Thursday, October 25, 2018

Photos of the week : It is all about liberty

Liberty and freedom are the true meaning of this week’s best photos from my humble simple point of view.
The first photo of the week is that photo taken by Palestinian photographer Mustafa Hassouna of Anadolu News agency on Monday 22, October at the Mediterranean Sea as protesters tried to end Gaza blockade by sea for the 13th time.
Anger and liberty lead the people in Gaza
Anger and liberty lead the people in Gaza 
In the first glance, you will be amazed by how beautiful this photo capturing that moment of defiance and dignity at that Gaza seashore.
In the second glance, that photo will remind with none other than that famous painting representing the French revolution
That one
This is 1830-“Liberty leading people” by Eugene Delacroix.
That’s a Delacroix’ living photo with doubt and it is about liberty.
The hero of that photo that looks like a modern day David standing against Israeli Goliath is named A’ed Abu Amr and he goes to protests with that same flag he was carrying in the photo.

“If I get killed, I want to be wrapped by the same flag,” He said as there is a fear that he will be identified and killed by Israeli snipers. I fear that but I think his world fame now can give him some protection, hopefully, it will.
In statements about his new fame, the young man from Gaza said that he and other Palestinians were demanding the right of return and the dignity of the future generation.
The Palestinians want to be free, want liberty for real.
They want to break that inhuman blockade that stripped them from all the basic needs in the world. They will break that blockade sooner and later.

The second photo is sad and I believe if Eugene Delacroix or any of those romantic lithography painters saw it, it would inspire them as some Arabian tragedy.
That photo is the photo of Salah Khashoggi, the son of late slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi while receiving condolences from Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman “MBS” and King Salman Bin Abdel Aziz on 23 October in Riyadh.

Salah El-Khashoggi shaking hands with Prince Mohamed Bin Salman in Riyadh    If looks can kill indeed.
Salah El-Khashoggi shaking hands with Prince Mohamed Bin Salman in Riyadh 
If you know the background well of this photo, you will find it chilling on my levels.

If you do not, then let me introduce to you to the man on the left Salah El-Khashoggi, the second son of late Saudi journalist Jamal El-Khashoggi who was killed earlier this month reportedly at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and the man on the right aka MBS is believed to be the man standing allegedly behind the murder.

Journalist El-Khashoggi did not like the policies adopted by MBS recently and demanded liberty for his follow Saudi critics and activists currently in prison.

 The leaks released by Turkish investigators to the Turkish local media on October 10, the late journalist who openly criticized MBS worldwide was brutely tortured and killed by a group of 15 men mostly from Saudi police and military.

According to investigative news reports, one of the main suspects in the murder whose name is Abdel Aziz Muterb was like a frequent bodyguard and companion to MBS in several trips who made abroad earlier this year. 

Two close aids to MSB were relieved from their duty last Friday by royal decrees: Major General Ahmed Al-Asseri, the former deputy chief of Saudi intelligence and Saud Al-Qahanti, the man who controlled mainstream media and social media. Despite Saudi Arabia has not declared the relation between Khashoggi's murder and those two men officially but most people say they are connected.

Back to the photo, can you please attention to its most important moment?

A mutual look between Salah Khashoggi and MBS
A mutual look between Salah Khashoggi and MBS 
If looks can kill indeed.
The look of Salah to MBS says a lot.

The one good thing that came from that failed PR photo which fired back at MBS is the fact that it put a spotlight on Salah and Jamal Khashoggi’s family that could not leave the country for a year.

Salah got an American passport as he was born in the States and thus when it was known he could not travel allegedly it created an uproar among US journalists and human rights activists.

After two days, we heard the good news that Salah Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia to the United States as US secretary of state Mike Pompeo told Saudis to let him go !!

Back to that awkward meeting, here is its video and it is quite interesting.
I do not know about the royal court manners and traditions in Saudi Arabia but in Arab culture when you present your condolences to a family of such renowned journalist from a renowned family that was loyal to the Kingdom since Abdel Aziz Al Saud declared it then the meeting must be warmer.
They only shook hands and that’s it.
Even MBS did not hug the young man who is younger than him with a couple of years.
It is so “Western” condolence.
I saw photos and videos of King Abdullah of Jordan and how he treated families of fallen soldiers or officers and it is warmer than that.

Aside from how warm that meeting is, social media users from the Gulf as well Egyptians living there raised the attention that the Jellabiya or it is called in Gulf Thawb which Salah Khashoggi wore in the meeting with the King was not ironed.

According to them, if a member of the tribe or the community is going to meet another member who is higher and senior in the social status then his Thawb must be cleaned and ironed to show respect.
Some say Salah Khashoggi’s appearance was an evidence that he brought abruptly to the Palace while I personally I think it could be Salah sending a true rebel anger message himself.

Personally, I believe King Salman did not know about the alleged plan to kill or even kidnap late Jamal Khashoggi because of his health condition and the fact that he was pushed back to the backstage in the past months by his son and his cronies.

Now the old king is facing a challenge he and his son have never anticipated.

An old follower to late Jamal Khashoggi, I believe that he would have posted the Liberty leading people in Gaza photo on his twitter account. 

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