Kim Kardashian: Her Milkshakes Bring the Hardcore Islamists to Protest

Kim Kardashian: Her Milkshakes Bring the Hardcore Islamists to Protest

By Justin Dorman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain – Earlier this week, American celebrity Kim Kardashian arrived in Bahrain to promote the new Middle Eastern franchises of the Millions of Milkshakes chain. Her visit to Bahrain brought delight to Sheikh Khalifa and his regime, anger to hardcore Islamists, and mixed emotions to many human rights activists.

Kim Kardashian poses in front of camels during her trip to Bahrain. (Photo Courtesy of Al Arabiya)

Bahrain’s human rights report card has been far from stellar over the past couple of years. The regime’s security forces have tear-gassed and killed protesters, detained and tortured demonstrators, tortured and jailed medics who helped the demonstrators, and its government has changed the law to curtail freedom of expression and has revoked the citizenship of individuals.

Many human rights activists like Maryam Al-Khawaja were hoping that Kim Kardashian would actively use her presence in Bahrain to shed light on the human rights tragedies that were taking place within the country. Such people would ultimately be disappointed as Kardashian, or at least her twitter personality, would be used as a propaganda tool of the regime.

Instead of highlighting injustice, she documented her encounter with camels in the desert and her glass of camel milk. She also tweeted, “I just got to Bahrain today. This place is incredible! Prettiest place on earth!” which was re-Tweeted by Bahrain’s foreign minister.

Furthermore, she Tweeted, “Thanks Sheikh Khalifa for your amazing hospitality. I’m in love with The Kingdom of Bahrain.”

Tweets like these upset the likes of the Washington Post’s Foreign Policy analyst March Lynch who believes that, “Kardashian’s visit generates positive publicity for a Bahraini regime which carried out an unspeakably brutal crackdown last year, continues a fierce campaign of repression and has been utterly unrepentant.”

In the end, however, Kardashian’s visit would expose some of the human rights violations that take place in Bahrain. Upon her arrival to the country, fifty hardcore Islamists were waiting for her, carrying signs like “God is Great.” These protesters denounced her presence stating that she had a “bad reputation” and believed that “it is not part of Bahraini culture and traditions to receive [a] reality star.”

These protesters were dispersed by teargas fired by riot police which has become a normal practice when individuals gather to demonstrate.

Kim Kardashian may not have intended to take part in the revealing of the Bahraini regime’s human rights abuses, but her notoriety turned the tear-gassing of the Islamic hardliners into a newsworthy event. For this reason, human rights activists can be happy that Kardashian visited Bahrain.

For further information, please see:

Avaaz Daily Briefing – Kim Kardashian Sheikhs Things up in Bahrain – 5 December 2012

Washington Post – Why People are so Upset About Kim Kardashian’s odd Visit to Bahrain – 3 December 2012

Al Arabiya – ‘Prettiest Place on Earth’: Kim Kardashian in Love with Bahrain – 2 December 2012

Guardian – Bahrain Police Deploy Teargas at Anti-Kim Kardashian Protest – 1 December 2012

 

Cardin Statement on Status of the Magnitsky Act

Press Release
Office of Senator Cardin

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and author of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, made the following statement regarding his legislation:

“I am pleased that the Senate finally will be voting on passage of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act. In the memory of one courageous Russian, we are setting a precedent for future trade agreements that tells the world that gross violators of human rights cannot escape the consequences of their actions even when their home country fails to act. Visiting the United States and having access to our financial system, including U.S. dollars, are privileges that should not be extended to those who violate basic human rights and the rule of law.

“We are creating a precedent for future trade agreements”

“This bill may only apply to Russia, but it sets a standard that should be applied globally. I encourage other nations to follow our lead. I will continue to work with my bipartisan cosponsors towards passage of the Magnitsky sanctions for other countries so that human rights violators in all corners of the world understand that the United States is still committed to the universal cause of liberty and human dignity for those who stand up against oppression.”

For further information please contact:
Sue Walitsky: 202-224-4524 or 202-320-0819

Syrian Revolution Digest: Tuesday 4 December 2012

Patriots for Turkey! Disdain for Rebels!

Syrian Revolution Digest – December 4, 2012 

Wariness over providing support to rebel groups is legitimate and understandable, but it is becoming increasingly untenable. At one point the U.S. will have to secure Syria’s WMDs stockpiles. Without rebel cooperation, the task, which is already daunting, would become impossible. The U.S. needs to cultivate goodwill among rebel groups in Syria, and for this, it needs to begin providing them with the support they need in their battle to reclaim the country from the psychopaths in charge.

 Today’s Death Toll: 184  (including 1 woman and 33 children)

110 in Damascus and suburbs (including 40 in Bahdalieh and 30 students martyred when regime forces shelled a school in the Wafideen camp), 21 in Aleppo, 17 in Homs, 12 in Daraa, 10 in Deir Ezzor, 8 in Idlib, 5 in Hama, and 1 from Tartous killed in Idlib.

Points of Random Shelling: 245

Clashes: 143

Rebels blocked several attempts at storming   different towns in Eastern Ghoutah Region in Damascus and shelled the Military Airport of Deir Ezzor (LCC).

 

News

Syria crisis: Nato approves Patriots for Turkey

NATO warns Syria not to use chemical weapons

Syria Says 29 Students Killed in Mortar Attack

CNN: Looking at Syria’s chemical weapons

 

Special Reports

Brian Whitaker: Six pointers to Assad’s fall
Each day’s news brings more reasons to believe the Assad regime’s fall cannot be far away. Viewed individually these signs may not in themselves spell doom for the regime but collectively they do: 1) Withdrawal of UN and diplomatic personnel, 2) Jihad Makdissi flees, 3) Damascus airport [closed], 4) Internet shutdown, 5) US reviewing its options, and 6) Chemical weapons.

Are Syria’s rebels about to win?
Syrian rebels have made significant gains in recent weeks as support for Assad shows signs of fraying.

Is Russia About To Ditch Syria? The Truth Is That It May Not Matter
…if you’re going to go the humanitarian intervention route you can’t have “overthrow Assad” as the stopping point. In fact, overthrowing Assad has to be the beginning of a very lengthy process of political reconciliation in an extraordinarily tense and dangerous environment.

In Damascus, Bracing For The Worst
For many months, Damascus was spared the worst of the fighting. But amid the increasing battles in and around the city, almost every Damascene household seems to be doubling or tripling up with extended family.

The Confessions of a Sniper: A Rebel Gunman in Aleppo and His Conscience
Like many men on the front line, the Sniper has found solace in religion, but his is a politicized form of Islam. He speaks admirably of the extremist Jabhat al-Nusra group that has been responsible for some of the most spectacular suicide bombings against regime targets. “They are clean and doing good work,” he says. He wants to join them, if he can “cleanse” his body and mind, he says pointing to a red pack of Gauloises cigarettes. A day later, he quit smoking.

Syrian refugees face brutal winter with inadequate shelter and food
The Syrians who walked 18 hours to seek refuge in Lebanon have escaped the fear of government attack. But with the brutal winter closing in, some would rather go back home to warfare.

As fighting subsides, Aleppo residents find little left
Skyrocketing food prices and shortages mean some Syrian children are eating only one small meal a day, if that. Residents in one Aleppo neighborhood have taken matters into their own hands, collecting money to buy food for the neediest — but it’s never enough.

As Syria Unravels, Russia Tries to Bolster Future Position
Inside Syria, Russian envoys are meeting opposition politicians. Two weeks from now, Russia will support a meeting in Italy of what it hopes will be a pro-Russian group: the National Coordinating Committee for Democratic Change.

How Would Assad Use Chemical Weapons?
Upholding the U.S. declaration requires readiness to commit armed forces to eliminating Syria’s CW capability and punishing the regime and its forces for using them. It means having military assets earmarked or in place to act quickly with overwhelming force, and to deal with the post-attack environment. It does not mean relying on diplomacy as the sole or even main response. Failure to respond with force to any use of chemical weapons would be dire. The regime would see it as a signal to conduct more attacks, and the opposition would see it as a complete abandonment.

Condoleezza Rice: We’ve Waited ‘Very Late’ to Intervene in Syria
The former secretary of state, speaking at the Women in the World Summit, addresses reports that chemical weapons are being readied by the Syrian government.

Syrian rebels riding momentum to Damascus
The fighting follows a number of gains for opposition forces in the north of Syria, which has sparked optimism among Syrians hoping for the downfall of the Assad regime.

‘Sun setting’ on US chance to shape Syria’s transition
Pro-democracy activists are concerned that US and Western reticence is inadvertently handing the initiative to radical Islamist forces which receive considerable financial and military assistance from the Gulf.

Follow this link to register for FDD’s Washington Forum 2012 “Dictators & Dissidents”

 

Video Highlights

Activists in Damascus produce their own video reportage on the siege of Damascus International Airport, getting within a hundred meters of the airport fence. Loyalist troops are nowhere to be seen, choosing to barricade themselves inside the fence. The local rebel commander says that the only reason they decided to target the airport is to cut off the regime supply lines of weapons http://youtu.be/7gQSgXToOL0

In Douma, Damascus, this video, found on the mobile phone of a loyalist soldier, document the last stand of a group of Alawite loyalists before rebels took over their position http://youtu.be/_oivjlNR7zE

A massacre in nearby Diyabiyeh http://youtu.be/ATMyfKU497I

Missile launchers in Mazzeh Airport in Damascus City target Daraya and other restive suburbs to the south of Damascus http://youtu.be/6OsAle_qCQo

Rebels in Damascus showcase some of the missiles that they have gained during their recent operationshttp://youtu.be/mj2oQio0j6k

Rebels showcase a tank they have gained in their operations near Agrab, Homs http://youtu.be/SOfMfGHpk5Y they also say that the random shelling does not discriminate between Sunni and Alawite inhabitants, albeit the shelling does come from nearby Alawite villages http://youtu.be/-cDHH_xPOBY

Rebels move to lay siege to Manag Military Airport, Aleppo Province http://youtu.be/YnpYMiRHLDU

Fears of a chemical attack prompted some activists to make a video on how a makeshift gas mask can be madehttp://youtu.be/B1i_Dues4Q8

Activists in Kafrenbel, Idlib, risk life and limb to document the impact of shelling on their communityhttp://youtu.be/UEb8IoT7_Lo

At Least Four Dead after Pro and Anti-Morsi Supporters Clash in Cairo

By Ali Al-Bassam
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt — The Health Ministry reported that at least 4 people were killed, and 350 people were injured in Cairo as supporters and opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi clashed near the presidential palace last Tuesday.

Anti-Morsi demonstrators clashed with his supporters in front of the presidential palace last Wednesday. (Photo Courtesy of Al Arabiya)

It is reported that pro-Morsi demonstrators tried to break up an opposition sit-in.  The leaders of the opposition accused the Muslim Brotherhood of creating violence.  Fighting continued between the two parties into Thursday morning, as both sides threw stones and Molotov cocktails at each other.  Pro-Morsi supporters ransacked tents erected by the opposition in front of the palace last Tuesday, claiming that they found drugs and alcohol within them.  Witnesses claim that they saw Morsi supporters throw stones and use clubs to attack anti-Morsi demonstrators.  The Interior Ministry claims that thirty-two people were arrested.  Protests spread throughout Egypt as the offices of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood in Ismalia and Suez were torched.  Morsi’s opponents were heard chanting “no to dictatorship,” while their rivals responded with “defending Morsi is defending Islam.”

Because of the crisis, three members of the Presidential Advisory Council, Seif Abdel Fattah, Ayman Al-Sayyad, and Amr Al-Leithy, announced their resignation.  Dr. Ahmed El-Tayyeb, Grand Imam of the powerful Al-Azhar Mosque, called for Egyptians to engage in dialogue.

Earlier on Wednesday, Vice President Mahmoud Mekky said that the constitutional referendum is still scheduled for December 15, but that the “door for dialogue” remained open, suggesting that it would still be possible to make changes to the document after it is voted in.  In a press conference last Wednesday, Mekki urged for consensus, saying that opposition demands must be respected to overcome the crisis.

Opposition leader Amr Moussa, a former foreign minister and Secretary-General of the Arab League said that Morsi must make a formal offer for dialogue if his opponents were to take Mekki’s requests seriously.  “We are ready when there is something formal, something expressed in definite terms, we will not ignore it,” said Moussa in a press conference held last Wednesday night with pro-opposition leaders Mohamed El-Baradei and Hamdeen Sabbahi.  The three men blamed Morsi for the violence that occurred in front of the presidential palace.  “He has lost the moral legitimacy to lead Egypt,” said Sabbahi.

The Muslim Brotherhood, however, believe that the opposition leaders are to blame for the violence.  “It’s very sad to see opposition leaders such as El-Baradei, Hamdeen, and Amr Moussa to resort to such levels of talk, said Gehad El-Haddad Senior Advisor to the Freedom and Justice Party, in an interview with Al Jazeera.  “Such disrespect to the sanctity of peaceful protesting, within the context of democracy is very alarming.”

For further information, please see:

Al Arabiya — At Least one Killed as Anti-Mursi Protests Flare Outside Cairo’s Presidential Palace — 5 December 2012

Al Jazeera — Several Killed in Egypt Clashes — 5 December 2012

BBC News — Egypt Crisis: Fatal Cairo Clashes Amid Constituion row — 5 December 2012

Daily News Egypt — Egypt Crisis Escalates — 5 December 2012

Syria Deeply Clarifies Media Coverage

By Emily Schneider
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

After 630 days of conflict in Syria and confusion in the media coverage, Syria Deeply, a new media outlet, is  synthesizing information sources following the conflict into one easily accessible and user-friendly site.

Syria Deeply is “an independent digital media project led by journalists and technologists, exploring a new model of storytelling around a global crisis,” according to the site’s “about us” section. The comprehensive coverage of daily events could quickly make the website an indispensible resource for both individuals and other media sites following the Syrian conflict.

The site focuses on taking information from other news sites and social media sites and making it more digestible for the reader. Using a dashboard type interface, it offers users a quick look at the headlines for the day while also providing links to background coverage that gives context to current issues.

The homepage offers readers a chance to explore a multitude of media outlets all in a single place. About 25% of Syria Deeply’s content is original, the other 75% is populated from static material. For instance, the homepage displays links to news stories about Syria that headline that day and Tweets focused on the conflict.

Another area highlights stories from civilians personally experiencing the conflict. In a visually impressive portion of the homepage, an interactive map shows areas of high fatalities and refugees and exactly where trending videos are being filmed. One of the most original features on the site is the “defection tracker” that shows all the Syrian government officials and military members who have defected.

“Our goal is to build a better user experience of the story by adding context to content, using the latest digital tools of the day. Over time the hope is to add greater clarity, deeper understanding, and more sustained engagement to the global conversation,” the Syrian Deeply site says.

Lara Setrakian, the co-founder of the site, is a foreign correspondent who’s covered the Middle East and US foreign policy for the past five years, filing for ABC News, Bloomberg Television, the International Herald Tribune, and Monocle Magazine. In an article posted on Syria Deeply, she explains the reasoning behind the creation of the site.

“It was clear that the Syria story, a crisis unfolding into civil war, had become too complicated for people to understand. Why was it happening? Why was Assad killing his own people? Why was the international response so tame? The user experience of the story was abysmal: a lot of noise and competing narratives, not enough context, history, and background. The global news audience was underserved,” Setrakian says.

Setrakian’s efforts are already creating a buzz and Fast Company has written an article lauding Syria Deeply’s innovative take on reporting the news. But as Setrakian said, Syria Deeply was not created to revolutionize the news industry (although it just might), it was created “for people on both sides of the [Syrian] story: people around the world who want to better understand Syria, and people inside Syria who long to be better understood.”

 

For more information, please see:

Syria Deeply

Fast Company – Syria Deeply Outsmarts the news, Redefines Conflict Coverage – 3 Dec. 2012