Sign the "Websites Against Hate" Code of Ethics

This website is a proud signatory of the "Websites Against Hate" Code of Ethics. TheRedbelt.com is against any speech that preaches hate, discrimination or violence against anyone.
I would like to invite all websites, forums and blogs to sign on the code as well. While this code was made with the original intention to be a code for sites that operate in Bahrain, nothing in it limits it to the bounderies of our kingdom. We would like to encourage anyone with a website to come in and sign up. From Bahrain, GCC, or anywhere in the world. Click the following link to go to the official website and sign the code online.
Sign the Code.

Lets kill children. . . Slowly

On the last page of Alwasat newspaper today we see a bit of disturbing news. A father, gave away his 8 year old daughter for marriage to a man in his fifties!
This happened in alquasaim in Saudi Arabia.
This is slow torterous murder. In Islam, it is argued that once individuals are able to consumate a marriage, they should be married. Many will argue this point, but regardless, any marriage must be with the consent of both bride and groom. I seriously doubt that an 8 year old agreed to marry and sleep with someone in his fifties.
The mother filed a court case against the father aiming to get the marriage annulled. I say good for her. She should fight, and so should we.
This man has the right to marry, yes. I wouldn't mind him tying the knot with an adult woman, even if she was 20 or 18. But to marry a child? Muslims are forbidden to kill animals by torture, death should be swift, and here they are sentancing the death of a child, a human child, through long long years.
My heart and full support goes to the mother. KSA should seriously do something to re-educate the population and shift it from acceptable practice to taboo.

Anti-Hate Code of Ethic Draft Approved

Yesterday several Bahraini bloggers and web admins gathered in Alwaqt Newspaper's premises for the Anti-Hate Code of Ethics meeting. I was delighted that the turn up was better than the last meeting. After some discussions we were finally able to agree on a final release candidate copy. We need to run it by some lawyer type dudes first to make sure we didn't miss anything. Oh, and a glossary of terms is to be attached.
I am honestly proud by this effort, it's about time we, as citizens of this country, do something to control the often overly emotional and unobjective hate speech in our virtual space.

Oh, and in case you caught it, yes the news paper mis-spelled my last name. It is Almuhandis, not Almuhannadi.

An updated blog post of the latest copy is on Mahmood's Den. Well, it isn't updated yet but I'm sure Mahmood will get to it in the next couple of days.

Finaly some good news! Forgot how this felt!

Anti-hate code meeting next Saturday

Heads up fellow bloggers and web admins, next Saturday, at five PM, a follow up anti-hate code meeting will be held at Alwaqt newspaper premises.
I have expressed earlier my disappointment at the low turnout in the previous meeting, but I am quite optimistic about this one. more people know about it now and even Radio Bahrain will be present.
I'm looking forward to a good turnout and a productive meeting.

Anti-Hate Pact: Does anyone care?

Last Saturday, a meeting was held at the Alwaqt Newspaper premises to discuss the draft of an Anti-Sectarianism pact which was penned by blogger Mahmood.
The meeting was quite productive, we changed the focus from "anti-sectarianism speech" to "Anti hate, violence and discrimination speech". It has a wider focus to include more than the sectarian feuds encompassing all kinds of discrimination.
We also discussed how it would be implemented, how we will approach offenders and how to identify offenders as well. After the meeting, Mahmood started a mailing group and met with the Minister of Information in what seems to be quite a positive and receptive meeting.
But does anyone care?
The attendees represented 2 blogs and 2 forums only. despite several days of printing a quarter page coloured advert in Alwaqt, not many were there to help form something that touches all.
To make matters more strange, it seems that Alwaqt themselves didn't pay much attention to the matter. With one reporter that left the meeting before it starts, they printed nothing about the matter until today, full three days after. Which is rather strange because I thought since they are sponsoring this movment, they would show more interest in it.
I hope that my fears are unfounded and the rest of the community proves me wrong at the next meeting. This effort will only succeed if all concerned parties take ownership and adopt it.

SMS from 77013: The first MTC-Vodafone WAR!

I keep getting SMS adverts on my Vodafone number from No. 77013. These are messages aimed at tweens edging the consumer to listen to "Cool songs", as if that is an added value to anything.

Two days ago, I called 107 (the MTC Vodafone help desk) and asked for this to be turned off. The lady said Ok and was rather polite, I hung up.

Today I got another message from 77013. This says:

" وإسمع أغاني موطبيعية حدها فن B رد"

I was furious. usually, the MTC help desk is an example of politeness and efficiency. I called back.
Another lady picked up, I told her that this is the second time I call about this. She offered to give me instructions and I had to send an SMS to a number to unsubscribe.
I said NO.
I DID NOT subscribe to anything and therefore will NOT unsubscribe. I told them they should cease this immediatly.
Then came something that was shocking for me, the lady told me that MTC wasn't the one sending out SMS messages it was a third party.
I demanded details of this "third party" and the lady said it was "Aywa Gulf".
I never heard of an Aywa Gulf, so I asked for a contact name or number. The lady could provide neither and she suggested that I call Batelco's 181. And so I did.
The Batelco operator (when they finally did pick up) said there is no such thing as Aywa Gulf. In all possible spellings. This does not seem right.
I immediately headed to my good friend "Google", the searches "Aywah Gulf" and "Aywa Gulf" gave me nothing. but when I switched into Arabic and searched "أيوا جلف" I found this.

Aywa Gulf is a Kuwaiti Company. Owned by Business man Faisal Alisa and partially by Aldiera Telecommunications (Kuwait). Alisa owns a telecommunications company based in Kuwait. He owns the "Alafasy" famous Islamic satellite channel (Which MTC sponsors and Aywa Gulf offers joint promotions for the MTC customers) in addition to several others.
In 2006, Faisal Alisa was rewarded by MTC as one of the most important customers and joint campaign providers.
Isn't that interesting. From all of this I know the following:

• MTC is not sending the 77013 SMS, so either MTC sold a third party my number for advertising purposes without my consent or a third party stole that number from somewhere.
• The company that is behind the SMS messages is Kuwaiti, not Bahraini, greatly increasing the possibility that MTC betrayed my trust and sold my number especially that:
• MTC and Aywa Gulf partnered in several campaigns and MTC awarded them for collaboration.

I do not appreciate my privacy being violated, nor do I appreciate my time being wasted. I filed a formal complaint with MTC's helpdesk and its number is 965004. I will also speak to Ms. Linda Aljamea (Manager Customer Services) and Mr. Mohammed Haji (PR Officer) first thing tomorrow morning to get an official response.

I love MTC. I am extremely disappointed in their unethical conduct. Anyway, I will post any updates to the matter here.

WTF? You sick bastards!

This is Ashley.

You see her here pictured last month aged 9.

Do you know what her parents did to her?

They made her a female Peter Pan.

How?

They took her for surgery to remove her uterus, appendix and still-forming breasts, then treat her with high doses of oestrogen to stunt her growth.

This will make sure she never ever grows up.

..

Does anybody see whats wrong with this?

Her parents are defending their decision to do so by saying that she is afflicted with a severe brain impairment known as static encephalopathy, she cannot walk, talk, keep her head up in bed or even swallow food. a condition that the ethical committee in the hospital makes them think that she can never voluntarily reproduce and the procedure shall make it easier to help and will "improve her quality of life".

This is 5 star, grade A, Prime Bull shit. They have jointly mutilated the kid! Despite her ailments they cannot do that. Why don't you just kill her? She will suffer allot less by being dead won't she?

The times online are holding a debate to see what people think. You may wanna vomit there if you so wish.