Stray Bullets - Protest Against Columbian President And Iran's Hair Orders

New Colombia President UK Visit Greeted With Protest:
Juan Manuel Santos, the new President of Colombia, has been met by a protest outside Downing Street [1] as he prepared for talks with David Cameron. On Monday (July 5), activists from the Colombia Solidarity Campaign [2], Polo Democratico, the Movement of Ecuadorians in the UK and the Latin American Workers Association, shouted “Asesino! Asesino!” in protest at Santo’s questionable human rights record. Many believe the president was involved in the “false positive affair”, where Colombian soldiers murdered civilians and dressed them up as guerrillas to claim kill bonuses. And according to some reports [3], Santos is scrutinised for allegedly directing key air strikes against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels. This year alone, 31 trade unionists have been killed in Colombia. Miguel Puerto, a representative of the Polo Democratico said, “Santos has emphasised that he will continue the policies of Uribe… he is entirely compromised in human rights violations.”

Cuba Begins To Free Dissidents:
The Cuban government has begun the biggest release of political prisoners in ten years [4], after negotiations by the Catholic Church. The government has announced that it will free 52 political prisoners, with five prisoners being freed on Wednesday (July 7) and the remaining 47 being freed [5] over the coming months. Human rights groups say that Cuba still have over 167 political prisoners. The current release is largest since 1998, when 101 prisoners were freed following a visit by Pope John Paul II. Federico Lombardi, a spokesman for the Vatican, said, “The world looks with hope at the events that are coming out of Cuba…we hope this path continues.”
 

Iran Deems Haircuts Immoral:
The Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has published a guide to appropriate men’s hairstyles [6], with police on the look out for any wayward bouffant [3]. Short, neat hair is approved - and anything that deviates from this is considered un-Islamic [7]. The approved styles will be showcased at the “Modesty and Veil” conference later this month. Last month, Iran’s morality police arrested several women believed to be wearing too much lipstick and even some women with suntans. Dr Emanuele Ottolenghi, a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies told The Media Line, “The crackdown is real. It’s hardly surprising… a regime that is under siege and unliveable from outside and inside pressure cannot allow the risk of allowing dissent on any issue. If it wasn’t tragic and painful for the people it would be funny, because it’s just grotesque some of the things they are doing.”
 

Russian Art Censored:
Russian art curators Andrei Yerofeyev and Yuri Samodurov have been found guilty of inciting hatred [8]in their “Forbidden Art” exhibition, shown  in 2007.  The exhibition in Moscow featured a depiction of Jesus Christ with the head of Mickey Mouse and a spoof ad for Coca Cola with the slogan “This is my blood.” Yerofeyev and Samodurov said they organised the exhibition to fight censorship of art in Russia [9]. Samodurov has been convicted of inciting religious hatred before; in 2005 he was fined for setting up an exhibition called “Caution: Religion!”. The curators face three years in jail. Yerofeyev said, “I though that this would cause controversy with the Ministry of Culture and other institutions, but not within the church or with fascists. Society is sick. It still has problems with its reflection in the mirror - art.”

Words: Richard Lemmer

Photo: Flickr user Globovision