Entries tagged with bahrain

I think I can safely say that I've always lived in interesting times; what with an Intifada when I was about 3, a Gulf War when I was 5, Oslo when I was 10, October 2000 and the Second Intifada when 15, the various skirmishes during my years in the IDF, the second Lebanon War when I was 20, again, the various skirmishes in the years that followed.
Now, when I'm 25, I can say that while the death in the face of standing up for the right to be free is disturbing, upsetting and I don't know if I would ever have the strength to do the same, it is humbling to be a witness, no matter how distant, to these times in a place in the world I call home.

Bahrain: Protesters occupy Bahrain square. In case you didn't know. Bahrain has a Shi'ite majority and is ruled by a Sunni elite and the government has been naturalising foreign Sunni nationals and workers in order to create a "demographic advantage". Sounds familiar. People are staying in the streets and in the squares 24/7. That really is the only way to do it.

Iran: They are quaking in their boots. When you call for the death of the opposition leaders and the people in charge are in a bind.

Libya: Benghazi, Libya 'rocked by protests'. This is huge you guys. This is Gaddafi's place. I'm seriously in awe.

Not as many links as yesterday, but also not as much time and many links are out of date already. The changes and reports are coming in double-time and I really recommend Twitter as another on-the-spot News aggregatpr, it's amazing how much information you can get from sharing information and just reading what people on the ground have to say.

In Alphabetical order and a tiny bit of commentary:

Algeria: Defying a ban, protesters demonstrate in heavily policed Algiers. The demonstrations in Algeria in early January due to food shortages, but really, the poverty level in a country that is very rich in natural resources (and a long term dictator) showed it was a matter of time.

Bahrain: Bahrain mourner killed in clashes during another protester's funeral. The violence coming from the government in response to the protests has been overwhelming.

Iran: Police confirm protest death. The Reformists demonstrations never stopped, it just wasn't reported with the same fervor as when it started, but now that fire is sweeping through the region, it makes sense that the demo's are gathering greater numbers and are being suppressed with more violence.

Israel: While the region begins it's slow slog towards something resembling democratic process, we continue to dig our heels is and write out racist legislation like a Bill proposes discount in tuition fees for soldiers - meaning that higher education will become even more inaccessible than it already is to the working class - it is racist and ethnically based because the only ones drafted are Jews and the Druze (only men in this case) meaning that those who do not serve (i.e. Arabs, who also happen to be the most economically disenfranchised) will find it very hard to study at university, creating an even greater disparity between classes that (miraculously) coincide with ethnic and religious groups.

Palestine: Palestinian government resigns in hope of fresh start. Allow me to be more scathing than usual. The PA is so scared of what's happening in the region, the fact that just a few days about Saeb Ereakat resigned because of the Palestine Papers that they'll do anything to make appearnces of appeasement, while they suppress anti-PA demonstrations. Hamas, by the way, will not be running in these elections as it rejects Fatah authority. Like this schism is anything new.

Syria: Schoolgirl blogger jailed. A week after Syria opens their internet up for Twitter and Facebook. The Asad regime is in survival mode, it has been for years now.

Yemen: Yemen protests enter fifth day. The numbers are small, and there isn't a huge presence of women in Sanaa, but following reports on Twitter informs me that there was sizable female presence in Taizz.

That's what I got.

Another Linkspam of Interesting Times!

Linkspam of the Revolution (?)