Bush’s Egypt visit clouded by failed democratic push

President Bush’s push for greater democracy in the Middle East is today viewed by many as a failed effort. Egypt, a stop on Bush’s Mideast tour Wednesday, was once seen as a test case but is now mired in stalled reforms and resentment over the jailing of hundreds of dissidents, The Associated Press reported today.

“Activists say the U.S. democracy push has taken a back seat to politics,” the article says. “They blame Washington for easing its pressure on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to win his support on key regional issues such as Iraq and the Israeli-Arab peace process.”

In President Bush’s speech on democracy Sunday he did not mention Egypt “expect for what was widely seen as an implicit criticism of the country’s crackdown on political opponents,” the article states.

It notes later that: “Ayman Nour, a top opposition leader who ran against Mubarak in 2005, was sentenced to five years in prison on forgery charges that his supporters say were trumped up.”

“What is the benefit of talking (about democracy) any more, it is futile,” said Gameela Ismail, Nour’s wife.

U.S. criticism has been tepid or silent. While U.S. officials insist they have kept up the pressure privately, reformists question Washington;s sincerity on democracy.

The response from Washington is that pressure has been applied privately, however, the article says that “reformists question Washington’s sincerity on democracy.”

It adds: “Over the past year, several secular newspaper editors have been tried, some sentenced to prison, for anti-Mubarak writings. Egypt’s most outspoken government critic, Egyptian-American Saad Eddin Ibrahim, has gone to the United States for fear of arrest in Egypt, where he faces trial on accusations of harming national interests.”

For the full article, click here.

Vietnamese dissidents remain defiant after receiving reduced jail term

Two pro-democracy activists received a reduction in their jail terms, although the convictions against them of spreading propaganda, which falls under article 88 of the criminal code, were upheld in an appeals court, Agence France-Presse reported today.

In an unusually charged appeal hearing, human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai, 38, had his sentence cut from five years to four, while his colleague Le Thi Cong Nhan’s sentence was decreased from four years to three. The activists, however, continued to reject the charges against them as they left the court room.

“I reject both trials because they never would have brought a fair and objective sentence for me,” said Dai, flanked by two police officers. “The reason for my struggle is the lack of democracy and human rights in Vietnam.”

Nhan also challenged the court saying, “Even if I had been freed today, it would have been like being moved from a small to a big prison.”

“I would continue to express my opinion,” she added.

Defense lawyer Dang Trong Dung said that citizens have the right to freedom of expression, and that “it is necessary to reconsider article 88. It is necessary to redefine the notion of propaganda.”

The activists were arrested in March and sentenced in May for their Internet writings, interviews with foreign media, and meetings held with students to discuss democracy.

For the full article, click here.

Viet Nam arrests six activists, according to dissident group

A dissident group has reported the arrest of six pro-democracy activists on Saturday by security forces in Viet Nam, Agence France-Presse reported today. The group included two U.S., one French and one Thai national.

The U.S.-based Viet Tan (Vietnam Reform) party released a statement saying that the activists “aspired to publicize information on successful non-violent struggles from around the world and to use these lessons to help empower the Vietnamese people.” Viet Tan said that neither the activists’ families nor the non-Vietnamese citizens’ embassies had been notified of the detentions. The group additionally declared that: “While these individuals may have different backgrounds and reside in different countries, they are Vietnamese patriots who share a common dream to establish democracy and reform the country.”

A police official from the district where the detentions reportedly occurred told AFP that “We have not heard anything about this affair.”

For the full article, click here.

Iran's presidential policies criticized by reformists

At the 10th party congress held by the Iran’s reformist Participation Front, the group’s secretary-general, Mohsen Mirdamadi, criticized President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s “unbelievable” contempt for democracy in the country, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported today.

Mirdamadi said that Ahmadinejad acts like “the greatest defender of democracy” in the world, while continually denouncing democracy and party politics in Iran.

Describing the government, Mirdamadi said the Ahmadinejad presidency was the result of two political currents: one that works to exclude all political forces that do not adhere to the government’s strict definition of Iran’s religious and revolutionary ideology, and another he said undermines the ideals of the Islamic revolution and sees the empowerment of “the most reactionary, radical, and antifreedom” elements as the means to achieve this. According to Mirdamadi, Iran faces “the decline of moral society, the spread of lies and deceptive appearances...and the wasting of social assets.”

For the full article, click here.

Afghan M.P. Qanooni speaks at Wilson Center

Washington’s Woodrow Wilson Center today hosted Younus Qanooni, the speaker of Afghanistan’s lower house of Parliament, for a democratization forum.

Qanooni began his overview of democratic development in Afghanistan by comparing democracy to a new-born baby, saying that assistance and patience is necessary. He urged the audience to keep in mind that Afghanistan’s form of democracy is unique and will continue to develop in a way consistent with the will of the people. Still, he desires the “child” to grow strong with the help of the U.S.

“Democracy is not a slogan, but a goal,” Qanooni said. While much work is required for it to be realized, the Afghan people are committed, he added. Qanooni also claimed that his country is witnessing a new political life, having grown tired of the “old ways.” Citizens have matured politically by forming new parties, he said.

Qanooni highlighted the challenges of Afghanistan’s new democratic system – obstacles such as political and religious extremism. To counter these challenges, he urged Afghan leaders and citizens to act and not simply talk, and to have the courage to accept ideas different from their own. In essence, he declared that democracy should be a strategy – one tackled from the bottom-up and the top-down. He also argued that Afghan citizens should have the “correct interpretation” of democracy.

During the question and answer session, Qanooni fielded inquiries regarding the role of police, relations with Iran and Pakistan, and the prevalence of poppy cultivation.

The most poignant discussion touched upon how Afghanistan will be affected if the U.S. were to invade Iran. Qanooni lamented that the Iraq war has overshadowed the desperate needs in Afghanistan and fears that the U.S. will forget his country again if it embarks on another invasion.

Groups say U.S. Iran democracy funding does more harm than good

A coalition that includes the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) and human rights groups urged Congress on Thursday to cut 75 million dollars in funding for democracy promotion in Iran, Agence-France Presse reported the same day.

The activists said the Iranian government sees the U.S. funding as a way to enforce regime change, and the conservative leadership has used it as a pretext for crackdown within the country.

“The money has made all Iranian NGOs targets and put them at great risk,” said Trita Parsi, president of NIAC. “While the Iranian government has not needed a pretext to harass its own population, it would behoove Congress not to provide it with one.”

According to the article, “The group said Iranian authorities arrested four Americans of Iranian descent this year, accusing them of accepting U.S. government grants to promote regime change in Iran.”

In defense of the pro-democracy funding, State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said: “Congress authorized this funding for us to be able to do things like expand radio and television broadcasting into Iran ... to be able to allow (Iranians) to hear subversive things like the truth.”

“I don't think anyone would likely suggest that is a bad idea or something that we should stop,” he added.

The coalition agreed that the expansion of radio and television broadcasting was useful, but said that further budget increases should be put on hold until an evaluation of past programs is completed.

For the full article, click here.

Iranian democracy activist speaks about the “real” Iran

Ali Afshari, an Iranian political activist advocating democracy, freedom and human rights, spoke at a Defense Forum Foundation luncheon on September 28 entitled “What America Perceives about Iran vs. the Reality of Iran.”

Afshari discussed the issues surrounding nuclear proliferation in Iran, stating that the current sanctions are pieces of “insignificant paper” and that Iran is willing to risk anything, even if it leads to war. He described the state as a political military government that operates in a tyrannical manner. He also said that there is no democracy in Iran, and that the regime is not favored by a majority of the people.

In contrast to the government’s ambitions, the Iranian public is not interested in pursuing nuclear technology, Afshari said. According to Afshari, Iranians are not nearly as anti-Western as many outside the country suppose, and Iranian society is multicultural and diverse.

Human rights violations extend to all members of society in Iran, Afshari said, and many Iranians fear that the government’s current policies will lead to war. In the “real” Iran that Afshari described, minorities suffer from many problems, largely due to institutionalized discrimination. Minorities suffer economically because the current situation is much worse in the areas they live in than in the central regions of the country. Women also suffer from political and social inequality. In Iran, institutionalized discrimination includes denying women the right to divorce.

According to Afshari, Iranian politics is divided into three different factions: fundamentalists, traditionalists, and reformists. The fundamentalists are the most extreme group and make up the dominant sector of the government. They support both Ahmadinejad and the Ayatollah, and have been linked to support for violence and terrorism. The traditionalists make up the right wing of the Islamic Republic and live according to a traditional lifestyle without being as extreme as the fundamentalists. The reformists make up the left wing of the Republic, and are more moderate and exclusive.

Afshari said that there is “no easy or quick way to fix the problem between the U.S. and Iran.” He believes it is necessary, however, to pass tougher sanctions focused on the government. The Iranian government is used to the language of force, Afshari said, and does not believe the U.S. is in a position to take any action against Iran. Without increased pressure, there will be no change in Iran’s behavior, he said.

On the issue of creating a democracy, Afshari said that the Iranian constitution does not have enough flexibility to support genuine democracy. Moreover, the government of Iran does not accept changes, and therefore lacks the flexibility necessary to have a democracy, he argued. In order for democracy to be established in Iran, there needs to be a strong social movement from the public, Afshari said.