Letter From A Cairo Jail
August 14th, 2008 by Adam
In a letter to Senator Barack Obama from Tura Prison near Cairo, former MP and political prisoner Ayman Nour calls on the Senator to “…lead the world towards real freedom and justice,” and reach out to reformers in Egypt and the Middle East. Nour also states that, “Both Reform advocates and prisoners of opinion and conscience in Egypt, Syria, Palestine and other countries, are expecting your consistent support of their rights to life, freedom, and change.” Nour, a candidate in Egypt’s 2005 Presidential election, has been imprisoned in Egypt since 2005 on politically motivated charges meant to silence his calls for political reform.
To read the Arabic language version of Nour’s letter, click here.
Posted in Egypt, Election 08, Human Rights, Reform | Comment »
POMED Notes: Iraq’s Refugee and IDP Crisis
August 11th, 2008 by Sarah
Today, the Middle East Institute invited Dr. Phebe Marr and Elizabeth Ferris to discuss the Iraqi dislocation within and beyond its border and its effect on political stability in Iraq and the region. Dr. Phebe Marr is a former professor at National Defense University. Elizabeth Ferris is co-director of the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Amb. Wendy Chamberlain, President of MEI, moderated the event.
Both guests spoke of the need to improve Iraqi governance, including health services, schools, and infrastructure, in order to entice Iraqi refugees to voluntarily return to Iraq in order to help rebuild their country.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Human Rights, Iraq, US foreign policy | 1 Comment »
POMED Condemns Sentencing of Saad Eddin Ibrahim
August 6th, 2008 by Adam
In response to Saturday’s sentencing of leading democracy activist and member of POMED’s Board of Advisors Saad Eddin Ibrahim, POMED has issued a statement condemning “what has been an extended campaign to silence and demonize Ibrahim for exercising his right to criticize the Egyptian regime for its increasingly repressive practices.”
To read the full text of POMED’s statement, click here.
Also, there is now a Facebook group that has been created to express support for Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim at this difficult time.
The official statement from the State Department expresses disappointment about Dr. Ibrahim’s conviction.
An editorial in the Daily Star criticizes Egypt’s arrest of Dr. Ibrahim and admonishes the U.S. for issuing a weak statement in response to the conviction by saying, “The United States also betrayed a shallow commitment to its national principles….” The Daily News Egypt also reports on the controversy over the U.S. ambassador’s remarks on the conviction.
At the Middle East Strategy at Harvard, Michele Dunne writes a scathing piece about Ibrahim’s conviction and the possibility the courts may hear a case to strip him of his nationality. She says, “…that it is these very decisions that harm Egypt’s image far more than Saad has ever done.” In Tamara Cofman Wittes‘ comment on Dunne’s piece, she says the conviction and crackdown on media in Egypt is evidence of a decaying regime at its end.
Posted in Egypt, Human Rights | Comment »
Tunisia’s Wise Dictator
July 28th, 2008 by Adam
Frank Smyth at The Hill’s Congress Blog, writes about the trip to Tunisia taken earlier this month by Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN). According to a report by Tunisia’s state news agency, McCollum, co-Chair of the bipartisan Tunisia Caucus, told the nation’s foreign minister that, “Tunisia holds a strategic position between Europe, Africa and the Middle East and it represents the voice of moderation and wisdom in the world, a voice we must listen to.” Smyth criticizes McCollum and the Caucus for not bringing up the human rights record of Tunisian President Ben Ali, who he refers to as “…a dictator who has monopolized power for no less than 21 years.”
To read more about the human rights situation in Tunisia under the nation’s “moderate” leader, click here.
Posted in Human Rights, Tunisia, US foreign policy | Comment »
Enforced Disappearances in Pakistan
July 24th, 2008 by Adam
Amnesty International recently released a report detailing enforced disappearances in Pakistan. The report cites 563 cases of enforced disappearances and states that the Pakistani government obstructed efforts to find those who disappeared. Amnesty International says most of the disappearances were conducted with the complicity of the security and intelligence forces, usually under the pretext of terrorism related charges. To remedy this violation of human rights, the report suggests that Pakistan reinstate judges that demanded answers on disappearances and fully account for all those who have disappeared.
Posted in Human Rights, Pakistan | Comment »
Bush Commemorates Religious Freedom Act
July 14th, 2008 by Sarah
This morning, President Bush spoke on behalf of the 10th anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Bush stated that the IRFA “placed religious liberty where it belongs — at the center of U.S. foreign policy.”
For President Bush’s full statement, click here.
A resolution sponsored by Rep. Trent Franks, and co-sponsored by 35 House members, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the IRFA is currently before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The IRFA created the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to monitor religious freedoms abroad and to issue independent recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. The Commission designates “countries of particular concern” for their ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, US foreign policy | Comment »
Syrian Prison Riot
July 10th, 2008 by Adam
The Christian Science Monitor reports on a recent prison riot in Syria’s Sedneya prison that was quelled, and has remained shrouded in secrecy due to the suspicion of human rights abuses, as well as numerous deaths and injuries. Reportedly, Sedneya holds 10,000 political prisoners, and due to a media blackout accounts vary wildly about what occurred. The recent incident comes at an inopportune time for the Assad regime as, “The rioting and the extreme secrecy with which the government has handled it come at a time when more American and European politicians and observers are calling for greater engagement with Syria.”
Posted in Human Rights, Syria | Comment »
POMED Notes: Religious Freedom in Turkey
July 9th, 2008 by Sarah
The Congressional Human Rights Caucus Task Force on International Religious Freedom invited Ziya Meral, a Turkish researcher, and Patricia Carley, Policy Director for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to lead a staff briefing on the current political and social scene within Turkey and the status of religious freedom in the country. Both speakers agreed that banning the AKP party could be disastrous for democracy in Turkey. All comments were made off the record.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Freedom, Human Rights, Political Islam, Political Parties, Secularism, Turkey | Comment »
POMED Notes: Stories from the Frontlines of the Civil Liberties Struggle in the Middle East
July 3rd, 2008 by Adam
On Thursday, the American Islamic Congress (AIC) featured a presentation by Dalia Ziada, Director of AIC’s Egypt Office and prominent Egyptian reformer. She discussed the appalling condition of human rights in Egypt and relayed her own personal experiences regarding restrictions on women’s rights and press freedoms. She also briefly discussed her perceptions of the United States and efforts for democratic reform.
For POMED’s complete notes on this event, click here.
Posted in Event Notes, Human Rights, Journalism, Women | Comment »
Saad Eddin Ibrahim Seeks Assurances from Egypt
June 30th, 2008 by Sarah
The Daily Star reports that Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim, member of POMED’s Board of Advisors and exiled Egyptian human rights activist, wants certain assurances from the Egyptian government before he would return to the country. Ibrahim has stated that he preferred to stay outside of Egypt for the moment for fear of being arrested “or worse.”
Posted in Egypt, Freedom, Human Rights, POMED | Comment »
U.S. Support for Autocracies Promotes Radical Islam?
June 30th, 2008 by Sarah
Chris Zambelis at the Jamestown Foundation examines some of the factors contributing to the radicalization of Islam. Zambelis points to the use of torture by autocracies, often seen as oppressive and illegitimate, in Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia as formative in the psychology of radicalization. U.S. support for these governments “serve as a battle cry for militants to take up arms against the United States.”
In related news, Daniel Kimmage in the New York Times sees the internet as a “very practical means of countering al-Qaeda,” but laments that “the authoritarian governments of the Middle East are doing their best to hobble Web 2.0. By blocking the Internet, they are leaving the field open to Al Qaeda and its recruiters.”
Posted in Egypt, Freedom, Human Rights, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Terrorism, al-Qaeda | Comment »
POMED Notes: U.S.-Saudi Dilemma: A Challenge for the Next Administration
June 19th, 2008 by Adam
On Wednesday, The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (CDHR) held two panel discussions regarding the political and human rights situation in Saudi Arabia and how U.S. policy can address these concerns. The first panel included, Paul Marshall of the Hudson Institute, Ahmed Mansour, President of the Ahl-Al-Quran Center, Wafa Sultan, a prominent human rights activist, and Tawfik Hamid, a religious reformer and author. The panel was moderated by Dwight Bashir of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
The second panel featured Joshua Muravchik of the American Enterprise Institute, Alex Petersen of the Henry Jackson Society, and Rachel Ehrenfeld, Director of the American Center for Democracy. The panel was moderated by Ali Alyami, Founder and Director of CDHR. There were also brief remarks by Representatives Zach Wamp (R-TN), Sue Myrick (R-NC), and Dan Burton (R-IN).
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Event Notes, Human Rights, Saudi Arabia | Comment »
POMED Notes: Reform in Saudi Arabia
June 18th, 2008 by Sarah
The Middle East Institute invited Usamah al-Kurdi to discuss the status of political, economic, and women’s reform in Saudi Arabia. Since 2001, Al-Kurdi has served as a member of the Majlis Al-Shura Consultative Council of Saudi Arabia. Al-Kurdi argued that U.S. foreign policy can best contribute to the country’s reform by using a “hands off” approach. MEI’s Vice President Dr. Michael Ryan introduced the speaker.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Elections, Event Notes, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Journalism, Reform, Saudi Arabia | Comment »
June Edition of the Arab Reform Bulletin
June 11th, 2008 by Sarah
The June edition of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Arab Reform Bulletin is now available. This month’s edition features an interview with Egyptian blogger, Sandmonkey, and articles by Ibrahim Gharaibeh, Moataz El Fegiery, and Andrew Ng.
Sandmonkey discusses the role of the internet in mobilizing Egypt’s dissenting voices, the political attitude of Egypt’s youth, and the recent food protests in Cairo. “We live in a controlled society with an oppressive government, so expressing an opinion is asking for trouble. The only place you can do it safely is on the internet.”
Ibrahim Gharaibeh addresses the development of divisions in Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood. “It is clear that the Jordanian Islamist movement still is at risk of splintering. Divisions that were once seen mostly at the leadership level have now penetrated the movement in a much deeper way.”
Moataz El Fegiery discusses why most national human rights institutions in the Arab World, outside of Morocco and Palestine, have been unable to establish legitimacy. Because of the deterioration of democratization efforts and strained relationships between authorities and civil societies, these institutions have not been able to improve the status of human rights. “Only if [these institutions] are permitted to play their rightful role in mobilizing public opinion, communicating with civil society, and in turn pressing governments, will their work move beyond an academic exercise that any scholarly institution could undertake.”
Andrew Ng is concerned about the implications of a new political movement in Morocco. The Movement for All Democrats advocates for political reform, but the pressing question is whether the movement “will channel its energy toward engaging and strengthening the parliament or bypass it” and focus on the King instead. Ng warns that “the more the MAD behaves like a royally-blessed association dismissive of parliament, the more it will reinforce the political status quo.”
For the full Arab Reform Bulletin, click here.
Posted in Egypt, Human Rights, Jordan, Morocco, Muslim Brotherhood, Reform, Technology | Comment »
Albright Sees An End to Intervention
June 11th, 2008 by Sarah
Madeline Albright writes in the NYTimes of some grim realities. “Totalitarian governments are alive and well; their neighbors are reluctant to pressure them to change; and the notion of national sovereignty as sacred is gaining ground, helped in no small part by the disastrous results of the American invasion of Iraq.”
Ultimately, she asks “Is [an international system] just a collection of legal nuts and bolts cobbled together by governments to protect governments? Or is it a living framework of rules intended to make the world a more humane place?”
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, US foreign policy, United Nations | Comment »
NPC: Human Rights and Political Reform in Morocco
June 10th, 2008 by Sarah
The National Press Club invited Dr. Ahmed Herzenni, the President of the Advisory Council on Human Rights, and Fatiha Layadi, journalist and Independent party member of the Moroccan parliament, to discuss how the establishment of Morocco’s truth and reconciliation commission has strengthened the country’s civil and political institutions. The event was moderated by Jane Arraf, former CNN Baghdad Bureau Chief, and introductions were made by American Moroccan Institute’s President Mokhtar Ghambou.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Morocco, Reform | Comment »
Freedom House Analyzes FY09 Budget Request
June 9th, 2008 by Sarah
Freedom House releases an analysis of the Bush administration’s FY09 Budget Request.
They made several recommendations including the reinstatement of funding for the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor, and USAID’s Office of Transition.
In addition, they warn that cutting funding initiatives to Russia and China—countries with growing international influence and diminishing freedom domestically—will adversely affect the work of democracy and human rights advocates from these countries.
In regards to the Middle East, Freedom House urges Congress to fully fund democracy and human rights assistance for Egypt and consider conditioning a portion of Egypt’s military assistance on political reform. Country specific funding should be provided for democracy activists in the Gulf while Tunisia and Algeria should each receive $1 million.
For the full report, click here.
Posted in Congress, Human Rights, Legislation, US foreign policy | Comment »
Beating on the Bahais
June 9th, 2008 by Adam
Mehdi Khalaji takes a brief look at Iran’s treatment of religious minorities by examining the recent persecution against Bahais. According to Khalaji, non-Shiite faiths are not protected by Iran’s constitution and suffer discrimination in employment, education, and housing. The Iranian government is attempting to justify this discrimination on national security grounds, but this a mere ploy to, “…allow them to deflect pressure from international human rights organizations for violating freedom of religion.”
Posted in Human Rights, Iran | 1 Comment »
Court Likely to Shut Down Turkey’s Ruling Party
June 8th, 2008 by Stephen
Note: this article by POMED Policy Associate Alex Taurel originally appeared in the May 2008 POMED Newsletter.
Though it has received little international press coverage, the big story out of Turkey these days is the fact that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is embroiled in a legal case that could see the party closed down and its leading figures, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gül, banned from politics for five years. What’s more, in what some are calling a “judicial coup d’etat,” the legal case against the party is actually expected to succeed.
The indictment accuses the AKP of being a “focal point of anti-secular activities.” Turkey has been an avowedly secular country since its founding in 1923 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. His disciples-who continue to wield substantial behind-the-scenes power from their perches in the military, judiciary, and civil service-are fierce defenders of his rigidly secularist principles and have distrusted the Islamist-rooted AKP since it came to power in 2002. The party apparently crossed a red line in February 2008, when it passed constitutional amendments aiming to lift the ban on headscarves in universities. In March, the Chief Public Prosecutor used the power afforded his office by the Constitution to bring an indictment before the Constitutional Court accusing the AKP of undermining secularism. Turkey’s secularist guardians have closed down a string of Islamist parties from which the AKP is descended, but never have they attempted to legally dissolve a party in power-least of all one with the popularity of the AKP, which won re-election by capturing a staggering 47% of the vote in the July 2007 multiparty parliamentary elections. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Human Rights, Judiciary, Political Islam, Political Parties, Turkey | Comment »
Eking Out Civil Rights in Egypt
June 6th, 2008 by Amanda
At Babylon and Beyond, Noha El-Henawy highlights the recent release of an Egyptian labor activist, Karim El-Beheiry, who “vows to pursue the battle” in the aftermath of the Mahallah strikes in April of this year. El-Henawy reports him as saying, “my concern became broader and expanded from just asking for my rights to asking for civil liberties and freedom of expression.”
The Daily Star reports that an Egyptian human rights organization has been ordered by the government not to attend a UN meeting in New York on the issue of AIDS.
Democracy Digest ponders the topic “Arab Regimes - Case Studies in Shackling Civil Society.”
Posted in Egypt, Human Rights | Comment »
