Turkish woman arrested for criticizing Instagram ban, media says

Turkish woman arrested for criticizing Instagram ban, media says
Turkiye removed the ban on Saturday, after it said the Meta Platforms-owned app agreed to cooperate with the authorities to address the government’s concerns. (AFP/File)
Short Url
Updated 13 August 2024
Follow

Turkish woman arrested for criticizing Instagram ban, media says

Turkish woman arrested for criticizing Instagram ban, media says
  • Turkiye blocked access to Instagram on Aug 2 for failing to comply with its “laws and rules” and public sensitivities

ANKARA: A Turkish court on Monday ordered the arrest of a woman on charges of inciting hatred and insulting the president after she criticized a ban on social media platform Instagram, broadcaster Haberturk and other media said.
Turkiye blocked access to Instagram on Aug 2 for failing to comply with its “laws and rules” and public sensitivities. It removed the ban on Saturday, after it said the Meta Platforms-owned app agreed to cooperate with the authorities to address the government’s concerns.
In an interview posted on YouTube channel last week, when the app was still blocked, the woman was one of several passers-by who were asked what they thought about the ban.
“This is wrong. The president cannot ban Instagram as he wishes,” the woman said. She also criticized President Tayyip Erdogan and those who supported the ban.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the arrest.
Monday’s arrest, ordered by a local court in the western city of Izmir, came after the head of Turkiye’s broadcasting watchdog RTUK criticized street interviews aired on social media, saying they “manipulate public opinion.”
The Instagram access ban came after a top Turkish official accused the social media platform of blocking posts expressing condolences over the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The Yazidi nightmare
Ten years after the genocide, their torment continues

Enter


keywords

From the Middle East to London and back: Bloomberg host’s journey as a news anchor bridging cultures

From the Middle East to London and back: Bloomberg host’s journey as a news anchor bridging cultures
Updated 27 September 2024
Follow

From the Middle East to London and back: Bloomberg host’s journey as a news anchor bridging cultures

From the Middle East to London and back: Bloomberg host’s journey as a news anchor bridging cultures
  • Joumana Bercetche tells Arab News how she went from successful banker to one of the leading Arab voices in international media

DUBAI: Joumana Bercetche’s career as a news anchor is about more than just presenting financial headlines, it is about telling the story of the Arab world to the West.

As the new host of Bloomberg’s “Horizons Middle East and Africa,” Bercetche has become one of the leading voices of the region in the international media.

Her job goes beyond covering markets and geopolitical events; it is also about breaking down complex narratives and fostering understanding between two distinct cultures.

“I see my role as two-fold: I am a host that covers economic and geopolitical issues but I am also a storyteller and I have a real opportunity to tell stories from the region,” she told Arab News.

“There is so much energy in this part of the world. The fact that I can speak and connect to people in Arabic makes them at ease and feel more comfortable to speak to me.”

Born in the UK and raised in Lebanon, Bercetche’s deep ties to both the Arab world and the West have helped her navigate the complexities of explaining the Middle East on a global stage.

After earning a degree in Economics from the American University of Beirut, she spent more than a decade working in London’s financial sector, at institutions such as Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch, before switching careers to pursue journalism in 2017.

“I enjoyed what I was doing in banking but I felt too boxed in playing a certain role. I felt I had more ability of going broader in the topics I was interested in,” Bercetche said.

In 2016, therefore, she began to think about other opportunities that might suit her skill set.

“I asked myself, what would I like to do? I am interested in markets, I am curious, I like to chat with people and I like to communicate. But being a broadcast journalist wasn’t necessarily the path I was thinking of pursuing.”

In fact, her foray into journalism came about by chance. After creating research videos for former employer Citigroup, her work caught the eye of someone in the media industry who asked if she had ever considered a career in broadcast journalism.

“I decided to give it a try,” Bercetche said. “Changing paths and careers requires a leap of faith. I was excited but anxious as well. I thought, ‘What if I don’t become successful? What if this isn’t the right move to make?’ But then, in the worst case I could always go back to my banking job, so I took my leap of faith.”

The leap paid off. After working as a CNBC anchor in London, Bercetche joined Bloomberg in Dubai in February this year and is now one of the few Arab women who hold prominent positions in the international business media.

As the host of a show that reaches more than 400 million households worldwide, she views her role as a unique chance to share stories about the rapid transformations in the region, particularly as countries such as the Saudi Arabia and the UAE pursue bold development initiatives.

“You get the sense that something is being built,” Bercetche said. “You have Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, you have the UAE and other neighboring countries also working on their own visions, you walk around and see all this construction — there is excitement in the air.”

Moving from London to Dubai was another significant life decision but Bercetche feels a deep connection with the region and its future.

“There is a sense that it’s a period of development,” she said. “You can see the transformative impact of the high-level decision-makers.”

Despite her success, the transition to such a high-profile career was not without its challenges, and as a TV anchor she said she has learned to develop “a thick skin” when dealing with public scrutiny.

“If someone is criticizing you, consider the source,” she said. “Is it coming from someone you respect? Is it constructive? If the answer is yes, then take it on.

“If it’s being directed indiscriminately from someone who’s lashing out at you from some unknown profile online, ignore it.”

Bercetche is a strong advocate for the role of women in media, particularly in terms of balancing a career with family life. While she acknowledges the support she has received from female bosses throughout her career, she admits that juggling her job as a news anchor with motherhood has been her greatest challenge.

“Becoming a mother has been the biggest gift to me,” she said. “There is a lot of pressure on working parents to find the right balance between home and work life.

“On days I finish early, I dedicate a huge amount of time to my kids. It’s always a balancing act; it’s not easy. You never fully get over the guilt, you just park it.”

Reflecting on the milestones in her career so far, Bercetche said that success is a moving target, depending on the phase of one’s life.

“Starting my career in London was an experience in itself,” she added. “As for my journalism career, I am proud of what we’ve done, collectively as a team, in such a short period of time so far. A milestone’s a moving target.”

Her advice to aspiring journalists is simple: “Work hard. You have to be curious and remember the most useful question to ask: ‘Why?’

“Try to get to the bottom of the facts and get a convincing answer. Learn from your mistakes. Nobody’s flawless but it’s how you respond to the mistakes that will determine the success and longevity of your career. Be patient; things happen in due time.”


Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda wins Emmy Award despite nomination controversy

Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda wins Emmy Award despite nomination controversy
Updated 26 September 2024
Follow

Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda wins Emmy Award despite nomination controversy

Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda wins Emmy Award despite nomination controversy
  • ‘It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive’ chronicles life under siege in Gaza
  • Jewish nonprofit Creative Community for Peace requested her nomination be rescinded after accusing Owda of having ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

LONDON: Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda has won an Emmy Award despite a lobbying campaign that sought to have her nomination rescinded.

Owda was awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Hard News Feature: Short Form for her ongoing project, “It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive.”

“This award is testimony to the power of one woman, armed only with an iPhone, who survived almost a year of bombardment,” said senior executive producer Jon Laurence, who accepted the award on Owda’s behalf as she remains trapped in Gaza.

Produced with AJ+, the feature chronicles Owda’s experience as her family fled the bombardment of their home in Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip.

The announcement came shortly after the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) determined that there were no grounds for rescinding her nomination.

This decision followed accusations from Jewish nonprofit Creative Community for Peace, which claimed Owda had ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a US-designated terrorist organization.

NATAS stated that documented links between Owda and the PFLP occurred “between six and nine years ago” when Owda was still a teenager. It added that it was “unable to corroborate” claims of more recent connections and had found no “evidence of contemporary or active involvement” with the PFLP.

“The content submitted for award consideration was consistent with competition rules and NATAS policies. Accordingly, NATAS has found no grounds, to date, upon which to overturn the editorial judgment of the independent journalists who reviewed the material,” the group also said.

The 25-year-old filmmaker gained social media fame following Israel’s military actions in Gaza, after she began documenting life under the siege, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7.

With 4.7 million Instagram followers and nearly 200,000 TikTok followers, Owda has spent the last year chronicling the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Her reports highlight the blockade on essential supplies, the spread of diseases, and the forced displacement of Palestinians, including her own experience.

“It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive” also won the Peabody Award in the news category earlier this year.


Media freedom group sounds alarm on increased security risks for local journalists in Africa’s Sahel

A police officer and a soldier from Benin stop a motorcyclist at a checkpoint outside Porga, Benin, March 26, 2022. (AP)
A police officer and a soldier from Benin stop a motorcyclist at a checkpoint outside Porga, Benin, March 26, 2022. (AP)
Updated 24 September 2024
Follow

Media freedom group sounds alarm on increased security risks for local journalists in Africa’s Sahel

A police officer and a soldier from Benin stop a motorcyclist at a checkpoint outside Porga, Benin, March 26, 2022. (AP)
  • Over the first six months of this year, 3,064 civilians were killed by the violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a 25 percent increase compared to the previous six months
  • In June, at least three journalists in Burkina Faso disappeared under suspicious circumstances, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists

DAKAR, Senegal: Local journalists in the Sahel region of Africa are facing increased security risks, a media freedom group said Tuesday, as extremist attacks and military coups have shaken the region in recent years.
At least two community radio journalists were killed and two kidnapped by armed groups in Mali and Chad since November last year, Reporters Without Borders said in a statement calling for the protection of local journalists.
“These crimes illustrate once again the deteriorating security context in which journalists in the Sahel are working,” Anne Bocandé, the organization’s editorial director, said.
“They are still present in these territories, to which no other information professional has access any more,” she added.
Three nations in the Sahel, an arid swath of land south of the Sahara, have been wracked by coups in recent years. Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are now ruled by military leaders who took power by force, pledging to provide more security to citizens.
But the security situation in the Sahel has worsened since the juntas took power, analysts say, with a record number of attacks and a record number of civilians killed both by militants and government forces. Over the first six months of this year, 3,064 civilians were killed by the violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a 25 percent increase compared to the previous six months.
Meanwhile, the ruling juntas have cracked down on political dissent and journalists. Earlier this year, Malian authorities banned the media from reporting on the activities of political parties and associations. Burkina Faso suspended the BBC and Voice of America radio stations for their coverage of a mass killing of civilians carried out by the country’s armed forces.
In June, at least three journalists in Burkina Faso disappeared under suspicious circumstances, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
“Generally speaking, the three juntas censor the media as soon as the security situation in the country is addressed in an unpleasant manner or when abuses are revealed,” Sadibou Marong, head of the sub-Saharan Africa office of Reporters Without Borders, told The Associated Press.
“Finding reliable and neutral information on government activities has become extremely complex, as has covering security situation in these countries,” Marong added.

 


Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE among world’s safest countries: Gallup report

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE among world’s safest countries: Gallup report
Updated 24 September 2024
Follow

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE among world’s safest countries: Gallup report

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE among world’s safest countries: Gallup report
  • High levels of security reported in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and even Bahrain are mainly due to economic porosperity and strong rule of law

LONDON: A majority of people in the three Arab countries of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE reported feeling safe in their local areas even during late hours, according to Gallup’s latest global safety survey.

The Global Safety Report, published by the polling organization Gallup on Sep. 24, revealed that in 2023, Kuwait ranked highest in public safety, with an astounding 99 percent of respondents saying they felt safe walking alone at night in their cities or residential neighborhoods.

Similarly, respondents from Saudi Arabia and the UAE also reported high levels of safety, with 92 percent and 90 percent, respectively, feeling secure in their local areas. Bahrain lagged slightly behind, at 87 percent.

The Gallup survey targeted samples of adults aged 15 and older across 140 countries and areas.

According to the report, the high levels of security reported in the three Gulf Cooperation Council countries are primarily attributed to economic prosperity and strict law enforcement.

Kuwait also ranked highest in the Law and Order index, scoring an impressive 98 out of 100 in 2023 and maintaining its position as one of the safest countries in the world since 2019, as per Gallup’s annual safety report.

As few as 4 percent of surveyed adults in Kuwait reported experiences with assault and 1 percent with theft. However, the poll did not ask the country’s residents about their confidence in the police.

Globally, 70 percent of adults felt safe during late hours in their areas in 2023, with 74 percent of respondents from the Middle East and North Africa reporting the same about their areas.

Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia was ranked the safest G20 country for solo female travelers, with the western city Madinah receiving the highest rating worldwide by InsureMyTrip for the third year in a row.


Police question Jerusalem’s deputy mayor over anti-UNRWA post

Police question Jerusalem’s deputy mayor over anti-UNRWA post
Updated 27 September 2024
Follow

Police question Jerusalem’s deputy mayor over anti-UNRWA post

Police question Jerusalem’s deputy mayor over anti-UNRWA post
  • Arieh King was probed on suspicion of inciting violence and terrorism
  • In a May post on X, King labeled UNRWA an ‘enemy in our holy city,’ accompanied by an image of one of the agency’s buildings engulfed in flames

LONDON: Israeli authorities have opened a formal investigation into Jerusalem’s Deputy Mayor Arieh King following a controversial social media post in which he attacked the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.

King, an ultranationalist figure, was questioned for three hours last week on suspicion of inciting violence and terrorism, Israeli media reported.

The probe focused on a post King published in May, where he labeled UNRWA as an “enemy in our holy city.”

The investigation gained momentum after Israeli officials alleged that some UNRWA employees were involved in the Oct. 7 massacre.

In response, King organized protests outside the agency’s headquarters in Jerusalem’s Ma’alot Dafna neighborhood.

On May 5, the UNRWA office in the area was targeted in an arson attack, prompting the agency to close the facility.

“First, the UN headquarters in Ma’alot Dafna. Second will be the enemy headquarters in French Hill. And third will be the Nazi organization’s headquarters in Qalandiya,” King wrote in a post on X, referring to the agency’s other sites and accompanied by an image of the building on fire. “There is no place for the enemy in our holy city.”

King was also questioned about other posts, including one showing activists from the extremist Israeli group Tsav 9 vandalizing a humanitarian aid truck, to which he added the caption: “I salute you.”

According to sources familiar with the events, the Justice Ministry, rather than the police, initiated the investigation against King, citing his potential incitement to violence and terrorism.

The authorization for the probe, given in March, stated that “encouraging the torching of a building not only involves harm to property, but could also endanger human lives.”

King dismissed the accusations, describing his posts as “totally legitimate.”

This is not King’s first brush with controversy.

In August, he faced backlash for allegedly stoking far-right violence and tension in the UK after posting a cartoon depicting a Muslim man embracing a white British police officer.