Uganda detains five Pakistanis over terror suspicions

Uganda arrested five Pakistanis suspected of terrorist links in the African country’s oil-rich Western region two weeks ahead of the second anniversary of the bombing attacks in Kampala for which al-Shabaab claimed responsibility. 

In 2010, Uganda was hit by a pair of suicide bombings at screenings of the World Cup.  More than 80 people were killed. 

According to Ugandan police spokesman Judith Nabakoba, the five men were arrested after they crossed over from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they allegedly met with the Allied Democratic Forces.  The ADF is an Islamist Ugandan group aiming to overthrow the Ugandan government and orchestrated a series of attacks in the late 1990s.

The five said they were only traveling to spread Islam. 

After the arrests, Uganda issued a terror alert and warned people militants may attack viewings of the Euro Cup.  This, compounded by the United States Embassy in Kenya’s warnings of an “imminent” attack in Mombasa, where a grenade attack in a bar killed at least three, has put regional security institutions on high alert. 

Both Uganda and Kenya cooperate with the United States and other Western and African powers in Somalia and to combat Islamist militants and other security threats in the region.  Islamist groups, such as al-Shabaab, threaten Kampala and Nairobi with retaliatory attacks. 

In defense of Egyptian men

Egyptian men have a bad reputation.  Horror stories abound of women being subjected to harassment, from catcalls to rape.

But the focus on how terrible Egyptian men supposedly are belies a fundamental disconnect about not only Egyptian men but Western men as well.  It ignores the fact that sexism, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and sexual assault are endemic in Western societies.  Yes, there are plenty of douches in Egypt. There were days I wanted to punch the next guy who called me a mozah. But I know and have interacted with way more good, decent, respectful Egyptian men than disrespectful ones. 

First, a short introduction for those who may not know me to contextualize my reaction.  I’m a twenty-something white American who travels pretty extensively throughout the Middle East.  I do not consider myself ugly and, thanks to my love of running and lifting, am pretty fit.  I don’t dress super fancy or skimpy.  I’m not sure how else to say this, but not even the abaya I had to wear while in Saudi hid the fact my theme song could be, “Baby’s Got Back.”

In short? I’m a pretty good target for sexual harassment. But I’ve had many more problems with sexual harassment and discrimination at home than in Egypt.   

Late one night last summer in Cairo, my two American guy friends and I took the metro home.  The platform was packed, and the metro was even more so. I’m pretty good at pushing my way into small spaces, and after I got on the train I turned around just in time to see the doors close—with my friends being left on the platform. Crap, I thought.  I looked around—it was 2am or something and I was in a metro car full of men.  Alone.  And something amazing happened. Almost instantaneously, there was a bubble around me.  Perhaps it was the post-revolutionary euphoria, but every man around me was conscious to not even touch me, despite the fact we were pressed in like sardines.  One guy even offered me gum.

This is not to say there is no problem with sexual harassment in Egyptian society—there undoubtedly is.  But it’s not a problem unique to Egypt, and Westerners should think twice about their own societies before passing judgment on a huge swath of Egypt’s population. What is more, I would be hard pressed to name one society—ONE—not grappling with some form of sexual harassment or discrimination.   

I’m on this listserv called Cairo Scholars where khwagas (Arabic slang for foreigners) send out questions—where can I get soya products? Where can I get fish (the fish market?!?!), where can I get a clown (!!!), or apartment vacancies.  This morning, controversy broke out when one dude sent out and email to the thousands of subscribers, highlighting an article about sexual harassment and saying, “Another fine example of the way women, and western women, are seen and treated in Egyptian culture.” A few weeks ago, there was a similarly condescending conversation on Mona el-Tahawy’s article, “Why Do They Hate Us?” The highlights of that conversation: “I wonder if Egyptians are ever going to do something about this?” and “I have been wondering myself what Egyptians are doing in their daily lives” (Ask).

How can people have such a lack of understanding about Egypt—the society in which they ostensibly live? And get off your high horse. We’ve got our issues too. 

In one particularly cringe-worthy moment, I was at a cousin’s wedding, chatting with some distant family member about what I did.  He asked me if I was a nurse or a teacher; I said no, I worked on Capitol Hill.  Oh, where did I go and what did I study to get into that kind of work? English? Ugh. He asked me if I was a typist or secretary, I said no, I am working on an investigation into offshore money laundering and another on corrupt African dictatorships. 

After undergrad I worked for a few years for the United States Congress and if there is any institution with a sexual harassment and discrimination problem, it’s Congress.  I cannot even list the amount of times I was dismissed of being some starry-eyed, “cute” girl with a silly dream of saving the world. Nor can I list the amount of meetings I attended in which my counterpart did not look me in the face. 

It didn’t matter that I graduated from a good school, was successful, was all business and had no problem with kicking butt and taking names.  Some people were so blinded by my appearance and their own preconceptions they refused to give me real credit for my work.

A few Thanksgivings ago, I had made dinner and my family enjoyed the fruits of my labor, we all stood up to clean—except the men. They went into the other room to watch football. So I followed them, told them that I cooked so they clean. My dad looked at me incredulously, but I was serious. And they went into the kitchen and cleaned.

How many times have I been walking down the street or running—RUNNING—on the treadmill and told, “Honey, why aren’t you smiling?” Who just walks around by themselves smiling like an idiot? Who runs on a treadmill smiling?

Not to mention the number of times I’ve been on the treadmill in front of a mirror and see guys behind me, just standing there staring.

One day I was waiting for a taxi to take me to the airport in Italy and some man kept on walking after me and saying gross stuff in the deserted streets at 4am.  I had to flag down a garbage man to stay with me until the cab arrived.

And yes. Domestic violence happens. 

I admit these instances are different from those highlighted in the press regarding Egyptian men, but understanding the limitations and weaknesses in our own society is important before we go passing judgment on others. 

Nothing disgusts me more than Westerners—especially men—patting themselves on the back for how they treat women or making lofty declarations about how men in other societies treat women. He who has never sexually harassed, throw the first stone.    I think we would find there would be very few stones thrown. 

One Saudi girl thought to compete in Olympics not eligible

Saudi Grand Mufti Abd al-Aziz al-Shaikh: “Women should be housewives. There is no need for them to engage in sports.”

File this under "I told you so."

The one Saudi girl thought to be able to compete in the 2012 Olympics failed to qualify and will not actually be able to compete.

So they'll allow their women to compete in the Olympics. But none will be able to.

It was a nice announcement, much applauded in the West.  The real impact on the ground? Zilch.

Via AFP:

Dalma Rushdi Malhas, tipped to become a pioneering woman competitor for Saudi Arabia at the London Olympics, has in fact failed to qualify and won't compete, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) said Monday.

 "There have been some reports in the media, but regretfully the Saudi Arabian rider Dalma Rushdi Malhas has not attained the minimum eligibility standards and consequently will not be competing at the London 2012 Olympic Games," FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos said in a statement out of Lausanne.

UPDATED: NYT has an article entitled "Saudi End to Olympics Women Ban Will Have No Practical Effect."

“They’re only doing it so they don’t get banned from the Olympics,” wrote Barry Petchesky at the Deadspin sports site. “This is progress, but it is not much progress.”

“It is only right that the Saudi government should play by the Olympic rules,” said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch. “But an eleventh hour change of course to avoid a ban does not alter the dismal and unequal conditions for women and girls in Saudi Arabia.”

Saudis to allow women to compete in the 2012 Olympics

Saudi faced strong criticism for holding to their refusal to allow women to participate in the 2012 Olympics.  The country is dominated by a strain of Islam that looks down on women doing any kind of physical activity.

I found it incredibly ridiculous, not to say unhealthy.  Qatar was a stark comparison.  The smaller Gulf nation is also Wahhabi, but allows for many more freedoms all around.  Women do not have to wear an abaya, I was able to use the hotel gym (even run along the corniche), could have driven if I so chose.  We visited Aspire Sports complex, where I saw young and probably young teenaged girls wearing short spandex outfits practicing gymnastics... cartwheels, flips, you name it.  In front of men.  That would be unimaginable in Saudi.

Seen at Aspire: So, Saudi. What was that you said about me not being able to drive?!

The Saudi Embassy in London announced on Sunday that women from the country will be allowed to compete in the Olympics for the first time ever.  According to the embassy, Saudi's Olympics Committee will "oversee participation of women athletes who can qualify."

Definitely a positive step that Saudi women will now be allowed to participate in the Olympics.  The decision apparently came after "secret meetings" between the king, (former) crown prince, foreign minister, leading religious cleric, the grand mufti, and others.

Two reservations:

1. Why did the Saudi Embassy in London make the announcement and not the country's Olympic Committee? Scared of the backlash?

2. So... you're allowing women to participate but don't allow them to practice? How can women get the training they need to be successful? The rich can always find ways around it. But the Saudis seemed to have taken the tenth step before the first, second, and third that would have allowed women to really participate.

In short, it's good for headlines.  The West certainly noticed.  But apparently there's only one girl who will be able to qualify, showjumper Dalma Rushdi Malhas.  But the announcement seems geared more toward convincing the world Saudi is reforming than actually reforming.

AFRICOM paper reports on "mystery airstrike" that killed Malian al-Qaeda-affiliated militants

A "mystery" missile attack in Mali's breakaway province of Azawad killed seven al-Qaeda members last week, reported Magharebia, a news outlet run by United States AFRICOM.

The raid targeted a convoy of four vehicles belonging to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).  Several other militants received "serious" wounds and were being treated at a hospital in Timbuktu.

The attack came after unidentified recon airplanes were reported above Timbuktu.

"The planes that carried out the attack on the terrorists have something to do with the plane that was seen in Timbuktu sky last Thursday," a Touareg soldier told Magharebia.

Algerian al-Khabar reported Western Special Ops forces and transport networks in the region in anticipation of air raids on the al-Qaeda affiliated rebels.

The Washington Post also reported on expanded United States intelligence-gathering operations in both sub-Saharan and North Africa by establishing a network of air bases for spying on terrorist groups such as al-Shabaab, Boko Harem, AQIM, and even AQAP in nearby Yemen, as well as tracking down Joseph Kony.


An alliance of Touareg and Islamist rebels took control over northern Mali after a coup destabilized the African country's central government in April.  The Islamists quickly marginalized the Touareg rebels, declared independence for Azawad, or "free country," and imposed shariah over the territory.  


The international community is concerned about the strengthening of al-Qaeda-allied Ansar al-Din in Mali and the influx of regional militants to Azawad.


"We are very worried by what is happening in Mali and its impact on the region," said UN Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres.  "We need to create the right conditions to avoid this crisis becoming a threat to global security."


Azawad is a "risk to peace and security all over the world," said Guterres. 

FP: Spend your summer shooting fake terrorists

File this under "WTF." 

By Allison Good

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a terrorist-shooting sniper? Thanks to a program run by Jewish settlers in Gush Etzion, you too can spend a day beyond the Green Line learning how to take down extremist militants. As Yedioth Aharanoth reported recently, the experience allows tourists to "hear stories from the battleground, watch a simulated assassination of terrorists by guards, and fire weapons at the range."

Sharon Gat, who manages the Caliber 3 shooting range, calls the opportunity a "once-in-a-lifetime experience" that was "created due to popular demand," and demand is certainly high among families. Enter Michel Brown, a Miami banker who brought his wife and three children to this warfare summer camp:

Upon entering the range, his five-year-old daughter, Tamara, bursts into tears. A half hour later, she is holding a gun and shooting clay bullets like a pro. "This is part of their education," Michel says as he proudly watches his daughter. "They should know where they come from and also feel some action."

By the end of the day, his trigger-happy son Jacob is confident that he can stop terrorist operatives with the best of them:

"This is an awesome experience. I learned how to stop a terrorist and how to rescue hostages. Now, when I find myself in distress, I will know how to deal."

Tourists receive a certificate at the end of the experience, and Gush Etzion Regional Council president Davidi Pearl hopes that the program will turn the Gush into "a world-famous ‘tourist gem.'"

If the program continues to be successful, we may have a small army of child counter-terror operatives on our hands.

Teaching a five year old girl how to shoot a gun and protect herself against terrorists?

Imagine if Arab populations were similarly empowered to protect themselves against settler attacks.

Also, comparable "Stand Your Ground" laws always works so well.  

Bassem Youssef: "The only way is to open up for everybody."

"People want democracy until someone else they don't like comes to power. 

The problem is that--I don't agree with the MB or the Salafis--but it's wrong to hide inside your bubble and go running to the military and asking them to protect you because for 60 years their rule in Egypt created poverty, extremists, and radicalism. The only way is to actually open up for everybody. Because you know what happened to the MB--after the parliamentary elections they won by 75 percent. In 2 months, they lost half of their votes because they were accountable for the first time in 80 years. Just give them power and let them deal with it."

--Bassem Youssef

Bassem Youssef and Jon Stewart on after taping The Daily Show (From @DrBassemYoussef's Twitter feed). 

Interview, part 1: Taking a photo of Catherine Zeta Jones' assprint. Actually, members of the MB are quite normal. 

Interview, part 2: Bassem dreamed of being on the Daily Show.  Above quote. 

Court orders arrest of Pakistan's prime minister hopeful for links to imported illegal drug

Chill out, Pak. It's not a competition with Egypt for Most Craziest Politics Ever.

The day after Pak's president nominated a prime minister after the previous man to hold the post was disqualified by the judiciary, another court ordered the arrest of the PM hopeful.

Note: While the civilian leaders and judiciary of both countries go at it, very little attention is paid to the real power brokers--the military.

Via the BBC:

Pakistan judge orders arrest of PM nominee Shahabuddin

A judge in Pakistan has ordered the arrest of President Asif Ali Zardari's preferred candidate for prime minister, just a day after he was nominated.

Shahabuddin to face vote on Friday. If he's not in jail.

  Makhdoom Shahabuddin's arrest warrant is linked to imports of an illegal drug while he was health minister.

Parliament is due to vote on a new PM on Friday to replace Yousuf Raza Gilani. The Supreme Court disqualified him because of a contempt conviction.

It is not clear if the warrant will derail Mr Shahabuddin's nomination.

Legal experts say that even if he is arrested, he could still be elected prime minister by parliament, the BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad reports.

Mr Shahabuddin is a senior figure in the ruling Pakistan People's Party who served in the cabinet of Benazir Bhutto and was most recently textiles minister in Mr Gilani's administration.

The order for his arrest was issued by an anti-narcotics court judge in the northern city of Rawalpindi.

It is linked to an anti-narcotics force case into the illegal importing of the drug ephedrine while he was health minister.

Mr Shahabuddin is accused of violating restrictions on the import of the drug in 2010. He denies the charge, and says he in fact ordered an inquiry into the affair.

State TV said that another minister, Raja Pervez Ashraf, would be offered as a "covering" candidate in case the textiles minister was rejected by MPs.

Feud with judiciary

The court's decision to disqualify Mr Gilani stunned Pakistan's government on Tuesday, two months after judges convicted the prime minister of contempt of court for failing to pursue corruption charges against the president.

In April, Mr Gilani was given a token sentence and avoided a jail term.

Even if Mr Shahabuddin does become prime minister, he is likely to face the same Supreme Court demand as Mr Gilani for the launch of a corruption inquiry into Mr Zardari.

The charges against President Zardari date back to the 1990s when his late wife Benazir Bhutto was prime minister. They were accused of using Swiss bank accounts to launder bribe money.

President Zardari has always insisted the charges against him are politically motivated.

Mr Gilani's removal as prime minister is being seen as part of a long-running and bitter feud between the government and judiciary.

How to appear out of touch with Average Joe. Or Average Yusef.

Build an elevator for your car.

Play dressage. (What is that? I had to google it. Has something to do with horses).

Eat dog.

Criticize a candidate's wife for "not working a day in her life," despite being a stay-at-home mother of five children and diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Republican candidate for president of the United States and wife Ann.

Criticize a candidate's wife for wearing a veil.

Naglaa Aly, wife of FJP candidate for president of Egypt Mohamed Morsi.

How not to win the hearts and minds? Ridicule the people you're trying to win over. 

Breaking: Gilani no longer Pakistani PM after Supreme Court Ban

Via the BBC:

Pakistan's top court has disqualified Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani from holding office, two months after convicting him of contempt of court.

Ex (??) Pakistani PM Gilani

The Supreme Court ruled he had "ceased to be the prime minister of Pakistan".

In April, the Supreme Court convicted Mr Gilani of failing to pursue corruption charges against President Asif Ali Zardari.

He had argued the president has constitutional immunity from prosecution.

But Mr Gilani was given only a token sentence and spared a jail term.

Tuesday's court ruling disqualified Mr Gilani from office and from parliament.

"Since no appeal was filed [against the 26 April conviction]... therefore Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani stands disqualified as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora [parliament]," Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry told a packed courtroom.

He added: "He has also ceased to be the prime minister of Pakistan... the office of the prime minister stands vacant."

It is not clear what next steps Mr Gilani may take - or whether his removal means the fall of the government.

The BBC's Orla Guerin in Islamabad says senior leaders of the governing Pakistan People's Party are in emergency session.

It has the necessary majority in parliament to elect a successor to Mr Gilani.

The legal case against Mr Gilani is part of a stand-off between Pakistan's civilian government and the judiciary, which many believe is being backed by the military.

The pursuit of the contempt case by Supreme Court judges was seen by many as an attempt at meddling in the country's politics.

Russian exporter with ties to the Pentagon sending missile defense systems to Syria

Russia’s main arms exporter announced on Friday it would send advanced missile defense systems to Syria capable of shooting down airplanes or sinking ships in the event of foreign intervention into the Levantine country’s crisis.

“I would like to say these mechanisms are really a good means of defense, a reliable defense against attacks from the air or sea,” Anatoly P. Isaykin, the general director of Rosoboronexport, said.  “This is not a threat, but whoever is planning an attack should think about this."

According to the New York Times, among the weapons to be shipped to Syria are the Pantsyr-S1, a radar-guided missile and artillery system capable of hitting warplanes at altitudes well above those typically flown during bombing sorties, and up to 12 miles away; Buk-M2 antiaircraft missiles, capable of striking airplanes at even higher altitudes, up to 82,000 feet, and at longer ranges; and land-based Bastion antiship missiles that can fire at targets 180 miles from the coast.

Buk-M2 antiaircraft missiles.
Photo: AP

The systems to be shipped are not considered to be top of the line.  Rather, the announcement is another step in the retrenching of tensions between Moscow and Washington. 

The two have been butting heads over the cause and how to handle Syria’s spiral of violence.  The United States accuses Russia of supporting a murderous dictator, President Bashar al-Assad, and condoning his use of violence, while Russia accuses the United States of  pro-rebel bias and military adventurism.  Russia believes NATO and the United States overstepped its mandate during the Libyan war and violated domestic sovereignty. 

There were also reports Moscow was planning on sending an amphibious landing vessel and a small squad of marines to Tartus in Syria to provide security for military instillations and infrastructure. 

Russia is Syria’s biggest arms supplier and maintains its only base outside the former Soviet Union in Tartus. 

Moscow emphasizes the arms sold to Damascus are defensive in nature and are not being used against the opposition.  Isaykin told reporters Moscow has not shipped rifles, ground-to-ground rockets, helicopters and onboard weapons, or armored vehicles—necessities for a civil war—to Syria in over ten years. 

Meanwhile, a United States senator criticized the Department of Defense for granting Rosoboronexport a no-bid contract to provide Afghanistan’s forces with 21 Mi-17 helicopters, valued around $1 billion. 

“I remain deeply troubled that the [Department of Defense] would knowingly do business with a firm that enabled mass atrocities in Syria,” Republican and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee John Cornyn wrote in a letter to DOD secretary Leon Panetta. 

The Pentagon responded that the deal with Rosoboronexport is the “only legally available method” to supply the helicopters to Afghanistan. 

“We understand the concerns,” said Pentagon spokesman George Little.  “We’re not ignoring them.  But I would make the point that, in the case of Afghanistan, the Mi-17 is about giving them what they need and what they can use effectively to take on their own fights inside the country.

The Russian arms exporter was subject to United States sanctions from 2006 to 2010 for allegedly supplying Iran and Syria with equipment that could be used to build weapons of mass destruction.  A United States intelligence report this week also said the firm was supplying Iran with equipment for its disputed missile program.  

US expands intel gathering in Africa: "We should not show to al-Qaeda that we are working with Americans"

The United States expanded intelligence-gathering operations in both sub-Saharan and North Africa by establishing a network of air bases for spying on terrorist groups such as al-Shabaab, Boko Harem, AQIM, and even AQAP in nearby Yemen, as well as tracking down Joseph Kony, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.

According to the WaPo, the bases in Uganda, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Djibuti, Kenya, and the Seychelles are used for "small, unarmed turboprop aircraft disguised as private planes" to avoid drawing attention and are "equipped with hidden sensors that can record full-motion video, track infrared heat patters, and vacuum up radio and cellphone signals."

 Djibril Bassole, the foreign minister of Burkina Faso, praises the intelligence gathering operations and security agreement between his country and the United States.

"We need to fight and protect our borders," he said.  "Once they infiltrate your country, it's very, very difficult to get them out.

Some discretion is necessary, he says.

"I cannot provide details but it has been very, very helpful.  This cooperation should be very, very discreet.  We should not show to al-Qaeda that we are working with the Americans."

Oops.  Pretty sure they know now.  

Special Ops forces, working with a sizable contingent of contractors, fly intel missions over the continent.  The Special Ops depend heavily on contractors for much of the work, in effect outsourcing intelligence gathering efforts. The nature of the agreements leaves little accountability or means of renumeration for contractors or their families if things go wrong.

The article is worth reading in full, but one thing I noted about both stories was the mention of plainclothes civilians and military officers in bars and restaurants in the region. The first story placed special emphasis on the presence of service members an contractors in Ouagadougou, the capital of Muslim-majority Burkina Faso. The second placed emphasis on the presence of contractors in Kampala, which was attacked in July 2010 by al-Shabaab.  Over 70 were killed and around 70 were injured when the Somali-based group attacked World Cup screenings.

I'm not sure what the mention of these foreigners in the capitals--especially in the BARS in these countries--added to the stories aside from placing these guys and mzungus (white people) who have nothing to do with the operations at risk of retaliation attacks.  In the case of Ouagadougou, the story even mentioned locals appreciate them for the business they bring.  In the case of Kenya--I mean, al-Shabaab already attacked them. 

Shabaab places bounty on Obama: For you, ten camels. "Old Woman" Hillary only worth ten roosters, hens

"Whoever reveals the hideout of the idiot Obama will be rewarded with 10 camels, and whoever reveals the hideout of the old woman Hillary Clinton will be rewarded 10 chickens and 10 roosters," said Fouad Muhammad Khalaf, a member of al-Shabaab.

SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant organizations, reported Khalaf made the comment after Friday prayers, mocking a United States bounty on members of the Somali organization.

"I can assure you that these kinds of things will never dissuade us from continuing the holy war against them," continued Khalaf.  "There is nothing new in the fact that infidels pay to have Muslim leaders killed.  They already did that by offering camels for the head of the Prophet Mohammed, and the dollar is the camel of today."

Khalaf was referring to a story in the Quran in which an offer of 100 camels was made for the Prophet when he was fleeing Mecca for Medina.

On Thursday, the Department of State announced a $7 million bounty for al-Shabaab founder and leader Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed, more commonly known as Godane or Abu Zubayr, and a $5 million bounty for information on the whereabouts of Khalaf and three other members of the militant group.  Three million was offered for information on two other members of the group.

Al-Shabaab took control over large swaths of Somalia after the fall of the Islamic Courts Union after an Ethiopian invasion in 2006.  The Transitional Federal Government (TFG), which once controlled only blocks in Mogadishu, successfully reclaimed several key bases from al-Shabaab in recent months with the assistance of troops from the African Union.

According to VOA, after years of war, Somalia is working to attract investment and business back to Mogadishu.

"Now, business, hotels, restaurants have started opening, roads are building, schools are building so now, a lot of hope [is] there," said MP Mohammed Amin Osman.

Zawahiri's wife praises women for role in uprisings, predicts an "Islamic Spring"

Al-Qaeda’s media arm, al-Fajr, released a letter from leader Ayman al-Zawahiri’s wife, Umayma, praising women across the region for their leading role in the recent uprisings, as both mothers and caretakers of revolutionaries and as participants and victims of violence. 

Cover of Umayma's letter

“Much of what happened was something we had wished, pleaded, and called for, for decades, but unfortunately, only few had responded,” she wrote.  “But today, the balance has tipped—with the grace of God—and things have changed.”

Umayma wrote she wished he participated in the uprisings and singled out Egyptian women’s courage in the face of regime-sponsored violence.

She noted the political gains made by Islamists, including in Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco, and said the Arab Spring would turn into an “Islamic Spring” and lead to the “liberation of Jerusalem.”

“We will have a new Islamic state based on shariah arbitration, and we will free Palestine and build a state of succession to the prophecy,” she said. 

She asked women to continue wearing the veil at school and work.  “The veil is the identity of the Muslim woman,” she said.  “The West wants to tear off this identity so that the Muslim woman would be without her identity, and then everything else would be trivialized.”

The letter’s authenticity could not be independently verified.

Al-Qaeda’s influence has been largely marginalized after the uprisings that began in late 2010 and resulted in the overthrow of various autocratic governments across the region.  The uprisings, while violent at times, were characterized by nonviolent protests, wide popular support, and the demands that political freedom and social justice be realized. 

In a year, the uprisings were able to do what al-Qaeda had been attempting for decades—the overthrow of “tyrant criminals,” according to Umayma—while rejecting the group’s violent tactics and extremist ideology.  The letter is the latest in a series of attempts by al-Qaeda to capitalize on the uprisings.

Al-Zawahiri became al-Qaeda’s leader after Osama bin Laden was killed by United States Special Forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan last May.  The letter was released shortly after al-Qaeda’s second in command, Abu Yahya al-Libi, was reportedly killed in a drone strike in Pakistan in earlier this week.  

Head of Saudi religious police condemns treatment of nail polish girl while government accuses activist of "disrespect"

The head of Saudi's religious police "came out strongly" against the member of the CPVPV who was caught on a girl's cell phone camera ordering her to leave the mall for wearing nail polish. The video became a viral hit on the blogosphere.  The dislikes however, far outweighed the likes- 2,775 likes to 8,400 dislikes. "The world is manufacturing airplanes and we are still telling a woman, 'Leave the mall because you've got nail polish on your fingers,'" local news quoted Sheikh Abdullatif Abdel Aziz al-Sheikh as saying. Both parties, however, we're responsible for the escalation of the situation, according to al-Sheikh, "I was very disappointed by what I have seen.  The matter had been exaggerated and negatively exploited.  The way the member of the commission behaved sad most right, even if the girl had gone too far." The government's response was, to me, the embodiment of the one step forward, two steps back method of opening Saudi society.  This is especially true in light of the fact Saudi officials announced activist Waleed Abu Al-Khair was accused with "disrespecting" the judiciary by contacting foreign NGOs about a petition to release detainees.  It seems like the Saudis are going through the motions, but there remains a thick red line no one is allowed to cross.  This line ensures the perpetuation of the status quo.  How to reform if you can't change the status quo?? PS-It seems the Saudi trip had the opposite of the intended effect. It was to show us the soft side of Saudi in a PR type of way, but seeing the ridiculous and repressive rules, for both men and women, made me even more passionate about my beliefs about the government.

"They just messed with the wrong woman."

I got a lot of flack for being critical of the gender segregation and inequity when I was in Saudi.  I was seeing things through Western eyes, the boys told me.  It's just the way things are.  Some Saudis argued change was happening, and it was just happening slowly.  Partially true, but like most initiatives imposed from the top-down, actual practice differed from the letter of the law.

The Guardian ran an interview with Manal al-Sharif, who gained fame by defying Saudi law and drove while railing against the inequalities and ridiculous rules in the repressive kingdom that make women second-class citizens.

Manal behind the wheel.

Her spin around the streets of Khobar was captured on a friend's phone and posted on YouTube.  Shortly after, she was arrested and jailed for over a week for "incitement to public disorder."

According to the Guardian, she used her infamy to draw attention to the misogyny in Saudi society and press for real change.  She led mass "protest drives," in which she and other women would drive around; filed lawsuits against the Kingdom's traffic laws, and started an advocacy organization called My Right to Dignity.

"I'm a single mother and I'm 33 but it's hard to even rent my own apartment without getting my father to sign a piece of paper saying he gives me permission," she says.  "I went to renew my passport the other day and they told me to come back with my male guardian.  That is life, for a Saudi woman; wherever we go, whatever we achieve, we are the property of a man."

A Saudi woman who is beaten or raped by her husband and goes to the police must bring that husband along to formally "identify" her, she adds.  Saudi women are forbidden from playing competitive sports and are not due to get the vote until 2015.

...

Her life changed, almost overnight, on 9/11, orchestrated by her countryman Osama bin Laden. "The extremists told us it was God's punishment to America," she recalls. But on the news that evening, she was sickened by footage of office workers jumping from the twin towers. "I said to myself, 'something is wrong. There is no religion on earth that can accept such mercilessness, such cruelty.'"

Ms Sharif began questioning literalist aspects of her faith. "I realized it is impossible to live with the rules they give Saudi women," she says. "Just impossible. You trying to do everything by the book but you can never stay pure."

This year, she was fired from her job at Aramco for her activism.  She refuses to give up and refuses to accept the status quo.  Her actions, and the actions of her fellow activists, should give pause to those who argued to me the current "reforms" are enough.

Because that's just an excuse.  And a load of crap.