[This is a bi-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
The Strong and Beautiful Message of Sudan’s Young Protesters, by Nasreen Abdulbari
Since mid-December, peaceful protests are taking place across Sudan, despite a severe crackdown from the government and the killing of at least forty-five protesters. Initially the protests were a reaction to rising prices, but soon turned into a demand for an end to President Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s thirty years of oppressive rule. According to the author “we are witnessing the longest and strongest protests in Sudan’s post-colonial history.”
Recent Protests in Sudan Are Much More than Bread Riots, by Nisrin Elamin and Zachariah Mampilly
The authors provide an insightful analysis of the reasons the current protests in Sudan are not just about the deepening economic crisis, the ways they differ from previous mobilizations, and how they potentially the greatest threat to the regime of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
Sudan: Security Forces Killing, Detaining Protesters, by Human Rights Watch
According to Human Rights Watch, “Sudanese security forces have been using live ammunition and other forms of excessive force against protesters and arbitrarily detaining them. Sudanese activists and medical workers estimate that at least 40 people have been killed, including children, since protests began on December 19, 2018. The Sudanese authorities should investigate all reported killings, injuries and other abuses, and hold those responsible to account.”
Egypt: New Moves to Crush Dissent, by Human Rights Watch
According to Human Rights Watch’s recently published World Report 2019, Egyptian authorities increasingly relied on counterterrorism and state of emergency laws to crush peaceful dissent during 2018, including by prosecuting journalists and human rights activists.
Lebanon Protests Grow Over Economic Crisis and Political Impasse, by Anchal Vohra
“It was a Christmas of protests in Lebanon. The formation of a government was the promised gift, but those elected failed to iron out their differences, forcing people out onto the streets to demonstrate against the many problems crippling the country. […] The protests were focused on an economic crisis, which has led to falling living standards, and has worsened since May due to political instability caused by the inability of political factions to form a government.”
Palestinian Farmers Caught Between Israeli Rock and PA Hard Place, by Alaa Tartir
“Agriculture is commonly perceived as the backbone of Palestinian society and economy, with farmers viewed as the last stronghold of resistance. Working the land is seen as an illustration of steadfastness, as farmers continue to preserve and reclaim land, build self-reliance and challenge forced dependency and economic asymmetry. In essence, farming is a political act that aims to challenge oppression and achieve freedom. In reality, however, this backbone has been severely damaged, if not paralysed, by the continuation of Israel’s occupation and the damaging policies of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Palestinian farmers have been shackled by both Israeli colonialism and Palestinian neoliberalism.”
New Palestinian Party Wants to “Unify Resistance to Occupation,” by Daoud Kuttab
In January 2019, the Palestinian Democratic Group, a new political party, was formally launched. The group is a new democratic alliance whose main aims are to “unify Palestinian factions to increase resistance to the occupation, and to oppose policies designed to weaken Palestinian democracy and increase fragmentation.”
Ahmed Mansoor Must Be Freed Now. His Jailing Is an Attack on Human Rights, by The Guardian
The Guardian has published a petition signed by prominent figures, such as Stephen Fry and Noam Chomsky, calling the United Arab Emirates to free Ahmed Mansoor, a leading human rights campaigner.
Eighteen Highlights of BDS Impact in 2018, by Palestinian BDS National Committee
The article presents the eighteen highlights of the direct and indirect BDS impact from 2018.
Lawsuit Dismissed Against American Studies Association Over Israel Boycott, by Palestine Legal
In a victory for the American Studies Association and the right to boycott, a district court in Washington D.C. dismissed a lawsuit seeking to deter academic associations from adopting boycotts for Palestinian rights.
No to Eurovision Pinkwashing. More Than Sixty LGBTQ+ Groups Call for Boycott of Song Contest in Israel, by Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel
More than sixty queer and trans liberation organizations from nearly twenty countries across Europe and beyond are calling on global LGBTQIA communities to boycott the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Israel. The signatories condemn Israel’s “shameful” use of Eurovision, which has a strong following among LGBTQIA communities, to “distract attention from its war crimes against Palestinians” and “forward its pinkwashing agenda, the cynical use of gay rights to distract from and normalize Israel’s occupation, settler colonialism and apartheid.”
Events & Conferences
The Egyptian Revolution of 1919: The Birth of a Modern Nation, 27-28 March 2019, School of Oriental and African Studies, London, UK.
Biennial Conference on Creating Global Change: "Gendered Migration, Bodies, Borders," Middle Tennessee State University, 28-29 March 2019, Tennessee, USA.
Rethinking Crisis, Resistance, and Strategy, 2-5 May 2019, Panteion University, Athens, Greece.
Politics and Popular Culture in the Middle East: Power and Resistance post-2011 Workshop, University of Warwick, 7-8 May 2019 Coventry, UK
War and Social Movements, International Conference, University of New York, 10 May 2019, New York, USA.
Social Movements and Nonviolent Protest: Resistance and Its Repression in Illiberal Democracies, East and West, 10-11 May 2019, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA.