| Assange, the journalist, comes of age! Following his latest interview with Bahrain's Nabeel Rajab, the activist was arrested. He and Egypt's Alaa Abd El-Fattah spoke powerfully to Assange about the failings of the Arab Spring. Both activists face reprisals for defying their regimes and speaking out. Rajab was arrested on May 5, just days after appearing for the recording of Assange's show. El-Fattah is banned from traveling and is facing charges for allegedly damaging military property, stealing weapons and even murder."Unfortunately we are in a region ruled by families, dictators, since the 10th century. But their strength comes from their wealth, from the Americans' support, from the armies they have and not from the people", Rajab says. Yet at the moment there is no clear vision emerging about what should replace the current regimes. "There is no articulation of what that dream is. It's certainly not a boring Western representative democracy." The activists also speak about the "battle of narratives" in the world's media coverage and how it differs from what they've seen on the ground. Rajab slams media outlets al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya for "boycotting" the Bahraini revolution, under Sunni influence. On a personal level, the activists give a powerful insight into life as family men and revolutionaries. "My daughter is nine years old. I was kidnapped and beaten in front of her. When you have repression the injustice is so random you cannot guarantee a good life for your ... |
