“Major distortions on basic issues” Academic report slams “invasive” rewrite of school textbooks after campaign by pro-Israeli groups

By Miriam Scharf Under pressure from pro-Israeli organisations, a major educational publisher carried out an extensive revision of two GCSE History textbooks which inserted “major distortions” on questions such as the illegality of settlements under international law, according to a leading academic. Professor John Chalcraft co-authored a detailed report comparing the content of the two…

Bahrain: Torture survivor faces deportation from UK

Via Bahrain Watch Bahraini NGOS call on UK Home Office to urgently halt deportation of Isa Al-Aali to Bahrain Isa Haidar Al-Aali, 19 years old has been detained by UK immigration authorities for over three months. Isa’s application for asylum has been refused twice and a deportation order was issued last week for immediate deportation…

Picture via Bahrain Centre for Human Rights

Bahrain: Activists launch international campaign against Formula One race

By David Binns (UCU London Retired Members branch) The Formula 1 Grand Prix gets under way once more on Friday 4th April. As in other recent years, there will be protests opposing the staging of the race in Bahrain, a small country afflicted with a profoundly undemocratic monarchical regime where workers rights to organise are…

UK: Trade unionists join Egyptian activists in rally at embassy

Trade unionists and activists from MENA Solidarity joined a protest organised by Egyptian activists in the UK outside the Egyptian embassy in London on Saturday 25 January. Demonstrators chanted against military rule in Egypt and called for the immediate release of political prisoners and an end to repression. Andy Reid from the National Executive of…

Egypt: Protests on four continents in solidarity with #25Jan 2014

London – 6.30pm Egyptian Embassy, 26 South Street, 25 January Facebook event here Berlin – 1pm Herrmannplatz, 25 January Facebook event here Ankara – 3pm, Egyptian Embassy, 25 JanuaryFacebook event here New York City – 1pm, Egyptian Consulate, 25 January Facebook event here Wellington – 1pm Egyptian Embassy, 25 January Facebook event here Toronto –…

Egypt: UPDATED Resources for 25 Jan solidarity protests

Saturday 25 January 2014 marks three years since activists in Egypt set in motion a revolution. Their demands of bread, freedom and social justice remain unfulfilled. We will be joining Egyptian activists in London on a protest at the Egyptian Embassy in solidarity with revolutionaries in Egypt as they take to the streets in defiance…

UK: Lawyers’ group calls for solidarity with Egyptian activists

Picture: Mike Goold of the Haldane Society takes a stand against repression in Egypt during a protest over cuts in Legal Aid in the UK on 6 Jan 2014 Barristers and solicitors from the Haldane Society, a campaigning organisation of socialist lawyers in the UK, and other prominent legal practitioners yesterday called for the Egyptian…

Egypt: Alexandrian activists face two years in prison

Well-known revolutionary activists from Alexandria have become the latest to face harsh jail terms and large fines for defying the anti-protest laws. Lu’ay Al-Qahwagi, Amr Hafez, Nasir Abu-al-Hamd and Islam Muhamadein were sentenced to two years hard labour in prison and ordered to pay a 50,000 LE fine (£4,000) on 2 January. Mahienour el-Masry and…

Toolkit: Resisting the anti-protest laws in Egypt

This online toolkit is part of MENA Solidarity’s campaign in the run-up to the third anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution on 25 January 2014 1. Background Briefing On 25 November 2013, Egyptian president Adly Mansour signed into law restrictions on public protests which activists continue to defy in daily mobilisations on the streets and university…

Video: Outlawing the Egyptian Revolution

What you can do: Print out these posters [anti_protest_poster_bw and anti_protest_poster] and send us a solidarity picture via Facebook or Twitter (@menasolidarity). Use this Free the Detainees sign Pass a resolution in your union branch condemning the anti-protest law Write urgently to the Egyptian authorities calling for the release of all political detainees and an end…

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