Mereja

Author: Marwa Rakha

  • Egypt: Blogger loses job for uncovering fake virginity story

    While bleeding on the wedding night is still the proof of the bride's honor in Egypt and Middle Eastern countries, Radio Netherlands broadcast an Arabic translation of the Chinese advertisement of the Artificial Virginity Hymen kit. Youm7 newspaper announced that the product will be available on the Egyptian market for LE 83. And as if Egyptian women were all waiting for the miracle hymen to embark on pre-marital sex, conservative parliament members want the product banned and any importer exiled or beheaded. Egyptians began wondering if Egypt will start importing Chinese Hymens and Amira Al Tahawi, who used to work with Radio Netherlands at the time, got fired for blowing the whistle over the fabricated Chinese hymen story.

    On her blog Amira Al Tahawi wrote:

    نعم! ففي ٢٦ يناير ٢٠١٠ تلقيت رسالة بفصلي من عملي كمراسلة لاذاعة هولندا بالقاهرة بسبب مقال نشرته نهاية فاضحة وخلوها من أي أدلة علي رواج المنتج بالفعل في الاسواق الديسمبر الماضي حول مادة ملفقة نشرت بموقع الاذاعة في ٢٢ أغسطس ٢٠٠٩ عن “رواج غشاء البكارة الصيني” في العالم العربي، وأنه “مخترع ومصنوع خصيصا للمسلمات والعربيات” ، وكنت قد طلبت من الاذاعة تصحيح هذا الخطأ في رسالة – لازلت احتفظ بها – بتاريخ ١٤ سبتمبر ٢٠٠٩ وذلك بعد أن نشرت مواقع مصرية هذه الكذبة باعتبارها حقيقة – نقلا عن موقع سوري احال للاذاعة كمصدر – دون أن يكلفوا أنفسهم عناء قراءة المادة الأصلية وما بها من تجاهل لتاريخ المنتج الذي ظهر في اليابان منذ ١٩٩٣ ولم يخترع اويصنع تحديدا للمسلمات على يد الصين التي انتبهت لـ “شيزوفرانيا المسلمات والعرب والرغبة في اخفاء عدم عذرية النساء” كما جاء في المادة الركيكة التي نشرتها الاذاعة ودون حتى ان يقرأها أحد لتصحيح اخطائها.
    Yes! I was fired over a blog post I published last December! On 26 January, 2010, I received a termination letter putting an end to my job as a Cairo correspondent  for Radio Netherlands. In my post I proved that that station published false unverified information on 22 August, 2009, regarding the penetration of the Chinese “Artificial Hymen” in the Arab world. The information broadcast on the Radio said that the fake hymen is manufactured specially for Arab and Muslim women ignoring the fact that the product has been available in Japan since 1993 and it was not specially produced by the Chinese who realized the schizophrenic condition of Arab women who need to fake their virginity. I asked the station to correct the factual errors with that piece of fabricated news in an email dated 14 September. My request fell on deaf ears and many Egyptian news portals further spread the lie without bothering to investigate the facts or the sources quoted.

    Many bloggers found the decision to fire her ridiculous and unjustified; Nawara Negm wondered:

    وهي لم تسئ للاذاعة الهولندية في حاجة، باي حق بيفصلوها من عملها؟ عموما هي رافعة قضية دلوقت
    عايزين نصيح لها بقى يا شباب
    Why are they firing her? She did not write anything offensive about Radio Netherlands. Anyway, She is suing them … let's give her a hand guys!

    Eman Hashim is lamenting the integrity of journalism; she wrote:

    ان الصحافة فى مصر بقى فيها كتير قاعدين فى بيوتهم بيعملوا من مواضيع و جروبات الفيس بوك اخبار ابقى مش ببالغ. اميرة دلوقتى مرفودة من مكان عملها و مانعين عنها حقوقها المادية و الأدبية
    و كل ده عشان قالت لأة
    اميرة نفسها كتبت كل التفاصيل بالروابط و التفاصيل و التواريخ هنا. يا ريت نعلى صوتها و نوصل قصتها للكل. اذا كنا بنلوم اللى بيسكت على سكاته , يا ريت نساعد اللى بيتكلم.
    انشروا المواضيع فى كل حتة. عرفوا الناس حقيقة اذاعة هولندا القسم العربى و رد فعلها تجاه نشر خبر كاذب عندها. فين الامانة الصحفية؟ فين احترام القراء؟ فين احترامهم لنفسهم كاعلاميين؟ كان ممكن يطلعوا منها ببساطة و دون احراج نفسهم و يقولوا الموقع ضرب و الخبر اتنشر غلط. كان ممكن يعملوا اى حاجة … اى حاجة. لكن انهم يرفضوا التوضيح و التكذيب و يتكبروا يعترفوا بالغلط و كمان يرفدوا اللى قالت لأ … يبقى تهريج رسمى
    Journalism in Egypt has been infested with many so called journalists who make news and create scoops out of Facebook groups. Amira got fired and is being denied her financial and moral rights because she said NO! Amira wrote the details on her blog so let's give her a louder voice and let everyone know the truth. We blame the silent for their silence but we owe those who have a voice a microphone. Is that how Radio Netherlands deal with false news? Where is their integrity? Where is their respect to their readers and listeners? They could have easily published a correction or anything … anything at all. The fact that they did not publish a clarification or a verification of any sort is sad but firing an honest journalist for exposing fallacies is a practical joke.

    Dr. Mostafa El Nagaar wrote in Amira's defense saying:

    اميرة الان تتألم مما حدث لها وهي تدفع الثمن نظرا لوقفتها الشجاعة وانحيازها الي المعايير المهنية الاعلامية ، أميرة تدفع الأن ثمن موقفها النبيل للدفاع عن سمعة المصريات الذين تورط بعض أدعياء الصحافة وروجوا أن المصريات ينتظرن غشاء البكارة الصناعي وان الصين صنعته خصيصا للسوق المصري ، أستحي من هذا الموضوع وأكتب فيه بضيق لسخافته ولكن أدعوا كل امرأة مصرية أن تدافع عن انسانة تدفع الثمن دفاعا عن سمعة بنات بلدها ، ادعوا منظمات حقوق المرأة ان تتضامن مع اميرة بشكل عملي وفوري حتي تنال حقوقها المادية والمعنوية التي تم اهدارها بسبب موقفها الشجاع ، لا يصح ان تجد أميرة نفسها وحدها في مشكلتها التي هي صفعة علي وجوهنا جميعا ونحن نطلب مجرد الاعتذار ممن اساءوا لنساء مصر، ادعوا كل الشرفاء أن يقفوا مع فتاة مصرية انحازت للقيم والمباديء والوطن فدفعت الثمن
    Amira is now suffering the dire consequences of her professionalism and nobility. She is paying the high price for ethical journalism. She needs someone to defend her the way she defended Egyptian girls when imposters claimed that they are waiting for the fake hymen to cover up for their immorality. I urge every Egyptian woman to return the favor and defend Amira who lost her job. I am asking all Women's Rights organizations to show their solidarity with Amira. We officially ask for a clear apology from those who tarnished our reputation and I am asking all those who speak in the name of honor to show their support.

    Mostafa Fathi also posted a note on Facebook and Karim El Beheiry published a post on his blog in solidarity with Amira.

    In October 2009, Mohamed Al Rahal ordered a hymen kit and posted photos in his blog, as noted in a previous Global Voices story.

  • Egypt: The Right to Speak Up

    Egyptian bloggers and activists held a conference on January 22 in defense of their right to speak up after more than 20 Egyptian bloggers were arrested when their train arrived in the village of Naga Hammady where the Coptic massacre took place. They were released shortly after wards and they shared their testimonials of how they were “kidnapped” by the authorities and prevented from paying their respects to the families of the victims.

    Detained Bloggers

    Detained Bloggers

    Wa7da Masrya, a female activist who was detained with the bloggers in the photograph above, wrote on her blog:

    ركبنا سيارة الترحيلات و كانت قذرة و مظلمة و ضيقة سيارة الترحيلات مكتوب عليها من برة تحت جنب النمرة “لنقل المساجين” في رأسي جاءت ميت فكرة و راحت “هو إحنا مساجين؟” “هو إحنا عملنا إيه؟” “هما حياخدونا فين” بالرغم من الاسئلة دي كلها لم ينتابني لحظة خوف واحدة لأني أعلم تماما أننا على حق
    We got on board the deportation vehicle and experienced first hand how dark, filthy, and cage-like it was. Next to the plate numbers, there was a line that read “For Transporting Prisoners” and I began wondering if we were prisoners and I could not help but ask what our charges were and where we were being taken. Despite the hundreds of questions that raced through my head, I never had a moment of fear or doubt because I knew that we had every right [to go to Nagaa Hammady].

    Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas was also among the detained bloggers on this trip. Abbas has been harassed by the authorities, detained at Cairo Airport, and assaulted at home by a police officer. Upon his release, Wael learnt of his six month jail sentence:

    [He] has been sentenced 6 months in jail and LE 500 pounds (92 USD) as a judiciary bail, as a lawsuit was filed against him by a citizen and his police officer brother on charges of damaging an internet cable! Wael was ruled in absentia last November.

    Abbas – a thorn in the side of the government – was interviewed on BBC Hard Talk [Video in English] where he talked about bloggers who were harassed, kidnapped, and forced into silence, he spoke about his own experience with detention, and responded to the following questions:

    Do bloggers have any influence in changing authoritarian regimes?
    Is he here just gaining celebrity status or making a real difference?

    Dr Mostafa El Naggar posted the Egyptian Bloggers Declaration on the right to speak up:

    ونؤكد كشباب مصري يعتز بوطنه وانتمائه ويعلي قيمة المواطنة أننا لم نكن يوماً من مثيري الشغب، وأننا لم نتجمهر في نجع حمادي ولم نكن ننوي التجمهر كما حاولوا التلفيق لنا، بل كانت زيارتنا لنجع حمادي مواساة لإخواننا الأقباط في مصابهم الذي هو مصاب مصر كلها، وأننا أحرص الناس على الوحدة الوطنية التي اتهمونا بمحاولة الإضرار بها. كما نعيد التأكيد على أن زيارتنا لم تكن منظمة من قبل أي حزب ولا حركة، وكل من يدعي خلاف ذلك فهو مجافٍ للصواب. جمع السجن بيننا كمسلمين وأقباط، لأننا مصريون في وطن واحد وسجن واحد، ولن يثنينا ما حدث لنا عن العمل كنشطاء مصريين مستقلين من أجل تعميق روح المواطنة وتحقيق معنى الوحدة الوطنية الحقيقي. دامت مصر بأمن وسلام
    As proud patriotic Egyptian youth, we believe in the true meaning of citizenship and that we are not trouble makers or fame seekers. When we went to Nagaa Hammady we were not rioting or calling for rioting as they falsely accused us; the purpose of our visit was to pay our condolences to our fellow Copts and to strengthen the same national unity that they claimed that we were damaging. Once again we would like to highlight the fact the our visit is unrelated to any party or movement and anyone who claims otherwise is lying. We, Muslims and Christians, were united in the same cell, faced the same charges, and defended the same country. We are one and no one will silence or free independent voice for activism. What happened will not deter us from our mission to strengthen and deepen this countries sense of unity … long live Egypt in safety and peace.