رسالة مهمة للغاية عن الوضع الخانق في اليمن بسبب انعدام الكهرباء.
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انعدام الكهرباء في اليمن لا يقل بضرره وكبر حجم المأساة بانعدام البترول و مشتقاته. كما يعرقل النفط حركة السير في المدن اليمنية يعرقل انعدام الكهرباء الحياة بأكملها مما أصبح المواطن اليمني يشعر بأنه عاد الى العصور الوسطى. الكهرباء مقطوعة طوال اليوم لا نراها إلا لمده ساعة او ساعتين واذا كنا محظوظين فهي تصل لثلاث ساعات يوميا.
الضغط الذي يحصل على الكهرباء في ذلك المدة القصيرة يمنعنا حتى من الاستفادة منها وذلك بسبب ضعفها فيبدو ان وجودها مثل عدمها. اتجه المواطنين الى شراء المواطير (المولدات الكهربائية) حتى اصبحت في كل بيت وفي كل محل او بقالة او مخبز ويمكنك ان تتخيلي حجم المأساة فبكل شارع تلوث لا يقتصر فقط على استنشاق الديزل والبترول المحترق وانما ايضا تلوث سمعي وبصري.
اصبح الناس الان يتهافتون على محطات البترول ويقفون لمده 10 ساعات ليس فقط لتزود بالوقود لسياراتهم ولكن ايضا للمولدات الكهربائية .
الصدمة عندما نقوم باستلام فاتورة الكهرباء كل شهر وكانها لم تنقطع ابدا فتصل الى 4,000 ريال يمني او اكثر ولا تنسي صورة المقص التي تصيبني بالدهشة ،، فلم اعد استطيع ان افهم مما استغرب بالفعل هل من الفاتورة ام من صورة المقص .
طبعا اصبح تكلفة كل شي مضاعفة ،، وذلك بسبب انعدام الكهرباء حتى الماء البارد الذي تشترينه من البقالة اصبح مضاعف . وذلك لان الكهرباء اصبحت عمله نادرة جدا ومن النادر الحصول على ماء بارد. تكلفة الاعراس اصبحت مضاعفة. فالقاعات ترفع ايجارها وايجار الفرقة عشان المولدات الكهربائية وانعدام النفط.
اصابني الحزن االشديد عندما حدثني والدي عن صلاة العيد ومنظر الكثير من الناس الذين لم يستطيعوا ان يقوموا بكواية ملابسهم والاستحمام في يوم العيد وذلك لانعدام الكهرباء.
لقد ذهبت لاحد المستشفيات وانتظرت اكثر من 3 ساعات بسب ان المولد الكهربائي تعطل مما اضطرني للانتظار حتى اقوم بعمل اشعه . فتخيلي حال الاخرين الذين في العمليات والحالات الخطيرة.
انعدام الكهرباء وخصوصا في الليل يجعلك تعيشين مغامرة حقيقية عندما تقررين الخروج فاني لا أرى شي غير اضواء السيارات وكانك في الادغال . لا شي سوا أصوات المولدات والهواء الملوث والظلام
مع عودة الجامعات كنا ننام لان الكهرباء سوف تعود ايضا ولكن للاسف،، فاختي لم تستطع ان تستذكر قبل الامتحان بسبب انقطاع الكهرباء وانعدام البترول وبذلك عدم قدرتنا على تشغيل المولد. كل مضاهر الحياة المتحضرة اختفت من عالمنا.
نحن اليمنيين تعبنا ونشعر باننا نعاقب كل يوم وكل لحظة على ثورتنا ومطالبتنا بالحرية.
.(ارجوكي ان تقومي بنشر الموضوع بكل قوة وارجو من الله ان يغير شي ونعيش كما ارادنا الله ان نعيش ( كانسان
تبدأ مؤسسة التنمية والإرشاد الأسري يوم السبت 1 يناير 2012 مشروع الخط الساخن للمشاكل النفسية والاجتماعية على الرقم المجاني 136 من أي خط أرضي في عموم الجمهورية.
تقول الأستاذة الدكتورة بلقيس جباري رئيسة المؤسسة ورئيسة الفريق القائم على الخط الساخن أن مثل هذه الخدمة لم تكن متاحة من قبل في اليمن بهذه النوعية وهذا النطاق. وسوف تخصص المؤسسة طاقم نفسي وسيكولوجي متكامل ومتخصص لاستقبال المكالمات والتعامل معها.
تقول الدكتورة بلقيس عن أهمية هذا الخط: "الخط يستهدف جميع إفراد المجتمع اللذين يعانون من مشاكل عنف اسري أو اضطرابات نفسية وسلوكية أو مظاهر تطرف فكري أو سلوكي. مشاكل كهذه تنتشر في محيط الفقر والبطالة وفي ظل الأزمات ومناطق النزاعات كتلك التي مرت بها اليمن ولا تزال. "كخطوة أولى سيتولى الطاقم المتخصص إستقبال المكالمات من الساعة التاسعة صباحا الى الواحدة ظهرا ومن الساعة الرابعة وحتى التاسعة مساء.
وفي المرحلة الثانية سوف يقدم الخط الساخن خدماته لكل فئات المجتمع على مدى 24 ساعة متواصلة حيث سيغطي فيها كل جوانب وأبعاد المشكلات النفسية ويكون الاتصال مجاناً من الهاتف الأرضي والمحمول على السواء.
لمزيد من المعلومات ارسال ايميل الى
jbilqis@yahoo.com
This Facebook page is created to express our anger toward, Gerald Feierstein, the United States ambassador to Yemen for his irresponsible comments regarding the peaceful march from Taiz to Sanaa.
In a press conference yesterday in the American Embassy in Sanaa attended by the leading news outlet, Almasdaronline, Gerald Feierstein has stated that the 155 mile march, from Taiz to Sanaa was not peaceful and is "provocative" and was legitimate for the regime to kill marchers.
Also, Almasdar Online quoted Feierstein comments, in which he stated: "It seems like that they do not HAVE AN INTENTION to have a peaceful march, but rather, to come to Sanaa to cause chaos causing the security forces to respond violently!"
What a crazy day!! I don't know even from where shall I begin.. While most of people around the world were celebrating the Merry Christmas, Yemen's #LifeMarch made it finally to Sanaa, BUT, they didn't manage to arrive safely. At the entrance of Sana'a city, they were about to head to al-Saba'en square, where Saleh's presidential residence is. Then, the protesters/marchers were faced by live buletes, water cannon and tear gas and .. you name it, all kind of methods to stop the huge momentume marching. At least 10 people were killed, including one lady called Abeer al-Akhali, and tens were injuired.
Few hours later, Saleh made a TV appearance; stating that he'll leave to the US to give "some space" for the coming presidential elections. He said, "I’ll be there for several days, but I’ll return because I won’t leave my people and comrades who have been steadfast for 11 months. I’ll withdraw from political work and go into the street as part of the opposition.” One has to notice, that Saleh's moves have been carefully made and he's really been doing a great manipulative methods to make sure that he won't follow the same scenario that Ben Ali, Mubarak or Gaddafi had. His moves are carefully calculated; having the best support from the US.
Having said that, it was very natural to read a very disturbing comment from the U.S. ambassador to Yemen. A Yemeni online publication quoted the U.S. ambassador in Sanaa, Gerald Feierstein, describing the march as a provocative act, during a meeting with Yemeni journalists. The ambassador could not immediately be released for comment. Commenting on that, Tawakkol Karamn, Yemeni activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate wrote an article on her facebook page titled with; "The U.S. Ambassador in Sana'a is the Devil's Advocate and a Friend to Thugs."
While Saleh was speaking, an opposition member at the new cabinet stated that several very active political activists were arrested by security forces and badly humiliated. We don't have pictures or clips of that yet and I hope that all would go well. I hope they'd be released all as soonest.
No matter what, the #LifeMarch made it at the end to Sana'a, to the Change Square; in the midst of a cheerful and welcoming atmosphere.
Finally, I leave it here with an email I received from the Yemen Observatory for Human Rights (YOHR) in Arabic; highlighting the main events that took place today.
Merry Christmas everyone!
المرصد اليمني لحقوق الإنسان (yohr): رئاسة الجمهورية وحكومة الوفاق تتحملان مسؤولية الاعتداء على مسيرة الحياة السلمية
يدين المرصد اليمني لحقوق الإنسان عمليات القمع التي تعرضت لها "مسيرة الحياة" السلمية الراجلة على مشارف العاصمة صنعاء من قبل قوات الأمن المركزي ومسلحين بلباس مدني موالين للنظام ما أدى إلى مقتل مشاركة في المسيرة وإصابة العشرات بإصابات وجروح متفاوتة.
وقتلت الناشطة عبير محمد أحمد الأكحلي، وسبعة آخرين لم تعرف أسمائهم بعد إثر إصابتهم بنيران قوات الأمن والمسلحين المدنيين، فيما أصيب العشرات بالرصاص الحي والحجارة والقنابل المسيلة للدموع.
ويحمل المرصد اليمني رئيس الجمهورية بالإنابة وحكومة الوفاق الوطني ووزارة الداخلية كامل المسؤولية عما تعرضت له المسيرة باعتبارهم مسؤولين عن حماية جميع مواطني البلاد وضمان حقهم في ممارسة كافة أشكال التعبير عن الرأي السلمية، مديناً التخاذل الذي مارسوه تجاه التحذيرات التي وجهت لهم من قبل الفعاليات الشعبية والمنظمات الحقوقية من احتمال تعرض المسيرة للاعتداء، وحيث أن القمع الذي تعرضت له المسيرة شاركت فيه قوات من الأمن المركزي بشكل مباشر، وأن هذه القوات تابعة لرئاسة الجمهورية والحكومة؛ فإنهما تتحملان تبعات ممارستها بصفة رئيسة، وتقع عليهما كامل المسؤولية في تقديم كافة مرتكبي الانتهاكات الخطيرة إلى العدالة.
كما يدين المرصد اعتقال الناشط نبيل السوائي وعدد من الناشطين في نقطة نقيل يسلح مطالباً بالإفراج الفوري عن السوائي دون شروط.
وكانت نقطة عسكرية تابعة للحرس الجمهوري في نقطة نقيل يسلح اعتقلت عدداً من الناشطين بينهم نبيل السوائي، ومروان الصبري، وسامية الأغبري، وآخرين قبل أن تفرج عنهم باستثناء السوائي الذي لا يعرف مكان احتجازه حتى لحظة كتابة هذا البيان.
People! there are tens of thousands people in Yemen, if not millions, who are marching on foots/cars/whatever from Taiz till Sana'a; in the hope that the world would notice and care of their demand to topple Saleh's regime and start building the civil and democratic country they all aspire to have. Nonetheless, the media remains silent of this magnificent march which is a very historical event too.
This could be the first time in Yemen's history and the region's where people march from a city to another; demonstrating a peaceful resistance. And I really can't understand why the media is giving a very little coverage of that. Unfortunately, I've been really ill the whole past week and still I'm after I had a horrible tooth pain, so I really wasn't able to blog sufficiently about the historical march. I keep checking al-Jazeera website's blogs section to follow Yemen's Life March, but there is nothing (till the moment I'm writing this blog post) !! Apparently, they only care about the so-called al-Qaeda news.
Anyhow, this March reminds me of reading about the Civil Rights Marches in the USA , led by the late Dr. Luther King during the 1950s and 1960s. Indeed, Yemenis are in the process of gaining their rights back. Whether media covers this or not, history will tell eventually.
By Arie Amaya-Akkermans | Thousands of Yemenis have joined the “Life March” that began its 250 kilometer journey from Taiz to Sana’a on Tuesday, December 20, due to arrive in the capital Sana’a to stage a demonstration in front of Parliament on Saturday, December 24.
The “Life March” could be one of the longest marches recorded in history, but just as remarkable as the march, has been the complete silence of international media about this unprecedented event, including TV networks and newspapers in the Middle East, all of which have circumvented the importance of the event by simply calling it a “peaceful rally.”
To Yemenis and readers in the Middle East this is hardly a surprise: The revolution in Yemen has received limited coverage, even though hundreds of people have been massacred, cities stormed and peaceful demonstrators attacked...(read more)
Published on 16th Dec. - With steady and confident steps the three ladies entered the room among a very welcoming standing ovation. The three magnificent and inspiring ladies, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates for 2011, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian social worker and peace activist, and Tawakul Karman, a Yemeni journalist and a political activist who broke the record and became at age 32 the youngest Peace Prize Laureate and the first Arab woman to receive the award.
They were hosted in a special seminar and dinner by the Sweden Foreign Ministry in Stockholm, last Monday Dec. 12, 2011. With the presence of high ranking Swedish diplomats and big Swedish social public figures, the seminar raised discussions that were very gripping.
Mainly, what seemed to be a gathering to celebrate the laureates’ award, turned to be a platform where the laureates sent strong messages to the international community about misconceptions related to international development work in Africa and the perception of Islam.
Additionally, there was a final element of surprise after one of the laureates announced her willingness to run for presidential elections.
One has to admit though, the three laureates were not fully combined by feminism. They all were political activists but not feminists. For the Liberian ladies, it was apparent how they’ve been fighting for social change through peace building from a feministic approach. Whereas, Karman had never used or stated that her approach to fight for reforms and calling for political rights were from a feminist approach. In fact, Tawakul has stated that she was not a feminist activist. She was a political activist from day one and she would always be.
She mainly focuses on advocacy for freedom of press and democracy. Nevertheless, Karman has come a long way in exerting her efforts to fight corruption and violations against press freedom. In that path, she has endured a lot. Karman has been putting her life in danger for over five years. She has been jailed periodically; arrested and threatened a number of times by the government. Danger was not only against her. In June 2011, her brother, poet Tareq Karman, was kidnapped in Taiz province by an armed group and released afterwards after sending death threats through him to Tawakul.
Bearing in mind that Sirleaf, Gbowee and Karman come from different powerful backgrounds, there were several different important points raised during the seminar. For Sirleaf, the first female elected president in Africa and recently re-elected, she emphasized the importance of women’s empowerment and their political participation in peace building processes in post-conflict areas. “Liberia is on the path to be a great success story for post-conflict countries, which rose up with an importance given to women’s political participation,” she said. When Gbowee was asked about what international donors should know about Liberia before they donate, she replied: “International donors must come to us with a learning mind, to listen to our needs and to learn from us, not dictate to us on how to do things.”
It was obvious how powerful and strong were those ladies. Their bravery and high spirits made them among the only 15 women who were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize of the 101 individuals awarded the Prize over history.
On the projector, Karman’s tent from Change Square, the focal point for the protests, was displayed. She looked behind and said: “Thank you for showing me my tent. I miss my tent and Change Square! Lots of people doubted that an uprising would ever happen in Yemen. Several people in Yemen told me in the beginning that I was crazy to call for change and democracy. I usually answered with: ‘we are crazy and revolutions happen by crazy people’. And today there are millions in Yemen taking to the streets and protesting, calling for change and democracy. I proved them all wrong.” With a determination in her voice she stated, “We won’t give up until the revolution has succeeded!”
Karman was repeatedly asked if Islamization would interfere with democracy, freedom of expression and women’s rights. She was also asked if political Islam would form a hazard to the future in Yemen and the Middle East. “Islam is a religion of peace to all the people; men and women and it has never been and would never be problematic for anyone. I must say that I feel I’m here not to celebrate the award but to defend my religion. I really object,” she was commenting on the questions related to Islam.
Karman’s active effort comes as part of the great role Yemeni women have always played in the county’s development. Unfortunately, women in Yemen could have been more empowered and influential but due to the unjust regime of Saleh; women’s rights have been snatched from them. Yet, for almost the past 10 years, Yemen witnessed other hard-core feminist ladies; to name few; like the late Dr. Raufa Hassan, Yemen’s first female journalist, Amal Al-Alim Soswa, first female ambassador, Amal Al-Basha, human rights activist and author Arwa Othman.
Karman’s efforts in fighting corruption and injustice didn’t begin with the Arab spring. She has been an active political activist, a campaigner for political prisoners and a regular organizer of demonstrations for a long time. She led around 110 sit-in demonstrations in front of Parliament and Ministry of Information since 2005.
Her tireless and continuous effort for change and reforms was outstanding. With the prize, Karman was not only the first Arab woman to win, but also the youngest person ever to become a Nobel Peace laureate. While she became internationally acclaimed, she still gets criticism and hate comments. There has been a clip circulated where her father scolded her in a parliament session. Others called her superficial and unqualified for the prize. In light of that, she has mentioned many times that the prize was not for her; it was for all of Yemen and its struggle for change and democracy. Refusing to let anything or anyone to demoralize her, since her winning announcement, she became increasingly involved in mobilizing world opinion and United Nations Security Council members to assist the protesters in ousting Saleh and bringing him before the International Court.
Karman has been clear on her stance that Saleh must be prosecuted and all his assets must be frozen by the international community. In the pursuit to make that come true, Tawakul continues to lead the uprising armed with peaceful struggle and a plan to run for presidential elections on February 21.
Saleh's corrupted government used to swallow billions donated for Yemen. Where the hell did he spend it on!! Of course, to the army only and his gangs' pockets.
The following post is an honest confession about my experience with poverty; something I share for the first time.
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I know poverty very well and I've tested the bitterness that comes along with it. As a child growing up in Yemen, I had to struggle a lot to survive and that was very painful. I'd not say that i have spent nights starving but I'd say that I'd always craved eggs, milk, fruit, tuna, chicken, nuts and .. it's a long list! I craved them all but I knew that I couldn't ask to have them. We couldn't afford them. Naturally, the result of that would be mal-nutrition which has been and it is still a common reality for many families in Yemen.
There were many days when my breakfast consisted of tea and bread only. Lunch consisted of yogurt and bread only. Dinner would be beans and bread only or just tea and bread only. There were times when at school I made lots of efforts to hide the fact that I was poor. Recalling them now would only trigger my tears. Nevertheless, I made sure to pass those tough times gracefully. I got the best support from my mother. Her absolute devotion and greatness to raise two girls alone was extraordinary. She taught me how to be strong in the face of all obstacles. So, I studied hard; believing that education was my weapon against poverty. I made it and graduated from university. Then, I joined journalism and worked REALLY hard. I've always had in my mind that education + profession + hard work = bye bye poverty.
Today, it can't be any more clearer to me that my mother is the greatest mother I could ever have. I owe her everything I'm today. I love her dearly!!
Those were tough times but I made it! Nonetheless, close half of Yemen's population are hungry. It breaks my heart to read that Yemen; the already poor country, is getting poorer. I would probably get criticized about this post and, typically, get hate comments that I'm distorting Yemen's image. However, it's very important to know that the first step to solve a problem is to acknowledge it first. We must confess and let it out. Then, start thinking of solutions and do what it takes on the ground to stop the hunger epidemic; soon to sweep Yemen thoroughly. I'll leave it right here with those few words that I tweeted with earlier, "I'm 26 yrs old and I only saw one president; Saleh , and I saw nothing but misery under his rule."
Some of the televised reports about the hunger crisis in Yemen; -
Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation one year ago was an act which symbolized the frustration and desperation of millions in the Arab world, setting into motion a series of revolutions across the Middle East and North Africa.
His was a cry for dignity, justice, and opportunity, which continues to be heard around a region undergoing tumultuous change. In today's Middle East, people matter. Many are now engaged in what could be a life-long struggle to fight long-standing grievances and take greater control of their lives. This process must involve the creation of new democratic political systems, which ensure greater accountability of leaders, and level the playing field of opportunity for all, not just a select few.
It has been a remarkable year... (read more)
(17) Tunisia - jobless graduate Mohamed Bouazizi starts selling vegetables without a permit. When police seize his cart he sets fire to himself and later dies. The act, following Wikileaks publication of US criticism of the regime, provokes young Tunisians to protest.
(29) Tunisia - after 10 days of protests, President Ben Ali appears on television promising action on job creation. He declares the law will be very firm on protesters.
JANUARY
(09) Tunisia - 11 people die in clashes with security forces. Protesters set fire to cars in several Tunisian cities; security forces respond violently.
(14) Tunisia - Ben Ali finally bows to the protests and flees to Saudi Arabia by way of Malta.
(14) Libya - Gaddafi condemns the Tunisian uprising in a televised address. First reports of unrest in Libya.
(17) Egypt - A man sets fire to himself next to the parliament building in Cairo in protest of economic conditions.
(18) Egypt - Diplomat Mohamed El Baradei warns of a Tunisia-style explosion in Egypt.
(19) Tunisia - Switzerland freezes Ben Ali’s assets.
(24) Yemen - The arrest of 19 opposition activists including Tawakil Karman, the female activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, who had called for the ousting of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
(24) Tunisia - President Sarkozy promises emergency financial aid to the interim government.
(25) Egypt - The first coordinated demonstrations turn Cairo into a war zone as protesters demand the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak. In response, mobile and network connections are stopped.
(26) Egypt - As security forces use tear gas and beatings, hundreds are arrested, including foreign journalists. EU leaders condemns the tactics.
(28) Egypt - After four days of protests and 25 deaths, Mubarak makes his first TV appearance, pledging his commitment to democracy. He sacks his government but refuses to step down.
(29) Egypt - The death toll reaches 100.
(30) Egypt - Al Jazeera TV is ordered to stop its reporting of the protests.
(31) Egypt - The army declares itself allied to the protesters.
FEBRUARY
(01) Egypt - Mubarak declares he won’t run in the next election, but will oversee the transition.
(02) Egypt - Mubarak supporters stage brutal bid to crush Cairo uprising. Using clubs, bats and knives, they start a bloody battle in Tahrir Square.
(10) Egypt - President Obama demands Mubarak presents his path to democracy.
(11) Egypt- Mubarak resigns and hands power to military.
(13) Egypt - Military reject protesters’ demands for a swift transfer of power to a civilian administration.
(15) Egypt - Britain’s Serious Organised Crime Agency begins tracing the bank account of Mubarak’s cabinet.
(16) Libya- Protests erupt in Benghazi after the arrests of human rights activists.
(17) Bahrain - Four people are killed in an early morning raid by security forces on Pearl Square, the focal point of anti-government protests.
(20) Libya - The death toll passes 230 as Gaddafi’s son addresses Libyan TV defending his father.
(25) Libya - As uprising reaches the heart of Tripoli, protests erupt across Middle East.
(27) Libya - Revolutionaries take control of Zawiyah, 30 miles from Tripoli.
(27) Tunisia - Renewed turmoil as Mohamed Ghannouchi resigns as the prime minister of the post-revolutionary government.
MARCH
(03) Libya - The International Criminal Court says it will investigate Gaddafi for possible crimes against humanity.
(06) Libya - British diplomatic efforts to reach out to Libyan rebels ends in humiliation after a team of special forces are briefly detained by farm workers.
(06) Saudi Arabia- Authorities ban public protests after demonstrations by minority Shia groups.
(07) Libya - The UN secretary general calls for an end to attacks on civilians.
(08) Yemen - More than 2,000 inmates stage a revolt at a prison in the capital and join calls by anti-government protesters for Saleh to step down.
(09) Libya - Gaddafi warns the imposition of a no-fly zone in Libyan airspace will be met with armed resistance.
(09) Tunisia - Tunisian court rules that the party of former President Ben Ali will be dissolved. The news is followed by street celebrations.
(09) Yemen- Soldiers fire rubber bullets and tear gas at students camped at a university in Sanaa. More than 90 are wounded.
(10) Yemen - Saleh’s pledge to create a parliamentary system of government is rejected by the opposition.
(11) Libya - Sarkozy calls for targeted air strikes against the Libyan regime if Gaddafi's forces use chemical weapons and air strikes against rebel forces.
(14) Libya - The rebel leadership urges Western powers to assassinate Gaddafi and launch military strikes.
(15) Bahrain - Martial law is declared.
(18) Libya - The UN backs a no-fly zone.
(18) Yemen - Government forces fire on protesters in Sanaa - 45 people are killed.
(19) Libya - Operation Odyssey Dawn begins, marking the biggest assault on an Arab regime since the 2003 Iraq invasion.
(23) Libya - Britain, France and the US agree that Nato will take military command of Libya’s no-fly zone.
(26) Syria - The UN urges the government to show restraint.
(26) Libya - The strategic town of Ajdabiya falls to rebels.
(28) Libya - Rebels advance on Sirte, Gaddafi’s home city, recapturing several towns without resistance on the way.
(29) Syria - President Bashar al-Assad sacks his cabinet amid the worst unrest in decades.
(30) Libya - Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa flees to the UK in a fight arranged by British intelligence.
APRIL
(01) Libya - The Gaddafi regime starts talks with west. Turkey proposes a peace plan.
(09) Syria - Anti-government demonstrations spread across Syria with highest turnout yet. At least 22 are killed in Daraa.
(11) Libya - The revolutionary council rejects a peace initiative because didn’t require Gaddafi to immediately relinquish power.
(15) Libya - Obama signals America’s return to the forefront of the international effort in Libya. In a joint article with Cameron and Sarkozy, he commits to military action until Gaddafi has been removed.
(25) Libya - The government accuses Nato of trying to assassinate Gaddafi after two air strikes in three days hit his premises in Tripoli.
(25) Syria - Tanks are deployed for first time.
(27) Yemen - Security forces fire on an anti-government demonstrations, killing 12.
(28) Syria - Hundreds of ruling Baath party MPs resign in protest as an increasingly bloody crackdown kills 500.
MAY
(01) Libya - The British embassy in Tripoli is burnt and other western missions ransacked in retaliation for Nato’s air strike.
(02) Syria - Prominent intellectuals and activists go into hiding.
(08) Libya - Dozens of migrants who boarded a boat in Tripoli were left to die in the Mediterranean after EU military units ignored their cries for help.
(09) Syria - The EU imposes an arms embargo and other sanctions on Syria but does not penalise Assad personally.
(16) Libya - Gaddafi, his son Saif-al-Islam, and intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi are named as war crimes suspects by the chief prosecutor for the international criminal court.
(19) Syria - Obama urges Assad to lead the democratic transition, or to resign
(23) Syria - EU sanctions target Assad.
(24) Libya - Nato hits Tripoli in the heaviest bombing raid yet.
JUNE
(03) Yemen - President Saleh survives an apparent assassination attempt.
(04) Syria - Forces kill at least 100 protesters in two days of bloodshed.
(04) Libya- British army Apache helicopters attack Gaddafi’s troops for the first time.
(05) Syria - Israeli troops clash with protesters on the Syrian border for the second time in three weeks.
(05) Yemen - The US and Britain urge Saudi Arabia to persuade Saleh to formally stand down.
JULY
(11) Syria - French embassy guards in Damascus fire live ammunition to disperse Assad loyalists who tried to break in the compound in protest at the envoy’s visit to the opposition stronghold of Hama.
(15) Libya - Rebels win political recognition as the legitimate authority.
(18) Libya - Rebels backed by Nato air strikes fight their way into parts of the government held town of Brega.
(19) Libya - US and Libya hold first direct talks since the beginning of the conflict but don’t reach any agreement.
(21) Libya - Rebels capture chief of operations, General Abdul Nabih Zayid.
(24) Syria - Assad tries to quash dissents before beginning of Ramadan. Troops enter the village of Sarjeh, cutting electricity and water.
(24) Egypt - Strained relations between activists and military rulers worsen after dozens of protesters are attacked during a rally in Cairo.
(25) Syria - The cabinet backs a draft law to allow rival political parties to the ruling Baath party for first time in decades.
(25) Libya - Britain is prepared to agree to a political settlement that would see Gaddafi remain in Libya after relinquishing his hold on power.
(27) Libya - Britain confers diplomatic recognition to the Libyan rebels.
(28) Libya - The rebels’ chief of staff, Abdel Fatah Younis, is killed.
AUGUST
(01) Egypt - The army violently retakes Tahrir square with tanks.
(08) Syria - Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah demands an end to the bloodshed in Syria and recalls his country’s ambassadors.
(09) Syria - Envoys from Turkey, India, Brazil and South Africa head to Damascus to press Assad to end the crackdown.
(11) Syria - Opposition forces say 257 have died in 11 days.
(18) Syria - Human rights investigators list Assad officials who could be prosecuted by the international criminal court. (22) Libya - The capital appears poised to fall as rebels enter Green square.
(26) Libya - In its first Tripoli press conference, the National Transitional Council says its cabinet will be moving from Benghazi to the capital.
(29) Libya - Gaddafi’s wife and their three children cross the border unhindered raising questions about NTC’s control over central Libya.
SEPTEMBER
(02) Syria - EU governments ban imports of Syrian oil and extend sanctions to intensify pressure on Assad.
(08) Libya - Gaddafi issues a defiant message from hiding in which he vows never to leave "the land of his ancestors".
(09) Syria - Eight soldiers are executed in Damascus for refusal to fire on protesters.
(16) Libya - Rebel fighters are involved in heavy fighting in a final battle to capture Sirte.
(21) Syria - Obama condemns torture, detention and murder by the Syrian government and urges the UN Security Council to further sanction Assad’s regime.
(23) Yemen - President Saleh returns unexpectedly after three months recovering in Saudi Arabia from an assassination attempt. He calls for a truce after five days of brutal violence in Sanaa in which 100 protesters die.
(25) Libya - A mass grave containing 1,270 bodies is discovered in Tripoli.
(25) Saudi Arabia- King Abdullah announces cautious reforms, including the right for women to vote and stand for election from 2015.
(25) Yemen - Saleh calls for early elections in his first speech since returning to Yemen.
(27) Egypt - The military regime announces the first parliamentary elections since Mubarak was ousted by opposition groups. Protesters fear remnants of the old regime will stay in power.
(30) Egypt - Thousands rally under the slogan "Reclaiming the Revolution" in cities across the country as frustration grows with the slow pace of reform.
(30) Syria - Hillary Clinton speaks out after US ambassador Robert Ford’s convoy was attacked as he travelled to meet a leading opponent to the regime.
OCTOBER
(06) Egypt - Supreme Council of the Armed Forces unveil plans that could see them retain power until 2013.
(07) Syria - Russian president breaks ranks with Assad for the first time since protests started.
(16) Libya - The knocking down of Gaddafi’s Tripoli stronghold seen as erasing a symbol of repression.
(17) Libya - NTC troops raise flags of Libya’s new government after a six-week siege.
(20) Libya - Cornered by government forces and pinned down by Nato airstrikes, Gaddafi is found and killed.
(33) Libya - Libyans queue outside refrigerated meat store to confirm that the dictator is really dead.
(23) Libya- The NTC announces the liberation to elated crowds.
(23) Tunisia - Polls open nine months after Tunisians first took the streets.
(25) Libya - Gaddafi's burial alongside his son brings to a close the controversy over the public displaying of his body.
(27) Libya - The NTC questions its earlier assertion that Gaddafi died in crossfire and pledges justice for anyone proven to have fired the lethal shot.
(29) Syria - Arab ministers send their strongest message yet calling for an end to civilian killings after latest shooting at post-Friday prayer protests.
(30) Syria - Assad warns that intervention could lead to another Afghanistan as Nato officials says Libya-like action lacks support.
(31) Libya - UN secretary general rules out intervention in Syria.
NOVEMBER
(02) Egypt - The generals announce a pardon for 334 prison inmates.
(03) Egypt - Activists claim their revolution is under attack and appeal for solidarity from the worldwide Occupy Movement.
(12) Syria - The Arab League agrees to exclude Syria and impose sanctions over its failure to end the violent crackdown.
(13) Syria - Saudi, Qatari, French and Turkish embassies are stormed by pro-Assad supporters as the regime demands an emergency Arab League meeting.
(13) Egypt - Violence escalates as protests against the ruling military junta spreads beyond Cairo and Alexandria.
(14) Syria - Pressure mounts on an increasingly isolated Syrian President as King Abdullah says he "should go".
(15) Syria - Human rights groups say that up to 140 people have been killed since The Arab League voted to suspend Syrian membership.
(19) Libya- Celebrations erupt as Gaddafi’s fugitive son Saif is detained while attempting to flee to Niger.
(19) Egypt - Security forces open fire on thousands of anti-junta protesters in Tahrir Square leaving two dead and more than 600 injured.
(20) Libya - All leading figures from Gaddafi regime have been killed, captured or driven into exile with Abdullah al-Senussi’s detention.
(21) Egypt - The interim government bows to growing pressure as violence leaves 33 dead and more than 2,000 injured.
(22) Tunisia - The constituent assembly, the first newly elected body to emerge from the Arab Spring, meets for the first time.
(22) Libya - The international criminal court’s chief prosecutor says Saif al-Islam could be tried in Libya rather than at the Hague.
(23) Yemen - Agreement for an immediate transfer of power pledges immunity for Saleh and his family.
(25) Egypt - The US calls for civilian rule to immediately follow parliamentary elections.
(27) Syria- Assad’s decision to refuse access to observers leaves Syria facing stiff sanctions from The Arab League.
(29) Egypt - Egyptians vote in record numbers in the country’s first free ballot for more than 80 years.
(30) Egypt - The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party looks on course to be the biggest winner after the first round of voting.
Around 80 are injured in Tahrir Square after clashes brake out after polls closed.
(30) Syria - Turkey freezes assets of those involved in the government crackdown.
DECEMBER
(01) Egypt - The announcement of Egypt’s election results is delayed.
(01) Syria - The UN high commissioner for human rights says the death toll has reached more than 4,000.
(01) Yemen - The political opposition and the party of the outgoing President Saleh agree to makeup of an interim government.
(02) Syria - A series of large protests call for the international community to establish buffer zones to protect civilians.
(05) Syria - The Assad regime says it is willing to sign an Arab League protocol to send international observers into Syria but only on certain conditions.
(05) Egypt - Egyptians go to the poll once more in the run-off contests for parliamentary seats. No party attracted more than 50% in the previous week’s vote.
(06) Syria - The US ambassador, who was withdrawn from Damascus for his own safety, is retuning to Syria. Hillary Clinton meets Syrian opposition leaders.
(06) Libya - The government vows to disarm Tripoli.
(07) Syria - Assad attempts to distance himself from the army in an interview from ABC news.
(07) Egypt - A new government is sworn in by Kamal Ganzouri, who was appointed prime minister by the military rulers.
(08) Libya - The government gives the green light for British police to visit the country to conduct an investigation into the Lockerbie bombing and the assassination of PC Yvonne Fletcher.
(09) Syria - More than 5,000 dead since uprising began.
I feel a combination of proudness and honor to write the following;- On 10th of Dec. , two days before her arrival to Sweden, Tawakkol Karaman, one of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates for 2011 was the cover story of Helsingborgs Dagblad (HD) newspaper, that's the largest local newspaper in Sweden, and perhaps the first daily papers in Sweden. No doubt, I'm very proud to see my country's daughter with all what she represents to be on such prestigious newspaper. In addition, I had the honor to be the author of Tawakkol's front page story.
********
Here is the piece in Swedish, followed by the English version.
"Hennes kamp fantastisk". En av Mellanösterns viktigaste bloggare, Afrah Nasser, porträtterar fredspristagaren Tawakkul Karman inför dagens nobelprisutdelning.
KULTUR Det är kanske inte så många som känner till att Jemen en gång i tiden var ett historiskt feministiskt fäste. Särskilt inte som landet ifjol intog jumboplatsen bland de 134 länder som ingick i The World Economic Forums undersökning av jämställdhetsklyftor i världen, "Global Gender Gap Report".
Men jo! Det är sant! Jemen har styrts av två kvinnor.
Eller, enligt vissa historiker, tilll och med av tre kvinnor; drottning Sheba, drottning Arwa och, möjligen, drottning Asma'a.
Med det sagt, historien upprepar sig när nu en av Jemens döttrar än en gång ges internationell betydelse.
Den 7 oktober 2011 inleddes som en helt vanlig dag.
Föga anade jag att det skulle bli en minnesvärd dag, en dag då ett nytt kapitel skrevs i Jemens historia – och framförallt ett nytt kapitel för de jemenitiska kvinnornas kamp för att bygga ett nytt Jemen.
Fullständigt förvånad tog jag emot den glada nyheten att en av de tre mottagarna av årets fredspris till Alfred Nobels minne gick till Tawakkul Karman. Journalist, politiker och människorättsaktivist som 2005 grundade den ideella jemenitiska organisationen "Women Journalists Without Chains" som hon lett sedan dess.
"Vi kan inte nå demokrati och varaktig fred i världen om inte kvinnor ges samma chanser att påverka samhällsutvecklingen på alla nivåer som män", sa den norska Fredspriskommitténs ordförande Torbjörn Jagland.
Exakt! 32-åriga Tawakkul Karman ger ett ansikte åt den nya demokratirörelsen i Jemen och hon är den som vågat utmana president Ali Abdullah Salehs 33-åriga regim.
S om orädd journalist och aktivist har hon engagerat sig för pressfrihet, hon har arrangerat
veckovisa sittstrejker, hon har krävt att politiska fångar ska frisläppas. Men kanske allra viktigast: hon har gått i bräschen för de folkliga demonstrationer mot Saleh som anordnats i Jemen sedan januari.
Den 7 oktober befann jag mig någonstans i Stockholm. Det ringde i mobilen och Sveriges Radio gav mig beskedet, de ville göra en intervju med en gång. Men jag bara hoppade runt på gatan och skrek av glädje.
Äntligen, tänkte jag, äntligen blir Jemen känt för något annat än terrorism. För fred, rentav. Det kan vi tacka Tawakkul för.
Under Salehs styre har Jemen alltmer gjort sig känt för omvärlden som terrorismens internationella knutpunkt. Själv påstår Saleh att terrorismen skulle blomma ut i landet om han lämnar makten. I själva verket är det precis tvärtom.
Och nu kan Jemen få förknippas med fred, tack vare Tawakkul Karmans pris.
Hon är nu en del av del av Jemens historia i vilken kvinnorna alltid har haft en aktiv roll.
Landets kvinnor kunde ha varit betydligt mäktigare och mer inflytelserika om det inte varit för Salehs styre – som har stulit kvinnors rättigheter.
Ändå – eller kanske på grund av just det – har ett antal röststarka kvinnor trätt fram i landet.
För att nämna några: den framlidna Raufa Hassa, landets första kvinnliga journalist, Amal al-Alim Soswa, landets första kvinnliga ambassadör, människorättsaktivisten Amal al-Bashai och författaren Arwa Othman.
Tawakkul Karman är inte en uttalad feminist. Hon har framförallt kämpat för demokrati och pressfrihet. I kampen mot korruption och övergrepp mot pressen har hon fått utstå väldigt mycket.
I drygt fem år har hon levt under ständigt dödshot. Hon har fängslats i flera omgångar, arresterats och hotats av myndigheterna. Och hon är inte ensam om den upplevelsen. I juni kidnappades hennes bror, poeten Tareq Karman, i provinsen Taiz av milisen. Han släpptes först sedan det gjorts väldigt tydligt att dödshoten mot Tawakkul nått fram till henne.
Tawakkuls kamp inleddes långt före den arabiska våren. Hon har varit en känd politisk aktivist under åratal och lett otaliga kampanjer för politiska fångar och demonstrationer. Bara sedan 2007 har hon lett 110 sittstrejker utanför parlamentet.
Hennes outtröttliga kamp har verkligen varit fantastisk.
Nu går hon till historien inte bara som den första arabiska kvinnan att få ta emot priset, utan också den yngsta mottagaren av Nobels fredspris någonsin.
Samtidigt med detta internationella erkännande möts hon av en ström av kritik och hat på hemmaplan.
Ett filmklipp har cirkulerat där hennes far skäller ut henne i parlamentet. Andra har kallat henne ytlig och ovärdig priset.
I det perspektivet kan det vara viktigt att minnas vad hon själv har påpekat många gånger: att Nobelpriset inte bara ska ses som hennes, utan som alla jemeniters som kämpar för förändring och demokrati.
Hon har vägrat att slå sig till ro efter att priset tillkännagivits. Tvärtom har hon genom det fått ett än större inflytande för att med hjälp av det internationella stödet en gång för alla kunna störta Saleh och ställa honom inför internationell domstol.
Den senaste tidens politiska utveckling i Jemen är omstridd.
Den 23 november tvingades Saleh att godkänna en plan för det nödvändiga maktskiftet. Men samtidigt som han vill avhändiga sig makten till förmån för vice presidenten, Abdurabo Mansour Hadi, försäkrade sig Saleh om immunitet mot åtal.
Ett nationellt regeringsråd av såväl Salehs regeringsparti som oppositionen ska bildas.
Men det har knappast lugnat Saleh-kritikerna. Särskilt har punkten om immunitet väckt nya starka protester. Nya demonstrationer har avlöst varandra. Kraven står fast att Saleh ska ställas inför rätta för korruption och för massdödandet av demonstranter.
Sedan februari har över 2 500 dödats och 9 000 människor skadats och sårats.
Det redanså fattiga Jemen kommer alldeles säkert att tvingas hantera stora politiska och humanitära problem framöver.
Med shia-rebellerna i norr, separatisterna i söder och aktiva al-Quaida-grupper har landet problem så att det räcker.
I februari 2012 genomförs val i provinsen Haid. Senare under året är det dags för parlamentsval. Oavsett vilka makthavarna blir står de inför enorma utmaningar.
Tawakkul Karman för sin del är tydlig med att det är viktigt att Saleh ställs inför rätta och att hans tillgångar fryses av det internationella samfundet.
Hennes kamp fortsätter, en okuvlig kamp som förs med enbart fredliga medel.
**************
Armed with Peaceful Struggle; Tawakkol Leads Yemen's Uprising
While Yemen was ranked absolutely worst at No. 130 at the Global Gender Gap Report done by The World Economic Forum in 2010, not lots of people know that Yemen used to be at some point during ancient history a very feminist country. Yes! That's true! Yemen had been ruled twice by women. In fact, according to few historians, it was ruled three times by three queens; Sheba Queen of Sheba Belqis, Queen Arwa, and ,arguably, Queen Asma'a. Having said that, history seems to relatively repeat itself once again by bringing a high international importance to one of Yemen's daughters.
The 7th of October, 2011, started like any other day. Little did I know it was a remarkable day for Yemen and a new chapter for Yemeni women's history in building their country. In a total astonishment, I received the happiest news that Tawakkol Karaman, journalist, politician, and Human Rights activist who founded and heads the Yemeni nonprofit group “Women Journalists Without Chains” in Yemen, since 2005, was one of the trio women who were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2011. “We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society,” stated president Thorbjoern Jagland, Norwegian Nobel Committee.
Indeed, Tawakkol, 32-year-old mother of three, is regarded to be the main face of Yemen's uprising calling for democracy and ouster of Saleh's 33 years rule regime. She has been an outspoken journalist and activist, in which she has agitated for press freedoms and staged weekly sit-ins to demand the release of political prisoners from jail. She founded Women Journalists Without Chains and has played a leading part in the struggle for democracy in Yemen. Most importantly, she has led rallies in the continuing protests against the rule of Saleh, since last January.
On 7th of October, while I was walking in one of Stockholm's streets; I received the call from a Swedish Radio telling me the news and asking me to do an interview immediately. I couldn't help it but jump in the middle of the street; screaming out of joy “Finally! Yemen is being recognized for peace, not for the so-called terrorism.” “We owe that to Tawakkol,” I thought. Absolutely, for the past 33 years, ruled by Saleh Yemen has been a hot spot for the alleged notion of terrorism. Saleh has been falsely and unfairly replicating that Yemen suffers from terrorism groups' existence and that violence could erupt once he leaves office. Needless to say, that was absolutely not true. In fact, it's vice versa; Yemen is the land of peace, emphasized by Tawakkol's winning.
Tawakkol's active effort comes as part of the great role Yemeni women have always played in the county's development. Unfortunately, women in Yemen could have been more empowered and influential but due to the injustice regime of Saleh; women's rights have been snatched from them. Yet, for almost the past 10 years, Yemen witnessed other hard-core feminist ladies; to name few; like the late dr.Raufa Hassan, Yemen's first female journalist, Amal al-Alim Soswa, first female ambassador, Amal al-Basha, Human Rights activist and author Arwa Othman.
Though, it's important to mention that Tawakkol is not feminist. She mainly focuses on advocacy for freedom of press and democracy. Nevertheless, Tawakkol has came a long way in exerting her efforts to fight corruption and violations against freedom of press. In that path, she has been enduring a lot. Tawakkol has been putting her life in danger for over 5 years. She has been jailed periodically; arrested and threatened a number of times by the government. Danger was not only against her. In June 2011, her brother, poet, Tareq Karaman was kidnapped in Taiz province by armed group and released afterwards after sending death threats through him to Tawakkol.
Tawakkol’s efforts in fighting corruption and injustice didn’t begin with the Arab spring. She has been an active political activist , a campaigner for political prisoners and a regular organizer of demonstrations for a long time. She led around 110 sit-in demonstrations in front of Parliament and Ministry of Information since 2007.
Her tireless and continuous effort for change and reforms was very outstanding. With the prize, Tawakkol was not only the first Arab woman to win, but also the youngest person ever to become a Nobel Peace laureate. While she became internationally acclaimed, she still gets criticism and hate comments. There has been a clip circulated where her father scolded her in a parliament session. Others called her superficial and unqualified for the prize. On the light of that, she has mentioned many times that the prize was not for her; it was for all of Yemen and its struggle for change and democracy. Refusing to let anything or anyone to demoralize her, since her winning announcement, she became increasingly involved in mobilizing world opinion and United Nations Security Council members to assist the protesters in ousting Saleh and bringing him before the international court.
The recent political developments in Yemen has been very controversial. On the 23rd of November, Saleh signed a power-transfer plan whose one of its main articles guarantees him immunity from prosecution while he hands power to the Vice, Abdurabo Mansour Hadi. Accordingly, a National Unity Government was formed, where cabinet was evenly spilited between Saleh's ruling party the “General People's Congress” and the main opposition coalition the “Joint Meeting Parities”. But the immunity provision of the accord has angered anti-Saleh protesters, who have continued to demonstrate, demanding that he face trial for corruption and the deaths of protesters.The brutally killing by Saleh's forces is still rising across the country till today. Since last February, more than 2,500 people have been murdered, 9,000 people have been wounded and thousands became internally displaced people (IDP).
Yemen, the already impoverished country, will certainly face great political and humanitarian problems in the future. Yemen faces Shia rebels in the north, separatists in the south and an active branch of the so-called international al-Qaeda network - al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Lots of work to do awaits the president to be elected in the coming presidential election to be held by Haid on February 21st . The parliamentary elections will be scheduled at a later date.
Tawakkol has been clear on her stance that Saleh must be prosecuted and all his assets must be frozen by the international community. In the pursuit to make that come true, Tawakkol continues to lead the uprising armed with peaceful struggle.
While she was in Stockholm, Tue. 13th Dec., Tawakkol Kraman, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate for 2011, tells about her appreciation to Yemen's youth peaceful revolution. I was lucky enough to meet her and sit next to her; filming this clip.
Of course, the Arab Spring changed a great segment of the current political landscape around the region and that would never have happened without all protesters around the Middle East and North of Africa (MENA) who took streets. They have done a tremendous job to fight social injustice, corruption, inherited power and dictatorships. For the sake of freedom and dignity, they sacrificed a lot! Hundreds of thousands were killed, hundreds of thousands were wounded and thousands were Internally Displaced People (IDP) after they were met with violence and savage killing by "security" forces. Even till today, there are parts of MENA who are still fighting and struggling to gain their freedom. Their revolutions are still continuous. Bahrain, Egypt, Syria and Yemen are still revolting while we are about to mark the first year anniversary of the start of the Arab Spring; Tunis Revolution.
Those protesters inspired the whole world to take streets and claim their political, social, economical rights. I remember that earlier this year, a Chinese guy attempted to follow the path of the Arabs but unfortunately failed. I also remember that there were couple protests in Malaysia earlier this year inspired by the Arab Spring. The list is long .. Spain had several protests inspired by Tahrir square in Cairo. one can't forget the "Occupy Wall Street Movement" which transformed to "Occupy Everywhere Movement". Just recently, people in Russia took the streets to call for political evolution against Putin.
Couple hours ago, I found on twitter that Time Magazine's person of the year for 2011 is "protester". I was so happy to read that. I thought, "Hats off to all fighters and protesters around the world who sacrificed a lot for the sake of social, political, economical, etc changes. May this be a new chapter for humans empowerment and enlightenment for a better tomorrow."
What can I say.. umm.. it was absolutely fantastic!! I believe that the three ladies could be a role model for anyone who strives for success, progress, peace, and empowerment. Personally, since they won, I've been hanging their photos on my room's wall because they have become a source of strength for me.
Having said that, it was totally magical for me to listen to them today in a seminar run by the Foreign Ministry and IDEA, then followed by dinner at the ministry building. Of course, there have been so many interesting discussion which I'll write about soon; especially about Tawakkol's announcement to run for the coming presidential elections. For the meantime, here are some of the photos of the event with captions.
Waiting for the ladies to come after they had to come late; due to problems at Oslo's airport, yesterday.
Mrs. Ellen Sirleaf, Liberia's president during her 20s while she participated in a political demonstration. This is very very rare pic!!
The three ladies in a panel discussion. Yummy! delicious topics were raised :)
Tawakkol Karamn and ... who's that! :P
The ladies listening to a quick speech made by Sweden's Foreign Minster Carl Bildt
Like honey attracting bees. She was always surrounded by people.
I have always loved and enjoyed attending seminars and listening to influential people but I don't think there'd be any better seminar than today's.
In couple hours, I'll be listening to the three amazing ladies; the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates at a very special seminar. And afterwards, I'll have the honor to have dinner with them at Sweden's Foreign Ministry.
My God!! I can't believe it!! you can follow me on my twitter account coz I'll be tweeting from there ^__^
العبدلى ..سجين رأى فى اليمن .. والسر ارضاء السعودية
معمر العبدلي ٣٤ سنة , ناشط حقوقى يمنى وصاحب منظمة التغيير للدفاع عن المعتقلين السياسيين باليمن , متزوج واب لثلاث بنات وولد , تم القبض علية فى 13/7/2009 هو وثلاثة اخرين واقتيدوا للمحاكمة بتهمة التخابر مع ايران واثارة الحراك الحوثى هناك , تواصلنا مع شقيقتة التى تقيم بالقاهرة الان سبأ العبدلى مهندسة ديكور سينمائى , التى قالت ان شقيقها قبض علية على اساس دينى وهو التشيع وقضيتة سياسية بالاساس والمجموعة التى اعلن عنها والمتهمة بالتخابر مع ايران التى تضم( العبدلى -صادق الشرفى-وليد شرف الدين -وعبداللة الديلمى ) فقط هى محاولة من نظام عبداللة صالح المستبد ارضاء المملكة العربية السعودية التى تدعمة فى محاربة التشيع كما يقال فى اليمن كل هذا فى سبيل ان يحصل على دعم مادى وسياسى لنظامة .
اضافت ان السجون اليمنية مليئة بالالاف من اليمنيين الذين زوج بهم فى غياهب السجون اليمنية دون اى محاكمة بتهمة التعامل او التواصل مع ما يسمى تنظيم القاعدة , شماعة بيعلقوا عليها اخطائهم ,مضيفة ان القاعدة تربت على ايدى نظام عبداللة صالح وهو من رعاها وكان على علم بكل التدريبات التى تقوم بها فى اليمن , وانة يحاول اليوم استرضاء الامريكان ليدعموا نظامة السياسى المستبد وقمعة للحوثيين والحراك الجنوبى بدعوى محاربة القاعدة ولمباركة توريث الحكم فى اليمن لابنة احمد .
وسألناها ان كانت قد زارت اخيها فى المعتقل من قبل ؟ قالت :- ذهبت الية للزيارة مرة واحدة بصعوبة حكى لى خلالها عن التعذيب البشع الذى تعرض لها على ايدى سلطات الامن السياسى اليمنى خاصة تعذيبة بالكهرباء لفترات طويلة , والاشد كما قالت ادخال علية فى زنزانتة اربعة او خمسة من المتهمين بالانتماء لتنظيم القاعدة ليقوموا بضربة والتعدى علية على اساس انة كافر وشيعى ويجب محاربتة !!
اضافت اننى ارجو ان يعى العالم حقيقة هذا النظام وخطورتة على اليمنيين وعلى العالم لانة هو الداعم الرئيسى للقاعدة , وانا كجنوبية لو قصيت عليك تفاصيل الحياة فى جنوب اليمن ستذهل من كم المعانة التى نعانيها وعدد المعتقلين الذين يعدون بالالاف ,,
ارجو فقط التضامن مع شقيقى وابراز قضيتة
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في ابريل - ٢٠١٠ قامت طفلتيالعبدلي ، زينب و الزهراء باداء أنشودتين مؤثرتين مهدى الى والدهما و هو في السجن :-
2011 has been a very exceptional day for Yemen. People of Yemen have demonstrated to the whole world a great sense of resilience and fortitude like no one would ever imagine regardless of all the killing and hardships.
After 11 months of its uprising, the well-armed nation still remains peaceful in the face of gunshots and shelling by Saleh's security forces. Around 2,500 people have been killed and more than 9,000 people got wounded and the remaining people still cling to peace. The brutal killing didn't only take its toll on the people physically, but it also took its toll on the humanitarian situation and the country's infrastructure. People suffer from shortage of electricity, water and, periodically, fuel. Tens of buildings around big cities have been demolished or shattered by the continuos shelling. In addition, there are thousands of internally displaced people who fled to other provinces to escape the attack. Indeed, it's been a tough year for people in Yemen.
However, there have been several happy news related to Yemen.
This year carried lots of regional and international prizes for Yemenis. Many outstanding figures from Yemen were awarded very important prizes. They are the following:-
Undoubtedly, it's been a very memorable year for Yemen with all its pain and happiness. As long as people of Yemen are snatching prizes and getting some work done on the ground, I'd have a great faith that the future is really bright. I leave it here while I'm preparing myself for tomorrow. I'll be meeting the three amazing ladies, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates for 2011, after I was invited by the Foreign Ministry in Sweden to a big event where the three ladies are hosted in Stockholm. I'm so excited and over-joyed to have this chance .. I love Yemen, I love Sweden, I love life!! :)
Published by Amnesty Org. - Fatima Hussein Badi and her brother Abdullah were sentenced to death in February 2001 for the murder of Fatima's husband, Hamoud Ali al-Jalal.
Fatima was reportedly questioned by the police for more than five hours during the night, without a lawyer. Abdullah apparently only confessed to the murder in order to save Fatima from being raped. During a number of their trial hearings, Fatima and Abdullah had no legal representation and were prevented from speaking in court. In September 2003, the Supreme Court reduced Fatima's sentence to four years' imprisonment but following a review after an intervention by President Saleh, this decision was overturned.
Abdullah was executed in 2005 and Fatima remains at imminent risk of execution.
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WRITE A LETTER TO THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF YEMEN
Please write a letter on behalf of Fatima to the Vice-President of Yemen. By taking the time to write the letter by hand and including your own message it will have even more of an impact.
أدينت فاطمة حسين بادي بارتكاب جريمة قتل عام ،2001 وتواجه عقوبة الإعدام على الرغم من حكم أصدرته إحدى المحاكم في ،2003 يقضي بأنها لم تشترك في عملية القتل . دعت منظمة العفو الدولية السلطات اليمنية إلى عدم إعدام فاطمة حسين بادي ووقف عملية الإعدام فوراً .
وقبض على فاطمة حسين بادي مع شقيقها بتهمة قتل زوجها حمود علي الجلال في 13 يوليو/ تموز ،2000 وخلال عمليات الاستجواب قال مقربون من أسرتها إن الشرطة حاولت حملها على الاعتراف عندما أحضرت شقيقها عبدالله إليها وقد غطى الدم وجهه، ووفقاً لمعلومات منظمة العفو الدولية، لم يوكل محام لها أثناء عمليات الاستجواب، ولم يُسمح لها بتوكيل محام إلا بعد توجيه تهمة القتل لها . وخلال عدد من جلسات المحاكمة، لم يحظ عبدالله وشقيقته بتمثيل قانوني، وكانا يُرغمان على التزام الصمت عندما يحاولان التحدث في المحكمة
For the second year in a row, a participant from Yemen wins the top prize for 2011 in the Arabian popular musical contest, Najem al-Khaleej run by and at DubaiTV, UAE. Najib al-Muqbeli, at age 27, born in Aden dazzled audience with his performances during Najim al-Kaleej and got the highest votes. Last year winner was Fouad Abdel-Wahed who was also from Yemen.
The moment they announced his winning:-
Amidst the horror and bloodshed the country has witnessed for the past 8 months, this joyful news came as a small treat for the people in Yemen. Right after the announcement, people in Taiz went on streets and celebrated Najib's winning. In Sana'a, people celebrated as well; shown in the following clip:-
This is merely said as a joke; but I think that part of the GCC power-transfer plan is to make UAE let Najib win :D .. but of course, he has a beautiful voice that didn't only make him win the title, but also make him have a special award from Rotana Company, "Owned by Saudi prince, al-Waleed", to have a a five-years contract. Admittedly, this year has been very exceptional for Yemen. Tawakkol Karamn from Yemen won the Nobel Peace Prize, Arwa Othman won a prestigious international award for culture. With the hope that a better future; full of joy and peace coming for Yemen, I leave you with one of Najib's performances:-
Sana’a - Thursday, December 8, 2011 Avaaz Yemen Update
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Three Women Ministers Chosen in New Yemen Government, Ruling Family Retains Control of Key Cabinets while Youth Say Revolution is “Far from Over”
“Women have to be present in the future of Yemeni politics,” said Horiayah Mashhoor, the newly chosen Yemen Human Rights Minister. “Women led the revolution and played a vital role in making it a success until now.”
In the first cabinet distribution of Yemen’s 34 ministries since Ali Abdulah Saleh signed the GCC initiative, three women opposition figures were selected by the National Opposition Council last night:-
Jawharah Thabet is an active southern official who currently holds the position of deputy secretary general of the socialist party and an official in the Aden local councils. Thabet is now Minister of Cabinet Affairs.
Dr. Amat Urrazak Hamad, a former educator, is the new minister of Civil Services, and previously the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor.
Horiayah Mashoor, the spokesperson of the Opposition National Council and a respected figure within the youth movements, spoke to Avaaz about the work that still lies ahead. “Over the last ten months, the infrastructure of the country was damaged. We have to work on the development sector if we want a stable Yemen.”
Youth Continue to Reject the Initiative, which Keeps Saleh Loyalists in Key Positions
Meanwhile, most of the military and other key positions remain under the control of Ali Saleh’s extended family, including the oil, foreign and defense ministries. Thousands of youth returned to the streets today to reject the GCC Initiative, which officially removed only Ali Saleh from his presidency.
Mohammed Hashem, a youth activist in Sana’a denounced the new cabinet and called it a “cover up” to save Ali Saleh from prosecution. Hashem told Avaaz, “We did not revolt against the oppressor just for a cabinet change. This will continue until justice prevails. Hashem was among the hundreds of thousands of pro democracy protesters who marched today throughout the county calling for the continuation of the Yemen revolution.
“Saleh is still president. His family still controls the army. He has not been prosecuted, and innocent Yemenis continue to die every day. Our revolution is far from over.” According to Sana’a based human rights organization HOOD, at least 36 people were killed by government forces since the GCC power proposal signing two weeks ago.
“The world must understand that Ali Saleh’s ruling party is working on making the next government fail,” Mashoor said. “He will try to cause problems. His goals are not to help the people of Yemen.”
I'm often told by some Arabs who I meet that they perceive that the majority in Yemen are supporting Saleh. My reaction consists of two feelings. One, I resist screaming at their faces to tell them, "That's absolutely ridiculous and NOT true." The second feeling I have is, "This is so sad to hear from Arabs who supposed to be well-informed about the situation in Yemen and have a pretty good idea of how Yemenies have been suffering from Saleh's aggressive bloddy oppression against the revolution." Yet, I stay calm and try as much as I can to explain the truth.
Realistically speaking, Saleh does have supporters but! they are minority. His biggest fans are in Sana'a only and the remaining provinces are, I'm %99 positive, totally pro-democracy. During Fridays, he gathers his supporters in Sabaen square in Sanaa as a show-off sign that he still has "legitimacy" & "supporters". The supporters gather only on Friday and most probably they are paid to do so. I vividly remember what a taxi driver told me when I was in Sanaa about the payment the supporters get. "I swear to you, they are paid with $200 per each Friday they attend. I saw them receiving the money while I was picking up customers. Believe me!," he told me.
On the other hand, there are thousands and thousands, if not millions, of people across the country, in 15 provinces out of 22, who have been protesting day and night for the past 10 months - "for free" - , in fact, paying a very high price for the change and democrcay they want to see in Yemen.
So, if Saleh had supporters, they are paid and temporary. While the ever-lasting Yemen, has supporters around the country who are willing to sacrifice all what they have for the sake of change and dignity to prevail for the whole nation.
PS. The photo above is some kind a tease-gesture; an email I received from a pro-Saleh individual. "Long Live Ali Abduallah Saleh", says the email.
وصلني ايميل من مكتب اتحاد نساء اليمن و بصراحة حزنت جدا لقراءته. بالرغم اني اختلف مع مكتب اتحاد نساء اليمن الا انه ليس باستطاعتي ان لا اعير اهتمامي بهذا الايميل. اليكم مضمون الايميل و لمعرفة المزيد من المعلومات ، الرجاء التواصل مع مكتب اتحاد نساء اليمن في صنعاء.
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اهديك يا امي هذه الرسالة مني ومن اخوتي اننا نحبك ولن نتنازل عنك....
هكذا بدأت الابنة مريم رسالتها لوالدتها صباح حسن الجعدي السجينة في السجن المركزي بصنعاء المحكوم عليها بقتل زوجها المجني عليه محمد غالب الجعدي.
فارق الاب حياته مقتولا بالرصاص بينما تنتظر والدتهم تطبيق حكم الإعدام السبت المقبل الموافق 10 ديسمبر2011م..
قتل الزوج في بيته المكون من خمسة ادوار في كل دور شقتين ، حيث وجد ملقيا على الارض في شقته التي يقيم بها مقابل شقة ابنائه وزوجته .
في اليوم الذي يسبق مقتله كما اوردت السجينة طلب المجني عليه من زوجته تحضير العشاء له ولضيفه وإيقاظه بعد الفجر للذهاب مع الضيف بغرض شراء بيت للأخير.
وعند استيقاظها في الصباح هي وبناتها وجدن باب الشقة وباب المنزل مفتوحين ، فاستغربت الزوجة لاستيقاظه وخروجه دون أن يعلمها ، لتدخل إلى غرفته فتجده مقتولا بالرصاص .تم القبض عليها هي وبناتها اللاتي يبلغن من العمر 14 ،13 عام حينها .وتم التحقيق معهن لمدة ثلاثة أيام ومن ثم تم نقلهم إلى المباحث وكما أوردت السجينة انها لم ترى بناتها خلال مدة التحقيق وهي ستة عشر يوما.
وبالتالي وعلي حسب ما أفادت فهناك أكراه على الاعتراف على حد قولها وخوفا على بناتها وبقصد الإفراج عنهن .
قام اتحاد نساء اليمن بإرسال مذكرة إلى النائب العام لتأجيل تنفيذ حكم الإعدام إلى يوم السبت القادم الموافق10 ديسمبر2011م،وتم قبول المذكرة، وقام الفريق القانوني المكون من 5 محاميين من اتحاد نساء اليمن اليوم بالالتقاء ببنات السجينة( ريم ومريم). وفي بداية اللقاء واجهه فريق الاتحاد صعوبة التفاهم مع بنات السجينة اللتين رفضتا مجرد النقاش في العفو عن والدتهن ،وحاول الفريق إقناعهن بالعفو الا ان الفريق لاحظ إن الفتيات تحت ضغط أسرة المجني عليه ،ورفضتا العفو وتمسكين بالمطالبة بالقصاص من والدتهن صباح الجعدي ، رغم الرسائل التي حصل عليها الاتحاد بخط ابنتها مريم (مرفق الرسائل) تفيد أنها نادمة على كذبها أثناء التحقيق، وإنها اعترفت على سماع صوت الرصاص يوم مقتل والدها بالإكراه مبررة ذلك بالضغط الذي واجهته من أسرة المجني عليه والدها ،إذ أن الأطفال يعيشون لدى والد المجني عليه محمد غالب احمد الجعدي .
يناشد اتحاد نساء اليمن جميع المنظمات والجهات المعنية الوقوف معا لإعادة النظر في حكم الإعدام على السجينة صباح حسن عبدالله حزام الجعدي في الاربعينيات من عمرها من محافظة ريمة.
