ISSUE #67 CONTENTS:
- Essay Contest Update: Deadline Extended, Media Coverage
- Is Nokia Next? The Siemens Fallout
- Wanted for Damaged Internet Cable?: Wael Abbas
- QUIZ: What social networking technology is now on the to-censor list?
SPOTLIGHT CASES:
Essay Contest Update: Deadline Extended, Media Coverage
Due to popular demand, the deadline for the Dream Deferred Essay Contest on Civil Rights in the Middle East has been extended until February 21. This gives students in the region taking mid-term exams more time to prepare their essays. Over $10,000 will be rewarded for outstanding essays as the winners will be chosen by a panel of celebrity judges.
Already there has been a surge in participation from several countries in the region, particularly Egypt. This likely stems from the major coverage the essay contest recently received in Al-Masry Al-Youm, one of Egypt’s most popular newspapers. The article on the contest interviewed AIC Egypt director Dalia Ziada and featured examples of the essay questions for young people to answer.
The article noted that the contest is not focused on geo-politics, but instead asks ordinary citizens to explore the importance of individual rights. The profile also pointed out that participants can choose to remain anonymous if they win one of the prizes, which the organizers hope will encourage more people to participate. Related articles have appeared in the Yemeni press, and the contest is being circulated widely via Facebook. If you have not already, submit your essay today.
Is Nokia Next?: The Siemens Fallout
Multinational engineering conglomerate Siemens rocked the business world last week by announcing it was suspending operations in Iran. The news gave fresh encouragement to the “Nokia No” campaign, which has since June been calling on Nokia to stop providing the Iranian regime with advanced cell phone monitoring technology. Over 11,000 people have sent letters to Nokia demanding it withdraw from Iran, though the company so far has refused.
At issue in the “Nokia No” campaign is a joint Nokia-Siemens venture providing an advanced data monitoring center to Iranian telecoms subsequently bought by the Revolutionary Guards. In the wake of post-election protests, Iran put Nokia’s technology to use on a massive scale, and arrested hundreds of nonviolent dissenters who were tracked via intercepted wireless communications. But now Siemens has had enough. "Some time ago, we reduced our business activities with customers in Iran," said Siemens’ Chief Executive Peter Loescher. Could Nokia be next?
Another reminder of the brutal crackdown enabled in part by cell phone monitoring technology came last week when Mohammad Reza Alizamani and Arash Rahmanipour were hanged for allegedly participating in protests. And, in a more mundane case, graduate student Somayeh Rashidi, currently jailed for protesting, was formally kicked out of her graduate program in Women’s Studies. A decision by Nokia to follow Siemens in withdrawing from Iran would be a critical step in holding corporations accountable for helping dictatorships perfect their repression. If you have not already, send a letter to Nokia via the “Nokia No” campaign.
Wanted for Damaged Internet Cable: Wael Abbas
Wael Abbas is one of Egypt’s leading bloggers, known for his muckraking work exposing corruption and torture via his person web portal Misr Digital. As Abbas explains in the video below, he has been repeatedly harassed by authorities for his reporting. Now it appears the government has a new tool for silencing him: sending him to jail for six months for allegedly failing to repair a damaged Internet cable.
Abbas insists the charges are bogus, asserting: “[Officials] found themselves with the opportunity to imprison me on a non-political charge, without embarrassment for them.” The whole incident stems from Abbas allowing his neighbor Ahmed Maher Aglan to access his Internet subscription cable. In April, Aglan claimed the cable was not working and requested that Abbas fix it. After Abbas discovered nothing significantly wrong, Aglan and his brother, a police officer, barged into Abbas’s home, beat the blogger, and then filed a lawsuit against him.
In a few weeks, if the court ruling against Abbas is not overturned, Abbas may be behind bars. The CRIME Report interviewed Abbas prior to this latest case about his work. Watch the exclusive interview below to learn more about the challenges he faces.
QUIZ: What social networking technology is now on the to-censor list?
ANSWER: Twitter. Governments in the region have censored websites, blogs, and Facebook – but now have a new target. A new report reveals that the Bahraini government has started cracking down on Twitter, specifically blocking a popular Twitter account called “Free Bahrain” that links to civil rights issues and quoted human rights organizations. With the prominence Twitter gained during recent unrest in Iran - watched closely by Bahrainis across the Gulf - look for regimes across the region to begin targeting Twitter users.
BECOME A PARTNER IN CRIME:
Here are quick ways to contribute to the Middle East civil rights movement:
- Forward CRIME to friends & encourage them to subscribe.
- Write a letter to imprisoned Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer.
- Join 11,000 others in demanding Nokia stop aiding Iran's crackdown.
- Enter HAMSA's Dream Deferred essay contest.
