Farewell. The Flying Pig Has Left The Building.

Steve Hynd, August 16, 2012

After four years on the Typepad site, eight years total blogging, Newshoggers is closing it's doors today. We've been coasting the last year or so, with many of us moving on to bigger projects (Hey, Eric!) or simply running out of blogging enthusiasm, and it's time to give the old flying pig a rest.

We've done okay over those eight years, although never being quite PC enough to gain wider acceptance from the partisan "party right or wrong" crowds. We like to think we moved political conversations a little, on the ever-present wish to rush to war with Iran, on the need for a real Left that isn't licking corporatist Dem boots every cycle, on America's foreign misadventures in Afghanistan and Iraq. We like to think we made a small difference while writing under that flying pig banner. We did pretty good for a bunch with no ties to big-party apparatuses or think tanks.

Those eight years of blogging will still exist. Because we're ending this typepad account, we've been archiving the typepad blog here. And the original blogger archive is still here. There will still be new content from the old 'hoggers crew too. Ron writes for The Moderate Voice, I post at The Agonist and Eric Martin's lucid foreign policy thoughts can be read at Democracy Arsenal.

I'd like to thank all our regular commenters, readers and the other bloggers who regularly linked to our posts over the years to agree or disagree. You all made writing for 'hoggers an amazingly fun and stimulating experience.

Thank you very much.

Note: This is an archive copy of Newshoggers. Most of the pictures are gone but the words are all here. There may be some occasional new content, John may do some posts and Ron will cross post some of his contributions to The Moderate Voice so check back.


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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Kidnapping & Release of Angry Arabiya

By John Ballard


Bahrain is the smallest country in the Arab world and as much in need of reform as any other. I think of it as an Arab echo of Kashmir  whereHindu authorities control a Muslim population, a place where subjects are governed by what can only be described as a ruling elite very much like whites ran South Africa during the apartheid era,  or how Israel controls what remains of the Palestinian population in the occupied territories (West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza). Years, decades pass and the unnatural is considered the norm...


Using Chirpstory I curated this ominous, disturbing sequence of messages sent by Maryam Alkiwaja (Tweeting from Cairo) whose sister Zainab (aka AngryArabiya) back home in Bahrain was kidnapped then released in response to a non-violent civil disobedience direct action. 


These brave women, second-generation activists (their father and Zainab's husband are in prison already) are models of civility but with no hint of backing down in their courageous fight against the tyranny which prevails in Bahrain.


now zainab alkhawaja (angryarabiya) is protesting now next to police jeep in a,ali after they attack the protesters 


Arrest of @angryarabiya now in Aali  Urgent: Arrest of @angryarabiya now 


A woman in civilian clothing was pulling angryarabiya from her arm to put her in a civilian car minutes ago 


angryarabiya was performing a sit-in in front of police jeeps 2 protest the excessive use of force on protesters today 


AfLwKyfCMAAT5r_[1][Picture] angryarabiya before getting arrested http://t.co/G2X4Ky9w


angryarabiya's father, husband and uncle r all political detainees at the moment


Gov of #bahrain's response to #BICI recommendations is by arresting unarmed peaceful female activist angryarabiya


#bahrain security forces today attacked Matam (Shiaa mourning home) while women were inside 


yes this is her http://t.co/AVcJJAXH
before she was staging a sit in in front of the police jeeps after they attacked a protest in Aali


Women had to be taken out from the window after security forces attacked the Matam today http://t.co/0Sy1EMQp 


A clearer picture of angryarabiya facing riot police before being arrested http://t.co/GcHym9Fg


MARYAMALKHAWAJA Just spoke 2 my family, MOI [Ministry of Interior]  is saying they didnt arrest her. This is bad news as we dont know where she has been taken


#reprevioustweet, it was definitely MOI, this just means they wont cooperate in letting us know where she is


So now we are considering this a kidnapping of my sister @angryarabiya by the MOI, as they are denying arrest


NickKristof -- Our pal, #Bahrain govt, reportedly has arrested democracy activist AngryArabiya--proving her point about repression. AngryArabiya kidnapped not arrested, they are denying they arrested her


.@angryarabiya was taken by force by a woman in civilian clothing into a civilian car in front of riot police its an MOI kidnapping


@ASE yes I was with @SAIDYOUSIF on the phone as the woman was pulling her from her arm


==>Just spoke to my other sister, angryarabiya has been released


Thank you all for the support, ur the reason they couldnt detain @angryarabiya


@angryarabiya Glad you're ok sis, keep me updated. Now I can go to #tahreersquare #egypt


@ASE @SaqerAlKhalifa of course they would, in some protests they denied using teargas, while protesters gathered them in boxes :) ... we have eyewitnesses who saw her being taken from in front of the riot police, who else kidnaps ppl in #bahrain? ... not our word Ahmed, we have videos and pictures to back up our claims, along with testimonies ... we documented cases of torture for how long? now after #bici gov admits its happenin, good indication of how it works


just spoke to @angryarabiya, will tell u now what happened


there was only one woman with the police in civilian clothing, so when she attempted to arrest angryarabiya [She] sat on the floor 1 of the men hit her in the back but the others told him that there are orders not to hit her ... they surrounded her with jeeps so noone could see what was happening, hence why it appeared to eyewitnesses that she had been taken


the woman kept trying to drag her to the car but angryarabiya sat and wouldnt move, woman asking if she should handcuff her ... angryarabiya kept doing the victory sign and the woman kept holding her hand in an attempt to prevent her.


after a while, and in what appears to be due to the noise made about her case they got an order to release her and retreat ...  she (angryarabiya) was roughed up and dragged in an attempt to put her in the car, only reason she wasnt taken was ... bcz the one woman on the scene was not strong enough to drag her sitting down, and the men were ordered not to touch her


@nalsowaidi if one day you are arrested Nouf or abducted or something I will stand up for you :) cc @angryarabiya


@alaskaRP yes I am in Cairo, DM me for details ... Can your sister identify the people, if she saw them again? Its impt that these people are held accountable.


@RuwaydaMustafah I'll ask, but it seems it'll take time before ppl are held accountable.. there r torturers and killers who havent been


@maryamalkhawaja so from what I am reading on your TL your sister angryarabiya was not arrested?


@Dima_Khatib they attempted to but were unable, so they kept here there for a while then released her


Off to Tahrir square.. solidarity with #egypt 


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All in a day's work. One sister confronting tyrants in Bahrain. The other takes on those in Egypt. I am in awe of their courage and determination. 



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