Stories from 15 January 2012
Video Highlights: Activism, Freedom of Speech, Identity and Culture
A selection of Global Voices' recent and interesting stories including video from Middle East and North Africa, Sub Saharan Africa, Western, Eastern and Central Europe, East Asia and Latin America, selected by Juliana Rincón Parra.
India's Current Leadership
Atanu Dey comments on India’s current leadership: “it appears that the primary requirements for holding political power in India are a lack of common sense, common honesty and common decency.”
Bangladesh: The New Pravda
Ishtiaque opines that the Bangladeshi national TV channel has become a state propaganda machine like the Pravda.
Bangladesh: The Treasure Chest At Wari Bateshwar
Bangladesh Unlocked reports that the 11th season of excavation has opened at Wari Bateshwar archaeological site, in Narshingdhi near Dhaka.
Iran:Bread price soars
Harfayi az Tahe Del writes bread price [fa] soars in country and a Sangak cost about 1000 tomans.The blogger reminds [fa] us before revolution, 33 years ago, a Sangak was just one toman. The blogger asks if our parents had known one day Sangak becomes so expensive, would they have...
Iran: A cleric blogger on hunger strike
Mohammad Sadegh Honarvar Shojayi, a blogger and cleric started his hunger strike on Monday. He was arrested by the Prosecutor General on charges of conducting an interview with the reformist Kalameh website.
Iran: Enthusiasm over ‘A Separation’ in Golden Globe
Iranian users are showing enthusiasm in Facebook over a photo which shows Asghar Farhadi, the Iranian director of ‘A Separation‘, a Golden Globe foreign language nominee, beside Pedro Almodovar and Angelina Jolie, other nominee directors who are very famous in Iran.
Iran: We can not achieve freedom with virtual world
Ghorghrou says [fa]” we can not achieve freedom with virtual world…we make a mistake thinking all Iranians in country are as informed as a group of Iranians in Facebook or Balatarin.”
Iran: A homeless Iranian killed in Canada
Several Iranian bloggers reported [fa] Farshad Mohammadi, a 34 years old homeless Iranian in Montreal was killed by a policeman. Canada's police says the victim had attacked a policeman with knife.
Iran: A former military commander under fire
A former Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Alae who dared to warn the Supreme Leader about the consquences of repression is under fire.There was a protest gathering in front of his house.Hamdel praises [fa] his bravery and ask Iranians to support him.
China: Prostituting to Defend Sex Workers’ Rights
After witnessing a police raid on a low-end brothel, one feminist activist has offered pro bono sex services in support of her sisters, using the experience also to make a statement about their equally impoverished clients.
Morocco: Activist Rapper Freed
Mouad Belghouat "Al Haked" (The Indignant), a 24-year-old Moroccan rap artist and outspoken critic of Morocco's monarchy, was released on Thursday from prison where he had been held since last September. The announcement of Mouad's release spread like fire on Facebook and Twitter as several supporters rushed to the prison to welcome him.
