Bush shoe attack

So the al Baghadadiya reporter is in custody and there are demonstrations in Sadr City to release the hero. Bush himself says it was most humiliating for Mr al Zaidis Iraqi colleagues. Yes probably.

It reminds me when a production company called Strix was recording a new humor programme for SVT called "Balls of Steel". Their blonde reporter had a fake microphone that sprayed water - and she sprayed the prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt at a movie opening. Also then the Secret Service was very slow. They did not even wrestle her down (it could have been acid). 

The fake reporter, Hanna Wilenius, was convicted for Molestation according to criminal law and fined the equivalent of USD 3000. It was not an act protected by the Swedish constitution and SVT reporters were very upset since the good name of SVT news hade been tarnished. The Prime Minister gave testimony in court saying she was carrying a trustworthy microphone logo so he thought it was something important she was going to ask.

The programme never aired on SVT, it was bought by another channel and quickly discontinued.

/SK

the lapidation of satan/again Saddam vs Bush

 
 
  Although it is a remarkably old practice, lapidation  seems regionally circumscribed to the Middle East and the Mediterranean bassin . the symbolic ceremony of satan lapidation or stoning is indeed  one of the most important rituals of the fifth pillar of islam that is  pilgrimage   . the ceremony consists in throwing  stones by millions of pilgrims on three rocks representing the devil . it is said that When  prophet Abraham left Mina  and on his way to al aqaba the Devil appeared to him  three times : at the big rock  , the middlle rock  and at the little rock.angel Gabriel asked abraham to pelt the devil with stones each time it appeared .abraham did and the devil completely withdrew .
  lapidation is  cosidered in many cultures as  the worst form of punishment, for instance men or women who dare commit adultery or incest are stoned to death  in some cultures  .we all remember the first intifada which  was memorably characterized  by Palestinian youths throwing stones  at israeli  tanks and soldiers.well i'am not going to give you a course about lapidation .i just want to make an analogy between the lapidation of satan and the shoes throwing on bush .what is the significance of such an act?   throwing a shoe on somebody is a sign of disgust ,it is a big insult but it is much more a punishment for bad deeds .we saw in 2003 after the fall of baghdad scores of iraqis stoning saddam's statute and hiting his portraits with shoes, but it never happened to real saddam .today it is the turn of bush .bush who has come to make a fare well visit to iraq was perhaps expecting iraqis to recieve him with  a bunch  of flowers  in return for what he has done for them .he helped them to get rid of saddam , he brought democracy to the region , he recostructed iraq ,,,,,,,,,.his good deeds are indeed uncountable!!!!!!!! but what happened ? why iraqis are so ungrateful ?  .i guess that the albaghdadia journalist would have liked to offer outgiong bush a bunch of good smelling  flowers but iraq has been over the last few years the scene of unprecedented violence  .the iraqi land has been watered by tons and tons of blood .flowers no longer grow on that land , so  instead and because of the flower crisis in baghdad Muntazer al-Zaidi offered  bush a pair of" good smelling" shoes probably made in  the  USA .
 
 
    ouarda lebnane

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This is a farwell kiss YA KALB!

(By Jennifer Loven, AP white house correspondent)
BAGHDAD – On an Iraq trip shrouded in secrecy and marred by dissent,
President George W. Bush on Sunday hailed progress in the war that
defines his presidency and got a size-10 reminder of his unpopularity
when a man hurled two shoes at him during a news conference.

"This is a farewell kiss, you dog!" shouted the protester in Arabic,
later identified as Muntadar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for
Al-Baghdadia television, an Iraqi-owned station based in Cairo, Egypt.

Bush ducked both shoes as they whizzed past his head and landed with a
thud against the wall behind him.

"It was a size 10," Bush joked later.

Syria: Kurds say Property Law discriminatory ·                                 IWPR ·                                 12/12/2008 00:00:00 (12-Dec-08) Syrian Kurds continue to voice concern about new legislation limiting rights to sell and rent out land in border areas, arguing that it amounts to discrimination against their community, and will harm the economic prospect in these parts of the country. Decree No. 49, which President Bashar al-Assad signed into law in September, places tight restrictions on the ownership and use of land in areas near the country's borders with both Israel and Turkey. The most controversial parts of the decree state that residents of border areas cannot sell real estate without obtaining prior permission from the authorities, specifically the interior, defence and agriculture ministries. Anyone who owns property must also get authorisation to rent or lease it out for a period of more than three years. Radif Mustafa, a lawyer and chairman of the Kurdish Committee for Human Rights, said he believed the law directly targets Kurds, who make up the majority in areas bordering on Turkey. "The al-Quneitra border is a special case because part of it is occupied by Israel, but why are the areas along the Turkish border included in the law, when Syrian-Turkish relations are now better than ever?" he asked. "This is part of the discrimination practiced against the Kurds who populate those border areas." More than 1.5 million Kurds live in northern regions of Syria bordering Turkey and Iraq. Last month, nearly 200 Kurdish protesters were arrested after staging a protest in Damascus against the new rules. Hirfin Awsi, a public relations worker, was beaten with a metal baton before being taken away by police. "We said nothing against the government or the president," she said. "Our protest was peaceful." Luqman Oso, a member of the governing committee of Azadi, one of seven Kurdish parties that issued a statement in October condemning the property decree, said non-violent protests would continue. "We succeeded in gathering a large number of Kurdish parties together, and we will continue our peaceful and democratic struggle until this decree is abolished," he said. Khalaf al-Jarad, director general of Al-Wahda, a press group that publishes the leading state daily Al-Thawra, insists the law has been misinterpreted. "I feel very sad and full of regret, and I am astonished how Decree no. 49, which deals with ownership, is being interpreted," he said in remarks quoted by the Quds Press news agency. "It is a regulatory decree that does not target a specific individual or group, but instead deals with matters of buying and selling. If some of our Kurdish brothers want to exaggerate this, they'll lose out because no one is going to believe the way they are interpreting the decree." In border regions directly affected by the new rules, lawyer and activist Suleiman Ismail said there was considerable confusion about how to put them into practice. "All legal actions involving property have ground to a halt because the judiciary cannot make any decision on these cases without instructions from the executive, and these have not been issued yet," he said. "We have no idea what the future of real estate in the province will be after this." Those tasked with enforcing the decree can provide little useful information. "We received the decree and we were required to implement it immediately, but we have received no instructions on how to do this," said an employee of the property registration office in al-Hiska. "We've simply been told to stop all registrations of ownership." While confusion about enforcement continues, the economic repercussions are already being felt. "We used to sell about 100 tons of iron per month, and now we're hardly sell ten tons – and that goes to government building contractors or to ongoing projects that started before this decree was issued," said Hussein Abbas, a civil engineer in al-Hiska. "Construction contractors are not buying iron or cement because no new licenses are being granted at the moment." Mohammed Salih Salo, a building contractor from al-Qamishli, said uncertainty about the new law had left many afraid to buy and sell property. "Construction work has stopped because people have suffered a loss of confidence," he said. "Previously, we could sell or buy real estate, pay the money and then get a license from the court. Now, people with money are not buying anything because property cannot be registered in their name in the government records, and that creates a problem of trust between sellers and buyers." "We want to get the necessary licenses," he insisted. "We want to work, no matter what. But the government offices don't have any regulations relating to the new decree, so we're at a standstill." The latest economic hardships have forced some Kurds to seek work elsewhere. Mohammed al-Khatib, a carpenter by trade with a wife and two children to support, has come to the capital where he has found a job in a workshop. "I have come to Damascus because the contractor we used to work with doesn't have a business any more," he said. "Most of the guys I'm working with are from al-Hiska province, and the majority are Kurdish. They want to earn a living any way they can, regardless of their occupation." (Syria News Briefing, a weekly news analysis service, draws on information and opinion from a network of IWPR-trained Syrian journalists based in the country.)

IFJ Condemns Detention of Journalist against Court Order in Iraq   The International Federation of Journalists(IFJ) today condemned the decision of the United States military authorities in Iraq to remand in detention Ibrahim Jassam Mohammed, an Iraqi journalist freelance photographer , whose release was ordered by the Iraqi Central Criminal Court last month. "We strongly condemn this decision which makes a mockery of the coalition's handover of powers to Iraqi sovereign institutions," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. According to media reports, the U.S military said Ibrahim will remain in prison on the grounds of security risk he poses and his release will be processed according to his individual threat level. The Iraqi Central Criminal Court ordered Ibrahim's release on 30 November after prosecutors had admitted he had no case to answer and dropped charges against him. The IFJ reiterates its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of Ibrahim "The American military officials in Iraq should stop interfering with the Iraqi justice and free Ibrahim." added White.

British channel island Sark tasting democracy (From Guardian)

Turnout approaches 90% as 474 voters get their first taste of democracy

Some sat and attentively crunched the numbers as the count continued
late into last night. For other candidates hoping to win a place in
the history books as members of the first democratically-elected
government on the island of Sark it was just too much and they
adjourned to the fug of the bar upstairs - smoking is still allowed
here - and nervously nursed glasses of wine and beer.

The end of 450 years of feudalism on this three-mile chunk of rock has
been an exciting, but often tense process. "I couldn't stay in there
any longer," said one of the hopefuls, Christine Audrain. "I found my
jaw locking with tension. I had to come and have a glass of wine."

To the casual outsider the election must seem like a harmless bit of
fun. But for the people of Sark, the last bastion of feudalism in the
west, it is absolutely serious as the turnout showed, almost 90% of
the 474 electors.

Over the last weeks, months, even years, two factions battling for
control of the island's parliament, the chief pleas, have emerged.
Broadly one side supports the Barclay brothers, the multi-millionaire
twins who own the Telegraph and the Ritz hotel. They live on the
neighbouring island of Brecqhou and are ploughing millions of pounds
into Sark, refurbishing its muddy main street and buying up most of
the hotels.

In yesterday's Daily Telegraph, Sir David Barclay said he would be
"very tempted" to walk away from Sark if the "establishment" got
re-elected. Such a move would be disastrous because the Barclays
control so much of Sark's main industry, tourism. The "establishment"
Sir David is referring to is suspicious of the twins and more loyal to
the old feudal lord, the "seigneur", many of whose powers are being
swept away.

Last night there was no sign of the Barclays at the count. They are
not standing and did not vote. Nor was there any sign of their man on
Sark, estate manager Kevin Delaney, though he has put his name
forward. He said he was worried that it could turn ugly if he turned
up to the island hall for the count. A pin-striped lawyer sat in his
place to make sure all was fair.

Actually the atmosphere was more like a party. Children were allowed
to stay up late. Families made a night out of it. As the count neared
midnight, it was too close to call. Candidates branded "wholly
unworthy" of the voters' faith in a bulletin published by the Barclays
seemed certain to be heading for places in the parliament, which will
annoy the twins.

"The community is going to win," said one. Some of the Barclays'
favourites seemed to be struggling.

Earlier in the day under the eye of Sark's judge and returning
officer, not to mention a healthy selection of the world's press,
Roger Olsen was the first to cast his vote.

Olsen posted his slip, tapped the ballot box and declared it a "happy
day", adding: "Sark has an opportunity to express itself, to determine
its own destiny."

Suzie Thorpe was next to put her Xs besides her 28 preferred
candidates. "It's very exciting. It's good for the island," she said.
What issues was she concerned about? "We need a good, sustainable
economy. But we don't want the island to change too much. We don't
want any helipads, thank you," - a reference to a Barclay plan to
build one.

Peter Stisted, one of those candidates on the Barclays' "unworthy"
list said: "It's incredibly nerve-racking. I can't believe it's so
serious. It's one of the most important days of my life."

Publican Paul Burgess, who was on a second list of nine candidates who
have won the approval of the Barclays, braved bitter winds to station
himself outside the hall in a smart suit and bright pink tie to try to
mop up any waverers. Barring a recount, the Sarkees will be poring
over the results this morning trying to work out what sort of a
parliament they have chosen and wondering if it means the Barclays'
investment will dry up.

And after the election the hard work really begins - Sark has no civil
servants and the government's business is run by committee. When the
attention of the world's media has gone, there will be a great deal to
do.

Post by: TJC - just to prove that not only the MENA is looking for democracy

IRAQ: Journalist jailed for sodomy article released CPJ09/12/2008 00:00:00 New York, December 9, 2008 — The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes a presidential pardon for a journalist in Iraqi Kurdistan who had been sentenced to six months in prison, in direct violation of the region's press law. Adel Hussein, a medical doctor and a freelance journalist with the independent weekly Hawlati, was found guilty of violating "public custom" on November 24 by a court in Arbil, the regional capital, for publishing an article in April 2007 in Hawlati about sodomy and health. He was sent to an Arbil prison the same day. Instead of using the region's new press law, the sentence handed down was based on the outdated 1969 Iraqi penal code, said Luqman Malazadah, Hussein's lawyer. President Massoud Barzani gave the pardon on Sunday, one day before the Muslim celebration of Eid, the journalist told CPJ. According to the president's Web site, Hussein's was part of a group of 121 pardons made in the region. "We are relieved that President Barzani intervened to right this injustice," said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. "We call on the authorities to ensure that the new legislation is enforced and that Adel Hussein is the last journalist to be sent to prison in Iraqi Kurdistan because of his work." A new, October press law does not recognize violations of "public custom" as an offense; prison terms have been entirely eliminated for journalists. Hussein said he was shocked to be tried for the article since he has written three books and hundreds of articles on sex and health previously with no legal action. This was not the first time that judges in Iraqi Kurdistan have sent journalists to prison in violation of the region's press law. A criminal court in Sulaymania recently convicted Shwan Dawdi, editor-in-chief of the Kirkuk-based newspaper Hawal, on three defamation charges filed by a retired judge. After nine days in jail, Dawdi was released when a court of appeal overturned the verdict and said that the journalist should be tried under the new law.