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

ISSUE #54 CONTENTS:


SPOTLIGHT CASES:

Nokia Protests Hit the Streets

The campaign to get Nokia to end its technical collaboration with the Iranian regime has hit the streets. Activists on both coasts of the US rallied outside prominent Nokia locations to increase the pressure on the telecom corporation. Meanwhile, nearly 10,000 people have sent letters to Nokia officials in protest, and several states and major cities are considering divesting from Nokia over its dealings in Iran.

On July 15, activists in Boston and Los Angeles hit the streets. First, outside the MIT-affiliated Nokia Research Center, a crowd of activists rallied for over an hour. “Nokia out of Iran” went the cry. Hundreds of passerby and employees of the Nokia Research Center were handed materials and encouraged to boycott Nokia until it withdraws from Iran. In a symbolic protest, one activist punctuated his speech by shattering his Nokia cell phone on the pavement outside the center (see photo above). Later that evening in Los Angeles, activists gathered outside the Nokia Theater during the taping of an ESPN awards show in a parallel protest.

The next day in Washington DC, student activists raised awareness about the struggle in Iran in a unique way: flash mobs. In five separate public locations, including the Lincoln Memorial, dozens of participants wearing green froze in place, flyers in hand, for up to 5 minutes. The curious display attracted the attention of hundreds of bystanders, who were given information about Nokia and Iran. Activists also froze in the streets during stop lights, mimicking the street protests going on in Iran. Explained organizer Jeehan Faiz of Project Nur: “We want those who are in the streets, braving tear gas, bullets, and rocks to know that we believe in a common goal- civil rights in Iran.”



Where is my vote? Mauritania Edition

Just as thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets to protest a seemingly rigged presidential election, now thousands of voters in Mauritania - at the other end of the Middle East - are marching under a green banner that reads: “Where is my vote?” A style of civic mobilization appears to once again spreading out of Iran, offering a model to dissidents throughout the region.

The Mauritanian protests began after the July 18 elections, where General Abdel Aziz, who took power in a coup last year, claimed to have won 52% of the vote in a multi-candidate race. However, accusations of voter fraud have run rampant, and opponents are asking for an international investigation and calling the vote “prefabricated”. Two incriminating videos have surfaced to buttress these claims: One video allegedly shows a ‘fraud factory’ in which pro-Aziz campaign staffers are seen duplicating voter ID cards to allow people to vote twice. Another video, taken on the day of the vote, shows Aziz’s supporters purchasing ID cards from underprivileged citizens, supposedly to use them to vote for Aziz.

The four main opposition candidates have rejected the outcome, the European Union has called for a proper inquiry, and the chairman of Mauritania’s Electoral Commission has resigned in protest. Hundreds of Mauritanians have taken to the streets to protest the apparent fraud, and the opposition has already adopted the slogan “Where is my vote?” - translating it into Arabic and French as a rally cry. No Iran-like crackdown on protestors has yet erupted, though it appears the struggle - as in Iran - is far from over.



WANTED for driving in Saudi Arabia: S.B.Z.

S.B.Z. just won first prize winner of HAMSA's fourth annual “Dream Deferred” essay contest. In a piece titled “Driving Towards Equality,” the young writer takes readers along for a ride in the life of a Saudi woman. Under the guardianship system, the travel of women is greatly restricted. Women are not allowed to operate a motor vehicle, and cannot legally leave their homes unless accompanied by a male relative. This 19 year-old student spoke to The CRIME Report about these conditions, and her hopes of one day driving the streets of Riyadh... on her own!
 

Why speak out against the ban of women driving in Saudi Arabia?

All my life I have felt like a second-class citizen. Even now that I am 19, when I am in Saudi Arabia, I feel as if I will forever remain a “minor.” Growing up, it always frustrated me that I had to wait until my father to arrive home from work just so I could leave my house or just so my mother could buy some milk or eggs. Imagine being a teenager and wanting to go out… It was impossible. There is no real system of public transportation in Saudi Arabia, and so the only source of mobility for millions of women is a male relative. Even now, when I return to Saudi Arabia, I see young boys - no older than twelve or thirteen - driving pick-up trucks packed with women, the mothers and sisters of these young boys. It infuriates me when I read in the newspaper of women who are in need of medical attention, but have no male to transport them to a hospital or clinic. 
 
Your essay is an article from the year 2012 describing a successful campaign for the right to drive. Do you think the article can become a reality - and by 2012?

I only hope that change can come by 2012. It is 2009, and while the King has been promising reform for years now, genuine improvements in the lot of women even within the next three years is not perceptible. However, I also know from anti-colonization efforts in South Asia, as well as the American Civil Rights Movement, that once the flame of change is ignited, a blazoning trail of progress is not too far behind. In terms of Saudi Arabia, while the match demanding a revolution of thought may have already been struck, it has not yet been thrown into the pit of firewood - at least, in my opinion.

You asked to remain anonymous when you entered the contest. Why?
 
My family still lives in Saudi Arabia, and I want to continue visiting them. My writing can jeopardize my entry into the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia does not have a democratic government, and my writing - though completely creative and fictional - can very easily be considered dissent and a threat to national security. Furthermore, even if I choose to never come to Saudi Arabia, by publishing my name, I can potentially expose my family to danger. It is hard for Americans to understand this when their constitutional right to "freedom of speech" is not continuously threatened by their government. I only hope that Americans truly realize that the value of this right!

 

QUIZ: Who was AFP reporter Magdi Saaman denied from visiting in Borg al-Arab Prison?
Answer: Kareem Amer. On July 7, Saaman went to visit Kareem Amer in prison. He reported on his previous visit to Kareem in a past edition of The CRIME Report. But earlier this month, during a return visit, he was stopped by prison guards who would not allow him to interview Kareem. The young Egyptian remains behind bars, more than halfway through a four year jail sentence for insulting the President of Egypt.

BECOME A PARTNER IN CRIME:
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