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Court raises possibility of a free Mubarak
Court raises possibility of a free Mubarak (AP) / 20 August 2013 A court ruling Monday raised the possibility of jailed ex-president Hosni Mubarak walking free soon, a move that would fuel the unrest roiling the country after the autocratic leader’s successor was removed in a military coup. The development happened on a chaotic day of bloodshed that ended with the military’s detention of the supreme leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, the group from which ousted president Mohammed Mursi hails. Underscoring the growing anger over Mursi’s ouster, suspected militants ambushed two minibuses carrying off-duty policemen, forcing the men to lie on the sand and shooting 25 of them dead. “They were marked in advance by the attackers,” said Ashraf Abdullah, who heads the police branch the victims belonged to. He said the assailants checked the IDs of the men, who were not in uniform, to ensure they were policemen before opening fire. The brazen daylight attack raised fears that the strategic desert region bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip could be plunged into a full-fledged insurgency. Early on Tuesday, Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie was captured in an apartment in the eastern Cairo district of Nasr City, according to security officials and state television. That’s where Mursi’s supporters held a six-week sit-in protest that was cleared by security forces last Wednesday. Badie and his powerful deputy Khairat El Shater, who is in custody, go on trial later this month for their alleged role in the killing of eight protesters outside the Brotherhood’s Cairo headquarters in June. His arrest is a serious blow to the group at a time when authorities are cracking down on its leaders and mid-ranking officials, detaining scores of them across the country. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Despite the violence, Cairo, a bustling metropolis of some 18 million people, began to regain a sense of normalcy although the capital remained under a state of emergency and a dusk-to-dawn curfew. Mubarak, 85, has been in detention since April 2011, two months after he was ousted in a revolution against his rule. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison last year for failing to stop the killing of some 900 protesters in the 18-day uprising. His sentence was overturned on appeal and he is now being retried, along with his security chief and six top police commanders. Two judicial officials said Mubarak could walk free this week or next after a criminal court on Monday ordered his release in a corruption case in which he and his two sons were accused of embezzling funds for the maintenance of presidential palaces. His sons were ordered kept in custody. Monday’s ruling, along with the fact that Mubarak had previously been ordered released in the killings of the protesters opened the possibility of freedom for the former president, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. There will no longer be any grounds to hold him if a court accepts a petition by his lawyer requesting his release in a third case later this week or next. Many analysts, however, expressed skepticism, saying the political cost of freeing the former leader, who was widely hated for widespread abuses and repression during his 29 years in power, could keep him in jail. Leading rights campaigner Nasser Amin and rights lawyer Hoda Nasrallah said they did not expect Mubarak to be released, citing the country’s delicate political and security situation as well as past incidents when authorities brought up new allegations to prevent his release. Amin complained that Egypt’s penal law, which dates to the 1930s, has no adequate provisions to allow the conviction of perpetrators of crimes like ordering or failing to prevent the killing of protesters. Already, the overwhelming majority of court cases brought against policemen charged with killing protesters have ended in acquittals or suspended sentences. “His release or detention will be a decision that weighs political and security conditions in the country,” said Nasrallah. Continue reading
Lure of social media monster
Lure of social media monster Sarah Young / 18 August 2013 Internet and social media use by Arab youth continues to grow at an exponential rate. So how — if at all — is this affecting their society and traditional values about family and friends, marriage and religion? Speaking to youth in Dubai, many feel the Internet is making them more connected, and better informed — but they are not all sure it is changing traditional values as quickly as some might expect. The Arab Social Media report published in June this year showed social media use continuing to grow in the region. While the amount of new users joining Facebook in the UAE slowed slightly, Twitter users had grown by 52 per cent to more than 400,000, accounting for 11 per cent of Twitter activity in the region, and making the country the third most active country behind Saudi Arabia and Egypt, despite the relatively small size and population. A report authored by consultancy firm Booz Allen late last year, Understanding the Arab Digital Generation, highlighted the effect this was having on the changing face of young Arab society, and traditional ideas about relationships and religion. The survey found youth had less direct personal contact with family and friends, with 44 per cent spending more time communicating online instead. One in two surveyed believed parents were unable to keep up with the younger generation in terms of technology, and traditional values were becoming more diluted thanks to the Internet. The changing face of communication Dubai-born Shaymaa Abuquta told Khaleej Times that while she definitely spent less time on face-to-face communication, social media and the internet had improved her friendships — particularly with friends abroad. “I communicate with them more (online) but I think it’s bringing us closer. It depends on how people use the Internet I guess. Those people who go out for dinner with friends say, and spend all their time on their phone — then yes, they are more isolated rather than connected. But for me, I feel it brings me closer to people.” Dubai resident Maimoona Bawazier said she also found social media a great way to reconnect with old school friends, and believed it had widened her social connections rather than isolated her. Dubai accountant Shahroz Ali, 20, spends about five or six hours on the Internet on his days off, and two hours during working days — mostly on Twitter. “It’s interesting and a nice way to pass the time. “(But) to be very frank, for me, it is keeping me away from family talks. Even if we are sitting in the same room we don’t talk to each other — instead we remain busy with our mobiles or iPads. But this is the case with the family only, with friends (the Internet) keeps me more closer, and gives me a chance to increase my friends list.” Sharjah resident Hamideh Ranjibar, 25, said she believed the rate of face-to-face communication had decreased dramatically and the internet was directly influencing culture, and making traditional beliefs less dominant, given the vast social networks and interaction with members of other cultures. She preferred now to chat online with friends, rather than meet them at a coffee shop or their house. A new way to tie the knot The report also looked at changing perceptions on marriage. About half of the UAE respondents had an arranged marriage, but when those unmarried were asked what sort of marriage they would prefer, less than a third said they would like an arranged marriage. It also showed people were becoming more open to researching, or even finding, their partner online, with 44 per cent of GCC respondents approving of males doing this, and 41 per cent approving of females. Abuquta said that while she had not met a partner online, her peers were more open to the possibility now. “I know so many people who met each other on the Internet, Facebook or Twitter. It is changing. Before, people used to think only desperate people used the Internet…but not now. The Internet doesn’t mean you haven’t got a life…it’s where the community is now, and you have to be part of that community.” However, she did not believe the Internet was causing an immediate, dramatic shift away from traditional marriages. “I think for those people who are already open-minded, the Internet will make them even more open-minded. But those who are used to arranged marriages…they will not change their mind so quickly.” Ali said he knew of many people who had met online, and the Internet had to some extent changed his perception on traditional marriages. “I’ve got to learn so much about different people through social media…(it shows you) there is a larger picture (from) which you learn different opinions. That sometimes proves helpful to form an idea about things.” He and the majority of his friends expected to choose who they would marry, which was a slight change from the past, he said. Ranjibar said she believed social media was reducing the number of arranged marriages. “There is more interaction…and individuals have more options to build a relationship, therefore they prefer to follow their own criteria for marriage rather than old beliefs…consequently the traditional type of marriage is going to abolish and you might just find it in small towns.” However, she did not approve of meeting online as she felt the interactions were not real, and people sometimes pretended to be something else. According to the report, religious belief was also influenced by the Internet, unlike the rest of the world, where it had not appeared to have a significant impact. Many from the GCC — 74 per cent — claimed the internet was bringing them closer to their faith, while 26 per cent believed it took them further away. Nearly all religious figures now had blogs, and many respondents said the Internet helped them find answers to questions, look for opinions and communicate with religious leaders, the report said. Ali said he did use the Internet occasionally to convey his “religious feelings and take part in different debates and forums.” “I like to listen to (Islamic preacher) Dr Zakir Naik because every time he speaks he convinces his listeners with proofs.” Overall, social media had changed his life for the better, he said. “I’ve learnt the basic law of diversity…and for the public relations purposes this is the best tool. And yes I do have a choice (over how much I use it) — it doesn’t control me.” Bawazier agreed. Social media kept her up to date with news and events here and around the world, along with fashion and make-up trends. “We are just more connected with the world now, it’s good.” However, Ranjibar said she still felt it was important to maintain a healthy balance when using social media, and not lose sight of core values such as being together. – sarah@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
All new Dubai mosques will be eco-friendly
All new Dubai mosques will be eco-friendly Ahmed Shaaban / 18 August 2013 All mosques to be built in Dubai starting next year will be environment-friendly. Dubai’s Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF) secretary-general Tayeb Al Rais said the first of these eco-mosques, which is also the first in the Middle East, was expected to be completed and opened in the first quarter of next year, with some 60 per cent of the work already finished. “We do want to make all mosques built in the emirate in the future power- and water-saving, and help reduce harmful gas emissions from the air-conditioners.” The new eco-mosques would reduce water consumption by 20 per cent and electricity by 25 per cent, he said. “All construction work at the mosque, named ‘Khalifa, the Merchant’, is being done according to the set schedule.” Al Rais said the Dh22-million mosque’s 25-metre-long minaret was now completed with work continuing on external decoration and the internal finish. The utility buildings and power station attached to the mosque had been completed. “The mosque, to be the biggest in the emirate, is being built in the Garhoud area…and can accommodate 3,500 worshippers.” The eco-mosque was being constructed in a total area of 105,000 square feet, he added. “Solar panels shall be used in heating ablution water, as well as imam accommodation and other utilities.” The mosque was equipped with a technique for recycling and purifying ablution water, and using it for agriculture work and the toilets. “Eco materials have been used in the construction of the mosque to be in line with the renewable power resources and heat insulation system.” The mosque was also using “advanced technology” to curb the use of harmful gases used in air-conditioning, he said. “This strategy is aimed to enhance the performance of these buildings, curb power and water consumption, and boost public health.” – ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
