[This is a monthly roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Resistance, Subversion and Social Mobilization in the Arab world and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the DARS Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each monthly roundup to DARS@jadaliyya.com.]
News & Commentaries
Palestinian Girl Ahed Tamimi Praised as Hero After Confronting Soldiers, by Associated Press
Ahed Tamimi has made global headlines for her courage and defiance after slapping an Israeli soldier in the face. From the village of Nebi Saleh, Tamimi has since been arrested from her home in a pre-dawn raid and now faces charges of attacking soldiers.
My Daughter, These Are Tears of Struggle, by Bassem Tamimi
In this article, Bassam Tamimi, recounts the events that led to the arrest of his daughter, Ahed Tamimi. He also writes how his daughter is part of a new generation of Palestinians, that will lead the resistance against the Israeli occupation, and the old generation should not stand on their way.
A Girl’s Chutzpah: Three Reasons a Palestinian Teenage Girl is Driving Israel Insane, by Gideon Levy
Gideon Levy discusses the case of Ahed Tamimi and how she defied the Israeli military apparatus. He ends his analysis by saying: “if only there were many more like her. Maybe girls like her will be able to shake Israelis up. Maybe the intifada of slappings will succeed where all other methods of resistance, violent and non-violent, have failed.”
How Mainstream Media Gets Palestine Wrong, by Mariam Barghouti
“The mainstream media focus is always on Palestinian reaction and not on Israeli action and it insinuates that Palestinians are on the offence when in fact they are on the defence. […] Today, as we are supposedly in the "post-colonial" age, settler colonialism is considered a thing of the past. Yet, colonial bias still dominates mainstream portrayal of Palestinians. In the past few decades, Israel has been quite successful in maintaining a grip on the general narrative and ensuring that the bias persists.”
The Thorns that Exist and Resist: Black-Palestine Solidarity in the Twenty-First Century, by Andy Clarno
According to the author, over the last three years “movements for black and Palestinian liberation have intensified the bonds of solidarity.” He argues, that “the political imaginary of contemporary black-Palestine solidarity […] is grounded in an analysis of similar yet distinct structures of domination connected through a global network of imperial power. Similarly, the visions for liberation emphasize the importance of conjoined struggles.”
Confronting Israel with Stones and Courage, by Rami Almeghari
Almeghari provides a brief history of the first intifada through oral testimonies of people from Gaza. In the face of violent occupation, Palestinians have shown great courage and resourcefulness when resisting their occupier. This first manifests through the act of throwing stones, as well as organising within their communities.
Palestinians Are Winning the Online Battle for Jerusalem, by Yousef Alhelou
Since Donald Trump's Jerusalem announcement on December 6, there have been live footage and reporting on social media, mobilised by Palestinians who continue to fight for their own online visibility and make their voices heard. Citizen journalists find innovative ways to distribute material, despite Israeli surveillance, censorship, and punishment of Palestinian social media activity.
“Local Call” Wins Award for Social Change, by +972 Magazine
Hebrew-language website Local Call wins the Dror Prize for social change for its persistent coverage of the joint feminist struggle between Arab and Jewish women against gender violence. Notably, in 2017, Local Call (a project of “972-Advancement of Citizen Journalism, Just Vision, and Activestills) has brought to light police harassment, proliferation of weapons, and murder cases in Israeli society, while also being present at demonstrations organized by Arab women in major cities.
Iranians Chant “Death to Dictator” in Biggest Unrest Since Crushing of Protests in 2009, by Saeed Kamali Dehghan and Emma Graham-Harrison
Iranians took to the streets in what appeared to be the biggest anti-government protests since the 2009 Green movement was crushed by security forces.
Algeria’s Berbers Protest for Tamazight Language Rights, by Jilian Kestler-D’Amours
This article reports on the call to promote and preserve the indigenous language from Berber communities in Algeria, after the state rejected a budget amendment to formalize the teaching of the Tamazight language in local schools. The protests come from a tradition of historical struggle as part of the fight for Berber identity rights.
Women Take to Streets to Demand End to South Sudan War, by Al Jazeera
On December 9, “hundreds of women covered their mouths with tape as they took to the streets in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, to demand an end to their country’s war and the suffering of its people. Carrying posters and signs that read ‘Bring back our peace now!,’ ‘Save my future, stop the war’ and ‘Enough of the bloodshed,’ women of all ages expressed their anger at a conflict now entering its fifth year.”
In Turkey, Academics Asking for Peace Are Accused of Terrorism, by Judith Butler and Başak Ertür
Butler and Ertür describe the dire consequences academics are facing for signing the Academics for Peace petition in January 2016. They analyses how the indictment distorts the intention of the petition to accuse signatories of terrorism, and calls for international solidarity in supporting academics who have been dismissed, as well as to keep an eye on the upcoming proceedings of the trials.
Twitter Suspends More Accounts of Egyptian Activists, by Sherif Azer
On December 12, 2017, Twitter shut down the account of prominent Egyptian cyberactivist Wael Abbas (@waelabbas), along with subsequent accounts he set up. Abbas is well known for his work on exposing corruption, human rights violations and challenging social norms online. Just before his account was closed, he criticized Alaa Mubarak, ousted president Hosni Mubarak’s son, on Twitter. The closing of Abbas’ account by Twitter is believed to be in response to a large wave of violation reports by accounts linked to supporters of Mubarak’s regime. Sherif Azer argues that “the closing or suspending of accounts by activists seeking social and political change adds to the repression and suffering they are already experiencing under authoritarian regimes. Social media sites should apply more discerning methods for reporting abuses, rather than automated responses to mass reporting.”
Searching for a Battle: Why Boycotting the Presidential Elections Is a Bad Idea, by Amr Abdel Rahman
Amr Abdel Rahman argues that “a decision to engage in the elections may provide democratic groups with an escape from the current paralysis of Egypt’s political sphere, and a chance for politics to move away from the duality of ‘military vs. Islamists.’ Many politically engaged people have frozen in time since the bloody summer of 2013, amid the crackdown on civil society and general dissatisfaction with economic and social policies. The elections could provide an opportunity to revive their organizational structures and discourses, particularly given their inability to protest — or even express a clear desire for an alternative.”
Thousands Protest After Two Brothers Die in Morocco’s “Mines of Death,” by France24
Two brothers died in a tunnel accident, 85 metres (90 yards) below ground, sparking days of mass protests in the impoverished city of Jerada. On December 26, thousands of people protested against economic marginalisation, accusing authorities of "abandoning" them. "The people want an economic alternative," demonstrators chanted, carrying Moroccan flags on their shoulders and insisting that their protests were peaceful.
عهد التميمي.. حلمت بكرة القدم فركلت الاحتلال
تم اعتقال الناشطة الفلسطينية الشابة عهد التميمي في الأيام الماضية و محكمة عسكرية إسرائيلية مددت اعتقالها عشرة أيام بتهمة مقاومة جنود الاحتلال. الكاتب محمد النجار يكتب عن حياة و عائلة عهد و أحلامها كشابة فلسطينية و نشاطها السياسي ضد الاحتلال الإسرائيلي.
مراجعة الأحداث بعد مرور أحد عشر يوماً من الاحتجاج الفلسطيني ضد إعلان الرئيس الأمريكي للقدس كعاصمة لإسرائيل. معلومات عن مواجهات بين الجيش الإسرائيلي و المتظاهرين في مدن الضفة الغربية و اقتحامات لقوات الاحتلال و اعتقالات.
{جمعة غضب} ثالثة تشعل القدس والضفة والقطاع... وسقوط عشرات الجرحى
بعد إعلان الرئيس الأمريكي للقدس كعاصمة لإسرائيل الفصائل الفلسطينية دعت إلى الاحتجاج ضد هذا الإعلان في "جمعة الغضب". حدثت مسيرات و مظاهرات في عدد من المدن الفلسطينية كان بعضها سلمياً. وقعت اشتباكات بين قوات الاحتلال و المتظاهرين في نحو 150 نقطة احتكاك.
المستعربون... السلاح الإسرائيلي في العمق الفلسطيني
هذا التقرير يوضح دور المستعربين. وهم جنود إسرائيليون يتسربون إلى المقاومة الفلسطينية لغرض القتل أو اعتقال المتظاهرين. بهذا الطريقة الاحتلال الاسرائلي يحاول إضعاف المقاومة بنشر الشك بين الصفوف الفلسطينية.
«اتحادات الطلاب».. العودة لقواعد ما قبل 25 يناير
بمناسبة انتخابات الاتحادات الطلابية في جميع الجامعات المصرية الكاتب مصطفى محي يكشف عن الوضع الحالي لاتحاد الطلاب والطلاب النشاطين في ظل تأثير قوانين جديدة و تدخل من الأمن و إدارة الجامعة بأسلوب قمعي.
كيف امسكت المرأة الكردية السلاح؟
انتشرت صورة المقاتلات الكرديات في السنوات الماضية في الإعلام و الكاتب يبحث عن كيفية وصول المرأة لهذا الدور.
استقالة رئيس برلمان إقليم كردستان العراق
رئيس برلمان كردستان أعلن استقالته احتجاجا على الاحتكار السياسي و الفساد و الفشل الحكومي في الإقليم. في بيان الاستقالة دعا الرئيس إلى "تشكيل جبهة واسعة للإنقاذ الوطني".أيضاً انتقد اعضاء حزب حركة التغيير، الحزب الذي ينتمي الرئيس إليه، تصرف قوات الامن الكردية مع المتظاهرين و اعتقال 600 شخص بدون أساس قانوني. بين 250 و 300 من هؤلاء المعتقلين ما يزالون في السجون.
امهات مختطفين يمنيين يستنكرن قصف التحالف
مقالة قصيرة عن أمهات في اليمن يطالبن بحق أبنائهن المختطفين.
هذه المشكلات الاجتماعية فجرت تظاهرات كردستان العراق
المشاكل الاجتماعية مثل الفقر و البطالة و الفساد في حكومة الإقليم و قلة الخدمات الحكومية أدت لاحتجاج واسع في مدن كردستان العراق. بحسب النشطاء خرج الشعب الكردي إلى الشارع لهذه الأسباب و يطالب بإصلاح سياسي و إجتماعي.
المغرب 2017: الشارع من أجل تحقيق المطالب
هذه المقالة تتحدث عن عدد من القضايا التي احتج الشعب المغربي ضدها مثل قضية حراك الريف و الحملة الاجتماعية بخصوص العنف ضد المرأة.
Art & Culture
A Battle for Existence: How the Combined Forces of Censorship and Security Shaped Egypt’s Music Scene in 2017, by Hessen Hossam
The restrictions imposed by the [Egyptian] state on musicians and their art throughout 2017 have been numerous and wider than even in scope and reach […].” Apart from the arrests that followed the concert of the Lebanese indie band Mashrou’ Leila, where members of the audience raised a rainbow flag, other concerts were cancelled (e.g. Egyptian rock band Cairokee, Algerian musician Souad Massi, Moroccan singer and songwriter Oum and Palestinian band 47 Soul), and the Censorship Board rejected certain songs from being released. Nevertheless, artists find ways to overcome these bans and make their music available to the public.
Egyptians Tell Stories of Abuse, Harassment on Stage, by Menna A. Farouk
Since 2006, BuSSy (the Egyptian version of Vagina Monologues) has used theatre and storytelling as an avenue for women to share their experiences of abuse and sexual harassment. In 2010 the program was expanded to include both men and women.
Egyptian Director Sticks Tongue Out at Movie Kisses, by Ahmed Fouad
Ahmed Amer's satirical movie "Balash Tebosni" (Don't Kiss Me) follows the efforts of a young director in filming the perfect kiss scene and the struggles that ensue. Amer critiques Egyptian cinema but also takes aim at censorship laws regarding kissing and sex scenes in film and television. While he was given permission to shoot the film, it is still unclear whether it will be screened in Egypt at all.
Women’s Theater in Gaza Breaks New Ground, by Rami Almeghari
Almeghari profiles the work of women-led Bozour Culture and Arts theater group, through the voices of directors Wissam El-Dirawie, Manal Barakat and Ola Salem Deeb, and some young actors involved. The article draws together the beginnings, difficulties, and successes of Bozour as it operates in Gaza.
Turkish Feminist Artist Takes on Mount Qaf, by Ayla Jean Yackley
Turkish artist CANAN’s exhibition at Istanbul’s Arter Gallery, “Behind Mount Qaf,” takes its motifs from Islamic cosmology, Western literature, and traditional fifteenth century aesthetic forms. CANAN combines the surrealist imagery with the politics of her own body to comment on how the mechanisms of power constrict Turkish society, and how arriving at Mount Qaf is the story of self-discovery that allows one to resist and heal.
Book Reviews
Khalil on Shafir, “A Half Century of Occupation: Israel, Palestine, and the World’s Most Intractable Conflict,’ by Osama Khalil
A review of Gershon Shafir’s A Half Century of Occupation: Israel, Palestine, and the World’s Most Intractable Conflict
Events & Conferences
Feminism in Crisis? Gender and the Arab Public Sphere, 19-20 January 2018, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
Mobilizations in the Age of the Arab Uprisings: Perspectives from Lebanon and Iraq, 26-27 January 2018, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
Social Movements and Protest: Race, Ethnicity, and Radicalism, 4-5 May 2018, San Diego State University, San Diego, US.
Orientalism, Neo-Orientalism and Post-Orientalism in African, Middle East, Latin American, Asian/Chinese Studies, 17-18 May 2018, Center for Global Studies, Shanghai University, China. (Call for Papers Deadline: 29 February 2018)
*Image credits: “Free Ahed Tamimi” ad at a London bus stop. Image by pannotticom, via Flickr.