than getting arrested for imitating the president?
Answer: Getting arrested for walking your dog.
poochOn February 19, a 70-year-old man in Tehran was arrested and sentenced to 4 months in jail as well as 40 lashings for taking his canine friend for a stroll.
The Iranian government has banned dog owners from taking their pooches in public as dogs are considered to be impure. So much for man's best friend.


BECOME A PARTNER IN CRIME:
Here is a list of four quick ways you contribute to the Middle East civil rights movement: