Punk Band Pussy Riot Jailed In Russia For Engaging In Freedom Of Expression—The Work Of Freedom Is Up To Each Of Us
The Russian punk band Pussy Riot has been sentenced to two years in a Russian prison for exercising free speech and engaging in political protest.
This past February, Pussy Riot staged a performance inside of Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. This performance was directed at the linked repressive power of the Russian Orthodox Church and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Here is an overview of current politics and demographics in Russia from the BBC.
Pussy Riot has made a practice of staging political concerts in unusual places around Moscow. Above is a Pussy Riot demonstration earlier this year in Red Square. (Photo by Denis Bochkarev.)
After the appearance in the church was posted online, band members were arrested and charged with hooliganism and inciting religious hatred.
The Russian Orthodox Church had the option here to forgive those that trespass, but instead made the call to continue to ally itself with the corrupt and undemocratic power of Vladimir Putin.
Why is so often the case that powerful religious officials cannot get past a sense of perpetual victimhood and so often choose to make common cause with the most retrograde political forces?
Top clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church said that they forgave the band, but still supported the prosecution.
Sure.
The excellent website Global Voices has written on this issue.
It may seem there is no point to addressing an issue in Russia from where I am in Houston, Texas.
Yet the universal values of free speech and democracy merit our concern no matter where in the world they are under assault.
This case is also a reminder that free speech and freedom from unjust incarceration are hardly matters only for people outside the United States.
Here in our torture-industrial-prison state, no freedom is safe from the forces of big money, a bought government, and millions of mean-spirited and intellectually lazy fellow citizens.
The good news is that we all have the ability to fight back and that very many people all around the world care about these concerns.
As Pussy Riot well understood, the work of freedom is up to each of us.
(Below–Pussy Riot on trial.)
Call For Amnesty International To Come To Texas In Response To State-Mandated Rape Of Forced Sonogram Law
As regular readers of this blog will know, I’ve been writing often in recent weeks about the fact that the Texas forced sonogram law is state-mandated rape.
In addition to my postings here, I’ve co-written a letter to Amnesty International asking that this organization come to Texas to investigate this matter, and to take any steps they find appropriate to bring this concern to greater national and international attention. This letter was sent to Amnesty on March 26, 2012.
My co-authors on this letter were fellow Texans Amy Price and Sarah Slamen.
Here is an Amnesty mission statement from their website—
We work to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. Currently the world’s largest grassroots human rights organization, we investigate and expose abuses, educate and mobilize the public, and help transform societies to create a safer, more just world. We received the Nobel Peace Prize for our life-saving work.
Amy, Sarah and myself believe that addressing the state-mandated rape of the Texas forced sonogram law is consistent with the purpose of Amnesty International.
It is up to everyday citizens to do the work of freedom and justice. If you’d like to be involved with fighting this cruel law, please leave a comment on the blog or e-mail me at naa six-one-eight@att.net.
Here is the letter—
To Amnesty International and Amnesty International USA,
In its 2011 legislative session, the state of Texas enacted the “Women’s Right to Know Act”, which states that any woman seeking a constitutionally- protected abortion must undergo an ultrasound prior to the abortion. According to a study done by the Centers for Disease Control, 88% of all abortions in the United States are conducted in the first trimester. Realistically, this bill amounts to a de facto mandate of trans-vaginal ultrasounds for Texas women seeking abortions.
A trans-vaginal ultrasound requires that a hand-held device be inserted directly into the vagina. Unless the abortion is being performed for medical reasons, Texas women can not opt-out of this procedure.
This physically coerced medical procedure qualifies as sexual assault under section 22.011 of the Texas Penal Code, which reads as follows:
A person commits an offense if the person: intentionally or knowingly causes the penetration of the anus or sexual organ of another person by any means, without that person’s consent.
It qualifies as rape under federal definition, revised this year:
Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object…without the consent of the victim.
It qualifies as rape as defined by the Word Health Organization:
Physically forced or otherwise coerced penetration – even if slight – of the vulva or anus, using a penis, other body parts or an object.
By these definitions, the State of Texas has mandated rape. To date the United States government has not intervened. The women of Texas deserve protection from this rape. The citizens of Texas should not have rape committed in their name. We, as citizens of Texas, are asking Amnesty International to investigate this human rights abuse.
Sincerely,
Neil Aquino Amy Price Sarah Slamen
Senator Reid Says That Chinese Dictator Is A Dictator
(Above–Senator Reid.)
Mr. Hu, who is President of China as well as a dictator, is in Washington this week.
Senator Reid will be among members of Congress meeting with Mr. Hu later this week.
China is indeed a dictatorship. You and I help the Chinese dictators remain in power by purchasing so much stuff made in China.
Here is the most recent Amnesty International report on China.
From that report—
“The authorities continued to tighten restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and association due partly to sensitivities surrounding a series of landmark anniversaries, including the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic on 1 October. Human rights defenders were detained, prosecuted, held under house arrest and subjected to enforced disappearance. Pervasive internet and media controls remained. “Strike hard” campaigns resulted in sweeping arrests in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR), particularly following violence and unrest in July. Independent human rights monitoring was prevented in Tibetan-populated regions. The authorities continued to strictly control the parameters of religious practice, with Catholic and Protestant groups practising outside official bounds being harassed, detained and sometimes imprisoned. The severe and systematic 10-year campaign against the Falun Gong continued.”
Here are some basic facts on China from the BBC.
Here is my post marking the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989.
Argentina Vs. Nigeria World Cup Preview—Both Nations Have The Chance For Advancement
This is second installment of Texas Liberal World Cup previews. This post will look at the game to be played in Johannesburg on June 12 between Argentina and Nigeria. This game will be played at 9:30 AM Eastern U.S. time.
(Here is my preview of the Mexico-South Africa match.)
(Above–Old and new building styles in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Here is information about visiting Buenos Aires.)
Let’s check out the basic facts about the two teams.
Nationality: Noun and adjective–Argentine(s).
Population (July 2007 est.): 40.3 million.
Annual population growth rate (2001): 1.05%.
Ethnic groups: European 97%, mostly of Spanish and Italian descent; mestizo, Amerindian, or other nonwhite groups 3%.
Religions: Roman Catholic 70%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1.5%, Jewish 0.8%, other 2.5%.
Language: Spanish.
Education: Compulsory until age 18. Adult literacy (2001)–97%.
Health: Infant mortality rate–16.16/1,000. Life expectancy (2000 est.)–75.48 yrs.
Work force: Industry and commerce–35.8%; agriculture–9.5%; services–54.7%.
(Above–Lagos, Nigeria at sunrise. Here are some facts about Lagos.)
Nationality: Noun and adjective–Nigerian(s).
Population (2008): 148 million.
Population growth rate (2007): 2.2%.
Total fertility rate (avg. number of children per woman in 2006): 5.4.
Ethnic groups (250): Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, Yoruba, and Kanuri are the largest.
Religions: Muslim, Christian, indigenous African.
Languages: English (official), Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Fulani, Kanuri, others.
Education: Attendance (secondary)–male 32%, female 27%. Literacy–39%-51%.
Health: Life expectancy (2006)–47 years.
(These links are from U.S. State Department fact sheets. There is a lot of information about these two nations and about the world at this site.)
(Above–The Cerro de los siete colores or seven-colored hill in Jujuy, Argentina. This is a picture taken by Augusto Sarita. Here is information on visiting the region in Argentina where this hill can be found.)
Now that we’ve reviewed some of the basic demographics, let’s see what Amnesty International has to say about human rights in these important nations.
For Argentina—
“Amnesty International has welcomed the prison sentence handed to a former Argentine president responsible for crimes against humanity in the 1970s. Reynaldo Bignone, a former military general, was found guilty of torture, murder and several kidnappings that occurred while he was commander of the notorious Campo de Mayo detention centre between 1976 and 1978. The 82-year-old, who was appointed de facto president of Argentina by the military junta in 1982, has been sentenced to 25 years in jail. Five other military officers were also given long jail sentences by a court in Buenos Aires province…”
That is some good news— A Goal for Argentina.
Here is the full Amnesty report for Argentina.
(Below—The Gurara Falls in the Gurara River in Nigeria. Here are pictures of the falls and area around the falls.)
“The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is responsible for hundreds of extrajudicial executions, other unlawful killings and enforced disappearances every year. The majority of cases go uninvestigated and unpunished. The families of the victims usually have no recourse to justice or redress. Many do not even get to find out what exactly happened to their loved ones. Amnesty International’s 2009 report, “Killing At Will: Extrajudicial Executions and Other Unlawful Killings By The Police in Nigeria,” investigates the actions and human rights abuses perpetrated by the NPF. Amnesty International documented 29 cases of victims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions who had never appeared before a judge.”
Well…not much good we can say about this.
Here is the full Amnesty report for Nigeria.
Summary—Nigeria needs to step up on human rights. Hopefully the new President, Goodluck Jonathan, will lead the way. Nigeria’s life expectancy of 47 is also terrible. Argentina is a nation still recovering from years of dictatorship, but that has established itself as a democracy. Let’s all cheer on both nations as they progress towards a better life for their people.
(Below–A 1930 coup in Argentina. Here is a history of Argentina.)
Here is the BBC profile of Argentina.
Here is the BBC profile of Nigeria.
Here is the web home of the government of Argentina.
Here is a link to a number of web addresses for agencies of government in Nigeria.
(Below—A horse and rider from the Nok people. These folks are first known culture of Nigeria and may go back as far as 3000 years ago. Here is a history of Nigeria.)
Preview Of Mexico-South Africa World Cup Match—Who Has The Edge In Human Rights?
The first match of the World Cup will be played at 9: 30 AM U.S. Eastern Time on Friday June 11. This match will be between Mexico and host team South Africa.
(Above–Toltec warrior columns in the city of Tula in the Mexican state of Hidalgo. Here is a good history of Mexico.)
This post is the first of a series of previews I’ll be writing of World Cup matches.
Let’s begin with the some basic facts.
(Below—Mexico City. Looks like a smoggy day. Here is information about visiting Mexico City.)
Nationality: Noun and adjective–Mexican(s).
Population (July 2009 est.): 111,211,789.
Annual growth rate (2009 est.): 1.13%.
Ethnic groups: Indian-Spanish (mestizo) 60%, Indian 30%, Caucasian 9%, other 1%.
Religions (2000 census): Roman Catholic 76.5%, Protestant 6%, other 0.3%, unspecified 13.8%, none 3.1%.
Language: Spanish.
Education: Years compulsory–11 (note: preschool education was made mandatory in Dec. 2001). Literacy–91.4%.
Health (2009): Infant mortality rate–18.42/1,000. Life expectancy–male 73.25 years; female 79 years.
Work force (2008 est., 45.5 million): Agriculture, forestry, hunting, fishing–21.0%;services–32.2%; commerce–16.9%; manufacturing–18.7%; construction–5.6%;transportation and communication–4.5%; mining and quarrying–1.0%.
(Below–Cape Town. I hope black folks can find good paying work on those docks in the new South Africa. Here is information on visiting Cape Town.)
Nationality: Noun and adjective–South African(s).
Annual growth rate (2006 World Bank Group): 1.1%.
Population (2007, 47.9 million): Composition–black 79.7%; white 9.1%; colored 8.8%; Asian (Indian) 2.2%. Official figures from 2007 South African Census athttp://www.statssa.gov.za.
Languages: Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, and Xitsonga (all official languages).
Religions: Predominantly Christian; traditional African, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish.
Education: Years compulsory–7-15 years of age for all children. The South African Schools Act, Act 84 of 1996, passed by Parliament in 1996, aims to achieve greater educational opportunities for black children, mandating a single syllabus and more equitable funding for schools.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2007)–58 per 1,000 live births. Life expectancy–52 yrs. women; 49 yrs. men. Health data from 2007 Census Report:http://www.statssa.gov.za.
(The links here are from U.S. Department of State fact sheets. There is a lot of information to be found at these links.)
You’ve got to give the advantage to Mexico based on life expectancy. There is a roughly 25 year edge here for our friends south of the U.S. border. That’s what you get when your leaders go on for years insisting there is no relationship between HIV and AIDS.
(Below–A picture of a Yucca forest in Mexico taken by Tomas Castelazo. Here are facts about Yucca trees.)
How does Amnesty International see the two nations? Who has the human rights advantage?
From Amnesty on Mexico—
“Human rights concerns persist, particularly at the state level where violence surrounds local elections and misuse of the judicial system is common. Federal efforts to combat violence against women in the border town of Ciudad Juárez have continued with limited success. A number of human rights defenders have been threatened and at least three journalists have been killed despite proposed legislation to strengthen human rights protection in the Constitution.”
Here is the full Amnesty report on Mexico.
(Below—The Drakensberg Mountains are the highest mountain chain in South Africa. Photo taken by pzfun. Here is information about visiting these mountains.)
Here is Amnesty on South Africa—
“A significant number of foreign nationals living in South Africa continue to report facing prejudice, discrimination and abuse on a daily basis. Both the International Organization on Migration and Human Rights Watch completed extensive research on the issue of migrants since xenophobic violence exploded in 2008. Many people were killed and more than 100,000 displace during the violence. Local South Africans complain foreign workers are taking away valuable jobs. Although unemployment numbers demonstrate a decline since 2001, the Labor Force Survey approximates 23% of South Africans are unemployed. The construction fueled by the 2010 World Cup is said to have increased the employment outlook over the next several months.”
Here is the full Amnesty report on South Africa.
Here is a profile of Mexico from the BBC.
Here is a profile of South Africa from the BBC.
Summary—This is a close call. Two great and flawed nations are in this match. South Africa has undergone a historic transformation form apartheid to a wider democracy while Mexico is a land that has contributed a great deal to North American history and culture. On the other hand, South Africa has let down the world in its response to AIDS and dominance of the ruling African National Congress threatens to diminish the quality of South African democracy, while Mexico sometimes looks like a failed state in its inability to stop drug-related violence. Let us cheer on both nations as they work towards a more complete realization of their potential.
Here is the official web site of the government of Mexico.
Here is the official web site of the government of South Africa.
(Below—Zulu warriors in 19th century South Africa. Here is a very useful history of South Africa.)
Brutal Chinese Dictatorship Marks 60 Years In Power
The brutal Chinese dictatorship is marking 60 years in power.
(Above–Man stopping tanks during Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Please click here for a Texas Liberal post with facts and links about Tiananmen Square.)
More than one billion people in China lack basic freedoms.
People such as myself support the dictatorship by routinely buying products made in China because it is cheap and easy to do so.
China may well be interesting place to visit and learn about. But please recall that China is ruled by people who kill to stay in power and who will do anything at all to hold power.
Here is the latest Amnesty International report about human rights in China.
Ongoing Protests In Iran—Links To Learn More
Protests, such the one seen above, are continuing in Iran over the disputed outcome of the Presidential Election.
It seems that the vote was rigged.
People in Iran want more freedom.
Here are some links to learn more about this subject. It is up to you learn about the world.
Here is a Los Angeles Times story about the use of technology in the Iran crisis.
Here is the most recent Amnesty International report on Iran.
Here is the BBC on the situation in Iran. There is plenty of information here about what is going on right now and background information about the situation.
Here is Al Jazeera on the conflict in Iran.
Here is Reporters Without Borders discussing censorship in Iran since the election.
Facts, Views & Bloggers On The Trouble In Kenya
Folks in Kenya are slaughtering each other.
Straight out the Nazi playbook of burning synagogues, a church full of people was burned in the Kenyan city of Eldoret. 30 people were burned to death.
The pretense is the disputed outcome of the recent Presidential election.
Closer to the heart of the matter may be long standing ethnic and tribal divisions.
From The BBC—
Ethnic tension, which has dogged Kenyan politics since independence in 1963, is widely believed to be behind the violence.
With patronage and corruption still common, many Kenyans believe that if one of their relatives is in power, they will benefit directly, for example through a relative getting a civil service job.
The current tensions can be traced back to the 1990s, when the then President Daniel arap Moi was forced to introduce multi-party politics.
Below is a picture of the President of Kenya—Mwai Kibaki. When Mr Kibaki took office in 2002, he was supposed to bring fresh life to Kenyan democracy after the long and corrupt rule of Daniel arap Moi.
That has not worked out so well.
Here is profile of opposition candidate Raila Odinga. Mr. Odinga does not fully seem like a committed democrat either.
Here is the blog Kenyan Pundit written by Harvard law student Ory Okolloh.
Insight Kenya is a blog written from an oppostion view. It has a number of pictures of the current conflict.
What An African Woman Thinks is done quite well I feel. African Woman is a blogger who does not know what way to turn in the ongoing violence.
Here is the Kenyan Newspaper The Standard.
Here is the beginning of the Amnesty International assessment of Kenya.
Here is the beginning of the editorial on the election from The Economist—
THE decision to return Kenya’s 76-year-old incumbent president, Mwai Kibaki, to office was not made by the Kenyan people but by a group of hardline Kikuyu leaders. They made up their minds before the result was announced, perhaps even before the opposition candidate, Raila Odinga, had opened up a lead in early returns from the December 27th election. It was a civil coup.
The planning was meticulous. All that was needed were the extra votes to squeak past Mr Odinga in what had been a closely and decently contested election. That was why returns from Central Province, Mr Kibaki’s fiercely loyal Kikuyu heartland, were inexplicably held back. And why, in some constituencies, a large number of voters mysteriously decided just to vote in the presidential race, ignoring the parliamentary ballot. Real damage was done in Nairobi, the capital, by inflating the number of votes for Mr Kibaki, even after results were publicly announced. Election monitors were turned away in Nairobi while the tallying went on. But European Union (EU) monitors verified tens of thousands of votes pinched in this way. Mr Odinga’s supporters were not innocent either. There were serious irregularities in his home province of Nyanza and probably ballot stuffing on his behalf elsewhere.
Here are some basic facts about Kenya from the BBC—
- Full name: The Republic of Kenya
- Population: 34.3 million (UN, 2005)
- Capital: Nairobi
- Area: 582,646 sq km (224,961 sq miles)
- Major languages: Swahili, English
- Major religion: Christianity
- Life expectancy: 48 years (men), 46 years (women) (UN)
- Monetary unit: 1 Kenya shilling = 100 cents
- Main exports: Tea, coffee, horticultural products, petroleum products
- GNI per capita: US $540 (World Bank, 2005)
Below is a map of ethnic and language groups in Kenya. Look at all those colors. You don’t have to know what any of it means—I don’t—to figure out that these folks have to make the call to get along with each other or else terrible things will happen—Such as is happening right now.
These folks have a life-expectancy of 40-something and still some of them can’t kill each other fast enough. You really wonder about people sometimes.