I cannot write more; just look into Khaled’s eyes and hear those words and those shots.

Another tragedy for the dark annals of history is unfolding and we will never grasp just how deep this heinous crime runs.

2011 was a year of upheaval, freedom, sacrifice and change.

Let 2012 be a year of rebuilding, opportunity and the realization of the freedom so hard fought for.

Regardless of the ideological standpoint, it evinces the power of Twitter as a tool for awareness, propaganda and activism.

Focusing on trafficking and migrant labor, Mahdavi interviews sex workers, taxi drivers, construction workers and domestic servants labouring under the Gulf’s kefala system.

Significantly, the Pardis’ objective is to de-mystify and de-stigmatize the industry, since:

to work toward solving this global problem, we need to be honest about what trafficking is—and is not—and to finally get past the stereotypes about trafficked persons so we can really understand the challenges migrant workers are living through every day.

To read the full interview with Jadaliyya, click here.

The media has been whipped into a frenzy twice this week: first, by the news that the Syrian-American blogger Amina Abdallah Araf al Omari had been arrested and detained by the Syrian authorities, and latterly that she may not exist.

Too coincidental? Perchance.

The charges that she is fictitious are flimsy to the eyes of those dwelling in the blogosphere, chiefly that she utilized the profile image of London-based Jelena Lecic (right).

According to Lecic, the image was taken during a trip to Paris, while subsequent images circulated of ‘Amina’ are also drawn from her online profiles.

Yet this is not uncommon: many of my Facebook friends have images of famous or merely beautiful unknown women as their profile pictures.

I have an image of Leila Khaled donning a nifty Po Boy cap and glinting askance at the monochrome lens, while my Twitter and blogging images comprises the infamous Mata Hari, poised like a dancer on cue.

The headlines scream inconsistencies, but the details are less uncertain – the notion that her girlfriend never met her is in fact the result of an online relationship.

Not so unusual.

She blogged under a ‘fake’ name – pseudonym would be better, and again, not so unusual.

Bloggers oft utilize pen-names: I do so for professional reasons; perhaps others are motivated by personal circumstances due to the implications their musings will bear on their freedom of movement or friends and family.

It strikes as too convenient to stifle the Free Amina movement swift on the frenzy that followed news of her arrest.

Equally, the idea that she presents too perfect an icon for the new Arab world: female, young, gay and activist is causing unease amidst critics.

If for a moment we entertain the prospect that she is a construct, would it be such a bad rallying figure?

The new dawn needs unity and if such an icon, fictional or otherwise, can represent all, it could prove a positive development.

Let’s watch this space.

Although the views expressed in agreement with Broun’s move are offensive, they are by no means unusual: in this respect I disagree that it is a disgrace: rather, it is a sad reality that racism and discrimination are rife in all aspects of society.

I have many issues with Broun’s notions, not in the least that it is a gross abrogation of human rights and a wanton display of idiocy to target individuals based on their faith and appearance.

Foremost, how do we define ‘Arab-looking’? The idea that there is a ‘look’ is a result of stereotyping by the Western media: I am loathe to justify such an elementary point, but part of what makes the Arab (and Muslim) world so wonderful is that it encompasses all the beauty of the human race: from blonde to black, tall to short, and yes, mean and kind.

Rendering Islam synonymous with terror is a vile and inaccurate move; that politicians presume to move seamlessly between the two leaves scant hope for cohesion in future.

It is not just the absence of understanding demonstrated by the West towards the Arab world, but the very reluctance to engage.

Not only is it conducive to misunderstanding and the bigotry that emanates from ‘othering,’ but to a loss of the opportunity to engage in a culture and with a people that have brought and continue to bring inspiration and innovation to this jaded old world.

The Arab world has suffered enough: that the West is not willing to acknowledge the continued tragedy of the Iraqis and Palestinians (and others) is augmented by the intolerance exhibited not only in Western host states towards these communities, but by those in authority who perpetuate such hate.

It is in effect, a spit in the eye that has just been poked.

And the very notion that Islam and the Arab world are synonymous with terror is flawed to its core: starting in the Middle East, the first act of terror was enacted by the Zionist Irgun gang in Jerusalem in 1946.

Over 90 internationals were killed: is this not terror?

I mentioned ‘internationals,’ as though that renders the plight of Gaza and Iraq non-terroristic; it is, but that debate can be saved for another day.

It was noted that Buddhists have not engaged in terror: in response I indicate Sri Lanka, where Sinhala Buddhist militias committed violence against local Christians and Tamils.

For the Jewish case, refer to the Irgun gang and more recently, one could cite the IDF. Or the settlers attacking Palestinian taxi drivers with axes.

Terror does not always involve a plane – it is present in many forms, but only one people are persecuted en masse for the actions of a few: the Arabs.

On the issue of profiling, I will bring a personal instance: in 1983 my grandmother was interrogated in her home to the point of having a stroke that rendered her incapable of speech for several months.

Living in Naples and as the mother-in-law of a British serviceman, the fact that she hailed from behind the Iron Curtain was enough to terrorise her in the name of security.

Quite what threat a 56-year-old grandmother, now Italian national living in Naples posed to the British military is unknown; the fact remains that profiling on the basis of ethnic origin is an inaccurate and harmful act.

On a gender note, the stereotypification of Eastern European women has prompted a resurgence in feminism in the region: widely deemed as easy, countries such as Russia and the Ukraine have become destinations for stag parties seeking a quick sexual fix before marriage.

Afterall, aren’t Eastern European women all prostitutes and strippers who would be delighted for a grope from a beer-soaked, fag-reeking pot-bellied tourist?

The answer is a resounding ‘no’ – and the follow-up: ‘is such stereotyping then fit for others?’

The crux is this: there is no justification for racist stereotypes, be it in the name of security or otherwise.

I would conclude that there is no place for bigotry in academia either, but sadly, we are fighting a losing battle on that front.

But if we can, we must continue to.

Instead of avoiding the woman in the burqa trust and interact: there is so much to gain through understanding and acceptance, and too much to lose through hate, persecution and avoidance.

And dragging its knuckles along the floor as they arrive, all 5,537 of them:

Around 5,537 participants on the social network site Facebook vowed to physically beat men and women who support Saudi women driving their four wheels.

The anonymous founder of the Facebook page urged his male counterparts to use “all they can to stop women from driving,” including the “Igal.” [source]

The page stands in opposition to “I will drive my car,” which currently holds almost 12,000 fans.

Manal has been rearrested and stands accused of ‘violating public order.’

Meanwhile, the Kingdom remains wilfully oblivious to its position as a violator of ‘humane order’ – until June 17, that is…

FemEO provides an online community for professional women in the Middle East region and combines quizzes, articles and advice for all aspects of working – and personal – life.

From Manal Al-Sharif‘s crusade against the insane ban on female drivers in Saudi Arabia to finding a job that boosts positivity, it provides a wide-ranging network to connect, or just browse.

I am aware that this appears very promotional (sweeping hand-gestures and arched eyebrows galore), but it is rather splendid.

As women we confront obstacles in many aspects of our lives: be they socio-cultural, religious or professional (cf.: Ragui Assad’s study, Obstacles to Female Employment in the MENA: and Ways to Overcome Them); the beauty of the cyber-sphere lies in the facilitation of connection.

FemEO promotes solidarity: and in restless times, unity is needed to making lasting change in the realm of gender equality.

And one more network can only be a positive development

And don’t forget the Gap Yah, folks