‏إظهار الرسائل ذات التسميات Society. إظهار كافة الرسائل
‏إظهار الرسائل ذات التسميات Society. إظهار كافة الرسائل

1/18/2015

#FreeSpeechStories #France accused of 'double standards'



Tens of thousands of fans of the French comic Dieudonne - often criticised as anti-Semitic - are making claims of hypocrisy and double standards after French authorities opened up dozens of cases against people accused of justifying terrorism.

Fans of the controversial comedian reacted angrily after he was arrested and charged with condoning terrorism for a remark on his a Facebook page: "je me sens Charlie Coulibaly" ("I feel like Charlie Coulibaly").
The remark, which has since been taken down, was a mash-up of the#JeSuisCharlie tag and the name of Amedy Coulibaly, the man who killed a policewoman near a Jewish school and four people at a Jewish supermarket in Paris. Dieudonne later defended the remark by saying he felt like he was being persecuted by authorities as if he were a terror suspect.
"Freedom of expression is dead, but its funeral on Sunday was pretty!!" said one of the comedian's Facebook fans, referring to the enormous march through Paris in support of Charlie Hebdo.
"WHAT HYPOCRISY!!!!!" shouted another commentator. "You can legally caricature and insult the prophet and the Muslim world: the oligarchy calls this freedom of expression ... We are in a pseudo-democratic dictatorship."

Dieudonne is a comedian with a history of making crude jokes about the Holocaust (and occasionally getting into legal trouble). He has a huge following on social media including more than 900,000 Facebook fans. Most of the comments on his page were in support of the comedian, and his name was trending briefly on Twitter earlier in the week, but there were a few fans who thought Dieudonne had crossed a line.
"There is a big difference between freedom of expression and incitement to hatred," said one fan. "He knew what to expect ... Charlie Hebdo made caricatures of the prophet that I haven't agreed with, it has made a mockery of the prophet, made some laugh, shocked others, but there was no incentive to hatred and this is a big difference."

The arrest of Dieudonne was just one of dozens of cases - up to 100according to one estimate - opened by the French authorities since the attacks. Some people have even been jailed already under fast-track legislation that was passed last year.
In a typical year, only one or two people are arrested for speaking out in favour of terrorism, said Emmanuel Pierrat, a French media lawyer and member of PEN International, which supports free expression.
Pierrat told BBC Trending that free speech is an idea at the core of the French nation, but one that in his view has been eroded over the years by exceptions for things including hate speech.
"We have weakened the principle of freedom of speech, for good intentions, but without thinking about the consequences. We need to think about how we can recover the idea of freedom of speech after an event that is so emotional, like the one in Paris (last week)," he said.
He cautioned however, that Dieudonne's statements could not be directly compared with the Charlie Hebdo cartoons showing the Prophet Muhammad.
"One thing is for sure, in France you can make drawings or speeches against ideology or against religion. The French revolution of 1789 abolished the crime of blasphemy" and courts have consistently upheld the legality of speech directed at religions or historical religious figures, he says.
Pierrat, who represented Michel Houellebecq when the author wascleared of charges of religious hate speech against Muslims in 2002, says the Dieudonne case will be difficult to judge given the ambiguity of the comedian's outburst. But he says he believes the authorities are made a mistake by arresting him. A trial is scheduled for next month.

"If Dieudonne wins, he will be like a hero," Pierrat says. "It will gives a lot of young people the idea that he is a champion of Muslims or immigrants ... he's no longer a comedian or an actor, but instead his audiences are far-right sympathisers."
"What makes me somewhat afraid is that French justice is speeding up when it comes to these questions," he says. "Like Americans after 11 September, the worry is that judgments are coming too quickly, and influenced by a very emotional event."


Blog by Mike Wendling

1/01/2015

نهاية 2014 وبداية 2015

اممممممممم هتكلام على مصر الاول
احية طبعا على سنة 2014 من اولة لحد اخرة والى جاى اسود من الى فات و الى مش شايف دة اكيد ابن كلب اعمى اة او معرص و مستفيد من الى بيحصل و دول كتير اوى , طبعا فشخ الاخوان و مرسى والوسخة دية و السيسى و المجلس المعرص بتاع مبارك الى فعلا ركب على ثورة يناير 2011 الى شوفنا فية العجب و دم و عيون راحت للاسف ان الشعب ابن متناكة بطبعة طول عمرة شعب بيحي يعيش عبد ويعشق حياة العبودية و دة من ايام الفراعنة فا تقريبا دة فى الجينات المصريين انهم عبيد وبس.........
الى يزعل يخبطة فى الحيطة
يعنى بعد كل الى الى ماتوا والى راحت عيونهم و فى الاخر مبارك وعصابتة براة و الداخلية حمامة سلام, و احنا بقينا شعب بيتعاقب عقاب جماعى طبعا علشان شبابة فكر فى حريتة , كرامة ولقمة عيش لا اكتر ولا اقل بس ازى ما هما شعب عبيد

وطلع المعرصيين زى ما فى كل تاريخ طلع مبارك و عصابتة اطهر من الطاهرة نفسة والشعب هو المتهم اة هو كدة  ما هو قضاء مصر شامخ وعادل 

الى الواحد بيشوفة وبيسمعة وبقى يحصل و قطع الكهرباء  والقرف و الاشعار و عدم الامان و يا كدة يا هتبقى زى سوريا وليبيا ونجيب لك داعش هاة اختار انت بقى !! يا الوسخ يا الاوسخ

و الشعب دماغة اتغسلت وباقى تايهة و اتلعبت نفس اللعبة شعب ابن عرص بطبعة يا حب يكون عبد للفرعون وبس
الكرف التلات 
السيسى لم يحكم مصر أو أى عرص منهم هيفشخوا المصريين بسبب الثورة هيكدرونا و يفقرونا وهياخدو قروض من البنك الدولى و قروض من طوب الارض و دة هي سبب تتضخم  يعنى الدولار الى ب٦ هيبقى ب ٢٠ و ممكن ٣٠ جنية !!!!يعنى اكتر من ¾ سعر مصر يدخلوا الفقر....
غير شوية مشاريع وهمية فنكوش كبارى،مدن جديدة،مفاعل نووي أو والله لزوم تخليد فخامة الرئيس..
 و ممكن يدخلوا فى حرب وهمية مع دولة او مجموعات إرهابية مسلحة وهميةعلشان الى يفتح بقة يبقى عميل و خاين و من اعداء الوطن و طبعا هما مش هيفشخوا الشعب بس لا ابدا دة الهدف تدمير مصر و ثرواتة و ارضة تخيل لم الواقع يفشخ الخيال لم يتم بيع أرض مصر علشان نقدر نسدد ديون مصر 
و تجفيف كل موارد الدولة و اولهم النيل طبعا و الآثار هتكون للبيع عادى و شوية يتم إعلان إفلاس مصر و قتة الى هيحكم مصر هنا أصحاب الديون السيادية طبعا الامارات و السعودية و من خلف الستار اسرائيل 
و شعب مصر وقتة مش هتقدر يقول لا علشان بقى متعودة
هبقى اكمل بعدينا لحس اتبضنت ...............

10/31/2014

Stop #Islamophobia

Stop Islamophobia

Islamophobia is alive today, as I was reminded again a few days ago when someone told me that the Qur'an only teaches hatred. Chalk that up perhaps to ignorance, but like many people, he expressed at the same time a fear of Muslims that I have noticed in many countries all over the world. I define this as Islamophobia.

Yet I just read an article claiming that Islamophobia does not exist, and another contending that since anti-Islamic crimes have declined after peaking in September 2001 the US cannot be described as Islamophobic.

However, if Islamophobia is defined as a fear or hatred of Islam and Muslims, then it does exist. In fact, some Muslims argue that this term is inadequate to describe the hatred of their faith and the discrimination they experience. They would prefer to call it 'anti-Islamic racism' since it combines a dislike of a particular religion and an active discrimination against the people who belong to that faith.

Jews, who have suffered discrimination, protest Islamophobia

The Runnymede Trust in the 1997 document, "Islamophobia: A Challenge For Us All," identified eight components that define Islamophobia. These are just as relevant today as they were 15 years ago:
1) Islam is seen as a monolithic bloc, static and unresponsive to change.
2) Islam is seen as separate and 'other'. It does not have values in common with other cultures, is not affected by them and does not influence them.
3) Islam is seen as inferior to the West. It is seen as barbaric, irrational, primitive and sexist.
4) Islam is seen as violent, aggressive, threatening, supportive of terrorism and engaged in a 'clash of civilisations.'
5) Islam is seen as a political ideology and is used for political or military advantage.
6) Criticisms made of the West by Islam are rejected out of hand.
7) Hostility towards Islam is used to justify discriminatory practices towards Muslims and exclusion of Muslims from mainstream society.
8) Anti-Muslim hostility is seen as natural or normal.


Islamophobia is a website that describes Islamophobia as "an irrational fear or prejudice towards Islam and Muslims." It includes many articles introducing Islam. Another site documents cases of Islamophobia.

Islamophobia is irrational, not Islam. We tend to fear the unknown or things that we are ignorant of. The list that the Runnymede Trust provides illustrates the appalling ignorance of many people about Islam. One of the most effective ways of combating Islamophobia is through education. It is by far the easiest, since deep-seated prejudices are harder to eradicate.

Some people, unfortunately, prefer to wallow in ignorance. They only know the myths that the media, or at least segments thereof, pedal in order to sell what purports to be news.


Nearly a fifth of Americans believe that Barack Obama is Muslim. This myth was popular during the 2008 election in the US. In this election year it is crucial that this blatant example of Islamophobia be eradicated once and for all. Unfortunately, it will probably be perpetuated by those who can benefit from such ignorance.

Europeans are not immune to Islamophobia either. Many there dread “Eurabia,” the ostensibly imminent Arab/Muslim takeover of the continent, even though its Muslim population is less than 3 per cent.

Islamophobia is not just interpersonal: it is systemic. It is intimately connected with sexism and violence, both of which are endemic in Western societies. That is why it is so difficult to eradicate Islamophobia.


The media are complicit in perpetuating Islamophobia. Many journalists know little about religion in general and Islam in particular. Deadlines are one factor in their ignorance but much more crucial is the relegation of religion to the private sphere in the West. Secularized journalists thus find it especially difficult to understand Islam, a religion that contradicts this relegation, since it emphatically denies the public/private distinction.

Anti-semitism and Christophobia exist as well in Western societies. The former is attacked more often than any other group in the US, but this does not mean that Islamophobia is "a gross exaggeration that has been peddled by Muslim political leaders with an agenda," as one website puts it. 

All hate crimes must stop, not just the one perpetrated against the group one belongs to. Islamophobia must be eradicated. The fight against every form of religious phobia is part of that process of eradication. 

We must support each other so that one day every form of religious phobia will be gone.
 Isha'Allah.

2/21/2014

Will #WhatsApp Reach 1 Billion Users Faster Than #Facebook Did?

It appears that the billion-user club is about to get a new member.

Facebook announced the acquisition of messaging app WhatsApp on Wednesday, a deal worth up to $19 billion in cash and stock that puts serious muscle behind Facebook's international reach.
In a call with investors to outline the acquisition, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and whatsapp CEO Jan Koum hinted multiple times that they expect WhatsApp to become a billion-user platform, a milestone that Facebook eclipsed less than 18 months ago.

"WhatsApp is the only widely used app we've ever seen that has more engagement and a higher percent of people using it daily than Facebook itself," Zuckerberg said on the acquisition call Wednesday, noting that WhatsApp has doubled in size over the past year. "Based on our experience of building global services with strong growth and engagement, we believe WhatsApp is on a path to reach over one billion people in the next few years."
WhatsApp has already over 450 million monthly active users (320 of which are daily active users), and the company claims it is adding more than one million new users per day. For comparison purposes, Twitter added nine million new users in the entire Q4 2013; Facebook did better, adding 40 million in the same three month period, but growth is slower for a company with a billion-plus users already under its belt.
Facebook reached one billion in October 2012, roughly eight and a half years after launch. Could WhatsApp hit one billion even faster?
Assuming the company continues to add one million users per day, then yes. Much faster, actually.
WhatsApp is on pace to reach one billion users in August of 2015, approximately a year and a half after being acquired by Facebook. At that time, WhatsApp will be a little more than 6 years old, achieving the billion user milestone more than two years faster than Facebook did.


Of course, WhatsApp's trajectory is likely to change over time. Just like other consumer services like Facebook and Twitter, growth may slow as the user base gets larger and new users are harder to find.
Regardless of the timing, Zuckerberg seems poised to own two separate billion-user brands in the near future, and he's understandably excited.
"Services in the world that have a billion people using them are incredibly valuable," he said.
For $19 billion, we'd certainly hope so.

2/20/2014

Five Reasons Why I Love #Egypt

With a string of bad news coming out of my beloved homeland (from bombings to fatal road accidents and lost mountain climbers), I have fallen into a bout of depression.
That depression then turned into anger (I got mad, I got very mad!).  Overwhelmed with emotions that I didn’t know how to digest, I decided to try and look at the bright side and remind myself of all the things I love about Egypt.

The Egyptian Smile
There is no other smile out there that is as genuine as that of an Egyptian. The radiating goodness and positivity you feel, even in these hard times, comes off as so genuine that it becomes contagious. Enough to turn your day around.
Egyptian Chivalry
Egyptians band together in times of trouble. If they know you or not, they will have your back regardless. Very recently, I had a very bad car accident on the way to Hurgahda (the car flipped three times). Complete strangers came to our rescue, flipped the car over and came running with their first aid kits.
As we were only two girls on the road, one truck driver took it upon himself to make sure we were taken care of, getting us into an ambulance. We thought that would be the last of us seeing him, but to our surprise we found him waiting for us at the Ras Gharib hospital and he made sure to take all the administrative work off our hands so we could concentrate on getting checked up.
I don’t know if God sent us an angel or if, like they say, “chivalry is not dead,” but this man will always leave an ever lasting, amazing impression of my fellow countrymen.
rwacegypt.blogspot.com


We Have the Beach All Year Round
Not everyone is as lucky as us to be able to go lay by the beach in December or party on the sand in April. With temperatures that would make an eskimo jealous, I have to say we are blessed with unrivaled beaches and gorgeous temperatures.
beachesegypt

Egyptian Creativity
Leave it to us Egyptians to come up with the most absurd inventions possible, from some that are outright genius (check video below) to some that get their job done but are a bit ridiculous.
Since the onset of Egypt’s revolution we’ve seen unbelievable inventions come out, like the pan hat that was used as a protective helmet in Tahrir.
Long live the Egyptian man’s mind – you put a smile on my face every day.
coolhategyptcreativity

Egyptian Humor
Leave it to us that in times of dire tragedy we find the humor in everything. When everyone wants to escape Egypt and is looking for a safe haven abroad we of course have to turn it into a joke. It is probably a psychological ailment we all suffer from, deferring our real issues through humor, but hey, it definitely makes us smile when everything else is so grim!
egyptianhumor




12/16/2013

Father demands 'one million likes' dowry for daughter Yemen Facebook

Father demands 'one million likes' dowry for daughter



A Yemeni young man who sought to marry his sweetheart was shocked when her father demanded “one million likes” on Facebook as a dowry for her.

The father, Salim Ayyash, asked the would-be husband he must write the word “like” one million times over a period of one month in all his tweets and contacts with friends on Facebook. But the father quickly assured the daunted young man, identified as Osama, that he might consider cutting that number before the end of the deadline.

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Ayyash, a well-known Facebook personality in the western Yemeni province of Taizz, also told the suitor that he would be watching his Facebook and Twitter activity to check whether he was making progress.
“Ayyash said he was watching Osama’s online activities as he set off to accomplish that dowry task



…he also told him that before the end of the month, he would evaluate his achievement and could reduce the dowry if he is satisfied with his achievement,” the Saud Arabic language daily Sada said in a report from Yemen.

It said the rare request by Ayyash came amidst soaring wedding expenses and dowries (money paid by grooms to their brides under Islamic law) in Yemen.
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6/06/2013

kiss inside a damaged public bus #Turkey

A young couple, who are anti-government protesters, kiss inside a damaged public bus, used as a barricade at Taksim Square in Istanbul. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis