“I don’t believe in a country where it’s more acceptable for two men to hold guns than two men to hold hands.”
0 comments Posted by Farfahinne at 11:49 AM
Hundreds of people armed with rainbow flags and signs denouncing violence and discrimination against homosexuals and other minority groups in Lebanon gathered at Beirut’s Sodeco square amid pouring rain on Sunday afternoon for a demonstration. The event, the first of its kind in the Arab world according to the organizers, was staged by the Beirut-based Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer (LGBTIQ) support organization Helem, and also featured representatives from Lebanese rights groups Kafa, KAFA, TYMAT and SIDC.
Twenty-six year old Maya, holding a sign reading, “Feminists Against Violence” told NOW Lebanon she had come to the demonstration to give a “statement.”
“I want to say that I denounce violence on all levels, against homosexuals and disadvantaged groups in my country,” she said.
Next to Maya stood a protestor waving a sign in front of curious photographers saying, “I don’t believe in a country where it’s more acceptable for two men to hold guns than two men to hold hands.”
The demonstration was a direct response to a recent incident of anti-gay violence in Achrafieh, in which two men allegedly engaging in sexual conduct in the entrance of a building were dragged out onto nearby Sassine Square and severely beaten.
Conflicting reports have, however, marred the incident.
An initial report by the French-language daily L’Orient Le Jour had it that the beating was carried out by security personnel, while others, including Helem, say the men were assaulted by civilians.
“I mainly came to protest what happened at Sassine,” 23 year-old Sara told NOW, adding, “I’m happy with today’s turnout of people.”
“The beatings were inhuman. Where were the police to protect them at the time?” another demonstrator asked.
While advocacy for Lebanon’s LGBTIQ community appeared to be the main banner of the demonstration, many came out to show their support for other minority groups such as foreign domestic workers, and to protest against domestic violence.
“I came to protest domestic violence against women. My neighbor gets beaten by her husband. We hear it all the time. It’s awful,” a 20 year-old who did not want her name to be printed told NOW.
In the middle of the demonstration a woman in her 50s walking by asked one of the participants what the crowd was protesting against. When told it was in support of Lebanon’s LGBTIQ community, the woman hurried away.
Yet while homosexuality is still technically illegal and punishable under Lebanese law, it is more accepted in Lebanon than in most Arab countries.
Helem Director Georges Azzi told NOW that while there is a “bit of freedom” for homosexuals in Lebanon, he emphasized that it remains “fragile.”
“There are many things that need to be done on the issue,” he added, mentioning the need to reform the laws that criminalize homosexual conduct in Lebanon.
Twenty-year old Helem affiliate Joe, who had wrapped a large rainbow flag around his head for the occasion, said that he, as a Lebanese, felt very proud an event like this was able to be held in Beirut, where there are numerous groups offering support services to LGBTIQ people, including the recent addition of Meem, a community for non-heterosexual women.
Helem, the largest of the groups, provides free HIV-testing services and also publishes Barra Magazine, which translates as “out,” for the LGBTIQ community in Lebanon.
Most recently, members of Meem launched Bekhsoos, or Concerning, the Arab world’s first publication for lesbian, bisexual and queer women.
Despite these inroads made, Joe said that conditions for Lebanon’s LGBTIQ community remain “a bit shaky,” especially considering the Sassine incident.
“To a certain extent the situation is OK, but the recent acts of violence are not positive indicators,” he said, adding, “We’re so glad and very proud this protest happened in Beirut.”
By Farfahinne
February 9 and 10/2009 were not ordinary university days: in most universities of France courses were replaced by General Assemblies in which students and professors expressed their anger towards the Sarkozy reform plan concerning universities.
A rare scene was witnessed in La Sorbonne where the presidents of many prominent public universities declared their full support for the demands of the teachers and students' movement. And they solemnely demanded, in a declaration called the "appel de Paris", the repeal of the LRU.
The LRU or the Law about the Liberties and Responsibilities of the Universities, threatens what the French university stands for and the social value it advances. In fact, this reform promotes for the financial autonomy of the univesity which by itself destroys the fondemental right to a free and equal education which has been one of the main pillars of the french social system for decades. The french government will withdraw a considerable funding it currently provides for the university, forcing it to seek this vital money elsewhere: who else can provide other than firms?! Thus, the enterprises will systematically submit the acadamic sphere to the logic of the market, i.e. the university will have to obey to the law of market profit when offering its majors to the students. therefore, "unnecessary" majors such as philosophy, theater, humanities etc... will simply disappear and university fees will rise pushing students with limited financial possibilities to the margin of education. Moreover, universities will be forced into competition in order to attract fundings, putting in danger the principal of equality amongst the diplomas they deliver.
another aspect of the reform seeks to generalize the model of the Sarkozy governance to the university: the power of the university presidents will accrue considerably in such a way that they will have the "privilege" to recrute and to decide on the path of staff careers and more importantly on the remuneration.
A third aspect deals with the status of the teacher-researcher: the law suggests an increased production of publications and in the same time more charges in terms of teaching. These requirements are added to the fact that 3 thousand positions are threatened by suppression increasing the burdens on the teacher- researchers.
The LRU has provoked a large resentment among the students last year when it was first proposed: demonstrations were held but they were ineffective due to the absence of professors and researchers.This year, the law was voted with amendements concerning the status of professors and without any kind of negociations with the parties concerned. this is what pushed the teachers to react and declare a general, unlimited , and reconductible strike starting from the 2nd of February 2009.
The 9th and 10th of February were cruacial to this movement. in fact, the general assemblies that were held witnessed the generalization of the movement to the whole acadamic community.
the students voted on the general strike calling for the repeal of the law.
the voting on the general strike was followed by a large demonstration in which 50 .000 teachers and students marched from the Pantheon to the National Assembly in Paris.
the movement is gaining scale due to the fact that it was launched by the teaching body which is a first since many years. However, the survival of the movement depends on the student-teacher solidarity (where Sarkozy will probably seek to break in order to liquidate the movement) and more importantly on the linkage with other sectors like transportation, the heavy industries, and more generally the public and the private sectors.
In launching these major reforms, Sarkozy is unknowingly catalyzing and radicalizing the contestation movement and generalizing it to certain categories that were for long time on the margin of any mobilization. This is an oppotunity for the Left in order to regain the trust of the people and to present a real alternative to the current system.
The Israeli navy has captured and diverted a ship from Lebanon carrying more than 60 tonnes of aid to the Gaza Strip. Al Jazeera's correspondent aboard the Al-Ikhwa (The Brotherhood) ship said the navy first opened fire, then five Israeli soldiers boarded the ship, beating and threatening the passengers. "They are pointing guns against us - they are kicking us and beating us. They are threatening our lives," Al Jazeera's Salam Khoder said. Communications with the ship broke off shortly thereafter. According to the owner of the vessel, the Israelis destroyed its communication equipment and confiscated the phones of those on board. The Israeli military told Al Jazeera it had captured the Lebanese vessel and taken it to Ashdod, where authorities were examining its cargo. The passengers and crew, meanwhile, were being questioned by police. Warnings 'disregarded' In a statement, the Israeli military said it had warned the ship on Wednesday night against entering Gaza's coastal waters. "During today's morning hours, the cargo ship changed its bearing, and began heading towards the Gaza Strip .... disregarding all warnings made," it said. Al-Ikhwa, which originally set sail from Cyprus, left the Lebanese port city of Tripoli on Tuesday. Maan Bashour, an aid co-ordinator for the group End the Blockade of Gaza, said the ship was carrying medical equipment, food supplies and books, toys and milk for small children. "This ship was searched in Cyprus and in Lebanon," Bashour told Al Jazeera in Beirut, Lebanon. "And we were very eager to let it be searched by Lebanese and Cypriot authorities in order that there be no reason for the Israelis to prevent it from going to Gaza." Foud Siniora, Lebanon's president, condemned the attack on Al-Ikhwa, emphasising that it was on a humanitarian mission to Gaza. "It is no surprise for Israel to perpetrate such an action as it has been accustomed to ignoring all international resolutions and values," he said during a speech in Beirut. "I made a number of necessary phone calls with international parties in order to exert pressures on Israel which is violating laws. I hold Israel responsible for the safety of the ship and passengers. "
Lebanon: Public meeting over the current political situation in Gaza
0 comments Posted by Farfahinne at 4:45 PMتدعوكم المنظمات الشبابية اليسارية اللبنانية والفلسطينية
الى حضور ندوة يتكلم فيها الرفيق مروان عبد العال، القيادي في الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين
حول الاوضاع السياسية الراهنة في غزّة حول المقاومة والمفاوضات وموقف الجبهة الشعبية منها
وذلك يوم الخميس 5 شباط 2009
في قاعة الشهيد ابو علي مصطفى، مخيم مارالياس، بيروت
الساعة الخامسة والنصف مساءً
The Palestinian and Lebanese Leftist Youth Groups
Invite you to a public meeting with
Comrade Marwan Abdel Al, a leadership member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
On the current political situation in Gaza, the resistance and the negotiations, and the PFLP position.
Thursday February 5th, 2009
In the Martyr Abu Ali Mustapha hall, Mar Elias camp, Beirut
@ 5,30 pm
صحافياً، الثانية والنصف من بعد ظهر الثلاثاء 10 الجاري، في مقر رابطة أساتذة التعليم الثانوي الرسمي.
الأخبار عدد الاربعاء ٤ شباط ٢٠٠٩
Tunisian Rap: Against police repression... Police partout Justice Nulle Part
0 comments Posted by Farfahinne at 8:59 PMEgypt says it has begun to install cameras and motion sensors along the border with Gaza to try to stop "weapons smuggling" by Palestinian militants.
Egyptian security sources said the authorities had begun installing the equipment in the last few days along the 14km (8-mile) border with the help of American, French and German expertise.
Reuters news agency quoted the sources as saying they hoped the equipment would detect any new tunnel-building activity in the area.
Hamas and most Palestinians say the tunnels are a vital source of basic necessities so long as Gaza's borders with Israel and Egypt remain blocked.
How come can Egypt spend a considerable amount of money on installing these equipments, and couldn't spend a penny on Gaza and its injured, starving and homeless population during and after the war?
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