Egypt: Victim of virginity test by the army speaks out

Last week, women's rights activists, human rights organizations and individuals of good conscience around the world were outraged by allegations that women protesters in Egypt were subjected to forced virginity tests by the Egyptian army. Eighteen (18) women were reportedly arrested in Tahrir square when the army stormed the historic square to clear it of protesters. The women were strip searched, beaten, subjected to electric shocks and forced virginity tests by male military personnel. A victim of forced virginity test and other forms of abuse by the Egyptian army has spoken out on camera and added weight to these allegations.

In the following video, a woman reports that she was subjected to virginity test while in custody of the Egyptian army. The video was posted on The New York Times website, alongside a compelling opinion column by Nicholas D. Kristof titled, Freedom's Painful Price.



The fact that these women told their stories on camera, despite the dangers involved, adds weight to the allegations of forced virginity tests exacted by the Egyptian army and highlights the urgent need for an impartial investigation into the matter.

After the resignation of Hosni Mubarak, the army took over control of Egypt and promised to facilitate a smooth transition to a democratically elected government that represents and respects the rights and will of ALL Egyptians. Allegations of forced virginity tests and other human rights violations by the army undermine this promise and goes to show that Egypt under the military is not significantly different from Egypt under Hosni Mubarak.

On 25 March 2011, in an email to its supporters in relation to forced virginity tests in Egypt, Amnesty International USA pointed out that "the Egyptian military may have just hit a disturbing, new low..." and urged supporters to call for an immediate investigation into forced virginity testing and other acts of torture and ill-treatment committed against women in Egypt. Please, heed the call by signing the petition.

The so-called "virginity test" must be condemned in the strongest terms.

My Google Analytics tells me that many people are searching online for the meaning of "virginity test" and petitions against virginity tests. This is a good sign and an indication that more people are becoming aware of the prevalence of this degrading practice. More importantly, many are willing to sign a petition against it.

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Barack Obama's video message to the people of Ivory Coast

This morning, I watched a video message posted on the White House Blog from President Barack Obama to the people of Ivory Coast. In the message, the president of the United States recognized Alassane Ouattara as the democratically elected president of Ivory Coast and expressed concern about the on-going power struggle and it's implications on the Ivorian people.

Obama unequivocally condemned Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to relinguish power since he was declared loser of the November 2010 presidential election, and commended the internationally recognized president of Ivory Coast - Alassane Ouattara - for seeking a peaceful solution to the stalmate. Obama urged Laurent Gbagbo to follow the "example of leaders who reject violence."

President Barack Obama's 1 minute 43 seconds long video message ends with a direct appeal to the people of Ivory Coast.



After watching the video, I have no doubt that some people will argue that "the west" is once again meddling in the internal affairs of a "sovereign" state because of "self interest" and the desire to exploit "natural resources". This argument is all too common, but as far as I'm concerned,  it defends the status quo and does not hold water; neither does it provide a solution to today's human rights challenges. People of good conscience do not expect the so-called "west" to sit back and silently watch innocent civilians in any part of the world die in the name of "sovereignty".

Where a state proves to be unwilling or incapable of protecting civilians within its borders from untold large scale violations, the international community has a moral and legal obligation under international law to take "all necessary measures" to protect civilians caught in a deadly conflict.

Ivory Coast is in chaos and there're allegations of crimes against humanity committed by supporters and troops loyal to Laurent Gbagbo. The United Nations reports that about a million people have fled their homes as a result of post-elections violence.

I welcome President Obama's message to the people of Ivory Coast, but more concrete steps should be urgently taken to protect civilians on the ground. More importantly, those who have participated in any way in perpetuating human rights violations in Ivory Coast since the disputed November 2010 presidential elections should bear the full weight of the law.

Read the country profile of Ivory Coast for more information about the country and please take the POLL on the top right hand corner of this blog [UPDATE: Poll closed].

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5 favorite national anthems and global unity

A national anthem is an officially recognized song that binds people of a nation together and evokes the spirit of patriotism, national pride and most importantly, unity - whenever it is played and/or song. An anthem is one of the few things that unite people who disagree on key issues. National anthems are widely used under different circumstances, including national celebrations, festivals, peaceful protests and sporting events. The power of a national anthem can be seen in places like parliament, senate or congress for instance, where politicians from different political parties disagree, but identify themselves with one anthem at the beginning of heated sessions. In Tahrir Square - Cairo, Egypt - during the pro-democracy demonstrations that culminated in the ousting a dictator, we saw how the national anthem of the Arab state united protesters - Muslims, Christians, men, women and children - calling for change. There is no denying that national anthems break barriers and inspire a sense of identity and national pride and unity among nationals of a particular country.

It is on this note that I present my 5 favorite national anthems:

1) National anthem of Cameroon:



2) National anthem of Finland:



3) National anthem of South Africa:



4) National anthem of the United States:



5) National anthem of France:



Mindful of the powerful uniting force of anthems, it is easy to conclude that the world would be a more progressive and harmonious place with an anthem - a global anthem that would unite all citizens of the world, irrespective of national, ethnic, racial, linguistic, and other boundaries.

What's your favorite national anthem? I like to hear from you.

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