Atheism is invading KSA.

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This year, KSA publicized the Penal Law for Crimes of Terrorism. The new regulation included terrorism provisions used to criminalize and to charge virtually any Saudi citizen or association  that would criticize the Saudi system or Islam. Article one in the latter provisions recited “Atheism and Questioning the Islamic Sharia” as terrorist threats.

“Calling for atheist thought in any form, or calling into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion on which this country is based.”

Declaring atheism as a crime, by the Saudi leaders, matches perfectly the political/religious system of KSA.  However, why did KSA wait until now to take these precautions? Is atheism really threatening  the kingdom?

Although, the Middle East director at Human Rights Watch Joe Stork in an interview to the Chicago Sun-Times, described atheism in Saudi Arabia as a “kind of a non-issue”, the traces of nonbelievers or doubter are spotted.  

In 2012, the Saudi authorities jailed Hamza Kashgari, a Saudi poet and journalist, for two years without trial after sending three tweets containing unconventional thoughts about Prophet Mohamad.

Similar thing happened with the founder of “Free Saudi Liberals" a website that discussed religion in the KSA, Raif Badawi was sentenced to 10 years jail, 1000 lashes and a fine of 1 million riyals ($266,600).

Fahad Alfahad, Saudi human rights activists, declared to the Global Post: “I know at least six atheists who confirmed that to me. Six or seven years ago, I would not even have heard one person say that. Not even a best friend would confess that to me.”

Despite all these effort to suppress people and rule them by the unquestionable religious power, some people fight and express their free thoughts believing that a day will come when the power of mind conquers the power of religion.

I cannot see how faith could be forced over people by law. Threating people, jailing them, and hurting them physically and psychologically would not protect the kingdom forever. Declaring a low against atheism is a clear confession of its existence and of its capacity to threaten the system.

You can forbid people from talking but you cannot control their ideas.

A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. Ideas have endurance without death.

John F. Kennedy


Rihab

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CIA First tweet!!!!

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On Friday, CIA joined Facebook and Twitter! 

In its first tweet, the CIA said "We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet."

One of twitter users replied "@CIA how does it feel to be followed for once?"

This is hilarious, who thought CIA has a sense of humor!

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A Topless Lady killed Putin!

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"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."

Mahatma Gandhi

On June 5, a member of the Femen organisation stabbed a Wax figure of the Russian president in a Paris museum. It is not the first time that Femen shows a great tendency to violence and unprecedented contempt of law.

Despite my respect to Femen cause, I cannot agree on their attitude and behavior. Violence should not be solved by practicing more violence!

 Photo credits: Vocativ

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Banned in Lebanon... Again???

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A new case of censorship has hit the social media today: “The Exhibition”, a short movie by Lebanese filmmaker Youssef Nassar, was supposed to be screened during the Cabriolet Film Festival. Nassar and the Cabriolet Film Festival’s committee were astonished to hear that the Lebanese General Security refused to give their approval to screen the movie because, as reported by Censorshit Lebanon’s blog, it displayed nude pictures of women. The festival’s committee is deploring the transformation of free Beirut into Kandahar.

Picture via Stop Cultural Terrorism in Lebanon’s fb page

The multiple and repetitive acts of censorship are getting more serious and are worrying us about the “conditioned” freedom of speech: You have the right to say or do anything as long as it doesn’t tackle  religious figures and parties, politics and political figures, and sex.

So basically, keep hiding behind your little finger, as we say around here, because this is what we are good at doing…

Oh and by the way, long live the internet where all banned movies, plays and books will be found!

Pascale Asmar

Your opinion counts, share it with us.

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Do you wear your Hijab?

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A huge number of women all around the world are the victims of injustice, of social and moral constraints and of religious systems. They are either living in a jail or used in marketing!

In Iran, it is illegal for a woman to be in public without wearing the Hijab. This rule in clothing is not only forced by "the morality police but also out of consideration for family, and the fear of being questioning by others". 

Masih Alinejad, an Iranian Journalist who left Iran in 2009 to pursue her studies in UK started a campaign "Stealthy Freedoms of Iranian women" by posting her photo driving a car without wearing The Hijab.

The Facebook page owned by MS. Alinejab shares the photos of Iranian women without wearing Hijab in public places "I was sure that most Iranian women who don’t believe in the forced Hijab have enjoyed freedom in secret, so I asked them if they wished to share this moment of stealth freedom."

The Photos shared on facebook were captioned by expressions that show a great need for freedom and reflect the deep sufferings of these women.

"Blowing of the wind through their hair is my nation's girls dream"

"After a few years of being away from my nation, I stepped on its vast plains again; not stealthily though. Hoping for the day when all my nation’s women can taste freedom with their whole bodies and souls"

"It is not easy at all to be called a whore just because you do not wear Hijab! and then even get beaten and be given a detention!
It is not easy to have to experience all the good feelings stealthily."

Being with or against Hijab is not the question!

Everyone should have the right to decide what to wear, nothing should be legislated or enforced on women. The freedom of choice is a sacred right and it should not be questioned. 

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Lets make a change... Who is in?

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We ask all  day long for things we don't have, for things we wish to have...
We nag on the unfairness, on the inequality...
We blame our country, the government, the people around us... BUT we never ever blame our self!

Lets make a change... Who is in?

Rihab

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:دواوين محمود درويش تمنع في معرض الرياض العالمي للكتاب

...مضت ستة اعوامٍ على رحيلك وها هم اليوم يحاولون قتلك بعد الموت 

محمود درويش، يا لحناً موسيقيا عزف لأذانٍ لا تسمع، يا طائراً حراً في سماء التخلف والرجعية، يا كبيراً في زمنٍ يحكمه صغار العقول، يا شاعر الحق والحب والإنسان...

محمود درويش، رحلت لكن كلماتك لا تزال تخيفهم، لايزال وقعها يرعب قلوبهم، يهدد انتصاراتهم الزائفة ومجتمعاتهم الكاذبة...

قرارهم بتكفير كتبك، وسامٌ أخر تضعه على صدر عمرٍ طويل من الشعر... محاولتهم الحثيثة لإسكات صوتك تجعله أكثر قوةً وأبعد صدى ...

Rihab

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!عزيزي اللبناني،سمّعني سكوتك

عزيزي اللبناني، بعد الهجمات والاستدعاءات التي تعرض لها بعد الصحافيين والإعلاميين والمدونين في لبنان، ارتأيت أن ألخص لك المواضيع التي يمكنك أن تتحدث عنها حالياً.
 

تنبيه: كل موضوع غير مذكور في هذه القائمة وإنما يدور في فلكها مقبول مبدئياً لكن على مسؤوليتك الخاصة.

 - 1 المغنين والمغنيات: آخر أعمالهم الفنية واخبارهم العائلية ، ثيابهم، من تخاصم مع من (نرجو أن تأخذ موقفاً صارماً من الخلافات) ، نشاطهم على مواقع التواصل الإجتماعي ، عدد متابعيهم على تويتر وفايسبوك ... انصحك أن تتجنب ذكر الفنانين الذين يسببون الحساسية للغير مثل فيروز، جوليا بطرس، فضل شاكر، وإليسا على سبيل المثال لا الحصر.

2- برامج الهواة: يوجد لديك في هذه الفئة العديد من الخيارات، لكن لا تخف فلديك متسع من الوقت لتتكلم عنها كلها.

3- آخر صرعات الموضة: ما هي الألوان الدارجة لهذا الموسم وما هو المكياج الملائم لها وغيره.

 4-برامج النكت وطق الحنك: وما أكثرها! أهم شيء أن تكون النكت من الزنار ونازل، حفاظاً على المستوى الراقي للكوميديا في لبنان.

5-  المسلسلات التركية: من أهم ما إستوردنا ثقافياً من الخارج، مفيدة للمجتمع وتساهم في تطوره.

6-المشاهير وأفلام السينمائية: موضوع مهم جداً ومليء بالاكشن، وقد فتحنا أبوابنا على مشاهير تركيا والهند إذا كنت تعتبر أنّ مشاهير هوليوود وأوروبا يهددون دينك وقناعاتك.

7- أحول الطقس: ممطر إلى غائم جزئياً، مشمس ورطب، اليكسا ويورغو...

 8-السهر والتفشيخ: آخر أماكن السهر الIn”، “Music Hall, White, Publicity, Uruguay Street، ... موديل السيارة والخليوي ، عدد ال-"Likes" لصورك على الفيسبوك، جمال وجاذبية صديقتك...

9-الطبخ والنفخ: ماذا تروقت وتغديت وتعشيت، وطبعاً نوع المشروب المرافق (كحولي أو غير كحولي حسب الطائفة والإنفتاح)؛ من المهم جداً أخذ رأي الأقارب والأصحاب في المأكل والمشرب من أجل تقريب أفراد المجتمع من بعضهم. في النهاية، عزيزي اللبناني، إن لم يعجبك أي من هذه المواضيع يمكنك دائماً شغل وقت فراغك باللتلتة على جيرانك أو على بلدك لأننا نحن اللبنانيون مشغولون أبداً ببهدلة أنفسنا.

عشتم وماتت الحرية!
Abir

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Jean Assi is not a Criminal!

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Voltaire

Dear Mr. President, 
I don’t know which is worse! Living in a country where anyone may insult his president without consequences or living in a country where we don’t have our basic rights and needs! 

Jean Assi will go to Jail! What a tough joke! 

In a time and place where we risk our life just by being courageous enough to go to work, in a time and place where criminals are ruling our days with explosions and fears, do some few words count that much???? 

While terrorists are wondering free in our streets, is it really a big deal if a young man exercised his freedom of speech more than what is acceptable??? 
Did he insult you more than some politicians do? Why is he the only one facing trial? 

Lebanon is the country of freedom and talking spontaneously is one sign of our identity … Do you really want to change that? 

With all my respect.

Rihab

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