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Monday 13 February 2006 |
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MIDDLE EAST: Weekly round-up Number 58 for 20 - 26 January 2006[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]CONTENTS: EGYPT: Islamists appeal for release of prisoners Following the release of 453 members of the Muslim Brotherhood from prison on 19 January, leading members of the banned but tolerated Islamist group are now appealing for the release of a further 300. Full report EGYPT: Sectarian tensions felt in the south Religious intolerance may be on the rise, say human rights analysts, in the wake of violent clashes in a southern village between Coptic Christians and Muslim villagers. Full report EGYPT: Women’s rights activists demand more political participation Scores of activists have condemned the systematic marginalisation of women in politics, particularly during last month’s parliamentary elections. Full report IRAQ: Women’s groups blast “temporary? marriages A rise in the incidence of “temporary? marriages among Shi’ite Muslims is causing concern among women’s rights activists. According to women’s NGOs in the south of the country, more than 300 temporary marriages occur daily in Kerbala, Najaf and Basra, Iraq’s three main Shi’ite cities. Full report IRAQ: Sunni politicians cheered by election results Iraq’s Sunni political alliance says it is celebrating the results of last month's parliamentary elections. Full report IRAQ: Government launches prevention drive in wake of bird flu scare Emergency measures are being taken in northern Iraq to prevent bird flu, after a scare last week in which a young girl died after a fifteen-day illness. Subsequent tests to determine whether she had the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has killed 22 people in neighbouring Turkey, however, were negative. Full report IRAQ: Insurgent attacks rose in 2005, says US military report Violence in Iraq rose dramatically in 2005 compared with the year before, noted a report released by the US military on 23 January. Full report IRAQ: Struggle to help flood victims in Safwan Aid agencies are struggling to help hundreds of people displaced by severe flooding in the southern city of Safwan, some 45 km southwest of Basra. Full report IRAQ: Children’s hospital struggling in wake of bombing The country’s main children’s hospital is operating at less than one third of its full capacity after a bomb attack just over a month ago, say doctors. Full report IRAQ: Violence and threats hamper freedom of expression Local journalists say they are unable to write freely about politics due to threats from insurgents and unknown sources. Full report IRAQ: Delays expected over appointments for top posts Following the release of election results on 20 January, politicians are bracing themselves for delays as political rivals wrangle over the selection of a president and national assembly speaker. Full report IRAQ: Protest against alleged al-Qaida violence in Samara More than 1,000 protesters hit the streets of Samara, some 125km north of the capital, Baghdad, this week to demonstrate against al-Qaida militants blamed for killing more than 100 local police recruits this month. Full report JORDAN: Islamist opposition calls for revamped election law The Islamic Action Front (IAF), Jordan’s largest opposition party, has called for the formulation of “a democratic election law? to ensure greater representation in parliament. Full report LEBANON: Families of disappeared demand action Ten months after the start of a sit-in protest in front of UN headquarters in Beirut, the families of Lebanese nationals who have disappeared or been detained in Syria say their campaign for information is making little progress. Full report LEBANON: Year in Review 2005 - Developments in democracy Political observers often cite Lebanon as an example of freedom and democracy amidst other non-democratic states in the region. Full report LEBANON: Friends of slain MP appeal for investigation Family and friends of assassinated Lebanese newspaperman and MP Gebran Tueini urged the authorities this week to launch an official investigation into the murder. Full report YEMEN: Detained refugees hold out for right to protest Eight Somali refugees, arrested in December after a peaceful protest in front of the offices of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in the capital, Sana, remain in detention after refusing to pledge not to conduct further demonstrations Full report YEMEN: UNHCR appeals against human smuggling The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has urged governments to work to combat illegal smuggling after a boat carrying Ethiopians and Somalis capsized on Saturday in the Gulf of Aden Full report YEMEN: Water shortages a looming disaster, say experts Abdulaziz Ahmad Ali stands on a dry hillside next to the water tanks that supply the village of al-Haima, a small hamlet of 120 people. But the tanks, part of a World Bank project set up five years ago, are empty because the pump is broken again, explained Ali. Full report YEMEN: Death toll rises off the coast The death toll among smuggled migrants continued to rise on Wednesday after two boats capsized off the Yemeni coast on 21 and 22 January. According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), 91 bodies have been recovered so far, while 114 people are still described as “missing?. Full report [ENDS]
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