A 26-year-old Briton on an EgyptAir plane Tuesday did what Millennials do all the time: He took a selfie. This wasn't just any selfie, however. The photo included the man authorities say hijacked Ben Innes' plane. Innes was one of the remaining hostages during a six-hour standoff at Cyprus' Larnaca airport, the Guardian reported.
A record of Michael Christopher Brown's life both inside and outside Libya during 2011, this new photobook details is about a young man going to war for the first time and his experience of that age-old desire to get as close as possible to a conflict.
perfect time to create a documentary that will analyze the causes, provide alternatives to traditional thought and document women fighting back in creative ways,” explained 22-year-old Colette Ghu
“Because we’re both frequently in the street alone, we both experience high levels of stares daily, as well as verbal harassment,
sexual harassment is still taboo in Cairo
to walk outside or take public transportation,
don’t want to deal with the intimidation and anxiety.
the United States, Latin America, Europe, South Asia- we’ve experienced various levels of sexual harassment.
three people with different views of sexual harassment and their daily lives surrounding the issue,
three Egyptians to reveal the extent of sexual harassment in Egypt and to get a better understanding of the issue,
Esraa is a 25-year-old Egyptian woman
challenges social norms by performing in storytelling theater pieces about sexual harassment
participating in anti-sexual harassment protests and events.”
8 out of 10 women experience sexual harassment in public transportation,
deters us
members of society open up about their own experiences and perspectives.”
99 percent of women in Egypt have faced sexual harassment.
2011 revolution had a big impact on the issue of sexual harassment,
positive and negative ways
unfortunately become more widespread,
lack of police
gives harassers a sense of immunity
more commonplace and accepted.
President Sisi
police presence in the streets has increased, and more harassers have been brought to justice
Egyptian women have reached their boiling point in recent years, and inspired by the revolution, they have become a lot more outspoken
critics of Islam often end up blaming misogyny on religion.
sexual harassment is not specific to one religion.
here remains a common misbelief in the West that Egyptian, as well as all Arab women, are oppressed.
women in Egypt have been able to do basically anything a man can do
work and have a career
degrees in higher education,
high leadership roles
product of the news cycle following the US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan
societal pressures for women to focus on getting married and starting a family.
very similar to the ones women in the West
no way means that all Egyptian men are harassers,
Arab or Muslim-specific issue.
a worldwide problem.”
two meanings that it has in Arabic
well-mannered, cultured, respectable girl,
“When people blame victims of sexual harassment, they often argue that if only the girl was a ‘people’s girl’ then she wouldn’t get harassed. The name is also an ode to all the girls and women of Egypt.”
Filmmakers are filming a film that talks about the sexual harassment issue that occurring in Egypt. Ninety-nine percent of women in Egypt have faced sexual harassment. It also shares the common misbeliefs that people believe due to American news.
This is a video of one of the most well known martyrs of the Egyptian revolution. This man lost both of his eyes in two different protests. The video doesn't provide any information of who is doing the painting, but it is still an interesting mural.
This particular website goes into great detail about one mural. It depicts a man breaking away from chains, doves' flying to represent peace, blood dripping to represent the people lost in the revolution and the facebook sign to show that social media has been a huge factor in getting together.
Antoon is also keen to complicate conventional notions of life in Baghdad after 2003. Many foreign narratives of post-war Iraq emphasize ethnic and sectarian divisions as essential groups of categorization by the Iraqi people. By following Jawad’s story, which begins long before the invasion, we can see that Antoon addresses sectarianism, but in ways that counter common sectarian narratives. One example is that of Jawad’s work. In a jarring scene, two Sunni men come into Jawad’s business. Jawad is a Shia and generally washes other Shia men. Death rituals differ slightly between sects. The two men present Jawad with a burned corpse of a Shia man who had been killed in a car bomb. For days his body sat outside the wreckage, so the men decided to collect the corpse for washing. “God bless you. There are still good people in this world,” is all that Jawad replies. This emotional sense of togetherness, despite the admission that the car bomb was an act of sectarian violence, shows that in chaotic times such lines are not as clear as they are made out to be.
But the identity of "Jihadi John" remained a mystery -- until Thursday, when two U.S. officials and two U.S. congressional sources confirmed it. The man, the officials said, is Mohammed Emwazi, a Kuwaiti-born Londoner. The officials, who've been briefed on the matter, spoke to CNN after a Washington Post report first revealed Emwazi's identity.
Southern Tunisia lives largely off illegal cross-border trade. A strike has been staged following deadly clashes between police and demonstrators after the seizure of contraband fuel. Unions are demanding job creation schemes, the lifting of an export tax imposed on goods imposed in October. It is estimated that about 328,000 tonnes of contraband products pass through Ras Jedir annually. Smuggling was costing the Tunisian exchequer at least $675m a year.
France and Britain dismissed on Friday any suggestion of restoring relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying this would likely end all hope of a political transition and push moderates into the arms of radical Islamist groups.
With the rise of Islamic State insurgents, some European |Union member states are critical of the position in Paris and London and say it might be time to re-establish communication with Damascus given that a four-year-old revolt has failed to overthrow Assad
"In reality, Bashar represents injustice, chaos and terror. We, France and Britain, say no to all three
the French and British foreign ministers hit back at those who sought a rapprochement with Assad by saying he was using the fear of Islamic State, which has seized wide areas of northern and eastern Syria, to win back international support
countries would have to work with Assad to defeat Islamic State, while the U.N. envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said earlier this month that Assad must be part of the solution for defusing the conflict in Syria
This week a four-man cross-party delegation of French parliamentarians traveled to Syria and some met with Assad, and triggering a national debate on the issue
An initially peaceful street uprising against Assad has spiraled into a civil war that has seen a level of suffering some diplomats see as justifying contacts with Damascus in pursuit of a political solution
Britain and France see Assad's departure as a precondition of peace negotiations but the collapse of his government has become less likely as the war grinds on inconclusively
For our own security, we must defeat Islamic State in Syria. We need a partner that can act against extremists. We need a negotiated political settlement
compromise would be needed between elements of the existing government and relatively moderate opponents of Assad.
Both Britain and France have shunned Syrian President Assad in their quest to fight terrorism. They oppose all that the Syrian government stands for and this is why they will continue to dismiss the Syrian government and any ties with them.
Sheikh’s case and several other recent terrorism prosecutions shed light on the growing importance of social media in the battles unfolding in Syria and Iraq -- both as a recruiting tool for Islamic terrorist groups like ISIS and the Al-Nusra Front, and as a means for the FBI to pre-emptively nab the would-be jihadis.
raises questions about the FBI’s conduct in attempting to head off terrorist recruits and whether they incited them to actions they wouldn’t have otherwise taken.
using fake social media identities to engage them
catfishing” by luring him into a personal relationship with a phony online persona.
During the investigation, the FBI published a webpage that purported to recruit individuals to travel to Syria and join Jabhat al-Nusra (
posed as a Syrian nurse and "used a Facebook page which promoted the ideology of Islamic extremism" to contact the suspect,
been able to expand their reach far beyond the traditional jihadi recruitment pool to a much wider audience -- including English-speaking Western nationals."
FBI at times goes too far to reel in American Muslims, most of them young, who are sympathetic to the Islamic extremist cause.
her client is “a lonely, mentally ill young man with a tremendous desire to be liked,” which made him susceptible to a paid FBI informant’s online encouragement.
Suspects began posting on Facebook or other social media expressing support for or seeking contact with one of the Islamic groups fighting in Iraq and Syria and were then engaged by informants or undercover FBI agents.
social media counterterrorism operations,
'Don't go there in any way, don't go there in thought or expression, don't even toy with the idea of becoming foreign fighters.'"
eventually agreed to join Al-Nusra, purchased a plane ticket to Beirut and prepared for his journey to jihad
informant, however, suggested that Sheikh instead join the Al-Nusra Front, an al Qaeda affiliate t
provided Sheikh with contact information for a supposed Al-Nusra agent.
could help get him inside
face up to 15 years in prison and fines of $250,000 if they are convicted
sending a message to potential terrorist recruits is indeed important.
defense attorneys in all four cases may argue that the FBI actions amounted to entrapment -- the act of tricking someone into committing a crime so that they can be arrested
making examples of individuals
sought to make contact with al Qaeda officials on Facebook and other social media, but instead drew the attention of an undercover FBI agent who presented himself as a recruiter for the terrorist group.
"ISIS recruits are more likely to reach out in the online universe seeking advice on how to reach the land of jihad than to consult the guidance of a traditional cleric or local community leader
that universe and creating honeypots to draw in and capture potential ISIS recruits, they can help sow doubts in the minds of would-be jihadists in the overall reliability of the Internet as a medium for recruit
Justice Department plans to review federal law enforcement practices on creating fake Facebook pages in light of an incident,
This article discusses the strategies of the FBI in trying to arrest potential jihad recruits. The article discusses several cases of individuals arrested for attempting to join ISIS and the implications involving each case.
According to intelligence reports, the group is thought to have around 1,000 members, many of whom may have operated in other jihadi groups in the past. The group is one of the strongest and best coordinated in Egypt, and is in possession of advanced weaponry, including man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), rocket-propelled grenades, and Grad rockets.
the man has hollowed out the Libyan state, eviscerated all opposition in Libyan society, and, in effect, created a political tabula rasa on which a newly free people will now have to scratch out a future.
Jamahiriya, a political system that is run directly by tribesmen without the intermediation of state institutions
the problem is, of course, that much like in the former Soviet satellites in Eastern Europe, virtually everyone at one point or another had to deal with the regime to survive.
the disastrous Italian legacy in Libya, has been a constant element in Gaddafi’s speeches since he took power
inspired by Gamal Abdel Nasser, neighboring Egypt’s president, whose ideas of Arab nationalism and of the possibility of restoring glory to the Arab world, would fuel the first decade of Gaddafi’s revolution.
he was unimpressed with the niceties of international diplomacy,
In a brilliant move that co-opted tribal elders, many of whom were also military commanders, he created the Social Leadership People’s Committee, through which he could simultaneously control the tribes and segments of the country’s military.
When it turned out that Libya, which was still a decentralized society in 1969, had little appetite for his centralizing political vision and remained largely indifferent to his proposals, the young idealist quickly turned activist.
Green Book, a set of slim volumes published in the mid-1970s that contain Gaddafi’s political philosophy, a blueprint is offered for a dramatic restructuring of Libya’s economy, politics, and society. In principle, Libya would become an experiment in democracy. In reality, it became a police state where every move of its citizens was carefully watched by a growing number of security apparatuses and revolutionary committees that owed loyalty directly to Gaddafi.
Having crushed all opposition by the mid-1970s, the regime systematically snuffed out any group that could potentially oppose it—any activity that could be construed as political opposition was punishable by death, which is one reason why a post-Gaddafi Libya, unlike a post-Mubarak Egypt, can have no ready-made opposition in a position to fill the vacuum.
The tribes—the Warfalla, the Awlad Busayf, the Magharha, the Zuwaya, the Barasa, and the smallest of them all, the Gadafa, to which he belonged—offered a natural form of political affiliation, a tribal ethos that could be tapped into for support. And perhaps, in the aftermath of Gaddafi, they could serve as a nucleus around which to build a new political system.
Gaddafi feared they might coalesce into groups opposing his rule. So, during the first two decades after the 1969 coup, he tried to erase their influence, arguing that they were an archaic element in a modern society.
comprehensive reconstruction of everything civic, political, legal, and moral that makes up a society and its government.
After systematically destroying local society, after using the tribes to cancel each other out, after aborting methodically the emergence of a younger generation that could take over Libya’s political life—all compounded by the general incoherence of the country’s administrative and bureaucratic institutions—Gaddafi will have left a new Libya with severe and longstanding challenges.
the growing isolation of Libya as international sanctions were imposed.
Lockerbie was the logical endpoint for a regime that had lost all international legitimacy.
while the regime still had the coercive power to put down any uprisings that took place in the 1990s, it became clear to Gaddafi’s closest advisers that the potential for unrest had reached unprecedented levels.
way out was to come to an agreement with the West that would end the sanctions, allow Libya to refurbish an aging oil infrastructure, and provide a safety valve by permitting Libyans to travel abroad once more.
intent to renounce weapons of mass destruction in December 2003—after a long process of behind-the-scenes diplomacy initially spearheaded by Britain
“The Revolution Everlasting” was one of the enduring slogans of his Libya, inscribed everywhere from bridges to water bottles.
regime that had, for four decades, mismanaged the country’s economy and humiliated its citizens
country was split in half, with eastern Cyrenaica and its main city Benghazi effectively independent—a demonstration of the kind of people’s power Gaddafi had always advocated. Reality, in effect, outgrew the caricature.
used a set of divide-and-rule policies that not only kept his opponents sundered from each other, but had also completely enfeebled any social or political institution in the country.
Beyond Gaddafi, there exists only a great political emptiness, a void that Libya somehow will need to fill.
the creation of a modern state where Libyans become true citizens, with all the rights and duties this entails.
the terrorist incidents
Regimes can use oil revenues strategically to provide patronage that effectively keeps them in power.
This article from News Week basically paints a picture of Libyan history and how Gaddafi's reign devastated the state economically, socially, and politically. Author Dirk Vandewalle uses the phrase "a political tabula rasa" which in Latin means a blank slate, to describe the fate of Libya after Gaddafi's rule and convey the extent to which the country has to literally reconstruct every component that makes up a society and its government. He highlights major events that led to the downfall of both the Gaddafi regime and the Libyan state as a whole such as Arab nationalism, Jamahiriya, the Green Book, security apparatuses snuffing all opposition, terrorist incidents, isolation and international sanctions, the Lockerbie bombing, weapons of mass destruction, human right violations, divide and rule policies, and his use of oil revenue to fuel his insurgency. Vandewalle concludes the article with uncertain ideas thoughts towards Libya's future and the way the state is going to literally rebuild themselves from this "blank slate" that Gaddafi left behind.
In the upscale neighborhood of Zamalek in Cairo, Egypt, a military tank faces off with a man, on a bicycle, carrying bread. This scene is a five-minute taxi ride from Tahrir Square, the primary spot within the city and the country where thousands of protesters are currently fighting against the rule of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF).
Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, or "Supporters of Jerusalem," claimed responsibility for the Sunday attack on the Egyptian-Israeli gas pipeline. "We bombed the gas stations and pipelines taking gas to the Zionist entity," said a member of the group in video posted on YouTube. The man was wearing camouflage and his face was blurred as he spoke into the camera.
Around 300 Chinese extremists were fighting with the Islamic State after traveling to Turkey
Chinese man was "arrested, tried and shot dead" in Syria in late September by the Islamic State after he became disillusioned with jihad and attempted to return to Turkey to attend university
1st Chinese extremist shot dead for attempting to flee.
"Another two Chinese militants were beheaded in late December in Iraq, along with 11 others from six countries. The Islamic State charged them with treason and accused them of trying to escape
Many others who were fighting with ISIS killed for "treason"
Islamic State, which has seized parts of northern and eastern Syria
killed hundreds off the battlefield since the end of June, when it declared a caliphate.
Chinese officials blame separatists from the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) for carrying out attacks in Xinjiang, home to the Muslim Uighur people. But they are vague about how many people from China are fighting in the Middle Eas
China was opposed to "all forms of terrorism"
"China is willing to work with the international community to combat terrorist forces, including ETIM, and safeguard global peace, security and stability," Hong said.
Human rights advocates say economic marginalization of Uighurs and curbs on their culture and religion are the main causes of ethnic violence in Xinjiang and around China that has killed hundreds of people in recent years. China denies these assertions.
hina has criticized the Turkish government for offering shelter to Uighur refugees who have fled through southeast Asia, saying it creates a global security risk.
The Islamic State has killed three Chinese militants who joined its ranks in Syria and Iraq and later attempted to flee
China has expressed concern about the rise of the Islamic State, nervous about the effect it could have on its Xinjiang region, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Three senior ISIS leaders have been killed in recent weeks by U.S. airstrikes inside Iraq, including the terror group's right-hand man, the Pentagon confirmed. The news comes as the American commander leading the U.S. effort against ISIS in Iraq and Syria says coalition efforts are having a "significant impact" on the terror group's operations.
This article discusses the uncertainty behind President Sisi's presidency. Although Sisi has been in office over a year, very little is know about this military man. this is an interesting article because it talks about Sisi's personality points.