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.)
Arab Spring Protests Are Ongoing—Protests Started With One Act
There have been large protests in Yemen in recent days and renewed protests in Morocco as the so-called Arab Spring continues.
(Above–Protests in Syria earlier in 2011. Photo by Syriana2011.)
These events take place as the very brave protesters in Syria keep up the presssure despite Tiananmen Square style brutality from the Assad government and as a new government takes over in Libya.
Longstanding repressive governments have previously been toppled in 2011 in Tunisia and Egypt.
One of the best sources to learn about these uprisings and revolutions is Global Voices.
Global Voices offers reports from bloggers and non-governmental social media users from all around the world.
Here is a Global Voices report about bloggers running for the Tunisian parliament. Two of the 7 candidates profiled are women.
There is no way to be certain if the changes in the Arab world will lead to expanded freedoms or to new forms of repression. It may take years for any accurate appraisal to be given.
Yet the alternative to Arab citizens finding out for themselves what they will do with newfound liberties would have been more long years of dictatorship.
How could that be acceptable to any freedom-loving person?
It should also be recalled that while there are many underlying causes to the Arab uprisings, it is also so that all this started with one act by someone who had not before been widely known.
On December 10, 2010, a college educated 26 year old Tunisian named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire.
Like many Tunisians, Mr. Bouazizi had not been able to find steady work despite an education. Mr. Bouazizi had a number of rough encounters with local authorities in his town of Sidi Bouzid as he tried to peddle goods on the street.
Mr. Bouazizi reached a breaking point and set himself on fire with gasoline. This attracted attention all over Tunisia and led to the toppling of the Tunsian government.
From Tunisia these protests have spread to much of the Arab world.
Please don’t set yourself on fire—But who can know when or where the next act of defiance or despair will set in motion great change.
Hope and change that is more than a campaign slogan is always possible.
Yet just as we are seeing in the Middle East, it is up to everyday people to force change with brave and strong words and brave and strong deeds.
Below–Mohamed Bouaziz
Haiti Earthquake Links
The earthquake in Haiti is a terrible disaster.
This event is being covered from many perspectives.
Here is a comprehensive report from the BBC.
Here is comment on the quake by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The excellent Global Voices has stories and links related to the quake.
The Miami Herald is providing extensive coverage of events in Haiti.
CNN is devoting many resources to this story.
A blog in Haiti writing about the quake is the Livesay (Haiti) Blog.
A blog focused on the Caribbean and writing about the quake is Repeating Islands.
The Reuters news agency has a live blog from Haiti.
Here are basic facts about Haiti from the BBC.
Here is an extensive history of Haiti.
Here is an account from the BBC of what causes earthquakes.
Help is needed for the survivors in Haiti
Many groups are taking donations.
The New York Times has a list of groups taking donations.
In addition to the organizations on the New York Times list, there is the United Way Worldwide Disaster Fund.
Most people in our country have at least some amount of money they can donate for earthquake relief.
Protests Ongoing In Iran
Protests in Iran are ongoing.
Global Voices has links to blogs and people using Twitter who are reporting about events in Iran.
Here is the blog Revolutionary Road. This blog is based in Iran.
These protests have been taking place for a week now. These are people serious about being more free. They merit our support.
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.
Indian Election Notes & Links—Women Voters More On Target
Look how this woman voting in India is keeping her ballot private with that cardboard. They don’t have more involved screens, but they do at least have that cardboard. People all over the world value a secret ballot.
Here is my overview of the Indian elections. Balloting began a few days ago and will extend into the middle of May.
Al Jazeera has a series of blogger links about the Indian elections. There are nearly 130 million Muslims in India. If Indian Muslim were a nation unto themselves, they would be the tenth most populous nation in the world. (Here is a list of the 50 most populous nations in the world.)
From the Al Jazeera links, here is a blog dealing with being Islamic in India.
The BBC ran a series of articles asking Indian people what they would do if they were the Prime Minister of India. I’ll bet most of you have never pondered that question.
Here is a great story called Six Myths About Indian Elections. For example, do women vote as they are directed to do so by their husbands?
No! Women are more inclined that men to vote for parties of the left. That’s some good thinking by these women. It seems that both America and India would be better off if only women could vote.
The leader of the main opposition party, the BJP, says there are too many folks from Bangladesh in India. What he really means is that voters who once lived in Bangladesh are likely to reject his call from extreme Indian nationalism. Immigrant bashers live all over the globe.
Global Voices has an Indian election page. Global voices does a great job with everything they do.
Below is a photo of a communist rally in the State of West Bengal. Communists hold power in this state, but may not do so well in the 2009 election. The Communists are having trouble with rural voters in West Bengal because they are taking farm land and giving it over to a car factory and other industrial concerns. That may be the best policy, but it is not sitting well with the people losing the land. (The picture is from the Flicker page of slglanka.)
Refugee Crisis & Ongoing War In Dem. Republic Of The Congo
There is a terrible refugee crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
I’m not well informed about this nation, but I do have this forum to help make the issue more well- known.
Our problems here at home are real and important, yet we are often blind the needs of problems of our brothers and sisters elsewhere in the world.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, refugee camps have been burned and the people who lived in these camps have been cast adrift. As many as 50,000 people may have lived in these camps. In addition, 250,000 people in the D.R.C are fleeing fighting between the government and rebels.
This BBC article discusses the reasons behind the conflict.
From the article—
“For years, fighting has been fuelled by the country’s vast mineral wealth. DR Congo is about the size of western Europe, but with no road or rail links from one side of the country to the other. That makes it easy for all sides in a conflict to take advantage of any disorder and plunder natural resources. A five-year war – sometimes termed “Africa’s world war” as it drew in Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Rwanda – ended in 2003 with the formation of a transitional government and subsequent elections. But unrest has continued in the unruly east of the country and, as a result, some armed groups have refused to disarm or join the national army.”
The Economist reports that the European Union and the United States have sent top diplomats to the Congo to help resolve the crisis and to stop a recurrence of the terrible warfare earlier this decade on this part of the world.
Here are some basic facts about Congo. Over 60 million people live in this nation and the life expectancy for both men and women is under 50 years. Can you imagine even more trouble for these people?
Here is Oxfam on the current situation in the Congo.
The very good Global Voices features bloggers who are discussing this issue. One on the scene blogger is a woman who runs the official blog of the Virguna National Park in Congo.
Maybe when we are done with the silliness of our election we can move ahead to a wider view of the world.