Yemen Observer
Encyclopedia
The Yemen Observer is an English-language
, triweekly newspaper
published in the Republic of Yemen
. It was founded in 1996 by Faris Sanabani, aide and press secretary of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh
. Its editors
include Editor-in-Chief, Mohammed al-Kibsi. Yemen Observer's feature writers are Abdul-Aziz Oudha, Faisal Darem, Afrah Nasser, Majid al-Kibsi, Shuaib al-Mosawa and Iscander al-Mamari.
Since 1996, the Yemen Observer Publishing House http://www.yobserver.com has diversified dramatically from a single bi-weekly newspaper to a five-armed media institution, publishing both in English and in Arabic: Yemen Today. http://www.yemen-today.com , Arabia Felix. http://www.arabia-felix.com , Sports, and Spectrum are examples for the company's fast and successful expansion.
Today, it has become the first English-speaking publishing house of the country, actively supporting Yemen in its socio-economic transition.
In that sense, the recently launched magazine Yemen Today http://www.yemen-today.com is the most dynamic branch of the Publishing House, promoting investment and tourism in Yemen, a country which has promising potential in this field.
reactions to the Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad
. The articles were accompanied by photographs showing 20-30,000 Yemeni women demonstrating against the cartoons, and empty shelves in a Sanaá supermarket with a sign informing customers that Danish
products had been withdrawn. Also included were crossed-out thumbnail
images of three of the Danish cartoons.
On 11 February 2006, former chief editor Mohammed Al-Asadi
was arrested on charges of offending Islam
. He was released on bail
on 22 February. In a trial
that began on 23 February, prosecution lawyers called for al-Asadi to be sentenced to death
, for the paper to be closed and for all of its assets to be confiscated. Al-Asadi denied all charges and his defence
team argued that the thumbnail images were accompanied by articles that condemned the cartoons and reported reactions from across the Islamic world. The prosecution claimed that the charges rested on the pictures alone, and that the accompanying articles should not be taken into account. After his release, Al-Asadi founded the Yemen Mirror. http://www.yemenmirror.com
Afrah Nasser particularly had been targeted at after she was pointed as one of the world's most read and rewarded young female bloggers by Time Magazine in March 2011 - her blog has several critical articles spreading her views on the lack of democracy and prosperity in Yemen. Soo after Afrah got death threatening calls by telephone. This repeated until she left for Sweden
for conferences and courses for young reporters organised by Global Voices Network mid June 2011. Her family got targeted too in a phone call she received in Stockholm
which prompted her to seek asylum
in that country.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, triweekly newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published in the Republic of Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. It was founded in 1996 by Faris Sanabani, aide and press secretary of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh
Ali Abdullah Saleh
Field Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh is the first President of the Republic of Yemen. Saleh previously served as President of the Yemen Arab Republic from 1978 until 1990, at which time he assumed the office of chairman of the Presidential Council of a post-unification Yemen. He is the...
. Its editors
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
include Editor-in-Chief, Mohammed al-Kibsi. Yemen Observer's feature writers are Abdul-Aziz Oudha, Faisal Darem, Afrah Nasser, Majid al-Kibsi, Shuaib al-Mosawa and Iscander al-Mamari.
Since 1996, the Yemen Observer Publishing House http://www.yobserver.com has diversified dramatically from a single bi-weekly newspaper to a five-armed media institution, publishing both in English and in Arabic: Yemen Today. http://www.yemen-today.com , Arabia Felix. http://www.arabia-felix.com , Sports, and Spectrum are examples for the company's fast and successful expansion.
Today, it has become the first English-speaking publishing house of the country, actively supporting Yemen in its socio-economic transition.
In that sense, the recently launched magazine Yemen Today http://www.yemen-today.com is the most dynamic branch of the Publishing House, promoting investment and tourism in Yemen, a country which has promising potential in this field.
2006 cartoon thumbnails and blasphemy trial
On 4 February 2006, the Yemen Observer carried two articles on MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
reactions to the Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
. The articles were accompanied by photographs showing 20-30,000 Yemeni women demonstrating against the cartoons, and empty shelves in a Sanaá supermarket with a sign informing customers that Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
products had been withdrawn. Also included were crossed-out thumbnail
Thumbnail
Thumbnails are reduced-size versions of pictures, used to help in recognizing and organizing them, serving the same role for images as a normal text index does for words...
images of three of the Danish cartoons.
On 11 February 2006, former chief editor Mohammed Al-Asadi
Mohammed Al-Asadi
Mohammed M. Al-Asaadi is a freelance Yemeni journalist who has written for the Al-Jarida daily in Kuwait, the Media Line news agency in the US, and Al-Ahram Weekly in Egypt, in both English and Arabic...
was arrested on charges of offending Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. He was released on bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
on 22 February. In a trial
Trial (law)
In law, a trial is when parties to a dispute come together to present information in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court...
that began on 23 February, prosecution lawyers called for al-Asadi to be sentenced to death
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
, for the paper to be closed and for all of its assets to be confiscated. Al-Asadi denied all charges and his defence
Defense (legal)
In civil proceedings and criminal prosecutions under the common law, a defendant may raise a defense in an attempt to avoid criminal or civil liability...
team argued that the thumbnail images were accompanied by articles that condemned the cartoons and reported reactions from across the Islamic world. The prosecution claimed that the charges rested on the pictures alone, and that the accompanying articles should not be taken into account. After his release, Al-Asadi founded the Yemen Mirror. http://www.yemenmirror.com
Temporary suspension of license to publish
During the trial and for nearly six months afterward, the Yemen Observer had its license to publish suspended by Yemen's Ministry of Information, but its staff continued to produce material and publish it on the paper's website. The paper is now back in print and can be found on news stands in urban areas across Yemen.Yemen's Youth Revolution
The outbreak of the Youth Revolution in Yemen on 3 February 2011 effected the Yemen Times too. Particularly critical articles on the policy of Ali Abdullah Saleh and the often violent and brutal crackdows on peaceful unarmed demonstrators brought trouble to the journalists.Afrah Nasser particularly had been targeted at after she was pointed as one of the world's most read and rewarded young female bloggers by Time Magazine in March 2011 - her blog has several critical articles spreading her views on the lack of democracy and prosperity in Yemen. Soo after Afrah got death threatening calls by telephone. This repeated until she left for Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
for conferences and courses for young reporters organised by Global Voices Network mid June 2011. Her family got targeted too in a phone call she received in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
which prompted her to seek asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
in that country.
External links
- Yemen Observer official website
- Yemen Today official website
- Call to reinstate papers closed in cartoon row – by Brian Whitaker, Guardian UnlimitedGuardian Unlimitedguardian.co.uk, formerly known as Guardian Unlimited, is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group. Georgina Henry is the editor...
, 11 February 2006 - Yemen Journalists Fight Cartoon Crackdown – by Nabil Sultan, Inter Press ServiceInter Press ServiceInter Press Service is a global news agency. Its main focus is the production of independent news and analysis about events and processes affecting economic, social and political development....
, 22 February 2006 - Yemen editor 'faces death calls' – a BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
report, 8 March 2006 - Lawyers Demand Capital Penalty for Al-Asadi and Observer Close – a Yemen Observer report, 8 March 2006