Arquivo da tag: Egypt

‘The future of Egyptian women is in danger’ – Samira Ibrahim speaks out

Deixe uma resposta

Activist Samira Ibrahim reacts after the verdict of a military court, in Cairo, Egypt, 11 March 2012. She now vows to take her case to the international courts Photograph: Str/EPA

The verdict over ‘virginity tests’ was a blow to the feminist struggle in Egypt. Here, the woman who sacrificed everything to bring the case to court, warns that women’s rights are now under threat from two sides – the military and the Islamists.

[Abdel-Rahman Hussein, The Guardian, March 13, 2012] Cairo - Samira Ibrahim is talking tough, but her face looks fraught. The decision by a military court on Sunday to exonerate a former military doctor from conducting “virginity tests” on female protestors in March last year is a setback and a big blow to her personally.

For Ibrahim was the first to speak out about being subjected to this violation along with six other women at a military prison where they were kept overnight, having been arrested in Tahrir Square. It has been a difficult year for Ibrahim, but she is adamant she will not back down. Continue lendo →

Eastern Christians and the Arab Spring ~ Alain Juppé

Deixe uma resposta

The Eastern Christians are worried. Worried about their survival in a region they have lived in for 2,000 years. Worried about their rights being respected at a time of major upheaval. Worried about heightened religious tensions. I want to tell them that I understand them, that I understand their fears.

For centuries, France has had a special mission with respect to the Eastern Christians. It will not shy from it. That is why in January 2011, President Sarkozy established the framework of our policy, emphasizing that “well beyond the East,” the fate of the Eastern Christians symbolizes “the challenges of the globalized world we have irrevocably entered.” Our vision is clear: There can be no true democratic revolution without the protection of minorities. The Eastern Christians are destined to remain in their region. They are destined to help build their future, as they have always done in the past.

This is not a new issue. It has existed for centuries. But it has become more and more dramatic in recent years. Continue lendo →