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	<title>Armies of Liberation &#187; Civil Rights</title>
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	<link>http://armiesofliberation.com</link>
	<description>Jane Novak's blog about Yemen</description>
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		<title>PSA: Saawa establishes hotline for Akhdam and other minorities to report civil and human rights violations</title>
		<link>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/03/10/psa-saawa-establishes-hotline-for-akhdam-and-other-minorities-to-report-civil-and-human-rights-violations/</link>
		<comments>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/03/10/psa-saawa-establishes-hotline-for-akhdam-and-other-minorities-to-report-civil-and-human-rights-violations/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Mar 2012 11:49:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Novak</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Society]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yemen]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://armiesofliberation.com/?p=35306</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Update: As we all learn together to be more sensitive, my Yemeni friends reminded me the word Akhdam itself is disparaging term, meaning slave I think, so this is why the PR is calling them the marginalized. Black  racial minority is also acceptable. Maybe African-Yemenis. Update: A new article  also discusses the marginalization [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Update: As we all learn together to be more sensitive, my Yemeni friends reminded me the word Akhdam itself is disparaging term, meaning slave I think, so this is why the PR is calling them the marginalized. Black  racial minority is also acceptable. Maybe African-Yemenis. Update: A new article <a href="http://www.yementimes.com/en/1554/report/560/The-marginalized-community-of-Aden-%28Part-one%29-Where-boundaries-fade-and-forgiveness-is-tradition.htm"> also discusses the marginalization</a> and segregation of black Yemenis in Aden. </p>
<blockquote><p>Sawa&#8217;a Organization launched its open line for monitoring violations against marginalized people</p>
<p><em>Sawa&#8217;a Organization for Minorities&#8217; Rights Defense and Anti-Discrimination is concerned about the escalation of violence against marginalized people in Taiz.</em> </p>
<p>Sawa&#8217;a organization for minorities&#8217; rights defense and anti-discrimination is watching with extreme concern the escalation of violence against the marginalized people in Taiz city which resulted in the fall of two killed people recently.</p>
<p>The organization monitored ,during the last week, the kill of a cleaner at the age of 22 years and another in his 7th decade was working as a guard in a land which was a place of dispute.</p>
<p>Sawa&#8217;a Organization for minorities&#8217; rights defense and anti-discrimination says that the Interior ministry bears the full responsibility for what happened,and demands it to adjust the perpetrators and bring them to justice as soon as possible, and confirms that it monitored a slowdown by the security agencies in the prosecution of those accused of committing the crime of murder  despite they know them.</p>
<p>The organization calls the security authorities in Taiz city to allow the marginalized people to express their views and opinions and not to resist their protests and protect them form any further attacks.</p>
<p>In this context, Sawa&#8217;a Organization launches its open line for monitoring violations to which the marginalized people are exposed and they are 01565182-711199279-77080744</p>
<p>e-mail: sawaa.org@gmail.com</p>
<p>Sawa&#8217;a Org. for Minorities&#8217; Rights Defense and Anti-Discrimination &#8211; Sana&#8217;a</p></blockquote>
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		<title>Arrested Yemeni protesters electrocuted, whipped</title>
		<link>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/02/16/arrested-yemeni-protesters-electrocuted-whipped/</link>
		<comments>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/02/16/arrested-yemeni-protesters-electrocuted-whipped/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:18:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Novak</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Judicial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Protest Fatalities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yemen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prisons]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://armiesofliberation.com/?p=34722</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At least 184 protesters are confirmed as &#8220;disappeared&#8221; and assumed to be under torture by security forces. My concern about the missing protesters since February 2011 has been the mass graves. 
 Yemen Post: A Yemeni human rights group, HOOD, revealed that 184 protesters enforcedly disappeared, emphasizing that no official authority has stated about their [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>At least 184 protesters are confirmed as &#8220;disappeared&#8221; and assumed to be under torture by security forces. My concern about the missing protesters since February 2011 has been the mass graves. </p>
<blockquote><p><a href="http://yemenpost.net/Detail123456789.aspx?ID=3&#038;SubID=4703&#038;MainCat=3"> Yemen Post</a>: A Yemeni human rights group, HOOD, revealed that 184 protesters enforcedly disappeared, emphasizing that no official authority has stated about their fate.</p>
<p>A senior officer of Hood, Abdul-Rahman Barman, said that the organization handed over a list of the disappeared names to the Interior Minister, pointing out that their families look for them everywhere and they become more worried every day.</p>
<p>Hood expressed deep concern about this case, demanding the newly-formed military commission to disclose the fate of these people enforcedly disappeared, stressing that the enforced disappearance is a crime against humanity.</p>
<p>One family had found out its relative in the morgue of Alshorta hospital six months after he was arrested by armed men loyal to the outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh.</p>
<p>Yemen protesters had alleged that security and army services arbitrarily detained hundreds of peaceful protesters across the country, subjecting them to torture and ill-treatment, since anti-government demonstrations began in February 2011.</p>
<p>Some released prisoners affirmed that huge numbers of protesters and soldiers of the defected First Armored Division were being held in custodies belonging to military camps loyal to Saleh.</p>
<p>During several conferences held in Sana&#8217;a with some of freed prisoners, they made clear that they were subject to brutal forms of tortures, including electro-shock devices and beating with cables and whips after being blindfolded and handcuffed.</p>
<p>Yemenis have been demonstrating across the country demanding the release of detainees held by Security services which are still controlled by people loyal to Saleh.</p>
<p>The exact number of detainees being held by the authorities is unknown, but activists say that it could be as high as 1,400.</p></blockquote>
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		<title>CCYR denounces takfirism by officials, asks Islah to clarify position</title>
		<link>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/02/16/ccyr-denounces-takfirism-by-officials-asks-islah-to-clarify-position/</link>
		<comments>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/02/16/ccyr-denounces-takfirism-by-officials-asks-islah-to-clarify-position/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:42:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Novak</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Society]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Islah]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Religious]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transition]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://armiesofliberation.com/?p=34742</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Saleh frequently resorted to denouncing his opponents in religious terms and framing armed clashes as legitimate jihad with fatwas from his clerics. The CCYR supports equal rights, intellectual freedom and a civil foundation for the impending state and is highlighting the increasing use of fatwas and taqfirism by hard liners to short circuit reform, and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Saleh frequently resorted to denouncing his opponents in religious terms and framing armed clashes as legitimate jihad with fatwas from his clerics. The CCYR supports equal rights, intellectual freedom and a civil foundation for the impending state and is highlighting the increasing use of fatwas and taqfirism by hard liners to short circuit reform, and intimidate the public at large and activists in particular. </p>
<blockquote><p>Yemen: Civic Coalition of Youth Revolution condemns Takfirism campaign</p>
<p>&#8220;The Civic Coalition of Youth Revolution&#8221; CCYR has reviewed the dangers besetting the homeland and revolution with its supreme goal of the new democratic civil Yemen, for sake of which people made big sacrifices.</p>
<p>The CCYR noticed a most important hint in such a historical moment represented in a return to language of Takfeer /Takfirism, exclusion and cancel of others . These are the same values practiced by the former regime throughout 33 years, for which the people of Yemen took to streets.</p>
<p> Most importantly is that it is an influential player within one of the biggest joint meeting parties&#8217; components that practices such behavior and while such a player did not abide by the declared political program of the Islah party, it also did the same for the first goal of revolution represented through establishing the new civil democratic country that respect freedom of thought, belief and of expression.</p>
<p>The CCRY, having condemned such behavior of past black era logic, confirms continue peaceful struggle against any obstacles facing the new Yemen dream of the people.</p>
<p>The CCYR calls Islah leadership to express their attitude towards such practices in a clear manner, for it is an influencing individuals in Islah party  who did so.</p>
<p>The CCYR informs all forces of modernization and civilians with care about future of Yemen to practice role of raising awareness on such risks and to fight them everywhere.</p>
<p>The CCYR confirms solidarity with all involved in the Takfirism campaign, Bushra  Almaqtary, Fikry Qassem, Salah Aldakak, Muhsen Aed, Sami Shamsan, Adel no&#8217;man  being last of them. </p></blockquote>
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		<title>Aden Alghad news site editor faces threats from Islahi leaders</title>
		<link>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/02/16/aden-alghad-news-site-editor-faces-threats-from-islahi-leaders/</link>
		<comments>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/02/16/aden-alghad-news-site-editor-faces-threats-from-islahi-leaders/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:36:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Novak</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Security Forces]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yemen]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://armiesofliberation.com/?p=34670</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is about a week out of date but indicative of what&#8217;s going on in terms of smears, slander and threats, from the victims&#8217; view: 
Dear Sir or Madam,
We would like to inform you that the a leader of the islamist Al-Islah party, head of the department of information in Aden branch, threatened the publishing [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This is about a week out of date but indicative of what&#8217;s going on in terms of smears, slander and threats, from the victims&#8217; view: </p>
<blockquote><p>Dear Sir or Madam,<br />
We would like to inform you that the a leader of the islamist Al-Islah party, head of the department of information in Aden branch, threatened the publishing team of the blog and Newsletter blog “Aden Alghad” because of their coverage of the violence in Almualla-Aden between members and sympathizers of the Alharak Aljanoubi Assilmi on one side and members of the Islamist Isalh party on the other side on February 3rd 2012. This happened when the Islah leader, Khalid Haidan, with the publishing editor, Fathi Bin lazraq, at the same day. The Islamist leader said that his party will prosecute the team of “Aden Alghad” and that his party might tolerate everything but not the blood of his members. When asked if this was a threat, the Islamist leader replied “consider it as you like”.</p>
<p>This is not the first time that Mr. Lazraq and his team are exposed to threat from leaders of the Islah party. On December 02nd 2011, another leader of the Islah party in Aden, Nabeel Assanii, threatened Mr.Lazraq because of republishing an article written by Assanii in which he describes participants of a demonstration organized by Alharak Aljanoubi Assilmi as drunk and drug-addicted.</p>
<p>We consider such activities by leaders of the Islah Party as a radical threat of the press freedom and the civilian life especially in such a peaceful city like Aden. We condemn the aggressive behavior of the leaders of the Islah which considers itself as one of the changing powers in Yemen and is participating in the current government and of its leader is a Nobel Peace Prize winner for 2011. We would like herewith to ask you to solidarise with Mr. Lazraq and the team of “Aden Alghad” against these threats and to support them in their struggle for freedom of expression. We warn from any aggression against the team members of “Aden Alghad” and bear the Islah party the full responsibility for the health and wellbeing of Mr. Lazraq and his team members.</p></blockquote>
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		<title>HRW documents Yemen&#8217;s Saleh&#8217;s crimes in Taiz including shooting ambulances, denial of medical care to civilians, while Saleh in US receiving medical treatment</title>
		<link>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/02/08/hrw-documents-yemens-salehs-crimes-in-taiz-including-denial-of-medical-care-while-saleh-in-us-receiving-medical-treatment/</link>
		<comments>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/02/08/hrw-documents-yemens-salehs-crimes-in-taiz-including-denial-of-medical-care-while-saleh-in-us-receiving-medical-treatment/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:00:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Novak</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donors, UN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medical]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Taiz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[War Crimes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yemen]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://armiesofliberation.com/?p=34681</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The denial of medical care is one method of collective punishment indicative of the Saleh regime and was prevalent and well enforced during the Saada War. going back to 2005. How much urgent and necessary medical care Saleh is getting in the Ritz Carlton is questionable. 
Yemen: Unlawful Attacks, Denial of Medical Care in Taizz
US, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The denial of medical care is one method of collective punishment indicative of the Saleh regime and was prevalent and well enforced during the Saada War. going back to 2005. How much urgent and necessary medical care Saleh is getting in the Ritz Carlton is questionable. </p>
<blockquote><p>Yemen: Unlawful Attacks, Denial of Medical Care in Taizz<br />
US, EU, Gulf Should Reject Immunity for Saleh, Aides</p>
<p>(New York, February 8, 2012) – Yemeni security forces stormed and shelled hospitals, evicted patients at gunpoint, and beat medics during an assault on Yemen’s protest movement that killed at least 120 people in the flashpoint city of Taizz last year, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is in the United States receiving medical treatment, received amnesty in Yemen for such attacks.</p>
<p>In the 75-page report, “‘No Safe Places’: Yemen’s Crackdown on Protests in Taizz,” Human Rights Watch called on the United States, the European Union, and Persian Gulf states to publicly acknowledge that the domestic immunity granted Saleh and his aides last month has no legal effect outside Yemen. </p>
<p>“President Saleh’s forces killed and wounded hundreds of civilians, evicted hospital patients, and blocked war wounded from reaching care,” said Letta Tayler, Yemen researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Saleh is entitled to medical treatment, but he and his aides have no right to immunity from prosecution for international crimes.”</p>
<p>When Yemenis took to the streets in January 2011 to demand an end to Saleh’s 33-year rule, Taizz, 250 kilometers south of the capital, Sanaa, became a center of both peaceful and armed resistance – and the scene of numerous human rights abuses and violations of the laws of war. “No Safe Places” is based on more than 170 interviews with protesters, doctors, human rights defenders, and other witnesses to attacks in Taizz by state security forces and pro-Saleh gangs from February to December 2011.<br />
<span id="more-34681"></span><br />
Yemeni security forces repeatedly used excessive and lethal force against largely peaceful protesters in Taizz. During attacks on opposition fighters that began in mid-2011, they also indiscriminately shelled populated areas of the city. Government troops conducted much of the shelling from al-Thawra Hospital, the city’s biggest medical center, which they occupied from June to December, virtually closing it to medical care.</p>
<p>One of the biggest attacks on protesters took place on the night of May 29-30 at Freedom Square, in Taizz, when state security forces and armed gangs fired on protesters, set fire to their tents, and bulldozed an outdoor area they had occupied since February. Fifteen protesters were killed and more than 260 wounded. Arif Abd al-Salam, 32, a history teacher and protester, described the security forces’ attack:</p>
<p>They had tanks and bulldozers. They were throwing petrol bombs into the tents and firing from many directions. I saw with my own eyes a man with a loudspeaker calling on the security forces to stop attacking and killing their brothers. He was shot dead with a bullet.</p>
<p>Victims of the Taizz crackdown included both protesters and bystanders. Qaid al-Yusifi, a teacher, was killed on July 9, as he was bringing milk to his children in al-Rawdha, an opposition stronghold that was repeatedly struck by government artillery. Al-Yusifi’s wife, Labiba Hamid Muhammad Saif, told Human Rights Watch that she heard at least three shells hit the area around the couple’s house:</p>
<p>We tried to look out the window because we heard screaming. There were a number of wounded and there were people from the neighborhood trying to rescue them. The electricity was cut and I could not recognize the injured. Then I recognized one of them as my husband, Qaid. He was carrying juice, milk, and water, not bombs or bullets.</p>
<p>Of the 120 deaths Human Rights Watch confirmed in Taizz, 57 were protesters and bystanders killed in attacks by security forces and gangs on largely peaceful rallies and 63 were civilians killed in shelling and other attacks during military operations against tribal opposition fighters. At least 22 victims of the attacks in Taizz were children.</p>
<p>On May 30, during the attack on Freedom Square, security forces and armed gangs forcibly entered five medical facilities receiving injured protesters. At one medical facility, a doctor described a security officer smashing the face of a wounded protester with his gun butt, knocking him unconscious. Inside a mosque on Freedom Square serving as a field hospital, security forces thrust gun butts into protesters’ wounds, witnesses told Human Rights Watch.</p>
<p>On November 11, the military shelled al-Rawdha hospital, as civilians wounded that day in other security force attacks rushed there for treatment. Ordnance from the attack on the hospital suggests direct-fire impacts from tanks, indicating that it was deliberate. One patient fell to his death through a hole in the wall created by the blasts.</p>
<p>Many of the unlawful attacks documented in the report were committed by Republican Guards, an elite army unit commanded by Saleh’s son, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, and by Central Security, a paramilitary unit run by the president’s nephew, Gen. Yahya Muhammad Saleh.</p>
<p>The attacks on protesters by Yemeni security forces violated international human rights law, including the right to peaceful assembly and expression, and were contrary to international standards on the use of force and firearms. Denial of medical assistance to injured protesters violated the right to health.</p>
<p>International law governing armed conflict was applicable to the fighting between the security forces and opposition fighters commanded by local sheiks. The security forces violated international law by indiscriminately shelling populated neighborhoods. The security forces’ occupation of hospitals and mistreatment of medical workers violates the principle of medical neutrality and the duty to respect and protect medical facilities and personnel.</p>
<p>Opposition fighters unlawfully placed civilians at risk by deploying in populated areas, Human Rights Watch said. “We asked them not to shoot next to our house,” one al-Rawdha resident said in September, “but they kept on doing so.”</p>
<p>Saleh blamed bloodshed in Taizz and other cities on “terrorists.” In a written response to Human Rights Watch’s findings, the government in December blamed casualties involving protesters and civilians on “sudden attacks … launched by the [opposition] armed militias.” Human Rights Watch’s field research found no evidence of this.</p>
<p>Since April, an accord brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and backed by the US and EU, promised Saleh and his aides blanket immunity if the president ceded power. Saleh signed the deal in November and on January 21, 2012, the Yemeni parliament granted immunity to the president and his aides. As a head of state, Saleh also enjoys diplomatic immunity abroad until he formally leaves office on February 21.</p>
<p>In addition to dismissing the immunity law, the US, EU, and GCC member states should encourage the new Yemeni caretaker government to revoke the measure on grounds it violates Yemen’s international legal obligations, Human Rights Watch said. International law does not recognize amnesty for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious violations of human rights.</p>
<p>“The US, and EU and Gulf states should make loud and clear that the immunity is no good abroad and should be revoked at home,” Tayler said.  “No one responsible for grave international crimes should get a free pass.”   </p>
<p>To read the Human Rights Watch report, “‘No Safe Places’: Yemen’s Crackdown on Protests in Taizz,” please visit:</p>
<p>http://hrw.org/reports/2012/02/06/no-safe-places-0</p>
<p>For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Yemen, please visit:</p>
<p>http://www.hrw.org/middle-eastn-africa/yemen</p></blockquote>
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		<title>Civil society activists condemn Yemeni scholars&#8217; fatwa on writer as politically motivated exploitation of religion</title>
		<link>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/02/04/civil-society-activists-condemn-yemeni-scholars-fatwa-on-writer-for-an-article-as-politically-motivated-exploitation-of-religion/</link>
		<comments>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/02/04/civil-society-activists-condemn-yemeni-scholars-fatwa-on-writer-for-an-article-as-politically-motivated-exploitation-of-religion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:36:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Novak</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Society]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Religious]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yemen]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://armiesofliberation.com/?p=34587</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Rejecting Taqfirism flat out. And they are correct that a civil state does not reject religion but protects the rights of all religious persuasions equally. 
RSF condemns the Takfeer campaign against Yemeni writers
A statement released by Revolution Salvation Front (RSF) on the apostasy campaign against the Yemeni writer, Bushra al-Maqtari
Condemnation Statement
O&#8217; great people..O&#8217; revolutionaries and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Rejecting Taqfirism flat out. And they are correct that a civil state does not reject religion but protects the rights of all religious persuasions equally. </p>
<blockquote><p><strong>RSF condemns the Takfeer campaign against Yemeni writers</strong></p>
<p>A statement released by Revolution Salvation Front (RSF) on the apostasy campaign against the Yemeni writer, Bushra al-Maqtari</p>
<p>Condemnation Statement</p>
<p>O&#8217; great people..O&#8217; revolutionaries and freedom seekers in all squares of freedom and change<br />
In deliberate abuse to the freedom of belief and approaching elimination and dominance of religion employing, the Yemeni writer Mrs. Bushra al-Maqtari, subjected to Takfeer (apostasy) campaign by known extremist groups.</p>
<p>Recently, these groups issued Fatwa, an Islamic edict by clerics, named as &#8220;The Olama&#8217;s Fatwa on abuse the Islam and Allah&#8221;, in which they named four writers: Bushra al-Maqtari, Fikry Kasim, Muhsin A&#8217;aid and Sami Shamsan of being &#8220;abused Islam&#8221; and described with &#8220;apostasy&#8221; and &#8220;Kufrism&#8221;.</p>
<p>The Fatwa elaborated by talking about an article of writer Bushra Maqtari, reported some of severed phrases from the article and interpreted it according their special orientation and political purpose for abuse and incitement to murder against the writer.</p>
<p>The RSF deplores and condemns this unjust Fatwa and that was not in fact Fatwa as it is just exploitation of religion for the liquidation of opponents to insert illegal ambitions, seeking to provoke sedition in society and exclusion of political opponent bigotry and bad interpretation of words away from its meanings.</p>
<p>It rejects the Takfeer at all. The so-called &#8220;Olama&#8217;s Fatwa on abuse the Islam and Allah&#8221; only regarded as a matter of political exploitation of religion to rein the other opinion and intellectually terrify. Such method already used by the same extremist groups against others and authorized the killing of children and women during previous political conflicts especially those infamous fatwa issued against the Yemen southerners during the civil war in 1994, misbelieved as &#8220;the war of apostasy and separation&#8221;. As well, many writers subjected to such Fatwas, as Dr. Abdul Aziz al-Maqalih and Dr. Hamood al-Awdi.</p>
<p>The RSF warns against going too far in using and monopoly religious and national eligibility by a group extremists and radicalists as Saleh&#8217;s regime did to weaken and exclude opposition opponents. Such behavior regarded as a crime must not be silent by the community.</p>
<p>It considered use of the mosques and public spaces to incite against other faiths, beliefs and ideologies as a blatant open call for incitement to murder and crime must be punished.</p>
<p>In this regard, the RSF calls upon the Ministry of Endowment to prevent the use of mosques to religious Takfeer, sedition and hatred in the community.</p>
<p>RSF also calls on political parties, human rights and civil society organizations, social and revolutionary representations, thinkers, writers and all the people to respond to such serious actions that threaten the security, stability and safety of the community.</p>
<p>RSF condemns the sites that published writings of abusive terms such as NabaNews and YemenPress, demanding to be prosecuted in accordance with the law.</p>
<p>Issued by The Peaceful Revolution Salvation Front<br />
Date 03/02/2012</p></blockquote>
<p>Fatwa is <a href="http://www.algnoubal-hur.com/news.php?action=show&#038;id=2446"> here</a> and Gt&#8217;d <a href="http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=ar&#038;langpair=ar%7Cen&#038;rurl=translate.google.com&#038;twu=1&#038;u=http://yemenportal.net/blocked/browse.php%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.algnoubal-hur.com%252Fnews.php%253Faction%253Dshow%2526id%253D2446%26b%3D28&#038;usg=ALkJrhhjWwCH43F3rgEgpEa83yT9MZfb4g"> here</a> in article entitled: &#8220;<em>The text of the fatwa, and the image&#8221; .. scientists Yemen opinion about insulting the divine: the article described Bushra Maqtari, and demanding closure of sites that published her article, and called for abusers to declare repentance&#8221;</em></p>
<p>Interesting to note that AQAP in Jaar banned some of the same newspapers that the scholars are also railing against. </p>
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		<title>HR Min Mansour to form independent commission to investigate HR crimes in Yemen</title>
		<link>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/02/02/hr-min-mansour-to-form-independent-commission-to-investigate-hr-crimes-in-yemen/</link>
		<comments>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/02/02/hr-min-mansour-to-form-independent-commission-to-investigate-hr-crimes-in-yemen/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:43:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Novak</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Judicial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ministries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tribes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yemen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hostages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prisons]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://armiesofliberation.com/?p=34540</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[She&#8217;s doing well and going in the right directions (for example closing private prisons) but the question is whether she will be allowed to cross the red lines or thwarted by ye ol powerful and guilty persons even though they have immunity. On a related note, on e report holds that Gen Kiran got a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>She&#8217;s doing well and going in the right directions (for example closing private prisons) but the question is whether she will be allowed to cross the red lines or thwarted by ye ol powerful and guilty persons even though they have immunity. On a related note, on e report holds that Gen Kiran got a false passport and is planning to escape Yemen. Beyond his recent crimes against protesters in Aden and Taiz, Kiran also has a court case pending for the death by torture of Ahmed Darwish in an Aden prison cell. </p>
<blockquote><p><a href="http://www.yemenpost.net/Detail123456789.aspx?ID=3&#038;SubID=4642&#038;MainCat=3"> Yemen Post</a>: Yemen Human Rights Horia Mashhoor said on Wednesday that an independent commission will be formed with the aim of investigating violations committed against human rights since the outbreak of anti-regime protests in last February.</p>
<p>&#8220;Probes about killing of protesters in Sana&#8217;a , Taiz and Abyan lack transparency, and Yemen&#8217;s judiciary lack enough fairness,&#8221; she added.</p>
<p>In her meeting with Middle East and North Africa director of the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy(NED) Abdul Rahman Al-Jubouri, she made clear that Yemen needs special legalizations that cope with international laws.</p>
<p>Mashhoor revealed that the ministry seeks to hold a national dialogue conference to solve Yemen&#8217;s problems and come up with joint national views on human rights.</p>
<p>She revealed that Human Rights Ministry would be shifted to an independent supreme authority which enjoys impartiality.</p>
<p>For his part, Al-Jabouri stressed that NED seeks to help Yemen in the field of enacting legislations of the constitution and election laws, pointing out that NED would support and train the consultative body belonging to the Human Rights through Ministry.</p>
<p>In an interview with the state-run 26 September newspaper, Mashhoor made reference to the existence of a big gap between laws and their application on the ground.</p>
<p>Mashhoor has said she seeks to shut down private custodies (ed-<em>private prisons</em>) run by some officials and tribal leaders, stressing that the existence of such custodies contradicts Yemen laws and international conventions.<br />
Mashhoor has vowed to release all political prisoners held in security forces.</p>
<p>Separately, Mashour stated that Yemen&#8217;s high-ranking officials take over 90 percent of allowances and benefits allocated to government ministries while low-ranking employees get nothing.</p>
<p>She affirmed that Yemen&#8217;s financial systems encourage corruption, demanding to carry out significant financial reforms.</p></blockquote>
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		<title>Interview with prominent Yemeni Civil Rights activist, Ahmed Saif Hashid</title>
		<link>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/01/26/interview-with-ahmed-saif-hashid/</link>
		<comments>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/01/26/interview-with-ahmed-saif-hashid/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:21:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Novak</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Society]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yemen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protest statements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reconfigurations]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://armiesofliberation.com/?p=34440</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Source link:  Akhbaral Yemen: 
-         Altagheer squares seemed to have changed a lot, which rises concerns regarding differences among constituents of these squares. Do you think that the change squares of 2012 is different from that of 2011, what are the reasons?
There has been no difference, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Source link: <a href="http://www.akhbaralyemen.net/akhbar/news-4604.htm"> Akhbaral Yemen</a>: </p>
<blockquote><p>-         Altagheer squares seemed to have changed a lot, which rises concerns regarding differences among constituents of these squares. Do you think that the change squares of 2012 is different from that of 2011, what are the reasons?</p>
<p>There has been no difference, the change square still under control of Islah opposing party that is actually heavily saturated with tribal ideology and fundamentalism. The party, with its influential powers, is the major reason behind constant tensions and violations committed against revolutionaries. These powers cause the anti-saleh regime revolution and its goals to become weak and unable to achieve brilliant success. They are hindering the silent society segment from joining the revolution, and had this party not steered the revolution since its first day, it would have been succeeded since months, if not within one or two months. It is the influential regime-affiliates Islah who conspired against an abortive revolution and let many opportunities missing, starting with Dignity Friday, then the Taiz holocaust of the change square, and finally the life rally. They changed the Sana&#8217;a square into a jail for revolutionaries. Unfortunately this is the truth that should be known.</p>
<p>-         What are the latest developments of the committee formed to tackle disputes occurred last month between Houthi and Islah affiliates?</p>
<p>The other joint meeting parties (JMPs) actually played a secondary role in relation to the Islah party, which plays, represented by its influential powers, the most crucial role at change square of Sana&#8217;a. The role of the other parties is no more than decoration of an alleged partnership that is much more pitiful than be condemned, and had there been minimum of independence of those parties, a mutual decision making process, there would not have been such a difficult situation. The violated rights of revolutionaries would be stopped as well as the unilateral decision making process since first day, yet these violations continued and became more intense recently. In fact, the other (JMPs) can neither take decisions nor can they stop any violations, but are only a decoration of the leaderships&#8217; influencing in Islah. I call these  parties to revolt against all of  Islah unilateralism and the crimes committed against revolutionaries. What add insult to injury is the daily violations committed by revolution-defaming Islah party, which is more atrocious than the regime we all demand its step-down.<br />
<span id="more-34440"></span><br />
The full dependence of these parties on Islah can cause great  damage, feeling incredible before members of these parties and others. The silence practiced towards these violations make these parties only partners of criminal acts and later on, no excuses shall be accepted. These acts unveil to how extent Islah is dictatorial and awful.</p>
<p>-         You and a number of activists are accused of being behind problems occurring in the change square, and of causing Huthis to rebel against Islah members?</p>
<p>The attempt to depict these problems as conflict between Huthis and Islah is exercised by Islah, to bring ambiguity and  deception. The Huthis are part of the society and a component of revolution and of Sana&#8217;a change square. Like us, they face the same attacks committed by Islah militia. We both share pain, yet we respect several members affiliating to this party. The conflict within Sana&#8217;a change square occurs between revolutionaries&#8217; will and that of influencing powers. Islah want to cause the society to hate Huthis, depending on behavior of elimination resulted throughout years  including six wars shared between the regime and influential Islah forces. The party, with its scandals and propaganda against its rivals, makes no difference compared with the regime, if not much more worse.</p>
<p>-         Can you explain about the so-called revolution salvation front you declared?</p>
<p>The front in question is a long queue dictated by necessity for bringing the revolution out of attempts of burial. It is a new center of forces trying to revive lost political balance and to break the existing monopolized political representation. The front came to fill in a big political gap, having the so-called opposition parties become a copy of the regime. It came also to reactivate revolutionaries after powers of the people congress and Islah parties collaborated against them, and to resist the corrupted forces precluding achieving goals of revolution.</p>
<p>-         Some people ridicule your front considering it as a coalition to sell the revolution, this is posted on the Facebook?</p>
<p>The people who sold the revolution are those who sold the homeland; Najeran, Gaizan and Aseer, and conspired against both Sept and Oct revolutions. These people still dependent on Saudi Arabia and cannot live without it. They receive millions of dollars against a constant backward and corrupted Yemen. It is those people whose interests mixed with the regime, sharing all profits together since 33 years and would continue in future.      The coalition with the Huthis aims only at resisting dictatorship, elimination and repression practiced by the regime&#8217;s Islah and people congress parties.</p>
<p>-         What do you think about the political compromise in Yemen, would the national reconciliation government meet the demands and goals of the interim period, how do you assess its  progress?</p>
<p>I think the compromise in its existing shape has looted a half of the revolution, if not all of it, especially that is based on sharing interests, not for achieving goals of the revolution. It was not only marginalized three major agents; Huthis, squares youth and the south movement, but also goals of the revolution, fortified the  world and Saudi national security interests at expense of revolutionaries&#8217; demands, so this government is worthless.</p>
<p>-         We can conclude some concerns from your previous interviews, what are they and to how extent you are afraid of tribal religious presence, in future?</p>
<p>These concerns are real ones and supported by many evidences that unveiled extent of Islah awfulness. It is governed by its fundamentalist, tribal and military forces, and such a party with these constituents can never build a modern civil  democratic and stable country that can rectify errors of the past and fulfill needs of the present and future.</p>
<p>As there are calls to an escalating program that may contradicts existing government, that called to avoiding exaggeration regarding the regime stepping down.</p>
<p>-         what are the plans you intend to achieve through the interim period?</p>
<p>The civil coalition of revolutionary youth was born from womb of the revolution, not from religious, tribal doctrine or foreign agendas. It is a true expression of goals achieving ambition, modern and prosperous future, and it shall defend the revolution forever as long as it tackles dreams of the poor who look forward to an end to the remains of  the regime. It shall not deviate its course of resisting corrupted back warded forces striving to abort our revolution.</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;
</p></blockquote>
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		<title>Nasser al Weddady, effective cyber activist for civil rights globally</title>
		<link>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/01/25/nasser-al-weddady-effective-cyber-activist-for-civil-rights-globally/</link>
		<comments>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/01/25/nasser-al-weddady-effective-cyber-activist-for-civil-rights-globally/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:32:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Novak</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mentions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://armiesofliberation.com/?p=34392</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Niiiiice, long time friend of this website, Yemen and me personally, Naser al Weddady gets a nice write up in the Atlantic recognizing his work and his amazing contribution to supporting freedom and civil rights in some of the darkest corners of earth, the Middle East. Naser helped me a lot with strategy, advice and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Niiiiice, long time friend of this website, Yemen and me personally, Naser al Weddady gets a nice write up in the Atlantic recognizing his work and his amazing contribution to supporting freedom and civil rights in some of the darkest corners of earth, the Middle East. Naser helped me a lot with strategy, advice and moral support for both of the campaigns for al Khaiwani (2005, 2008) and his door is always open when I&#8217;m  confused (or furious). A very smart guy, Nasser is dedicated to changing the world and is actually doing it. Read it all at <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/01/behind-the-arab-revolts-an-activist-quietly-pulling-strings-from-boston/251786/?&#038;utm_content=Google+Reader"> the Atlantic</a>. </p>
<p>Thats funny, so I thought maybe I should stop gushing about Naser for a minute and read the entire article (I got the link off twitter) before I posted it and there I was too:<br />
<blockquote>Testifying to the global reach of the cyber activists, Jane Novak, a New Jersey housewife, has established herself as a highly-regarded source on all things Yemen, even, at one point, consulting with the U.S. State Department. Her Twitter feed and blog, armiesofliberation.com, are consulted by activists and journalists. She is well-known among policy makers, activists and reporters in the country&#8217;s besieged capital, Sana&#8217;a. And she has never been to Yemen.</p>
<p>&#8220;She doesn&#8217;t speak a word of Arabic, she hasn&#8217;t set foot in the Middle East, but she still became an authority,&#8221; Weddady says. He claims her influence helped secure the 2008 release of Yemeni journalist Abdulkarim al-Khawaini, who had been convicted of defaming President Ali Abdullah Saleh. </p></blockquote>
<p>To clarify, I gave a 2008 presentation  at the Carnegie Institute, at the invitation of State, on media repression in Yemen. I said many of the attacks on press freedom are retribution for journalists who exposed mass corruption at the highest levels of the US allied Saleh regime. </p>
<p>Its funny that Naser describes the fact that I don&#8217;t speak Arabic or visit Yemen in a positive light, when the na-na-nana-na crowd always tries to use it to depreciate my work and me personally. My ten thousand Yemeni friends don&#8217;t hold it against me though. </p>
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		<title>Yemeni delegation meets ICC</title>
		<link>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/01/22/yemeni-delegation-meets-icc/</link>
		<comments>http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2012/01/22/yemeni-delegation-meets-icc/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:06:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Novak</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donors, UN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Post Saleh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yemen]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://armiesofliberation.com/?p=34340</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
-Press Release-
Yemeni delegation meets with the International Criminal Court’s Officials
(The Hague, 22/01/2012) On Friday, January 20, 2012, a delegation of representatives of the Yemeni civil society and International non-governmental Human Rights organizations led by Dr. Yasin Al Qubati, President of the Yemen Centre for Transitional Justice (YCTJ), and Mrs. Anna Kotzeva, Director of the Peace [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote>
<p>-Press Release-</p>
<p>Yemeni delegation meets with the International Criminal Court’s Officials</p>
<p>(The Hague, 22/01/2012) On Friday, January 20, 2012, a delegation of representatives of the Yemeni civil society and International non-governmental Human Rights organizations led by Dr. Yasin Al Qubati, President of the Yemen Centre for Transitional Justice (YCTJ), and Mrs. Anna Kotzeva, Director of the Peace and Justice Initiative (PJI) based in The Hague, visited the seat of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague, Netherlands, and met with officials from the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP), the Presidency and the Registry to discuss the way forward and the procedures for the ratification by Yemen of the Rome Statute, the treaty which established the ICC. </p>
<p>The delegation also informed the ICC officials of the recent developments in Yemen and pledged to submit a documented communication under article 15 of the Rome Statute to contain data on Crimes Against Humanity that have been committed against civilians at tens of Yemeni cities by the Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Saleh regime&#8217;s Security Forces and Death Squads since the start of the Yemeni uprising in 11Februry  2011.</p>
<p>The delegation informed the OTP of more than 2000 cases of death and more than 14000 cases of injury, in addition to more than 1500 cases of forced disappearances and 3000 cases of arbitrary detention, most of them are documented. The delegation said that the Yemeni civil society organizations are visiting now different cities of Yemen to collect evidence and document crimes thus far to have taken place in Yemen since 11-02-2011, adding that there are significant indications of mass graves hidden in Yemen from 1978 up till now. These mass graves include particularly victims of Saadah&#8217;s six wars that took place between 2004 and 2010.</p>
<p>The delegation concluded their meeting with the ICC’s OTP by promising to work towards the signature and ratification by the new Yemeni elected government of the ICC’s Rome Statute to ensure that Yemen will accept the jurisdiction of the ICC to prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes.</p>
<p>The delegation’s visit was followed by a reception organised by the Peace and Justice Initiative in the Mercure Hotel in the Hague Centre. Around thirty diplomats and workers in International Tribunals and Courts attended the reception and listened to Dr.  Al Qubati providing information documented by photos and videos about the escalation of the events in Yenen, with a focus on the victims affected by the crimes committed by the Yemeni regime and mass punishments of the communities in all the cities including depreviation from all general services like Electricity , water, gaz for huoses and fuel for operating all kinds of machiniries. to oppress the uprising. Dr. Al Qubati pressed for the international community to consider the Yemeni president Ali Abdallah Saleh and all the members of his family in the commendres of the army to have lost legitimacy and to refer Saleh and other representatives of his regime to the ICC. </p></blockquote>
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