Yemen | MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani Sentenced

The same miserable, corrupt Yemeni government that set the USS Cole terrorists free has sentenced journalist Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani to six years hard labor.

I. Am. Disgusted.

Thankfully, the US State Department has condemned the act. Not that the Yemeni government will give a damn, I suppose.

Press Statement
Sean McCormack, Spokesman
Washington, DC
June 9, 2008

Yemeni Journalist Sentenced

The conviction and sentencing of Yemeni journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani to six years in prison points to a distressing trend in Yemen of intimidation and prosecution of independent journalists in criminal and security courts. Al-Khaiwani’s sentence has been condemned by both Yemeni and international journalism and human rights NGOs.

Al-Khaiwani himself has been the victim of violence, intimidation, and kidnappings that the Government of Yemen has yet to fully investigate and prosecute those responsible. We call upon the Government of Yemen to protect Yemeni journalists and their right to free expression in the pursuit of their profession. A free and independent media is a key component of a democratic society.

Jane Novak has much more, with lots of international reaction.

More to come as the next plan of action is determined.

Al-Khaiwani Update

A few updates for today:

First, the really important news! The sentencing for Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani has been postponed until next week. Jane says the government is putting it off, that “it’s a ploy to wait until attention is focused elsewhere.” Our efforts are having an impact!

Also postponed, the trial in the lesser known but just as stupid case of Fahd al-Qarni, a singer/comedian who is charged with attempting to overthrow the regime with a song. Yes, really: (al-Qarni) has been charged with inciting an armed overthrow of the government and insulting the President.

A song. I’d laugh at the stupidity, but it’s so outrageous it’s hard to laugh. (God only knows what happens to cartoonists there!)

Keep spreading the word and pushing for signatures! We can do this - so often we wish blogs could do more; and while this isn’t as close to us personally as other things, we can have a real impact on people’s lives.

Next, International journalist unions call for charges to be dropped:

No one knows better how retarded the charges are than the other Arab journalists.
International Federation of Journalists Statement:
[...]
Journalists’ Unions and Associations representing thirteen different countries from throughout the Arab World and Iran meeting in Casablanca at a regional meeting of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called upon the Yemeni authorities to drop charges against journalist Al Khaiwani and to take measures to guarantee his safety.

This call is also supported by the National Union of Journalists in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Deutscher Journalisten-Verband, and Deutsche Journalistinnen- und Journalisten-Union (dju) in ver.di and the East African Journalists’ Association.

Now, as a reminder for us, Conservative Belle has a must-read post today: Population, Privilege, Prestige, Pride and Power - The Five Reasons We Are Obligated to Fight for Democracy

At the time of this writing, there were 1172 signatures on this petition. Of that number, based on Jane’s reports, at least two or three hundred of these signatures are a direct result of the NZZ story. But in America, between the story in the New York Times and at least 50+ stories in the blogosphere, we could only generate approximately 800 signatures for freedom and democracy? This is shamefully pathetic. So now I’m going to take us to task for it.

Are we so arrogant, lazy, selfish and apathetic that we cannot take 30 seconds to click and sign this petition for a man who is willing to be separated from his family or even worse, possibly die for journalistic freedom and truth? How can the Yemeni government possibly be intimidated by a petition if Americans don’t even appreciate the very freedoms we have by signing it?

We have this huge population. We have people willing to fight and die to protect our freedoms and provide them for others. There is safety in numbers in this affluent nation of ours. The number of signatures on this petition should be overwhelming just based on our population. Why aren’t they there?

Amen, Vivian. See, while Karim al-Khaiwani is eternally grateful (as is Jane) for what’s been done so far, I’ve been a little disappointed. I’m not going to name names, but there are some big blogs linking to this, and I don’t see those bloggers’ names on the thing, much less the numbers one would expect to see considering the traffic they get. This isn’t about linky love for Jane, it’s about a man’s life.

THANK YOU to those of you who have signed, and who have tolerated my incessant nagging. You know who you are, and your support is deeply appreciated.

But for those who haven’t, I wonder, is it because al-Khaiwani is accused by the Yemeni government of “supporting terrorism?” I can understand why that would give some pause. Remember, the Yemeni government is the same government that FREED THE USS COLE BOMBERS. Obviously they aren’t ones to speak of who is “supporting terrorism.” Read through Jane’s archives - the regime’s hands are drenched in the blood of innocents, and they routinely charge liberal dissidents with absurd charges of sedition or support for terrorism because they (unfortunately, often correctly) believe it immunizes them from international criticism.
Anyway, does anyone question the dedication of the Jawa Report writers to fighting terrorism? They all support al-Khaiwani; they know he’s one of the good guys.

So what is it? Is it just apathy because it’s “just one guy” and people feel powerless? Is it because it’s “just” a letter? It is so much more than that - this is for all those like him, and the letter is making an impact. Imagine if there were ten times as many signatures, as there should be.

Is it because of having names publicly displayed? There is an option to have your name displayed as “Anonymous,” but I only see two “anonymous” signatures there. Is it because you don’t want spam? You don’t get spammed.

Isn’t this exactly what we should be supporting if we want to spread freedom in the totalitarian Islamic world? Wouldn’t it be better if they were able to have freedoms that we have without our government’s intervention? What if we had been able to do this for Iraqi dissidents under Saddam’s regime?

Vivian gets it.

We have the power to make a difference. In the past the Yemeni government yielded to outside pressure and a petition for al-Khaiwani when he was jailed on another occasion. Did you get that? He has survived this oppression before. Please don’t dismiss this as a waste of time or as something unlikely to have an impact. This is not the case.

Again, to those of you who have supported this - thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

For anyone else - if you’re reading this, I believe it’s your moral obligation as a free human being to step up to the plate. It only takes a minute. Sign it, blog it, just do it.

Still fighting for Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani and Yemeni freedom

[This will remain at the top for a while; scroll down for new posts.]

A Blog That Makes a Difference - Armies of Liberation

I’m so lucky to call Jane (from Armies of Liberation) a friend, and this article about her just makes me burst with pride. Yay Janie!!!

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Jane Novak, a 46-year-old stay-at-home mother of two in New Jersey, has never been to Yemen. She speaks no Arabic, and freely admits that until a few years ago, she knew nothing about that strife-torn south Arabian country.

And yet Ms. Novak has become so well known in Yemen that newspaper editors say they sell more copies if her photograph — blond and smiling — is on the cover. Her blog, an outspoken news bulletin on Yemeni affairs, is banned there. The government’s allies routinely vilify her in print as an American agent, a Shiite monarchist, a member of Al Qaeda, or “the Zionist Novak.”

The worst of her many offenses is her dogged campaign on behalf of a Yemeni journalist, Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani, who incurred his government’s wrath by writing about a bloody rebellion in the far north of the country. He is on trial on sedition charges that could bring the death penalty, with a verdict expected Wednesday.

Right, remember him? Did you sign the letter? That’s what this is all about; Jane got an article in the New York Times, but as nice as it is to get some recognition, none of what she does is for personal glory or publicity for herself (in fact, she’s rather media-shy). It’s about liberation. Even while this article is in the New York Times, she’s working tirelessly for and worrying about al-Khaiwani’s verdict tomorrow.

It’s not too late. PLEASE, sign and pass on the word. The corrupt thugs in the Yemeni regime must be put on notice. A man’s life depends on it, and by extension, so do countless others like him who fight corrupt and brutal regimes.

The story, short version:

Renowned journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani is one of Yemen’s most prominent democracy advocates - for which he has paid a steep price. His paper has been closed, his website blocked, and his children threatened. He is now due to be sentenced on May 21 for “insulting the president” and “demoralizing the military.”

During his arrest in June of 2007, Al-Khaiwani was beaten and his six-year-old daughter slapped unconscious. While released on bail in August, Al-Khaiwani was kidnapped and tortured by thugs who threatened his life if he continued to write about Yemen’s president.

As al-Khaiwani’s sentencing approaches, there is growing fear a guilty verdict will open the door for a brutal crackdown on Yemen’s already-endangered journalistic community. Join with al-Khawiani’s supporters in Yemen and throughout the world as we urge the Yemeni government not to imprison journalists for their work.

This is all you are asked to sign:

I write to protest Yemen’s prosecution of journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani, who will be sentenced on May 21 for allegedly “insulting the president.”

Al-Khaiwani is an outspoken independent journalist repeatedly targeted by authorities. His newspaper has been closed, his website blocked, and his children threatened. Yemeni and international human rights groups have observed that the charges are simply political retribution and pose a serious threat to Yemen’s emerging free press.

Please intervene to ensure Al-Khaiwani goes free and that freedom of expression for all Yemeni journalists is protected.

That’s it. Will you sign your name to that simple statement on behalf of freedom?

http://campaigns.aicongress.org/yemen/

Bloggers Unite Action: Save Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani

I’m re-posting this for Bloggers Unite for Human Rights today in hopes of getting some more eyes on this issue, and also to make sure you’ve gone to sign the letter to the Yemeni government and international human rights groups expressing opposition to the Yemeni governments suppression of freedom. Please also see this post with Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani’s thanks to those who have and who will sign the letter.
Please DO THE RIGHT THING - stand up for democracy and freedom.
Re-posted text follows.

URGENT help needed, via Jane at Armies of Liberation, who is the go-to for news about the Yemeni dictatorship. A prominent pro-democracy journalist in Yemen is facing a jail sentence–again:

Renowned journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani is one of Yemen’s most prominent democracy advocates - for which he has paid a steep price. His paper has been closed, his website blocked, and his children threatened. He is now due to be sentenced on May 21 for “insulting the president” and “demoralizing the military.”

During his arrest in June of 2007, Al-Khaiwani was beaten and his six-year-old daughter slapped unconscious. While released on bail in August, Al-Khaiwani was kidnapped and tortured by thugs who threatened his life if he continued to write about Yemen’s president.

As al-Khaiwani’s sentencing approaches, there is growing fear a guilty verdict will open the door for a brutal crackdown on Yemen’s already-endangered journalistic community. Join with al-Khawiani’s supporters in Yemen and throughout the world as we urge the Yemeni government not to imprison journalists for their work.

Al-Khaiwani stands on principle for free speech. When he was arrested in 2004 (for “insulting the president”), prison guards broke his jaw - yet he still refused to agree to stop writing. In June of 2007, he was re-arrested on similar charges and dragged outside in his underwear. After being released on bail, he abducted by gunmen who broke his fingers threatened to kill him if he “wrote another word against the president or national unity.”

Civil rights advocates inside Yemen and abroad believe the charges against al-Khaiwani are unsubstantiated and simply punishment for his critical reporting. In fact, one of the main pieces of evidence used against him by prosecutors is an unpublished article criticizing Yemen’s president.

All I ask is for you to send a letter–it’s already filled out, you just have to send it. You won’t get spammed or anything; you can opt-in for updates from them about freedom of the press in Yemen if you want. (Or you can just read Jane’s blog, like I do, and get other news as well, like the latest on the USS Cole bombers.) You can keep your name off the public list, too.

Jane tells me this is due to get some major media coverage in the region, so every bit of support is needed. Just one minute of your time, please. Click and send the letter.

Letter from Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani

Following up on the call for democracy and press freedom in Yemen, Jane from Armies of Liberation passes on this letter from Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani:

Thank you very much for this campaign, which comes in the context of the overall values that we believe, and they punish us when we believe those values and adopt them. I do not want to talk about myself, but rather the environment that we live in and suffering we endure from the inconsistency between what the authorities announce about democracy and freedoms, and what happens when we believe in those same things, democracy and freedoms.

They want us to practice our rights as they understand them, but we do it ideally. The regime said that democracy is the way of ruling, but when we try to practice our rights within this concept, criticizing the way that the regime governs and how they act, then they deal with us in a way that has no relation to democracy. They deal with us as outlaws. They use all of the state’s resources to attack anyone who has any opinions not corresponding with their opinions, and to attack those who even discuss their way of ruling.

What I am suffering and facing is part of the price I and many others pay for the democracy and freedom we hope to achieve in the future. At least we are preparing for a healthy environment that we want the next generation to live in. We believe that democracy and freedom have an expensive price, and this is a part of that price.

However that doesn’t mean we will keep silent and bend, as it is the price. We will refuse injustice peacefully. Solidarity is a way to enhance new civil values which support the democracy we will make with our sacrifice and with the support of others. We pay the price of the freedom for ourselves and for the generations after us. Again, thank you very much for your help and support.

Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani
Sana’a, Yemen

(Feel free to post or forward. Link to the one-click letter campaign: http://campaigns.aicongress.org/yemen/
Background article: http://www.menassat.com/?q=en/news-articles/2492-fearless-yemen )

If you have not yet sent a letter, PLEASE do so here. All you have to do is “sign” your name and send, and your name can be kept off the internets if you wish.

Two minutes, two clicks, and you’ll have made a difference.

A list of blogs supporting al-Khaiwani and media freedom in Yemen is here. If you post on this (and please do!), let Nicki know and she’ll add you to the list.

Sign a letter to the Yemeni government protesting his upcoming sentencing.

Let Mr. al-Khaiwani and his family know you appreciate his efforts to bring democracy to Yemen.

Today’s Anti-Islamofascist Action: Save Media Freedom in Yemen

URGENT help needed, via Jane at Armies of Liberation, who is the go-to for news about the Yemeni dictatorship. A prominent pro-democracy journalist in Yemen is facing a jail sentence–again:

Renowned journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani is one of Yemen’s most prominent democracy advocates - for which he has paid a steep price. His paper has been closed, his website blocked, and his children threatened. He is now due to be sentenced on May 21 for “insulting the president” and “demoralizing the military.”

During his arrest in June of 2007, Al-Khaiwani was beaten and his six-year-old daughter slapped unconscious. While released on bail in August, Al-Khaiwani was kidnapped and tortured by thugs who threatened his life if he continued to write about Yemen’s president.

As al-Khaiwani’s sentencing approaches, there is growing fear a guilty verdict will open the door for a brutal crackdown on Yemen’s already-endangered journalistic community. Join with al-Khawiani’s supporters in Yemen and throughout the world as we urge the Yemeni government not to imprison journalists for their work.

Al-Khaiwani stands on principle for free speech. When he was arrested in 2004 (for “insulting the president”), prison guards broke his jaw - yet he still refused to agree to stop writing. In June of 2007, he was re-arrested on similar charges and dragged outside in his underwear. After being released on bail, he abducted by gunmen who broke his fingers threatened to kill him if he “wrote another word against the president or national unity.”

Civil rights advocates inside Yemen and abroad believe the charges against al-Khaiwani are unsubstantiated and simply punishment for his critical reporting. In fact, one of the main pieces of evidence used against him by prosecutors is an unpublished article criticizing Yemen’s president.

Jane tells me this is due to get some major media coverage in the region, so every bit of support is needed. Just one minute of your time, please. Click and send the letter.