Photo Album: Egyptians Protest in New York to End Military Rule

@nasry

By Nasry Esmat

About 1500 protesters,mostly Egyptian Americans, rallied in New York city on Saturday afternoon to show solidarity with protests in Egypt asking to bring down president Hosni Mubarak who has been in his position for 30 years.

Latest photos from BBC Arabic : Egypt Uprising

BBC Arabic reporter

After blocking all sorts of communication by the Egyptian government on Friday including landline, cell phones, and Internet, some TV stations managed to get video reports from Cairo, here are some of the latest photos from these videos that were broadcast few minutes ago.

The Tunisian Online Revolution*

@hibr.me

By Assaad Thebian

* The article was previously published on hibr.me

The “Jasmine Revolution” or “Cactus Revolution” (names of the ongoing Tunisian Revolution) crowns years of efforts by activists. These activists have used social media in order to get their voice out and show the people around the world what is happening in their “green” (Tunisia nickname) home. In May 2010, a huge campaign called “Free From 404” (Internet language for file not found) was carried out in Tunisia. Twitter hashtags, Facebook profile pictures, articles and videos were created to demonstrate the activists’ refusal of censorship.

Anti-Islam: New recipe of French right-wing

 

"Stop or more? You can choose: Vote!" Campaign poster of the Front National @lagarenne-colombesretourdebuzz.com

By Elif Kayi

Since last weekend, the French far-right, anti-immigrant party, Front National, which had been founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen, has a new president: The daughter of the founder, Marine Le Pen.

Jean-Yves Camus, political analyst at the Institute of International Relations and Strategy in Paris and expert in right-wing extremism, talked with EMAJ Magazine about the right-wing party and its attitude to Islam and Muslims in France.

French eyes wide shut over Tunisia

Vacation in Tunisia @nix-wie-weg.de

 

By Elif Kayi

The weather is cloudy and rainy. It is the beginning of the year and work is already stressful. A colleague is on sick leave and you have to take up her assignments. You really feel like having a break: a nice, quiet, peaceful break, far away from the office and the boss, whose face is turning as grey as the sky in Paris. You are diving into some cocooning mood… You type a few key words on Google. « Cheap+Holiday ».

Elections in Egypt: Free, fair and peaceful?

By Marina Ferhatovic and Assaad Thebian

EGYPT. A parliament with no opposition to speak of, media crackdown, fraud allegations and violence. 2010 parliamentary elections gave a landslide victory with 83 percent of the vote to president Mubarak’s National Democratic party (NDP). And set Egypt 15 years back.

Morocco Forbids Spanish Journalists’ Entry

By Cristina Rojo

SPAIN. “¿Journalist?, you are not allowed in. We have restrictions until new order”. This is how one Spanish journalist tells about his latest visit to the Spanish border with Morocco, in the neighbouring city of Ceuta. It’s been about a week now since the Moroccan officials at the border started interrupting the entry of Spanish journalists to Morocco, arguing that they have “orders to do so” from Rabat, as local daily Ceuta al día states.

Videos..How Sexist, Stupid or Racist Political Ads Can be?

photo capture from voting is a pleasure video @emaj

By Cristina Rojo and Nasry Esmat

Can voting be a sexual pleasure? an injection in a patient’s butt? Or a race between religious minority and a senior citizen? .. watch  videos from Spain, Egypt and Sweden and tell us what you think.

If Zlatan is not Swedish, what am I?

By Marina Ferhatovic

OPINION. Today is one of the most exciting days in Swedish politics: we are going to polls to elect our new (or the same) government. But the biggest buzz has not been about which party or which block will collect the most votes, but whether Sweden Democrats (SD), an extreme right-wing party with controversial views on immigration, will make it to the national parliament*. Surprisingly, I have recently discovered that I might have a lot in common with one of their key representatives.

*Sweden Democrats secured 5,7 percent of the vote and 20 of the seats in the Parliament.

„Més que un club” – 15th anniversary of the Barcelona process

Toledo, the multicultural capital of ancient Spain @Kitekintö

By Krisztian Gal

BACKGROUND. The Barcelona process has its 15^th birthday this year, which has involved more and more countries throughout the years. The core idea of the Euro-Mediterranean relations began with signing the funding document during the Spanish Presidency in 1995. Among the goals were the creation of a weapons of mass destruction and other chemical weapons free zone, a joint water policy, a free trade zone in 2010 and also the fight against deforestation and desertification.

14 Voices You need to hear before judging French ban on the Burqa

@Nasry Esmat

By Nasry Esmat and Elif Kayi

ROUND UP. The lower house of the French Parliament passed a ban on the so-called “full-face veil” (sometimes presented as “burqa”, “burqu” or “niqab” in the press ; please not that we will mainly use the word “burqu” in the text) last Tuesday. Diverse voices in France and the Muslim world had opposed or supported the decision even if many of them do not believe that face cover is a religious duty… And because EMAJ magazine strongly believes that one voice is not enough, here are extracts from 14 opinions published in 3 languages about this controversial decision.

Swedish Harbours blocking Israeli goods

The harbour of Gothenburg @Hamnarbetareförbundet

By Marina Ferhatovic

For a week now, the harbours in Sweden, have been leaving the goods on ships to and from Israel untouched.

- It is a way for us dock-workers to take a stand, even if it is in a very small way, against the blockade of Gaza and for an independent, international investigation of the Israeli boarding of the Freedom Flotilla, says Erik Helgeson, the trustee of the Swedish Dockworkers Union in Gothenburg to Swedish Television.

Lebanon’s security dilemma: An issue related only to Israel and Hezbollah?

Hezbollah soldiers @Flickr

By Gülsen Devre

OPINION.  LEBANON. “We will return Syria to the Stone Age by crippling its power stations, ports, fuel storages and every bit of strategic infrastructure if Hezbollah dares to launch ballistic missiles against us,” an Israeli minister, who remained anonymous, was quoted in the Lebanese Daily Star website recently. These threats came after American and Israeli allegations over scud missiles that were said to be smuggled into Lebanon through the Syrian border. Syria has denied these accusations, while Hezbollah prefers to remain silent on the issue until today, as “these are internal matters”.

Romanian democracy… Last seen on TV

Basescu, actual Romania’s president, ex-marine officer, pictured as a "pirate“ @EMAJMagazine

By Luciana Grosu

The financial crisis, weakness of political leadership, taxes and unemployment drives Romanians to boiling point, while immigration to EU countries become young people’s dream.

Stockholm: Thousands demonstrating against the Flotilla attack

@EMAJMagazine

By Sami Halabi and Assaad Thebian

The central Sergels Torg square in Stockholm is not the place you would normally expect to hear the words  “stop the blockcade,” or “boycott Israel;” or even “In our souls and with our blood we support you Palestine” in Arabic no less. But that is what happened as thousands of people descended on the square today in support of the “Freedom Flotilla”, the campaign that was a fast reaction after the Israeli commandos shot fire on the ship convoy trying to break Gaza siege.

Flotilla: Israel endangers its own security

@freegaza.org Flickr stream

By Alessandro Di Maio

OPINION. At present moment the details remain unknown, but it is certain that the consequences of the attack launched this morning to international flotilla direct to Gaza, will mark negatively the already affected Israel’s image in the world. The greatest risk is to lose the traditional and strong alliance with what is now a regional power, Turkey.

One voice is not enough: How to follow latest news related to Flotilla?

Flotilla @Flickr

By Aylin Yazan and Nasry Esmat

Because one voice is not enough to know the truth, Here is a list of diverse sources to follow news related to Freedom Flotilla and reactions worldwide.

Several dead on the Freedom Flotilla

By Marina Ferhatovic

The Israel military sources confirmed 10 dead activists on the ship heading to Gaza. Some international media outputs speak of as many as 16. As the news is making headlines across the globe, the two sides are producing contradicting accounts of the events.

Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Delayed but not stopping

@freegaza.org Flickr stream

By Marina Ferhatovic

Freedom Flotilla, a group of ships from various countries, including Ireland, Turkey and Greece, started their journey towards the Gaza strip, carrying over 700 activists, diplomats, politicians and journalists, as well as about 10,000 tons of aid.

The goal of the voyage is said to be breaking the maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Anti-Semitism act in Strasbourg

@Alessandro Di Maio

By Alessandro Di Maio

STRASBOURG, FRANCE. Right on very day that the world had circled out to remember all the victims of the Fascism and Nazis regimes, on the very day that European institutions were commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation, around twenty Jewish tombstones situated in a cemetery in the North-West of Strasbourg was desecrated by a group of vandals. In a city that hosts the most European institutions and in a country with the highest number of Jewish and Muslims in all of Europe, it’s a serious act of intolerance in a series of anti-Semitic actions.

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Rotterdam – right in the middle

By Adi Halfon

NETHERLANDS. Despite a mayor with a migrant background, a close look at Rotterdam reveals a city torn between right wing parties and organizations for migrants. But a closer look shows that everyone is aiming for the same goal.

A long way for Dutch Muslim Party

By Aylin Yazan and Marion Bacher

@EMAJMagazine

NETHERLANDS. The new Dutch Muslim Party (NMP) aims to be a political heaven for Muslims with different backgrounds. Coming November, the NMP wants to challenge Geert Wilders, the Dutch popular anti-Islamic politician, in his own backyard of Venlo.

TV: INTERVIEW WITH THE PARTY LEADER

Tougher for irregular migrants

By Elif Kayi and Cristina Rojo

@EMAJMagazine

NETHERLANDS. Between 75.000 and 150.000 irregular migrants live in the Netherlands today. In the past two decades the country has strengthened its immigration policy, increasing the pressure on asylum-seekers and irregular migrants to leave the country.

TV: SCENES OUTSIDE OF A DETENTION CENTER