Lebanon: what do you mean there is no state?
This past week, thousands of Lebanese citizens took to the streets under the banner of “You Stink” to protest political and economic corruption in the country. They did so in the face of a brutal attempt to disperse the protests and silence those partaking in them. The mobilizations have their origins in the July 2015 garbage crisis, but also the broader dismal condition of public services as well as the profit-seeking networks and political stalemate that underpin it.
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Who says popular quest for change in the Middle East has been quelled?
A series of recent mass protests in several Arab countries have called into question suggestions that civil wars, brutal crackdowns and military coups and interventions have quelled popular willingness to stand up for rights in the Middle East. The protests, although focussed on specific social and economic demands, fundamentally have the same objectives as popular revolts four years ago that toppled four autocrats: dignity, social justice and greater freedoms.
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Saudi Arabia is now targeting bloggers in other Gulf states
Kuwait’s Criminal Court sentenced prominent blogger Abdul Rahman Al Ajmi to four years in jail on Tuesday on charges related to “state security.” While invoking national security to persecute bloggers, journalists, and activists is unfortunately and increasingly common in the Gulf, Al Ajmi’s case is part of a potentially more dangerous trend – the case against him was filed by the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Kuwait.
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