Ali Ferzat: The Pen Proves Mightier than the Sword

Revolutionary Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat may have been a victim of a sever beating that left him hospitalized. Yet, his accomplishments have not been overlooked nor forgotten as he won both the 2011 Press Freedom Prize and the 2011 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought this month.

"To me, breaking a cartoonist’s fingers or hand is like smashing a runner’s legs or impairing a surgeon’s vision."

A majority vote for Islamist political parties in the Egyptian Parliament is proving to be grounds for concern for the Coptic community. Although still skeptical, Egyptian Coptic intellectual and Editor-in-Chief of the Watani newspaper Youssef Sidhom states that it is up to the liberals and alternative parties to give the Islamists the benefit of the doubt and call them out on any injustices.

"This does not mean liberals give up their values, but instead represent their national duty not to leave the scene entirely for Islamists."

It seems that finally Samira Ibrahim's plight and battle against the sexist injustice of the armed forces is reaping results. Although her own verdict remains to be known, the administrative court has banned "virginity checks" on female protesters.

"The importance of this court rule is not only another victory against SCAF like how the revolutionaries look to it more than I think it is a victory for this Upper Egyptian girl who stood not only against a whole military institution but as well the society that is critical when it comes to sexual abuse. Ladies and people should not be silent anymore. "

Although they have not disclosed their method of doing so, Kuwait is set to ban all private accounts on Twitter. All Twitter users must use their actual names or face undisclosed penalties. It is claimed that this measure has been take to prevent defamation and online harassment. But could this just be another mode of censorship?

Suicide bombing was always going to be a sensitive issue. Yet, Malik living in the U.S. believe the polar extremes on the matter are not helping people understand it any better.

"Both these two groups are wrong and each live in their own denial box. The first group denies that there could be bad Muslims and the second denies anything good coming from Islam. Such mentality will never solve anything and will never meet at any point."