/apr

Let the French riot police have their daily glass of wine | Agnes Poirier | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
►http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/apr/25/french-riot-police-wine-ban-crs

I never thought I’d write in defence of French riot police. However, something truly awful has happened to the CRS (Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité). Indeed, the ones we love to hate have just been denied by official decree that most cherished and antic pleasure, a single glass of wine (or cider or beer) with their meals. When you think about it, there are few delights in life more simple than a glass of wine with your meal. And the fact that the CRS used to enjoy theirs while on duty doesn’t change the argument much.

Tehran supports the Arab spring ... but not in Syria | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
►http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/apr/18/iran-arab-spring-syria-uprisings

Similarities between Mubarak and #Iran's former dictator, the shah (such as long-term American support and the corruption of their families) allowed the regime in Tehran to liken the Arab uprisings to the Islamic revolution in 1979 rather than the green movement. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, even labelled the Arab uprising as “an Islamic awakening” inspired by Iran’s 1979 revolution.

(…)

By highlighting US hypocrisy in dealing with the unrest in Bahrain and Yemen and the American failure to publicly condemn the violence used by both governments in suppressing their own people, Iran has won some recognition within the region. Yet Syria clearly exposes Iran’s own hypocrisy.

Iran has portrayed the Syrian pro-democracy demonstrators – unlike others in the Arab world – as “agitators” and “terrorists” hired by Israel to create disturbance and insecurity.

Polish feminism? Count me in, darling | Aleksandra Szyllo (The Guardian)
►http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/apr/08/polish-feminism

Aleksandra Szyllo: Gazeta Wyborcza: I never thought of myself as a feminist until a conference of Polish diplomats cast me as their ’sweetheart’ female mascot

#Polish_feminism ? Count me in, darling | Aleksandra Szyllo | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
►http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/apr/08/polish-feminism

If someone had asked me a week ago if I was a feminist I would have hesitated. Not because I primarily consider myself a “sweet thing” or a human milk-bottle. On the contrary. I have earned a degree and run a company – both while pregnant and with my kids on my lap. After I closed down my own business, I was hired by the company of my dreams. When I spoke proudly about being the mother of two children during the job interview, the news was received warmly. I thought to myself: maybe those feminists are exaggerating – aren’t there more pressing problems in this world?

That was until I attended a certain conference in my role as an editor. It was a three-day event in a restored castle, dealing with economic and social problems in Poland and abroad. On the first day, I was asked whether I knew what I would write about on my return. On the second day, I was asked more persistently. It soon became clear that one topic stood out, demanding to be written in red ink – or rather in screaming red lipstick – “women at conferences”.

#féminisme #pologne