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

ISSUE #37 CONTENTS:


SPOTLIGHT CASES:

First-Ever Cairo Human Rights Film Festival

Dalia Ziada is a past finalist in the "Dream Deferred Essay Contest on Civil Rights" and a huge film buff. As director of the Egypt office of the American Islamic Congress, she envisioned a new way to mix her passion for liberty and cinema: the first-ever Cairo Human Rights Film Festival, which ran last week in Egypt’s capital. An array of local human rights groups hosted the screenings, which were followed by an open discussion.

"The festival aims to highlight international human rights issues and build understanding between cultures," said Ziada. "Most of the films focus outside Egypt and the Arab world, exposing Egyptian audiences to issues we do not hear about often in the news." Screenings included Democracy in Dakar about Senegalese hip-hop artists who use music to educate about human rights; the Arabic version of Amnesty International’s UNDHR Animated; and A Force More Powerful, a documentary series on grassroots nonviolent movements.

"We are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights in Egypt, the 'mother of civilization,'" said Ziada. "I am proud that Cairo is hosting one of the first human rights film festivals in the Arab world. We hope the film festival can be a model that can be repeated in other cities in the region." She is now looking for organizers in other cities across the region who would like to bring the film festival to their community. Contact dalia@aicongress.org if you are interested.



World AIDS Day: The Struggle for Equal Treatment

December 1 marked the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, a reminder that ensuring the basic rights of individuals with AIDS in Middle East remains elusive. Throughout the region, regimes tolerate violations of patient privacy and state-sponsored discrimination against HIV-positive residents.

Many Persian Gulf states enforce mandatory premarital HIV-testing and require foreign workers to pass HIV tests in order to obtain a visa or renew a work visa. Workers found to be HIV-positive are deported. The UAE has considered making HIV-testing mandatory for all foreigners visitors. Earlier this year, HIV-positive Egyptian men faced a police crackdown. Doctors betrayed patient privacy, disclosing HIV status to authorities in Cairo. Police charged the men with "habitual practice of debauchery," torturing some and chaining others to hospital beds for months. In these cases, HIV is not treated as a medical condition, but rather a crime.

Yet there is light at the end of the tunnel. The past decades, discussion and understanding of HIV/AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa has increased. In Algeria, El Hayet Association works with HIV-positive individuals to teach them competitive skills and form co-ops to fight job discrimination against them. And Egyptian film star Khaled Abol Naga – a judge for Hamsa's Civil Rights Essay Contest – has played an active role in breaking barriers by promoting AIDS awareness as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, pictured here getting an HIV blood test.



WANTED for Defending Human Rights: Wayne Smith

For the second year in a row, Wayne Smith serves as a celebrity judge for the Dream Deferred Essay Contest. He is civil liberties program manager for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and a long-time international human rights advocate. With December 10 marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we asked Mr. Smith to explain the importance of this document in 2008.

Why do we need a universal declaration of human rights?

UDHR is a vital global standard and a reminder that rights are not relative. All human beings share the same basic rights. Just because you have a particular skin color, gender or are born in a particular country, does not mean that governments can deny your rights. It is important to have minimum international standards that apply to all governments and all societies. Among the many important articles of the UDHR, one critical declaration is, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." The UDHR also serves as the driving force behind many human rights-based legislation in countries around the world and, it makes the protection of human rights an important part of international law.

Do you think universal human rights can actually be upheld in the Middle ast?

Absolutely, yes. Human rights can be secured anywhere - that's what makes them "universal." Despite all the conflicts and repression in the region, there is enormous potential for change. If we can popularize knowledge and leverage new technology, we can achieve breakthroughs. For instance, I am inspired by the Arabic edition of a comic book on Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It is small steps - like refusing to sit in the back of the bus - that ultimately spark larger change. When the UDHR was ratified in 1948, of the then 48 members of the UN, a number of Middle Eastern countries ratified the UDHR including, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, and Syria. None of the member nations opposed the UDHR and of the eight countries that abstained, only Saudi Arabia was from the Middle East.

How can HAMSA's essay contest contribute to promoting human rights?

This question reminds me of a quote, by Margaret Mead, I heard when I was an impressionable teenager: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Young people in the Middle East - and in the US - should see that there is a reward for discussing human rights and imagining a better future. We are trying to inspire young people to dream and to think about what they can do as individuals to help secure basic human rights, including free expression and women's equality. I hope that young people writing essays this year will propose campaigns, provide clear examples, and give inspiring suggestions for how we can all work together to uphold universal human rights.

 

Quiz: Which prominent blogger has apparently been accused of spying by Iran?
Answer: The Iranian Blogfather, Hossein " Hoder" Derakhshan, was arrested while visiting his hometown of Tehran. According to reports, Derakhshan was detained for allegedly spying for Israel. Derakhshan started blogging from Canada in 2001, creating simple way to blog in Persian and singehandedly sparking the Iranian blog craze. Hoder has also been controversial, whether traveling to Israel with his Canadian passport or lavishing praise on President Ahmadinejad. The details of his case remain unclear, but this free expression pioneer should not be silenced.

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