POMED Notes: “Human Rights and Religious Freedom in Morocco”
June 18th, 2010 by Jennifer
The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing on human rights and religious freedom in Morocco, in light of a recent wave of deportations of American and foreign citizens under accusations of religious proselytizing. The Commission—headed by Co-Chairman Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) —requested the testimony of five individuals: Katie Zoglin, Senior Program Manager at Freedom House; Michael Cloud, President of Association Nichan; Herman Boonstra, leader of the Village of Hope orphanage; Mr. and Mrs. Eddie and Lynn Padilla, former foster parents at the Village of Hope; and Dr. Sandra Bunn-Livingstone, Esq., Executive Director of Jus Cogens LLC. Senator James M. Inhofe of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Rachid (Last name redacted) of Al Hayat Television, also submitted written testimony but did not speak at the hearing.
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Iran: Baha’i Situation Empower Totalitarian Leadership
June 18th, 2010 by Farid
While much of the focus from the international community is on Iran’s enrichment of its nuclear fuel and the strategic implications of the Green Movement, human rights concerns continue over the 7 Baha’i leaders who have been imprisoned in Iran for over 2 years. They have been charged with espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and “corruption on earth,” according to the Baha’i World News Service. After a recent trial, they were again returned to Evin Prison. According to a new op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by Wahied Wahdat-Hagh – Senior fellow at the European Foundation for Democracy in Brussels – “The treatment of the Bahai by the current clerical government in Iran is more sinister and complex than a basic lack of religious tolerance: it is an organized, and systematic, and well-documented repression aimed at eliminating the community from the annals of Iranian history.”
Baha’i civil rights do not exist in Iran, according to Wahdat-Hagh. He explains that “the Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council laid out a plan to restrict the education, employment, and cultural status of anyone who identifies publicly as a Bahai.” They have also been banned from attaining work permits in several fields, including tourism and the press. Wahdat-Hagh argues that “failure to defend the rights of the Bahai now will only further empower Iran’s totalitarian leadership, and leave the future of the Bahai and of Iranian freedom in even greater doubt, because they are indivisible.”
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Iran | Comment »
Muslim Brotherhood Member Interview With Carnegie
June 18th, 2010 by Farid
Earlier this week, in an interview with Michele Dunne of Carnegie Endowment, Essam el-Arian, member of the Muslim Brotherhood, replied to a question regarding the Brotherhood’s plans for political participation in the future by explaining that the Brotherhood must commit to reforms in all dimensions: social, political, economical, cultural, intellectual, and others. “This comprehensive reform begins with constitutional and political reform, which requires participation in the general elections and an active presence in formal political institutions, and this is what the Brotherhood applies,” he said.
Despite major obstacles in previous Shura Council elections, al-Arian remains optimistic about the upcoming People’s Assembly elections. “We hope that this will be reflected in a larger voter turnout in the next elections–meaning that the average citizen realizes that if his voice is to reach the government officials, then he will have to go to the ballot box,” he said. Combining the emergence of a stronger protest movement and the emergence of a strong candidate in Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, al-Arian is hopeful for the future. While al-Arian explained that the number of candidates from the Muslim Brotherhood will increase to about 200, he argued that opposition to the current situation will only be successful if other opposition forces put out the same number of candidates.
Discussing the political platform that was made public in 2007, el-Arian explained that the previous platform was introduced to the political elites of society for the purpose of gaining feedback. However, he said that the platform is currently being revised but has not been released yet. “The party platform that we published in 2007 is under review and will not be released unless political life is altered to allow a chance for parties to survive and to allow for the rotation of power,” he said.
But the Brotherhood has learned valuable lessons from the 2005 elections. “The rules of politics in Egypt must be changed by ending the state of emergency and allowing the freedom to form parties without limitations or conditions; allowing parliament to hold the government accountable; selecting the government from the parliamentary majority; and preventing electoral fraud.” With all the past disappointments and let-downs, el-Arian still encouraged political participation, saying that “voting is a duty.” Finally, he proclaimed that “if all of the political forces, parties, popular and political movements, and human rights organizations could make common cause and set aside their small differences, we would open a window of hope, showing that Egypt can embark upon genuine democracy or get on a path towards genuine democracy.”
Posted in Egypt, Elections, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Parties, Reform | Comment »
The Arab Core
June 18th, 2010 by Farid
“Turkey’s solidarity with Hamas is not, of course, based on Arab nationalism, which as a non-Arab nation it does not support. It is instead based on a definition of the Mideast conflict as one between Jews and Muslims, precisely the position of Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda,” said former Middle East adviser Elliott Abrams in a recent piece in the Weekly Standard. According to Abrams, President Obama is failing in his Middle East strategy, which has now resulted in attempts by major powers such as Turkey to turn the situation between Israel and Palestine into a religious war. Additionally Abrams says, “the Arab core grows hollow and less and less able to defend its interests against supporters of Islamism,” arguing that as Arab leaders such as Saud al-Faisal and Husni Mubarak are declining in popular support, other non-Arab states such as Turkey and Iran are taking the stage as regional leaders.
In response to Abrams’ piece, Marc Lynch writes in Foreign Policy, “The Arab core has been hollowed out in large part because of, not in spite of, its role in American foreign policy.” Lynch reacts to Abrams’ argument on the hollow Arab core by explaining that “like many neoconservative advocates of democracy promotion, [Abrams] rarely addresses head on the reality that the policies pursued by these friendly autocrats in support of U.S. policy objectives contribute deeply to the unpopularity of those regimes.”
In response to Abrams’ critique of Obama’s failure to reach out to the moderate Arab leaders, Lynch argues that the failed U.S. policies in the Middle East are due to Obama’s tendency to maintain the old Bush rhetoric of Arab polarization between moderates and radicals. By doing so, Lynch explains, the United States has failed to effectively utilize its opportunities. Through the emergence of Turkey and Qatar as highly influential actors in the region, Obama could have taken advantage of Turkey as an moderator in the Iranian nuclear issue and the Middle East peace plan, he says.
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Palestine: “If You Build The State, It Will Come”
June 18th, 2010 by Farid
In a very interesting new piece in Foreign Policy, Hussein Ibish diverts the general attention from the Gaza flotilla to Palestinian domestic developments. According to Ibish, Palestinian financers are have been meeting in Bethlehem for the second Palestine Investment Conference, “in which Palestinians are increasingly turning to the mundane, workaday tools of governance and development as their principal strategy for ending the occupation.”
Most notable of these domestic developments is the commitment to build institutions in order to enhance state administration, infrastructure, and economic goals. “The idea is that, if you build the state, it will come,” says Ibish. Ibish argues that by depending on a bottom-up strategy rather than waiting for American and Israeli commitment to a Palestinian state, Palestinians are able to determine their own future. The motivation is very simple, Ibish argues – self-determination and self-governance.
According to Ibish, there are significant tangible developments: the establishment of two new telecommunication companies, the first planned Palestinian city, and a growth rate of 8.5 percent in the West Bank last year. Additionally, half of the Palestinian Authority’s budget comes from Palestinian taxes rather than international economic support, he explains. Nevertheless, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are still in disagreement over the Palestinian identity and objectives and “the future of Hamas will likely be determined by the success or failure of the PA’s state-building project, and its diplomatic efforts,” Ibish explains.
However, Ibish’s assessment of the future is not entirely reliant on the domestic political forces in Palestine. Instead he argues that according to the World Bank and IMF, the development and prospects for a viable state are limited as long as Israeli occupation of the territories continues.
Posted in Hamas, Israel, Mideast Peace Plan, Palestine | Comment »
Green Movement in Iran Receives 2010 NED Democracy Award
June 18th, 2010 by Farid
“As a result of the Green Movement’s simple call for the Iranian government to accord the people the decent respect that is their right, it has connected with the global democratic movement, which has been called upon to embrace the people of Iran and to make their struggle its own,” is one of the reasons given by the National Endowment for Democracy for honoring the Green Movement with the 2010 Democracy Award last Thursday.
Participants in the award ceremony included the Honorable Richard A. Gephardt, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, author Azar Nafisi, Simin Behbahani, and Mahnaz Afkhami, and many others. Speaking for President Obama, Samantha Power read his remarks congratulating the Green Movement “The courage of so many Iranians in the face of severe repression is inspiring. It reminds us of democratic movements that have brought greater freedom and respect for universal rights to every region of the world. It causes us to look forward to the day when Iranians will be able to speak freely, assemble without fear, and express their views without facing retribution - a day when the Iranian government will represent and foster not fear, but instead the aspirations of its own people,” said President Obama.
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Egypt: Opposition Groups May Not Participate in November Elections
June 18th, 2010 by Farid
After serious allegations of fraud over the recent Shura Council elections, opposition groups to the ruling National Democratic Party, united to decide whether or not to participate in the parliamentary elections this coming autumn, according to a new piece in al-Masry al-Youm. In a new interesting piece, J. Scott Carpenter and Dina Guirguis cite a report by the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights that there was widespread evidence of fraud, including “group voting, bribery, and even violence against independent candidates.”
In their analysis of the situation, Carpenter and Guirguis fear that “memories of 2005, coupled with the fraud and violence of the Shura Council voting, suggest that an Iran-like electoral crisis could be on the horizon for Egypt.”To avoid such an outcome, Carpenter and Guirguis suggest to the United States government to make clear to the Egyptians that the U.S. does care about the elections and that any electoral process will have a significant effect on US-Egyptian relations. Additionally, Washington should emphasize the importance of electoral monitoring by Egyptian organizations, collaborate with the EU over its objectives, establish functioning programs that fund civil society in Egypt. Lastly, Carpenter and Guirguis argue that “freedom to monitor and report on the process should not be seen as a substitute for freedom to actually contest the elections — all participants, including opposition elements, should be granted equal access to a fair and transparent electoral process.”
Posted in Egypt, Elections, Political Parties | Comment »
Freedom of the press for Palestinian journalists?
June 17th, 2010 by Jennifer
Yossi Melman writes in Haaretz that Nasser Laham, a Palestinian journalist who is founder and editor-in-chief of the Ma’an news agency and is close to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, was denied access by Israeli authorities to the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem. Laham was attempting to obtain a visa to join Abbas in his visit to the United States to meet with President Barack Obama about two weeks ago. Israel cited security considerations but did not provide details on the motivation for its refusal to allow Laham to enter the Israeli city.
Laham served time in an Israeli jail from 1985 to 1991 due to his membership in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, but since has become an advocate of peace. Laham questioned the Israeli decision, commenting, “I have visited Israeli many times; I’ve interviewed Israeli leaders, including president Ezer Weizman at his residence in Jerusalem. So why now do I pose a security risk? I support the Palestine Liberation Organization, support the authority and President Abbas. I support a peace agreement with Israel, so why specifically do you harm people like me?”
Laham further accused the Israeli administration of oppressing journalists and restricting freedom of the press, saying, “Israeli journalists can visit us, but we aren’t allowed to visit Israel? Is that your freedom of the press?”
Melman calls the action to restrict Laham’s movements “the latest gimmick of the Israeli occupation under the guise of “security considerations.’”
Posted in Israel, Palestine | Comment »
Lebanon: A Change Will Come
June 17th, 2010 by Farid
An article in today’s The Daily Star argues that analysts and Lebanese officials are optimistic that there will be ratifications in civil rights laws for Palestinian refugees. According to Ghassan Mukhaiber, an MP in the Change and Reform Bloc, Palestinians will be granted their fundamental human rights, but he explained that the Lebanese Parliament just has not decided if they will be granted immediately.
There is a significant split between Christian and Muslim MP’s regarding the amendments. According to the article in The Daily Star, Christians are worried that granting Palestinians these civil rights will also entail their naturalization. However, Walid Jumblatt, MP of the Progressive Socialist Party, criticized such voices in parliament for combining the issue of naturalization with human rights .
Hilal Khashan, Professor of Political Studies at the American University of Beirut, argued that “the Lebanese government is not doing this out of the goodness of its heart,” but that it is due to immense external pressures from the U.N. and the international community. However, “It is a positive start, because all the Christian parties admitted that the Palestinians should not continue like this [and] that they should get their rights,” said Edward Kattoura, member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
Posted in Human Rights, Lebanon, Reform | Comment »
Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood Will Nominate 200 Candidates in 2011 Elections
June 17th, 2010 by Jennifer
Asam al-Aryan, member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Executive Office and spokesperson for the organization, indicated that the Brotherhood will nominate approximately 190-200 candidates in the upcoming People’s Assembly elections, among them 20-25 women. In comments to Michele Dunne of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, al-Aryan indicated that there would be a greater role for women in the 2011 national elections than in the previous round.
Al-Aryan further expressed his hope for “a larger scale of cooperation” between the Muslim Brotherhood and other political powers, calling for an end to internal competition within the political opposition, and mentioning the potential for a “broad front” of opposition candidates. Al-Aryan also indicated that the Brotherhood is not putting forward a candidate for the presidency, but will wait to learn the names and platforms of the presidential candidates before choosing one to support.
Al-Aryan affirmed the importance of participation in national elections, commenting, “neither the Muslim Brotherhood nor any other party can fall behind in its participation in any public elections.”
Posted in Egypt, Elections, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political Parties | Comment »
Prospects For Reform in Jordan?
June 17th, 2010 by Jennifer
Daoud Kuttab, writing in The Huffington Post, explores whether real possibilities for reform exist in Jordan and if so, in what areas they would be found. Kuttab subtly points to two problems: first, what he portrays as a knee-jerk tendency among the Arab elite to criticize Western policy on democracy in the region and to focus on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, rather than directly addressing the internal obstacles to democratic reform within their own countries; and second, the lack of unity between potential forces of reform in Jordan, such as women, youth, and new media.
Kuttab comments, “There are many individuals and groups that have very good agendas and impressive success records, but they work in isolation. Very few attempts have been made to get the leaders of these groups to meet, discuss and create the kind of alliances that can turn individual success stories into an effective movement.”
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Brookings: “Turkey and Iran - Assessing the New Regional Diplomacy”
June 17th, 2010 by Farid
The Brookings Institution held a conference on Turkey-Iran relations and their implications for U.S. policy in the Middle East. The panel of experts included journalist and author Stephen Kinzer, who has a new book published on this particular issue called Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America’s Future; Suzanne Maloney, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution; and Ömer Taspinar, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.
(POMED’s full notes of the event continue below, or read the notes as a pdf document)
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Posted in DC Event Notes, Iran, Turkey | Comment »
Lebanon: Palestinians Want Civil Rights
June 16th, 2010 by Farid
Palestinians and Lebanese supporters are preparing for demonstrations on June 27 to demand civil rights for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. According to today’s piece in The Daily Star, with over 70 civil rights organizations and 5,000 protesters participating in the demonstrations, people are asking the Lebanese government to amend certain discriminatory laws prohibiting Palestinian refugees of owning real estate and land and labor laws that deny them of certain professions, such as in law and medicine.
According to another piece in The Daily Star, the Lebanese parliament is quite divided over the amendments. Some parties, including the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and the Phalange and Lebanese Forces (LF) expressed their fear of steps toward naturalizing the Palestinians, which could increase sectarian tensions in Lebanon. Others, including Democratic Gathering, Hizbullah, Amal, and the Future Movement argued that it is a humanitarian responsibility of the Arab state to grant Palestinians these rights.
Posted in Lebanon, Protests | Comment »
Iran: Green Movement Charter Released
June 16th, 2010 by Farid
Yesterday, one of the most prominent leaders of the Green Movement, Mir Hossein Mousavi, released what he calls a Charter for the Green Movement that underlines the views and demands of the Green Movement. “At the beginning of the second year of the Movement, and at the recommendation of some friends, a Charter for strengthening the collective identity of the Green Movement has been prepared that is now presented to you,” said Mousavi, also emphasizing the importance of improving it to fulfill the wishes and demands of the people. “This Charter is a first step and, God willing, over the course of its evolution, the Green Movement will make it more complete and more beautiful,” he proclaimed.
The Charter is organized into several key topics including the root cause and goals of the movement, the fundamental solutions, the green identity, and values of the Green Movement. All of these topics are followed by subcategories defining the Green Movement’s goals and pursuits.
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Jordan: Parliamentary elections set for November 9
June 16th, 2010 by Jennifer
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan announced on Monday that parliamentary elections will be held on November 9 of this year, following King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein’s decision last November to dissolve parliament in the middle of its four-year term. The elections will be held under a new election law that has received harsh criticism from reformers and activist groups, who claim that it fails to institute any major liberalizing reforms and instead reinforces tribal politics while undercutting national parties.
The law does increase the quota for women’s representation in parliament and also gives more votes to cities with large percentages of Palestinian refugees, a highly sensitive issue for Jordanians, many of whom fear a peace process scenario that could force Jordan to absorb its Palestinian population permanently.
Morten Valbjorn, writing in Foreign Policy today, argues that contrary to recent Western praise for Jordan’s progress in political reform, governance, and transparency, the kingdom is actually less free than it was 20 years ago. He argues that Jordan is an example of a “‘liberalizing autocracy’: always appearing as being in the midst of a promising reform process, but still always an autocracy.” Valbjorn cautions against U.S. and EU enthusiasm for the regime’s democratization program, advising that “such liberalizing autocracies should not be perceived as being a transitory state on the road toward democracy, but rather as a distinct and quite resilient kind of authoritarian regime.”
Freedom House’s most recent annual country report on Jordan characterized the kingdom as “not free.”
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Egypt: Negotiations begin between lawyers and judges
June 16th, 2010 by Jennifer
Negotiations began yesterday between Egyptian lawyers and judges, in an attempt to address the escalating crisis that has gripped the Egyptian legal system for over a week. The problems began when two attorneys were sentenced to 5 years in prison after exchanging slaps with a prosecutor in Tanta, and has since snowballed into a nationwide strike, with over 100,000 lawyers protesting what they view as unfair judiciary persecution of their colleagues.
Ahmed Fathi Sorour, Peoples Assembly Speaker, met with Hamdi Khalifa, President of the Lawyers Syndicate, and is scheduled to meet with Ahmed el-Zend, head of the Judges Club, in hopes of formulating a compromise. Rhetoric has intensified between the two groups, with the Judges Club issuing statements describing lawyers as a “renegade minority and terrorists,” while Khalifa has insisted that Egyptian attorneys “will not waive our request of having our immunity as judges have it [sic], so long as we’re partners in achieving justice.”
Meanwhile, Montasar el-Zayat, member of the committee for defending detained lawyers, warned that lawyers would begin intensifying protests across the country and emphasized the urgent need to reach a solution to the situation.
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Turkey: Erdogan accuses U.S. of double standards on democracy
June 16th, 2010 by Jennifer
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the United States of double standards on democracy promotion in the Middle East, stating on Tuesday, “You speak about democracy but then you do all things contrary to democracy… When it is convenient, you side with totalitarian authoritarian regimes and when it is convenient you speak of democracy.”
Erdogan’s criticism came in a speech emphasizing Turkey’s close ties with Iran and the recent deterioration in its relations with Israel, in light of the controversy that erupted following Israel’s May 31 attack on the “Freedom” flotilla that was attempting to break the Gaza blockade. U.S. officials have expressed concern with the apparent shift in Turkey’s political orientation since the event. Defense Secretary Robert Gates indicated last week that he was “disappointed” with Turkey’s vote in the UN against imposing new sanctions on Iran.
Erdogan hotly denied the perception that his government’s policy is turning away from the West, insisting that “Turkey’s axis is not shifting, it is expanding,” and arguing that “breaking away from the West or the East is neither possible nor right for Turkey. This is an undeniable fact that history has shown.” Meanwhile, both Washington and Ankara have affirmed that U.S.-Turkish relations remain solid, with Erdogan calling the U.S. Turkey’s “lasting friend,” while Gates commented, “Allies don’t always agree on things, but we move forward from here.”
The Turkish leader’s statements echo an op-ed released the same day by Saad Eddin Ibrahim in The Washington Post, harshly criticizing Obama’s “retreat” on democracy promotion in the Middle East and particularly in Egypt.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
Is Obama too friendly with tyrants in the Middle East?
June 16th, 2010 by Farid
In an op-ed in Tuesday’s Washington Post, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Egyptian dissident and sociology professor at New Jersey’s Drew University, evaluates former President George W. Bush’s and President Barak Obama’s policies to promote democracy in the Middle East. According to Ibrahim, while Obama’s Cairo speech was received as an indication of a fundamental and positive change, the Bush administration in fact produced more tangible results in the region. Ibrahim argues that Obama has failed in his democracy promotion because of his close ties to “friendly tyrants” such as President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, saying, “Bush’s strong support for democracy contrasts sharply with President Obama’s retreat on this critical issue.”
Ibrahim expresses his concern for future developments of democracy and human rights in Egypt and the broader Middle East: “What is needed now is a loud and clear message from the United States and the global community of democracies that the Egyptian people deserve free, fair and transparent elections.” Obama’s insistence on maintaining close ties with Mubarak in hopes that Egypt might push forward the Middle East peace plan is not realistic, Ibrahim argues. “Mubarak has not advanced Israeli-Palestinian peace beyond what his predecessor, Anwar Sadat, accomplished in the 1970s.”
Posted in Egypt, US foreign policy | 1 Comment »
POMED Notes: “Islamic Feminism and Beyond: The New Frontier”
June 16th, 2010 by Jennifer
The Middle East Program of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted a conference yesterday focusing on women’s rights in the Middle East; the effect of politics, society, and religion on possibilities for reform; and future avenues for Islamic feminism. The conference featured two panels. The first, entitled “Citizenship, Gender, and Representation,” was chaired by Haleh Esfandiari, Director of the Middle East Program, and included Amaney Jamal of Princeton University; Nayereh Tohidi of California State University at Northridge; and Lilia Labidi of the University of Tunis. The second panel, on “Equality, Family, and Society,” was chaired by Zaianab Al-Suwaij, Executive Director of the American Islamic Congress, and included Margot Badran of the Woodrow Wilson Center and the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim Christian Understanding; Souad Eddouada of Ibn Tofail University in Kenitra, Morocco; and Binnaz Toprak of Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul.
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Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood Searching For Direction
June 15th, 2010 by Farid
In a recent issue of Current Trends in Islamist Ideology — published by the Hudson Institute — Ibrahim al-Houdaiby, previous member of the Muslim Brotherhood, was interviewed about the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egyptian society and its future in the Egyptian political arena.
According to al-Houdaiby, the movement has not been able to capitalize on its electoral successes in 2005. He argues that the Brotherhood is now in crisis due to a lack of a coherent and unified orientation. He explains that the recent feud over the internal elections in the Muslim Brotherhood is based on the contesting forces of three distinct schools of thought: intellectualism, Qutbism, and Wahhabism.
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Posted in Egypt, Elections, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political Parties, Reform | Comment »
