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PSM Weekly | 11 - 17 November 2020
|In PSM Weekly
|By Chloe H
Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world.
As the global Covid-19 pandemic continues and many countries enter a state of lockdown, the need for community solidarity and mutual support has never been greater. But this support requires quality, fact-checked and evidence based news and information.
With this in mind, the Public Media Alliance has compiled an extensive and growing resources featuring recommended tools, advice and sources for journalists and the public alike. The resources can be found via the link below or in the 'Tools' section of our website.
The resource will be frequently updated to reflect the changing needs and evolving situation. If you have any recommendations, please let us know.
We also want to hear about your local public media coverage! Email us!
As the coronavirus pandemic worsens, public media are rapidly adapting to best cover the crisis on a local level while also providing for educational needs and vulnerable groups as isolation policies are introduced.
We want to hear from our members about what you are doing to best cover the crisis on a local level. Email us using the link below.
Coronavirus: Resources & best practices
Essential resources for sourcing and reporting news about the coronavirus pandemic
What we're watching...
The value and the future of public service media
Reuters Institute: Noel Curran is the former Director General of Irish public broadcaster RTÉ where he transformed it into a stable digital media organisation following the financial crisis. He is an award-winning investigative journalist and producer. Curran will speak about the evolving role of public service media, and the opportunities to evolve to adapt to our changing societal needs.
What does Minister for Media and Data John Whittingdale make of the BBC's new DG and the TV licence fee?
The Media Show, BBC Radio 4: John Whittingdale talks to the Media Show's Amol Rajan.
What we're listening to...
Professor Lee McIntyre – lies and fake news
RNZ: Fake news, science denial and the rise of social media where anyone can say just about anything and that's making it harder and harder to tell fact from fiction . We live in an era where truth is under threat says Professor Lee McIntyre. He says there is a way to make people, especially politicians, more accountable for telling lies.
Global Headlines
Click on the tab menu below to reveal the latest regional stories.
EGYPT: Egypt agrees to release a few journalists
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes the Egyptian justice system's agreement in principle to release five journalists but points out that this is far from enough and that only two of the five have so far been freed.
EGYPT: Statement on media freedom in Egypt
Gov.uk: Statement on media freedom in Egypt from the undersigned members of the Media Freedom Coalition's Executive Group
ETHIOPIA: Ethiopia: Media crackdown amid military offensive in Tigray region
IFJ: The Ethiopian Government has launched a wave of arrests against journalists covering the ongoing conflict in the Tigray region. Since November 7, at least six journalists have been arrested on unknown charges. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the arbitrary arrest of media workers and urges the Ethiopian authorities to immediately stop the crackdown on media covering the military conflict.
GHANA: GBC Presidential Encounters begin Tonight
GBC: Beginning Thursday, November 12, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) is providing all aspiring Presidential Candidates the platform to engage them one-on-one to answer questions from the electorate.
LESOTHO: Lesotho Police Shoot Journalist During Protests
MISA Zimbabwe: Lesotho police have been accused of shooting journalist Ntsoaki Motaung during a youth protest dubbed #BachaShutDown on 6 November 2020.
MALAWI: State House reprimands journalists for not masking up
Nyasa Times: State House on Monday reprimanded journalists for not wearing face masks at the weekly news briefs at Kamazu Palace in Lilongwe.
NIGERIA: 160 journalists attacked in Nigeria in last two years — Report
Premium Times: The report shows that the North-Central zone witnessed the highest number of attacks.
NIGERIA: Nigeria: Regulator Warns Broadcasters Against Impetuousness, Might Increase Sanctions
Broadcast Media Africa: Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, the acting director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) – the regulator of Nigeria's broadcasting industry – has issued a stern warning to TV and radio operators in the country, asking them to ensure they are not reckless with what they broadcast, especially at "times of national emergency when there is the need for extreme care and restraint".
SOUTH AFRICA: CWU plans full-blown strike against SABC restructuring process (Watch)
SABC News: The Communication Workers Union (CWU) says it will soon embark on a full-blown strike against the SABC's restructuring process, which could see as many as 400 full-time employees lose their jobs.
SOUTH AFRICA: Right2know: Govt Must Safeguard SABC In Interest Of Transparency
Eyewitness News: Right2Know on Saturday said government must safeguard the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in the interest of national transparency.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC loses R2bn per year in unpaid TV licence fees – COO
IOL: The SABC would be commercially viable and would receive an immediate cash injection of up to R2bn per year if everyone paid their TV licence fee.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC lunch hour picket to continue (Watch)
SABC News: Lunch-hour pickets are expected to continue at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on Tuesday against its restructuring plans, which will see about 400 permanent workers lose their jobs.
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe Government Accused of Restricting Social Media
VOA: Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin'ono was denied bail Thursday after being arrested on November 3 for a second time this year. Chin'ono is facing charges of "abusing" social media to obstruct justice.
AFGHANISTAN: Afghanistan: Radio Free Europe correspondent killed by car bomb
IFJ: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE / RL) correspondent Elias Daei was killed in an explosion in the Helmand province of Afghanistan on November 12. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation for journalist safety in Afghanistan.
AFGHANISTAN: The Media (r)evolution in Afghanistan (part 1)
EJO: In recent years, the Afghan media system has changed rapidly, becoming increasingly progressive. But is that enough to change society?
CAMBODIA: Cambodia jails journalist Ros Sokhet for criticizing Prime Minister Hun Sen
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists today strongly condemned the sentencing of Cambodian journalist and publisher Ros Sokhet and called for his immediate and unconditional release.
HONG KONG: How Hong Kong authorities are gradually taking over public broadcaster RTHK
Global Voices: The city's public broadcaster faces tremendous political pressure from all directions.
HONG KONG: RTHK Arrest in Hong Kong Is Further Blow to Press Freedom
VOA: The appearance in court Tuesday of journalist Bao Choy over her investigative reporting for Hong Kong's public broadcaster is viewed as another blow to press freedom for the region.
INDIA: Arnab Goswami — Why press freedom in India transcends ideological barriers
Deutsche Welle: The recent arrest of a pro-government TV anchor has sparked a debate in India about press freedom and the journalists' ability to maintain neutrality and objective reporting. Murali Krishnan reports from New Delhi.
INDIA: Online News Portals, Streaming Services Brought Under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
The Wire: Interestingly, even the "news and current affairs content on online platforms', has been added under the sub-category of "Films" and not "Press".
JAPAN: NHK eyeing ¥20 billion cap on internet-related business costs
The Japan Times: Japanese public broadcaster NHK has announced a plan to set a cap of ¥20 billion for its internet-related business costs per year from fiscal 2021, dropping its earlier proposal to abolish the upper limit on such expenses.
NEPAL: Provincial and local governments are coming up with their own set of laws to limit free press and expression
The Kathmandu Post: Advocates of free speech fear the culture that trickled down from the federal government will ultimately lead to a state of censorship.
PAKISTAN: Jang group editor released from jail
PPF: Editor-in-Chief of Jang Group Mir Shakilur Rehman was released from the jail on Wednesday as he furnished a bond of Rs10 million along with two sureties with an accountability court in light of the bail granting order by the Supreme Court.
PAKISTAN: PFUJ rally warns govt to stop retrenchments, media gagging
The News International: Speakers in protest rallies of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) across the country warned the government with the message of "Enough is enough, no more retrenchments, censorship and media gagging in Pakistan", says a press release on Wednesday.
PHILIPPINES: Filipinos aren't so much resilient as Duterte is incompetent, abusive (Analysis)
Rappler: 'The information deficit on Typhoon Ulysses led to needless misery, caused in part by Duterte's pointless persecution of ABS-CBN'
PHILIPPINES: Journalist killed in Philippines in second attempt on his life
The Guardian: Virgilio Maganes shot outside his home in what NUJP says is 18th such killing under Duterte
SOUTH KOREA: 'Fact-Check Net' launched to fight disinformation, misinformation
The Korean Herald: Local journalists, citizens and professionals on Thursday launched a joint fact-checking platform to systematically fight disinformation and misinformation in Korean society.
SOUTH KOREA: Number of K-dramas likely to decrease next year amid coronavirus pandemic
The Star: The number of South Korean TV drama series is expected to decrease next year due to the fallout of the protracted novel coronavirus pandemic, experts said.
THAILAND: Tripadvisor Warning on Hotel Puts Thailand's Defamation Laws In Spotlight
Vice: The arrest of a tourist for writing a bad review about a hotel in Thailand made headlines around the world, but freedom of expression advocates say the case should draw more attention to deeply problematic defamation laws trained on human rights activists and journalists.
AUSTRALIA: Australia: Public broadcaster faces intimidation and manipulation
IFJ: Australian national public broadcaster ABC faced pressure from government ministers and senators prior to the airing of an investigative program exposing misconduct and toxic behaviour in federal parliament on November 9.
AUSTRALIA: Australia: Senate media inquiry urged to consider multiple challenges facing the industry
IFEX: The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance welcomes a new Senate inquiry into Australia's media and offers its expertise on the role of public interest journalism, concentration of media ownership, and the impact of digital platforms, among other issues affecting the industry.
AUSTRALIA: Australia's newspaper ownership is among the most concentrated in the world
The Guardian: Australia's newspaper industry ranked third in 2011, behind state-owned media of China and Egypt.
AUSTRALIA: Calls to defund the ABC, made by pundits who abhor cancel culture, are nonsense (Speech)
ABC Australia: Chris Kenny has been a vigorous critic of the ABC while previously "resisting calls for its privatisation or abolition", but after last week's Four Corners, Media Watch and Q&A he has asserted that it now "is beyond redemption".
SOLOMON ISLANDS: Solomons to ban Facebook but claims 'media freedom to remain'
Asia Pacific Report: The Solomon Islands cabinet has agreed to ban the world's biggest social networking platform Facebook in the country.
NEW ZEALAND: Henare te Ua – RNZ Māori Journalism Internship Te Karahipi a Henare te Ua (Press Release)
RNZ: Te Aorewa Rolleston (Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Ranginui) is the recipient of the 2020 Henare te Ua Māori Journalism Internship established by Radio New Zealand to support Te reo Māori and foster Māori journalism.
BELARUS: No Guarantee of Safety for Media Covering Disputed Belarus Election
VOA News: Three months after disputed elections in Belarus, protesters and journalists continue to be arrested, beaten and harassed. On Sunday, police detained over 1,000 people at protests in cities across the Eastern European nation.
CROATIA: Vexatious lawsuits a SLAPP in the face for journalists in Croatia
IPI: Fresh wave of SLAPP cases against three media outlets.
CZECH REPUBLIC: MFRR partners concerned over side-lining of critical media outlets during the government press conferences (Statement)
ECPMF: The undersigned members of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) are writing to express our disappointment over the lack of communication with the media by your government and the repeated denial of access for certain outlets to COVID-19 press conferences.
DENMARK: Strong increase for streamed news (Swedish)
Nordvision: DR's corona reporting is a strong reason why news broadcasts are finding more and more viewers on the streaming service DRTV. But the service has also without increasing help from the corona content gathered an ever-increasing crowd of users. We have noticed this and other things this week.
FINLAND: Yle's year 2021: an all-time value year, more culture and a voice for the silent (Press release – Finnish)
Yle: In accordance with the strategy that came into force in May 2020, Yle's goal is to improve its relationship with children and young people, reach all Finns and be personally relevant. Successful digital services and an even better offering for different Finns play a key role in this.
FRANCE: European Week for the Employment of People with Disabilities from November 16 to 22, 2020 (Press release – French)
Radio France: On the occasion of the 24th edition of the event from November 16 to 22, Radio France confirms its commitment to the professional integration of people with disabilities.
FRANCE: France: bill on security will prohibit dissemination of images of police (Statement)
EFJ: The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) and European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), with French unions SNJ, SNJ-CGT, CFDT-Journalistes, are concerned about a legislative proposal currently pending in the French parliament, which would make it illegal to disseminate images of law enforcement officers of the national police and gendarmerie. We call on the members of Parliament to delete the proposed text.
FRANCE: Orange launches targeted advertising service with FranceTV Publicite
Telecompaper: Orange France said that its IPTV platform is the first in the country to enable targeted advertising campaigns during linear TV viewing. This follows the recent partnership with FranceTV Publicite, the in-house ad agency within public broadcaster France Televisions.
GEORGIA: GPB Board of Trustees addresses diplomatic corps, int'l organisations (Statement)
Georgian Public Broadcaster: Recently, directed by some politicians, we have heard more of alleged accusations against Georgian Public Broadcaster and its journalists.
GERMANY: German protests against COVID-19 measures: Persecution of journalists behind the façade of a citizen movement
RSF: Demonstrations against health restrictions to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic represent a worrying trend in Germany: violence against the media. Reporters without borders (RSF) calls on the authorities to ensure journalists' safety and help guarantee the fundamental right to inform.
GERMANY: Programme change: ARD and ZDF show specials on the corona situation (German)
TV Spielfilm: The "lockdown light" is in full swing, but the number of new infections remains high. Politicians are discussing tightening the measures, which is why ARD and ZDF have again included special programs in their programs at short notice.
HUNGARY: Hungary public media forced to toe govt line: leaked recordings
France 24: Reporters at Hungary's public broadcaster have been forced to toe the line of the government of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, according to leaked recordings and testimonies revealed by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Thursday.
HUNGARY: Twisting The Truth? How Editors Manipulate News Coverage At Hungary's State Broadcaster
RFE/RL: Ahead of European Parliament elections in Hungary in 2019, editors sat down with reporters at the state MTVA broadcast group — which includes television channels, the MTI news wire, and radio stations — to discuss not only what to cover, but how.
ICELAND: Interview with Stefan Eiriksson, RUV Director General: Leadership during the pandemic (Interview)
EBU: Stefan Eiriksson, Director General of Iceland's RUV, talks to Marie-Soleil Levery, EBU Member Relations for the Nordics.
IRELAND: RTÉ will be close to break even for 2020 (Paywall)
Independent: RTÉ's finances have improved so much in recent weeks that the broadcaster is now expecting to end the year in a close to break-even position, the Sunday Independent understands.
ITALY: Italy: MFRR partners condemn increasing violence against journalists covering anti-lockdown protests
Article 19: The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) expresses our serious concern over the string of physical attacks, death threats and acts of intimidation against journalists and media workers covering issues related to COVID-19 and recent anti-lockdown protests across Italy.
MONTENEGRO: Censorship and self-censorship: The wounds of Montenegrin journalism
Safe Journalists: Although there is little information about open censorship in the Montenegrin media, covert censorship has almost become domesticated and an integral part of newsrooms.
POLAND: Poland: IPI condemns police violence against journalists amidst Warsaw clashes (Statement)
IPI: The International Press Institute (IPI) today strongly condemned police violence against photojournalists reporting on clashes in the Polish capital Warsaw. The violence led to numerous injuries and the hospitalization of a 74-year-old photographer who was shot in the face with a rubber bullet.
RUSSIA: Police arrest, fine journalists covering protests in Russian far east; 3 remain in detention
CPJ: Russian authorities should immediately release all journalists detained while covering recent protests, and ensure that the press can cover demonstrations freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
SLOVENIA: As of today, Fridays on the rtvslo.si website are green (Press release – Slovenian)
RTV SLO: A series of articles accompanied by explanatory videos presents answers to the simplest questions about the climate crisis, climate change and the social changes that lie ahead. But the answers are far from simple, and far from simple.
SLOVENIA: Parliamentary committee discusses epidemic bonuses at RTV Slovenija
STA: The parliamentary Committee for Culture convened a session to discuss bonuses to staff of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija for work in risky conditions and increased workload during the time of official epidemic.
SPAIN: Government's anti-fake news policy potentially threatens press freedom in Spain
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is concerned about the Spanish government's new policy for combatting fake news, especially its loose wording, which poses a potential threat to press freedom.
SWEDEN: Big increase in listening during the US election (Press release – Swedish)
Sveriges Radio: Listening to Swedish Radio increased greatly during the US election. The increase applies both linearly and on demand. The US pod has increased its listening significantly during the autumn and this week takes second place on the Pod index with a reach of just over 236,000 *.
SWITZERLAND: Public radio admonished for ignoring Romansh language
Swissinfo: A programme about the country's multilingualism has failed to heed the rules of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC).
SWITZERLAND: The allegations of misconduct at RTS are investigated externally (Press release – German)
SRG SSR: The Geneva law firm "Troillet Meier Raetzo" is investigating the allegation of misconduct in the three recently made public reports on Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS).
UK: BBC response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission report into Equal Pay (Statement)
BBC: In March 2019, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) started an investigation into pay practices at the BBC. Today, the Commission has published its final report, which has found no evidence of unlawful pay discrimination.
UK: ITV Q3 revenues hit by pandemic
Advanced Television: ITV, the UK commercial broadcaster, has published its Q3 trading update for the 9 months to September 30th. Total external revenue was down 16 per cent at £1.86 billion (€2.08bn).
UK: Letter from the Chairman and Director-General to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (Statement)
BBC: Sir David Clementi, Chairman of the BBC and Tim Davie, Director-General of the BBC today sent the following letter to The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport regarding the Licence Fee settlement.
REGIONAL: EFJ urges EU to stay away from encryption
EFJ: The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) demands the EU Council of Ministers to immediately retract all plans that may weaken secure encryption in digital communication.
REGIONAL: Media plurality in Europe (Opinion)
EURACTIV: Smaller independent media are struggling to survive in the wake of COVID-19. The EU should do more to protect media plurality: money needs to go to the support of the media sector, without the risk that those outlets end up being forced to take a specific message or narrative, writes Dace Melbarde.
REGIONAL: The story in the center – the news podcasts take place (Swedish)
Nordvision: Do not touch the "next section" button! The number of news podcasts is increasing, and to keep listeners in an on-demand news world, where it is easy to choose to listen to something else, a really well-told story is required. Maybe DR and Svenska Yle have found the recipe in different places.
ARGENTINA: The newspaper industry, an essential and critical sector throughout the country (Spanish – Opinion)
ADEPA: The journalistic media, in all its editorial, geographic and platform diversity, play a fundamental and strategic role in democratic societies as instruments of access to information for citizens. This role is enhanced in times of crisis such as the current pandemic.
ARGENTINA: The value of freedom of the press (Spanish)
La Nacion: Free and independent journalism is not there to satisfy the powers of the day or any circumstantial majority
BRAZIL: FENAJ condemns attacks on journalists and hacker attacks on websites and blogs (Portuguese)
FENAJ: The National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ) is publicly repudiating all attacks on journalists and on progressive websites and blogs that took place in the last week and, in particular, on the eve of the vote that will elect mayors and councilors of the 5,570 Brazilian municipalities.
COLOMBIA: Five new digital media platforms for uncensored news from Colombia
Global Voices: Colombia is one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists and broadcasters. Threats and harassment by those involved in drug trafficking and armed groups are commonplace, and journalists frequently self-censor in order to avoid reprisals. Recently, new media outlets have sprung up, challenging the traditional media monopolies.
COLOMBIA: Press, democracy and freedom (Spanish – Opinion)
Las 2 Orillas: "The policy of those who exercise power in Colombia is that the media allow the realisation of the sovereignty of the elites over popular sovereignty".
CUBA: EL MUNDO condemns repression against journalists, artists and activists in Cuba (Spanish)
El Mundo: Although the Cuban regime's repression of those who oppose it peacefully has not ceased for 60 years, EL MUNDO is concerned about the wave of arrests and threats against journalists, artists and human rights activists in the last two weeks.
EL SALVADOR: Journalists and other workers on Channel 12 are fired (Spanish)
APES: At least four people, including journalists and personnel from different areas of Channel 12, were dismissed from their posts on Friday, October 30. Some of them had been working on the channel for more than 20 years.
GUYANA: Building trust in the governance process (Editorial)
Stabroek News: In a country of incremental advances in media freedom arising through no effort on the part of government but rather on account of the gradual rolling out of an increased number of media houses and advancements in enabling technology, the various publics have, over time, become more vociferous, more empowered in 'talking back' to government.
HAITI: Haiti-Criminalité: Towards a formal partnership to ensure appropriate monitoring of the files of victim journalists (French)
AlterPresse: It is important to set up a formal partnership between the Bar (of lawyers) of Port-au-Prince and associations of journalists, to ensure a follow-up on the files of journalists victims of crimes.
MEXICO: Female journalists covering Mexican feminist protests face harsh police response
CPJ: Lizbeth Hernández, a freelance journalist based in Mexico City, is documenting a rising women's protest movement against gender-based violence in the country.
MEXICO: Killing of reporter adds to grim toll of violence against Mexican journalists
The Guardian: Israel Vázquez became the third journalist to be murdered in two weeks – and the eighth this year – while reporting on Monday.
MEXICO: Public media should not be the object of political expressions or demonstrations in favor of Morena: Rigoberto Mares (Spanish)
Mi punto: Deputy Rigoberto Mares Aguilar (PAN) condemned that John Ackerman was "awarded" with a new television program despite accusations of misogyny, workplace harassment and influentialism under the shadow of his wife, the secretary of the Public Function, Irma Eréndira Sandoval.
MEXICO: Setbacks to freedom of expression in 2020
IFEX: One year after an International Mission to Mexico, the government has failed to fulfil its commitments, and the freedom of expression situation in the country is worsening.
PERU: At least 35 journalists injured covering anti-government protests in Peru
CPJ: Peruvian authorities should ensure that journalists can cover protests safely, and thoroughly investigate attacks on the press by demonstrators and police officers alike, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
URUGUAY: Public media: Beatriz Argimón said they took Lacalle Pou out of context (Spanish)
La Diaria Politica: The president said that more journalists must be "removed." The vice president of the Republic, Beatriz Argimón, said at a press conference that the statements of the president, Luis Lacalle Pou, about the dismissed public media workers were misrepresented.
IRAN: Iran: Citizens exercise their right to know, to demand a response to illegal Internet shutdowns
Article 19: Nearly a year on from the Internet shutdown that facilitated the bloody crackdown of protests across Iran in November 2019, the authorities continue to show little to no transparency and accountability. with regards to their decisions about the shutdown.
IRAN: Secondary Targets: When You Can't Punish a Journalist, Family Will Do Just Fine
VOA: Journalists who've reported on repressive regimes sometimes have no choice but to flee for their safety. But exile is no shield for loved ones back home. The threat of family reprisals puts journalists in a fraught corner. This series tells their stories.
ISRAEL & PALESTINE: Israel urged to lift ban on Palestine TV bureau in Jerusalem
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns Israel's decision to extend its 12-month-old closure of the Palestine TV bureau in East Jerusalem by another six months and the resignation of the TV channel's Jerusalem correspondent, Christine Rinawi, after repeated police and judicial harassment.
SAUDI ARABIA: G20 members called on to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for rights abuses and jailed dissidents
IFEX: As G20 member countries meet in Riyadh this month, Human Rights Watch calls on government leaders to hold the kingdom accountable for human rights abuses, and release unlawfully detained prisoners of conscience like Loujain al-Hathloul and Raif Badawi.
TURKEY: Turkish Government is Tightening Media Censorship, Report Says
Balkan Insight: A new report [by the] Journalists' Association of Turkey says censorship of the media – especially the online media – is getting worse, while media workers also face other problems as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
YEMEN: Yemen: IFJ calls on Yemeni authorities to end impunity for crimes against journalists
IFJ: As part of its 2020 campaign to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the IFJ has sent on 16 november a letter to the Yemeni Prime Minister Maïn Abdelmalek Saïd and Mahdi Al-Mashat, the President of the Supreme Political Council, Ansar Allah Movement, calling for swift action to improve the state of impunity in Yemen.
CANADA: CBC Automates Configuration, Updates to New Media-Over-IP Network, Devices
TV Technology: Montreal facility is the broadcaster's first major project to be designed around IP technology
CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada recognized among Canada's Top 100 Employers
CBC/Radio-Canada: For the second year in a row, CBC/Radio-Canada is among Canada's Top 100 Employers, Mediacorp Canada Inc. announced today. CBC/Radio-Canada was previously ranked among Canada's Top 100 Employers in 2020, 2004 and 2005.
CANADA: When discussing media freedom, Canada shouldn't leave Indigenous journalism off the agenda (Opinion)
The Globe and Mail: Canada is hosting the Global Conference for Media Freedom today [16 Nov]. It is the second iteration of what is expected to become an annual event where governments discuss issues related to the protection of media freedom, safeguarding journalists, and the freedom of expression and human rights…
CANADA: When the CRTC wanted do something about satellite TV
CBC News: Signals from outside Canada presented problem when it came to ensuring Canadian content
US: Americans' main sources for political news vary by party and age (Research)
Pew Research Center: Americans turn to a wide range of media outlets for political and election news, but two stand out as especially common sources.
US: Biden Must Restore America's Reputation as a Beacon of Press Freedom (Opinion)
Foreign Policy: After four years of hostility to journalists and a free press, the United States must repair the damage Trump has done at home and abroad.
US: How Wisconsin Public Radio is using surveys to track diversity of its sources (Paywall)
Current: By inviting people who appear on air to share their demographic data, WPR created a way to accurately measure the diversity of sources in its news and talk programs.
US: Journalism Organizations: Proposed US Visa Change Could Result in Censorship, Retaliation
VOA News: Proposals to restrict how long foreign correspondents can live and work in the United States will make it harder to report on the American story and could expose journalists to retaliation in the U.S. or elsewhere, critics say.
US: NPR Digital Platforms See Largest Audience Ever (Press Release)
NPR: During last week's election coverage the NPR website (NPR.org) saw its largest audience ever, reaching over 34.7 million unique users – eclipsing NPR's typical weekly broadcast radio listenership.
US: Microsoft grants aid journalism in public media newsrooms (Paywall)
Current: Broadcasters will use the funds to support interns and expand coverage of the pandemic, health care, criminal justice and other topics.
US: Proposed funding in Senate leaves out $50M bump for CPB (Paywall)
Current: Increased funding could support remote-learning services amid the pandemic, argued APTS CEO Pat Butler.
US: Public Editors: Why even good reporting no longer impacts the vote (Listen)
CJR: The media did better work covering Trump than in 2016, but did that reporting have any impact on the real world?
US: Will Donald Trump start his own right-wing news channel?
CJR: As Trump and his allies continue their desperate efforts to overturn the election results, there are reports that the soon-to-be former president is planning to launch his own media venture…
Committee To Protect Journalists Prepares For 'Virtual' Press Freedom Awards (Event)
RFE/RL: The Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) has announced that it will present the winners of its 2020 International Press Freedom Award during an online ceremony on November 19.
Few winners, many losers: the COVID-19 pandemic's dramatic and unequal impact on independent news media (Report)
RISJ: This report presents findings from an analysis of 165 responses to a survey of a strategic sample of known and identified independent news media organisations on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted them, combined with interviews with a critical sample of seven independent news media operating in middle income countries with some or significant limitations on media freedom across the globe.
Google's increasing capture of journalism
EFJ: Why does Google invest so much in publishing houses? How does this funding affect media pluralism and editorial independence? How can "new work" create a better atmosphere for workers, particularly during Covid-19?
Journalists from Kenya, Canada, Turkey, Poland and Brazil on what's next for U.S. journalists
Poynter: "Your problems are also way bigger than Trump or his followers."
Media development organisations join forces to support public interest media in crisis
BBC Media Action: BBC Media Action and its consortium partners are pleased to announce the launch of Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development, a three-year project to support public interest media essential to good governance and more informed societies.
Podcast platforms striving for world domination have a long way to go: Podcast Day
Asia Radio Today: There is a struggle for world domination by podcast platforms, but it may turn out that one single dominant podcast platform may never emerge.
ProPublica experiments with ultra-accessible plain language in stories about people with disabilities
Nieman Lab: ProPublica's plain language experiment is a first for a mainstream news organization. Disability experts say it shouldn't be the last.
Reporting the fact-free claims of Team Trump (Listen)
RNZ: Since losing the US election, president Donald Trump and his allies have mounted an evidence-free campaign to portray the vote as rigged. That's thrown the dysfunctions of the country's media ecosystem into sharp relief.
Social media: How might it be regulated?
BBC News: Several countries around the world are considering regulating social media – but what might that look like?
Women bear brunt of online abuse as world goes digital in pandemic
Thomas Reuters Foundation: Rape threats, fake porn – virtual reality for women as COVID-19 turns the world ever more digital
Why talk of ethical journalism has to be about newsroom cultures as well as content
EJN: Conversations around ethical journalism have traditionally focussed on the content created by people in the media. But until we really start recognising the link between newsroom cultures and the content we create, we are doing a disservice to any discussion of journalism ethics.
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Header image: Broadcast tower. Credit: pbkwee/Creative Commons
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Our weekly round-up of public service…
PSM Weekly | 28 October – 3 November 2020
PSM Weekly | 21 – 27 October 2020


Taking on a second job is increasingly common in today's society. One in three employees with a full-time job in 2015 held a second job, mostly to bring in more cash. A second job can bring in much-needed extra cash, provides additional job stability even in uncertain times and means plenty to do during an average workweek.
The US military does provide wages and benefits, but with the rising cost of living and with families sometimes finding their expenses increasing, many military families turn to additional work to raise extra income. In addition, military spouses and family members sometimes have their own reasons for seeking extra work. They may like the idea of extra spending money or they may want to build their resume, even when stationed overseas.
Traditional work may present some challenges for military families. If you're overseas, for example, you may find it challenging to find local, full-time work. Military families may also move often, which can impact career choices.
Freelancing is an increasingly popular field. There were 54 million people in America freelancing in 2015. That's about 34% of the workforce, an increase of 700,000 freelancers compared to the year before. While some freelanced full-time, others worked full-time jobs and made extra money on the side.
If you're great with photo editing, design or any creative task, there are businesses and individuals willing to hire you. You can even work as a freelance researcher, transcriber, composer or photographer. Craigslist, FlexJobs and other sites advertise these positions. You can also place ads in local business magazines or online, promoting your services.
If you can create fun videos people will want to share and see, you can become a YouTuber. If your video gets enough views, you will earn money each month. To earn money this way, you will need to get a lot of viewers and subscribers. To do that, you will need to create videos people will want to watch and you will need to promote them through social media. You will also need to upload often (at least once a week or more) to keep viewers coming back. Once you start getting more subscribers, you can even post ads on your page or earn money by posting sponsored videos.
If you're stationed overseas, but own your own home in the US, you can rent it to bring in extra money. Alternatively, rent your home on a temporary basis through Airbnb.
4) Get in the movies.
Movie and television productions need a lot of local help, and they are willing to pay money for that assistance. Look in trade journals for the industry, since these publications often advertise for extras. You can also sign up with a talent agency or check local listings on sites advertising work for extras.
Another unique idea is to allow television and movie crews to use your home for filming. It's a fun way to get your house into film and TV. You can contact location scout managing companies or list your property on a site such as Film Locations Wanted to get started.
5) Become a freelance writer.
Freelance writers can earn money for every word they write. You can find freelance writing work by contacting web design companies or by checking the submission guidelines for your favorite websites and magazines.
6) Sign up to run errands.
Many people and companies outsource errands and you can take advantage of that to make extra money. As plus, you can earn money this way from anywhere, and can work as little or as much as you wish. TaskRabbit, Mechanical Turk, Fiverr and even Craigslist all list simple tasks you can complete quickly for a few dollars.
7) Become a virtual assistant.
Virtual assistants compose emails, make appointments, manage schedules and perform other basic personal assistant duties. However, they can work from anywhere. You can sign up to be a virtual assistant at any company offering virtual assistant services. You can also advertise your services online or in a trade or business journal.
8) Make items to sell.
If you're crafty or good at working with your hands, you can sell items on Etsy, eBay, Craigslist, Shopify or your own website. If you want to produce larger quantities (or you're not that crafty), you can work with a fulfillment and distribution company. You can send them a prototype of what you want to make (or pay someone to make a prototype) and the company will arrange manufacturing and even shipping of the final product.
Chances are, there are many things you know how to do that someone would pay money to learn. For example, if you performed well on the SATs, or are good at math, you can get a job as a tutor for high school students. If you're overseas, there is a huge demand for English tutors. Whether you can fix a car, cook on a BBQ, play guitar, sing or sew, there is a demand for a teacher like you.
You can tutor locally, by advertising your availability. You can also sign up for online tutoring services where students can search for help. You can even teach entirely online, using chat, text or Skype to conduct your classes.
10) Build a website or blog.
Take a look at some of your favorite blogs and websites. Take note of how the owners monetized these online platforms, and how many different revenue streams they use. You can even have multiple sites or blogs to increase the amount of money coming in.
11) Run someone's social media accounts.
Today, most professionals and even everyday people have multiple social media accounts. However, running an online platform or brand takes a lot of work. Many doctors, lawyers and other professionals hire someone to run their online presence for them. You can be paid for this work if you sign up with a company offering social media management services. You can also contact professionals directly if you notice they have not updated their social media accounts for some time. Offer your services for a fee.
12) Take on part-time work.
Convenience stores and some retail stores (such as Wal-Mart) can be a great way to bring in extra money part-time. Many of these businesses like to hire military family members and service personnel, because they appreciate the hard work and discipline these workers bring to the job. You may be able to enjoy flexible hours and even evening shifts.
13) Take on seasonal work.
Seasonal work is attractive because it lets you earn money without a long-term work commitment. For example, you can work as a seasonal worker around the holiday season, wrapping gifts at shopping centers or taking part in holiday displays. You'll earn money for the holiday purchases you need to make.
14) Run a stand at a farmer's market or fair.
At a local farmer's market, fair, flea market or other local gathering you can set up a stand to sell anything you've made yourself. Whether it's crafts or your famous cookie recipe, you can easily set up a booth with a small investment. You just need to pay for your table and be available to sell on specific days.
If you're on active duty and have a military ID, many pizza locations would love to hire you. Your ID can make it easier for the company to get pizza delivered to posts.
Temporary workers are usually hired through temp agencies. Signing up with one of these agencies means you'll be sent to any businesses in need of workers for a few hours, days or weeks. It can be a way to boost your resume without taking on a long-term job.
17) Make use of military benefits.
Depending on your salary, you may be able to pocket some of your military benefits and added pay. While not exactly work, it certainly helps when it's time to pay the bills. For example, if you travel and get per diem pay, you can plan and budget before you travel to save on costs, so you can enjoy the difference when you get home. If you're on active duty, you can sign up for hazardous duty for extra pay each month. You can also pack your own lunch to save on Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS), or rent a more modest place to live so you get extra from your Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH).
Make sure you understand your pay and benefits and make maximum use of them. Living modestly and budgeting carefully can mean you get hundreds of extra dollars per month, because you won't use up all your benefits. You can also seek out additional training and opportunities to get higher paying work in the military to earn more.
Most web hosting sites, such as GoDaddy, have sections where you can re-sell web domains. Known as flipping domains, this process involves purchasing domains and re-selling them at a higher price. If a website becomes popular, you may be able to buy a domain with a similar name and re-sell it to the same company for a bit more. You can also park a domain. That is, you can buy a domain, populate it with traffic and sell it to someone looking to make some extra money, too.
19) Become an affiliate seller.
An affiliate seller is someone who sells or advertises on behalf of someone else for a percentage of sales. For example, the Amazon Associates Program lets you earn money by advertising Amazon products. You can place ads for Amazon items on your blog, social media accounts, website and other online platforms. Each time someone follows one of your links and makes a purchase, you earn money.
It's very easy to write e-books and sell them online. You can do this through the Kindle program (or any other self-publisher) and sell through Amazon, Barnes and Noble or any online bookseller. Each time a copy of your book sells, you'll earn some money.
You can write novels or non-fiction books about any subject of interest to you. As long as your e-books remain online, you can earn money, even years after you've written them. If you don't want to take the time to write your own books, you can hire a ghostwriter on Craigslist or ODesk and pay them a flat fee for writing and formatting the book for you. Then, you can sell the book for profit.
21) Sell things you no longer need.
Maybe you've an attic or garage filled with extra things you never look at. If so, all of it can be worth money. Sell unwanted exercise equipment, sports equipment, clothes and books in a yard sale or on eBay. If you have books, you can also sell them on sites like Cash4books.
22) Be a local service provider.
Check listings on Craigslist and the local papers. Many businesses and individuals are looking for someone to help them with one task for another. For example, a neighbor may be willing to pay for transportation to medical appointments every week, or someone may need help with their garden every weekend. Chances are, there's a variety of one-time and ongoing service needs in your own community.
23) Make money with your car.
Sign up to be a driver with Lyft or Uber, and you can make extra cash whenever you're available to drive someone to a destination. You can also sell advertising space on your car to make money monthly. Just contact local PR and marketing companies or contact businesses directly to see if they're interested in advertising on your vehicle.
If you're on active duty, talk to your supervisor first. Before you consider or accept any other work, you need to be aware of any rules that could apply to you regarding off-duty employment. You may have a limit on the amount of extra hours you can work, for example.
Make a plan. Set a goal for how much money you need to make each month. Then, consider how much time you can allocate to earning more. This will help you focus on those activities that help you meet your goals without taking up all your free time.
Budget. Earning extra money isn't much of a help if you spend all of it. Create a budget each month so you can see exactly what you've coming in and how much you're spending on each expense. Find ways to trim back on your costs and you'll see your extra earnings go much further.
Whether you're on active duty or are the spouse of someone who is in the military, bringing in extra money is a great way to ensure you enjoy the lifestyle you want – no matter where you happen to be.
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Arewa Youths Charge Buhari To Resist Temptation To Sack IGP
Members of the Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, yesterday charged President Muhammadu Buhari to resist the temptation to sack the IGP saying that many were envious of Ibrihim Idris's achievement in such a short time and will therefore look for any way possible to tarnish his image. This was revealed in a statement by its National…"
Members of the Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, yesterday charged President Muhammadu Buhari to resist the temptation to sack the IGP saying that many were envious of Ibrihim Idris's achievement in such a short time and will therefore look for any way possible to tarnish his image.
This was revealed in a statement by its National President, Alhaji Yerima Shettima to newsmen in Kaduna.
According to the statement the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, did not spend more than 24 hours in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, when he was ordered to relocate to the state.
The statement reads in part; "It has come to our notice that certain vested interests in the country are after the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, for selfish reasons.
"We wonder why those trying to set President Buhari against the IGP pretend that there is a difference between Makurdi and Benue. "
Arewa Youths
Ibrahim Idris
BREAKING: Incumbent Kenyatta Declared Winner of Kenyan Presidential Election
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3 Men Await Trial In Kaduna Over Criminal Conspiracy
DSS Reunites Released Chibok Girls With Their Parents In Abuja

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Home » The Fleet » Ships, Boats & Craft
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Lars Halvorsen & Son, Sydney NSW
Dimensions & Displacement
46 feet 2 inches
2 x .303 inch Vickers machine gun
Other Armament
4 x Mk VII depth charges, 2 x 25lb depth charges
With much of the Royal Australian Navy fleet deployed to foreign waters in the early years of World War II, the defence of Australia's coastlines became a primary concern for the Naval Board. The Naval Auxiliary Patrol (NAP) was a war-raised unit approved on 25 June 1941, charged with patrolling and safeguarding Australia's inner harbours, ports, rivers and estuaries against enemy sabotage or attack. The NAP fleet was comprised primarily of former pleasure craft, offered freely by their owners.
In May 1942, the NAP was transferred to the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RANVR) and was thereafter known as the RANVR NAP. By October 1942 the total strength of the NAP had increased to over 3000 mobilised and unmobilised reserves. This was to remain the case until early 1944 when it was considered that the danger of enemy attack was remote enough to reduce the strength of the NAP to a minimum. https://www.navy.gov.au/media-room/publications/naval-auxiliary-patrol.
Hoona was a 46 foot Motor Launch that served as a Naval Auxiliary Patrol vessel and Air/Sea Rescue Boat. The boat was requisitioned for naval service on 6 November 1942, before being commissioned into the RAN on 4 December 1942, under the command of Naval Auxiliary Patrol Skipper Colin V Chatterton. HMAS Hoona was purchased by the Australian Government on 2 September 1943. Hoona was decommissioned on 11 July 1944 and sold in April 1945.
HMAS Hoona first appeared in the January 1943 edition of the Navy List: https://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Navy_List-January-1943.pdf
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How would you like a magic button that drew in site users and turned their sessions into conversions? That's exactly what a good Call To Action button does–when designed correctly.
A Call to Action, or CTA, is an element of a website that calls on website users to complete an action. CTAs are important because they turn site users from visitors into engagements, ultimately creating conversions.
Ask "Who is my audience, and what is their end goal?", "What does my audience want?", and "How can I make my audience's user journey easier?" Answering these questions create CTAs that resonate with your audience and bring you conversions.
PensXpress site users are probably looking to buy custom pens, quickly. PensXpress knows this, and creates CTA accordingly.
Analyzing your audience to determine what the audience wants, which will help you determine how to create effective CTAs. This will also lay the foundation for how you will carry out the following steps of creating a great CTA.
Ask "How can I make my CTA stand out from the page, while fitting in with branding?" If you don't know, check if your company has a style guide, which has your company's official colors, fonts, and personality. This will help you check what colors are associated with your company, and which are ok to use.
The BSA primary and secondary color style guide (bottom right) tells designers what colors can be used in the website–from the logo to the CTA buttons.
Also look into color psychology- the association consumers have with colors. For instance, if you have a big sale, do you want to use a big red CTA button because it's eye catching, or do you want to stay away from red because it can evoke a negative "stop!" emotional association?
When choosing colors, take into account what colors are already on your website, what resources you have, and what context colors are in. If a style guide has 2 colors (or if you have no style guide), maybe expand from the style guide. If a style guide has 14 shades of only green, maybe avoid a green CTA. Also be aware of what colors mean (especially if you're a multinational website) as color meanings change with culture. Whereas in North America, yellow often depicts cheer or optimism, in Germany it often depicts envy. This is something you'd want to know before designing all your CTAs!
Ask "Where on a webpage are eyes naturally drawn?" and "Where do users expect something to be?" This will help you decide placement. For instance, if a CTA leads to a checkout, put the checkout cart it in the upper right corner; if a CTA is to chat with a live person, put it in the bottom right. Why? Because it's muscle memory to scroll to these places. By putting CTAs where people expect them to be, you make them more accessible and converionslable.
Also ask, "In what context does a person need my CTA; is it homepage material, or is it page-dependent or secondary page material?" For instance, the Poison Control website, "Call for help" CTA is on huge homepage display, as the issue is pressing, time sensitive, and a top reason why people go to the website. This differs from Disney World's site, where the CTA to book a hotel is placed in a much smaller size, and a CTA to "buy tickets" is not even located on the homepage at all!
With such a massive CTA to call 1-800-222-1222 or get help with a possible poisoning, it would be hard to miss what to do if you suspect being poisoned.
Once you've set a location for your CTA, make sure that it looks good on an array of devices and screens. Does the CTA look as good on a split screen as on a projector, or a tablet? If you have animation, how will that translate for mobile viewers? Answering these questions will help your CTAs look good and perform well.
Ask "What do I want users to do?"; the copy should reflect this. Since the layout and color of a CTA is designed to catch the attention of a user, the copy and text of the CTA should give a clear, direct instruction of what to do once a user's attention is grabbed.
CTAs generally feature short, quick copy with strong action words, and are usually accompanied by longer context text. This text tells a user why they should do something, and the CTA tells them how to do it.
Best Buy's "Show Now" CTA context text tells you that there's a sale (hinting that there's something urgent you should do); the CTA "Shop Now" tells you what exactly to do.
Another way to leverage context is to offer a "free" appeal; this is something that can be seen in websites such as Wordstream, Box, or even Mailchimp, where the user is promised something for free if they sign up. Using tactics with extra appeal to users (like a free guide, or a limited time offer) often makes users find urgency in completing a CTA, resulting in a more compelling CTA.
Play around with layout, copy, text, and color to see which yields the most conversions. from 2015 to now, the Boston Globe has changed with their subscribe now & member sign in actions–I'd be willing to bet it's because the new design was getting higher ROI.
The final step to this is to test. Play around with the three elements from before to see what yields more conversions. If you change a button to "start your free trial now", are users more likely to click on it than "registration takes seconds; join us now!"? If you change your location from static box in the bottom left corner to an animated pop up "Chat now!" button in the bottom right corner will more people chat? I'm guessing yes, but who knows–give it a whirl yourself!


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Tag Archives: Mohammed Ahmed Hegazy
EGYPT: COURT DENIES RIGHT TO CONVERT TO SECOND CHRISTIAN
Maher El-Gohary provides requested documents, but judge dismisses them.
ISTANBUL, June 16 (Compass Direct News) – A Cairo judge on Saturday (June 13) rejected an Egyptian's convert's attempt to change his identification card's religious status from Muslim to Christian, the second failed attempt to exercise constitutionally guaranteed religious freedom by a Muslim-born convert to Christianity.
For Maher El-Gohary, who has been attacked on the street, subjected to death threats and driven into hiding as a result of opening his case 10 months ago, Saturday's outcome provided nothing in the way of consolation.
"I am disappointed with what happened and shocked with the decision, because I went to great lengths and through a great deal of hardship," he said.
El-Gohary follows Mohammed Ahmed Hegazy as only the second Muslim-born convert in Egypt to request such a change. El-Gohary filed suit against the Ministry of the Interior for rejecting his application in August last year.
In contrast to their angry chants and threats in previous hearings, lawyers representing the government sat quietly as Judge Hamdy Yasin read his decision in a session that lasted no more than 10 minutes, according to one of El-Gohary's lawyers, Nabil Ghobreyal.
The judge rejected El-Gohary's application even though the convert provided a baptism certificate and a letter of acceptance into the Coptic Orthodox Church that the judge had demanded.
"The judge said he will not accept the [baptism] certificate from Cyprus or the letter from Father Matthias [Nasr Manqarious]," said Ghobreyal. "Even if he gets a letter from the pope, the judge said he would not accept it, because the remit of the church is to deal with Christians, not to deal with Muslims who convert to Christianity; this is outside their remit."
El-Gohary sounded perplexed and frustrated as he spoke by telephone with Compass about the verdict.
"The judge asked for letters of acceptance and baptism," he said. "It was really not easy to get them, in fact it was very hard, but if he was not going to use these things, why did he ask for them in the first place? We complied with everything and got it for him, and then it was refused. What was the point of all this?"
A full explanation of Yasin's decision to deny the request will be published later this week. The judge's comments on Saturday, however, provided some indication of what the report will contain.
"The judge alluded to the absence of laws pertaining to conversion from Islam to Christianity and suggested an article be drawn up to deal with this gap in legislation," said Ghobreyal.
High Court Appeal
Such a law would be favorable to converts. Thus far, hopeful signs for converts include a recent decision to grant Baha'is the right to place a dash in the religion section of their ID cards and a High Court ruling on June 9 stating that "reverts" (Christians wishing to revert to Christianity after embracing Islam) are not in breach of law and should be allowed to re-convert.
At the age of 16 all Egyptians are required to obtain an ID that states their religion as Muslim, Christian or Jewish. These cards are necessary for virtually every aspect of life, from banking, to education and medical treatment.
No Egyptian clergyman has issued a baptismal certificate to a convert, but El-Gohary was able to travel to Cyprus to get a baptismal certificate from a well-established church. In April the Coptic, Cairo-based Manqarious recognized this certificate and issued him a letter of acceptance, or "conversion certificate," welcoming him to the Coptic Orthodox community.
El-Gohary's baptismal certificate caused a fury among the nation's Islamic lobby, as it led to the first official church recognition of a convert. A number of fatwas (religious edicts) have since been issued against El-Gohary and Manqarious.
El-Gohary's case could go before the High Court, his lawyer said.
"This is not the end; this is just the beginning," said Ghobreyal. "I am going to a higher court, I have ideas and I am going to fight all the way through. It's a long road."
Ghobreyal's tenacious attitude is matched by his client's.
"I am going to persevere, I will not give up," said El-Gohary. "Appealing is the next step and I am ready for the steps after that. I am going to bring this to the attention of the whole world."
The judge had received a report from the State Council, a consultative body of Egypt's Administrative Court, which expressed outrage at El-Gohary's "audacity" to request a change in the religious designation on his ID. The report claimed that his case was a threat to societal order and violated sharia (Islamic law).
El-Gohary's lawyers noted that the report is not based on Egypt's civil law, nor does it uphold the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights that Egypt has signed. It stated that those who leave Islam, "apostates" such as El-Gohary, should be subject to the death sentence.
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EGYPT: CONVERT'S RELIGIOUS RIGHTS CASE THREATENS ISLAMISTS
Posted on May 15, 2009 by particularkev
Muslims said to fear that freedom to legally change religion would wreak societal havoc.
CAIRO, Egypt, May 12 (Compass Direct News) – In the dilapidated office here of three lawyers representing one of Egypt's "most wanted" Christian converts, the mood was hopeful in spite of a barrage of death threats against them and their client.
At a court hearing on May 2, a judge agreed to a request by the convert from Islam to join the two cases he has opened to change his ID card to reflect his new faith. The court set June 13 as the date to rule on the case of Maher Ahmad El-Mo'otahssem Bellah El-Gohary's – who is in hiding from outraged Islamists – and lawyer Nabil Ghobreyal said he was hopeful that progress thus far will lead to a favorable ruling.
At the same time, El-Gohary's lawyers termed potentially "catastrophic" for Egyptian human rights a report sent to the judge by the State Council, a consultative body of Egypt's Administrative Court. Expressing outrage at El-Gohary's "audacity" to request a change in the religious designation on his ID, the report claims the case is a threat to societal order and violates sharia (Islamic law).
"This [report] is bombarding freedom of religion in Egypt," said lawyer Said Faiz. "They are insisting that the path to Islam is a one-way street. The entire report is based on sharia."
The report is counterproductive for Egypt's aspirations for improved human rights, they said. In the eyes of the international community it is self-condemned, the lawyers said, because it is not based on Egypt's civil law, nor does it uphold the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights that Egypt has signed.
The report stated that those who leave Islam will be subject to death, described El-Gohary as an "apostate" and called all Christians "infidels."
"During the hearing, they [Islamic lawyers] were saying that Christians are infidels and that Christ was a Muslim, so we said, 'OK, bring us the papers that show Jesus embraced Islam,'" Faiz said, to a round of laughter from his colleagues.
Ghobreyal, adding that the report says El-Gohary's case threatens public order, noted wryly, "In Egypt we have freedom of religion, but these freedoms can't go against Islam."
The trio of young lawyers working on El-Gohary's case, who formed an organization called Nuri Shams (Sunlight) to support Christian converts' rights, said they have received innumerable threats over the phone and on the Internet, and sometimes even from their colleagues.
Churches Challenged
To date no Christian convert in Egypt has obtained a baptismal certificate, which amounts to official proof of conversion.
Churches fear that issuing such certificates would create a severe backlash. As a result, converts cannot apply for a change of religion on their ID, but El-Gohary was able to travel abroad to get a baptismal certificate from a well-established church. In April a Coptic Cairo-based priest recognized this certificate and issued him a letter of acceptance, or "conversion certificate," welcoming him to the Coptic Orthodox community.
El-Gohary's baptismal certificate caused a fury among the nation's Islamic lobby, as it led to the first official church recognition of a convert. A number of fatwas (religious edicts) have since been issued against El-Gohary and Father Matthias Nasr Manqarious, the priest who helped him.
"The converts have no chance to travel, to leave, to get asylum, so we have to help them to get documents for their new religion," Fr. Manqarious told Compass by telephone. "So I decided to help Maher El-Gohary and others like him. They can't live as Christians in broad daylight."
For several months El-Gohary has been in hiding, relying on others to meet his basic needs. When Compass spoke with him by phone earlier this month, he said he lives in fear for his life and worries about his 14-year-old daughter's safety.
"I'm hiding. Someone brings me my food and water. I haven't gone out in a week," said El-Gohary. "Many Muslims and sheikhs … say if anyone sees Maher Gohary, he must kill him. My life is very difficult."
His original case, filed in August of last year, included an attempt to change the religious affiliation on his teenage daughter's ID, but he later dropped it after further legal consultation. El-Gohary said that when radical Muslims recognize his daughter on the streets, they warn her that they will kill her father when they find him.
"She's afraid for me," he said.
His church acceptance letter has re-kindled discussion of a bill proposed by parliamentary members affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, a hard-line Islamist opposition movement, which would make apostasy punishable by death, said El-Gohary's lawyers. Human rights experts, however, say that such a bill does not stand a chance in the Egyptian Parliament and is primarily a smokescreen to induce fear in Egypt's Christian converts from Islam.
Some Hope from Baha'is
Sources said the fact that the judge asked for a baptismal certificate and filed the letter of acceptance in the case represents progress in the ongoing struggle of Egyptian converts, who are not recognized in their own country.
Now that El-Gohary's lawyers have produced the acceptance letter, the judge in the case finds himself in a bind, said Hassan Ismail, general secretary of the Egyptian Union of Human Rights Organizations.
"The judge is in a paradox with the document he asked for," Ismail said. "It is difficult to accept it, and yet it is difficult having this document among those of the case."
Ismail, who has worked for years defending the rights of both Baha'is and converts, said it is hard to predict what the judge will decide in June. Even with all the required documents and "proof" of El-Gohary's conversion, he said, the judge may still deny his right to change religions.
"For us human rights activists, these decisions are political, not legal," he said. "These sorts of documents put the government into a corner, and we are working hard to get them in order to push the government to make different decisions."
Baha'is, who do not fall under the rubric of any of Islam's "heavenly religions," were forced to lie about their religion or not obtain cards until March, when in a historical decision Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court upheld a lower court's 2008 ruling that all Egyptians have a right to obtain official documents, such as ID cards and birth certificates, without stating their religion.
The gains of Baha'is have been a gauge of sorts for the Christian convert community, even though in reality they are not granted the freedom to change their stated religion or leave it blank on their cards and the official registry.
"I'm very optimistic about the cases of minorities and converts in Egypt," said Ismail. "I believe that the case of Baha'is was an indicator for converts … If we were able to push their case, then we can defend the rights of converts."
The human rights activist said that although discrimination against converts who are seen as apostates from Islam is greater than that against those raised in other religions, ultimately converts will be able to gain legal ground. El-Gohary's case, he said, will play an important role.
"After years of fighting, the Baha'is have rights," he said. "I think converts will succeed even if it takes years. Many are expecting to see Maher's case [succeed], because it's well documented."
Attorney Ghobreyal said that El-Gohary's case is on solid legal footing based on Article 46 of the Egyptian Civil Code, which grants religious freedom to the country's citizens.
In his mind it is irrational that the government gave rights to the Baha'is, who fall outside of the three heavenly religions, while not granting the same rights to Christian converts. His only explanation is that a governmental green light to people to leave Islam could wreak havoc.
Not only is there fear of the Muslim front reacting violently to such a decision, but "they're afraid that if they allow it, then all Muslims will become Christians," said Ghobreyal. "They know there are many converts, and they will all officially become Christians."
The lawyer said there are rumors circulating that there are a few million converts eagerly awaiting the results of El-Gohary's case. Egypt's last census in 2006 did not factor in religion, so figures of the Coptic population are based on estimates. These range from 6 to 15 percent of the country's 80-million population. It is not possible to estimate the number of converts, most of whom live in secrecy.
"Ten years ago, you never heard about a convert, but now you hear that someone is going to the court to ask to become a Christian," said Ghobreyal.
Hegazy's Hope
The first convert to file for a change on his ID card, Mohammed Ahmed Hegazy, said he was pleased with the progress of El-Gohary's case and hoped that more converts would take the risk of joining their cause.
"I think that every case added to the convert case will be a help," said Hegazy.
An outspoken critic of the refusal of Egypt's established churches to openly baptize converts, Hegazy said that in El-Gohary's case publicity and criticism pushed the church to take a step in the right direction in producing the conversion certificate.
"But this is not a big step, and there are many more that need to be taken and have not been," he said. "Just to be clear, the [Egyptian] church has not given a baptism certificate, it has given an acceptance letter, and the church has declared they are not going to give a baptism paper … but we can't deny that the step that the priest took to give the certificate was audacious."
Hegazy, who lost his case in January 2008 and is waiting for an appeal date, was never able to get a baptism certificate, nor can he travel since he does not have a passport. If he returns to his hometown to apply for one, he risks losing his life.
He said he still hopes any of Egypt's churches will help him by baptizing him and giving him a certificate in time for his appeal or for a new case he plans to open soon. Hegazy said that although his case is not as public as it used to be, he still faces danger when he leaves his house.
Although he is also in hiding and fears for his life, El-Gohary said he hopes his case opens the way for other converts to experience freedom.
"I hope this for all of those who want to live in the light and the sun; there are many families," he said of Egypt's converts. "I want to live in peace as a Christian. I hope my country gives me the freedom to worship my God and gives me my human rights."
Egypt is a member of the U.N. Human Rights Council, an inter-governmental body made up of 47 states responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe. On April 18, 2007, in its written statement applying for a seat to the Human Rights Council, the representative of Egypt to the U.N. stated that if elected it would emphasize promoting cultural and religious tolerance, among other human rights.
Posted in Bahai, Christianity, Egypt, Islam, Jews, Orthodox, United Nations	| Tagged accept, acceptance, activists, added, Administrative Court, affiliated, affiliation, afraid, agreed, allow, apostasy, apostate, appeal, apply, applying, aspirations, asylum, attempt, audacious, audacity, awaiting, backlash, Bahais, banking, baptism, baptismal, baptize, barrage, based, basic, believe, big, bill, bind, blank, body, bombarding, Cairo, called, card, cards, case, cases, catastrophic, cause, census, certificate, challenged, chance, change, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Christians, churches, circulating, civil law, claims, client, colleagues, community, consultation, consultative, conversion, convert, converts, Coptic, Coptic Orthodox, corner, cotizens, counterproductive, country, court, create, critic, criticism, cultural, danger, date, daughter, daylight, death, death threats, decide, decided, decisions, defending, deny, described, designation, difficult, dilapidated, direction, Discrimination, discussion, documented, documents, dropped, edicts, education, Egypt, Egyptian, Egyptian Civil Code, Egyptian Union of Human Rights Organizations, elected, empahasize, entire, established, estimates, experience, explanation, expressing, eyes, faith, fall, families, Father, fatwas, favorable, fear, fighting, figures, file, filed, find, food, footing, forced, formed, freedom, freedom of religion, fury, gains, gauge, General Secretary, globe, God, government, granted, grants, greater, Green, ground, hard-line, Hassan Ismail, havoc, hearing, heavenly, help, helped, hiding, historical, hometown, hope, hopeful, house, human rights, ID, important, improved, indicator, induce, infidels, innumerable, insisting, inter-governmental, international, International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, Internet, irrational, Islam, Islamic, Islamists, issued, issuing, Jesus embraced, Jewish, join, joining, judge, kill, laughter, law, lawyer, lawyers, leave, leaves, legally, letter, lie, life, light, lives, lobby, losing, lost, lower, Maher Ahmad El-Mo'otahssem Bellah El-Gohary, Matthias Nasr Manqarious, medical, meet, member, members, mind, minorities, Mohammed Ahmed Hegazy, mood, most wanted, movement, Muslim, Muslim Brotherhood, muslims, Nabil Ghobreyal, necessary, needs, new, Nuri Shams, obtained, office, official, one-way, opened, openly, opoulation, opposition, optimistic, order, organization, original, outraged, outspoken, paper, papers, paradox, Parliament, parliamentary, passport, path, peace, Persecution, phone, plans, play, pleased, political, possible, potentially, predict, priest, primarily, produced, producing, progress, promotion, proof, proposed, protection, publicity, punishable, push, pushed, radical, range, reacting, reality, received, recognition, recognize, recognized, reflect, refusal, registry, religion, religions, religious, relying, representative, representing, represents, request, required, responsible, result, results, returns, right, rights, risk, role, round, rubric, rule, ruling, rumors, safety, Said Faiz, seat, secrecy, self-condemned, severe, Sharia, sheikhs, show, signed, smokescreen, societal, solid, spite, spoke, State Council, stating, step, street, streets, strengthening, struggle, subject, succeed, Sun, Sunlight, support, Supreme Administrative Court, teenage, telephone, termed, threat, threatens, tolerance, travel, treatment, U. N., U.N. Human Rights Council, upheld, uphold, violates, violently, waiting, warn, water, welcoming, worked, working, worries, worship, wreak, written, young | Leave a comment
EGYPT: COPTIC CHURCH ISSUES FIRST CONVERSION CERTIFICATE
Posted on April 15, 2009 by particularkev
Key move in former Muslim's bid to legally convert comes as Islamist outcry peaks.
ISTANBUL, April 14 (Compass Direct News) – In a bold move, Egypt's Coptic Church has issued its first-ever certificate of conversion to a former Muslim, supporting his petition to have his national identification card denote his Christian faith.
Maher Ahmad El-Mo'otahssem Bellah El-Gohary's request to legally convert is only the second case in Egypt of a Muslim-born citizen trying to change his religious affiliation to Christianity on identification documents. Lawyers presented the Coptic Church's conversion certificate to a court clerk on Saturday (April 11).
"We know that the judge has seen the certificate, but we have no indication whether it is acceptable or not," said Nabil Ghobreyal, one of three lawyers representing El-Gohary. "We will have to wait until May 2 to find out the final verdict."
Reluctance to expose itself to possible retaliation from either the government or Islamic extremists has kept the Coptic Church from openly admitting to baptizing and welcoming converts until now.
There is indeed reason to fear reprisal.
"Intimidation from the Islamic lawyers is severe," said El-Gohary in a recent interview. "They were chanting in the court, 'No god but Allah,' and they were threatening intensely."
Despite efforts to maintain the secrecy of El-Gohary's whereabouts, he has received written death threats on more than one occasion since appearing in court on April 4 to register an official statement.
Since the certificate was issued, some bloggers have used strong and abusive language to support Islamist lawyers Mustafa El-Alshak'a, Hamid Sadiq and Youssef El-Badri in their threats against El-Gohary's lawyers and the priest that issued the certificate, Father Matthias Nasr Manqarious.
As the representative of a community already heavily persecuted, the Coptic Church is in a precarious position. Despite the risks, however, it endorsed the certificate issued by Fr. Manqarious. Bishop Marcos of Shubra El-Kheima declared that the church cannot turn down a fellow believer who is looking for acceptance into the Christian community.
Whether the conversion certificate will turn out to be the final piece of the puzzle that opens the door for El-Gohary to officially convert remains to be seen.
Gamal Eid of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, who represents Mohammed Ahmed Hegazy, the first Muslim-born Egyptian to request a legal conversion, is no stranger to the pitfalls of such a case.
"We support freedom of thought, but we believe also that the government and the court will try to stop this, because if the door is open there will be huge numbers following," Eid said.
El-Gohary characterized the judge's request for the document as laying the onus for legal conversion on the church, describing it as "an excuse to wiggle out of making a decision."
His lawyer, Ghobreyal, said he hopes that Judge Hamdy Yasin will allow El-Gohary to change his religious status now that the certificate has been issued.
For El-Gohary, threats from Islamic fundamentalist elements are now the foremost issue.
"I do not leave the house – my life is in real danger and my daughter is in real danger," said El-Gohary. "The pressure is too much. I am thinking seriously that I should leave Egypt."
El-Gohary and his lawyers are now calling for protection from both national security forces and the international community.
Posted in Christianity, Egypt, Islam, Orthodox	| Tagged abusive, acceptable, acceptance, admitting, affiliation, Allah, allow, appearing, Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, baptizing, believe, believer, bid, bishop, bloggers, bold, calling, case, certificate, change, chanting, characterized, Christian, Christianity, Christians, church, citizen, clerk, community, conversion, convert, Coptic, court, danger, daughter, death threats, decision, declared, denote, describing, document, documents, door, efforts, Egypt, Egyptian, elements, endorsed, excuse, expose, extremists, faith, Father, fear, fellow, Final, first, following, foremost, former, freedom, fundamentalist, Gamal Eid, God, government, Hamdy Yasin, Hamid Sadiq, heavily, hopes, house, huge, identification card, indication, intensely, international, interview, intimidation, Islam, Islamic, Islamist, issue, issued, issues, judge, kept, key, know, language, lawyers, laying, leave, legally, life, looking, Maher Ahmad El-Mo'otahssem Belleh El-Gohary, maintain, Manqarious, Marcos, Matthias Nasr Manqarious, Mohammed Ahmed Hegazy, move, Muslim, Muslim-born, muslims, Mustafa El-Alshak'a, Nabil Ghobreyal, national, occasion, official, onus, open, openly, opens, outcry, peaks, persecuted, Persecution, petition, piece, pitfalls, position, possible, precarious, presented, pressure, priest, protection, puzzle, real, recent, register, religious, reluctance, representative, representing, represents, reprisal, request, retaliation, risks, second, secrecy, security forces, seriously, severe, Shubra El-Kheima, statement, status, stop, stranger, strong, support, supporting, thinking, thought, threatening, threats, trying, verdict, wait, welcoming, wiggle, written, Youssef El-Badri | Leave a comment
EGYPT: ONE CONVERT'S NEVER-ENDING STRUGGLE
Posted on September 13, 2008 by particularkev
Snares abound as Christian seeks to protect wife, baby and future faithful.
ISTANBUL, September 12 (Compass Direct News) – Egypt's most famous convert to Christianity is a prisoner of his own home, hiding for his life.
After Mohammed Ahmed Hegazy, 25, became the first Muslim-born Egyptian to file a case a year ago for his identification card to reflect his newfound faith, his face has been shown on TV channels and newspapers. Anywhere he goes, he might be recognized by fanatical Islamists bent on killing him – besides his own family members, who also want him dead.
In the last eight months, since an Egyptian court closed his case in a Jan. 29 court ruling that declared it was against Islamic law for a Muslim to leave Islam, Hegazy has had to move five times with his wife and baby daughter.
"The verdict for my case was discriminatory [on the part] of the judge," Hegazy told Compass in an interview last month. The judge based his decision on Islamic law, which says one can convert "up" in the Muslim hierarchy of religions – from Judaism and Christianity to Islam – but not vice versa.
But months after the final court decision, even after the issue is fizzing out in the media, Hegazy said that his life is in danger – as is that of every convert in Egypt.
Living on the Run
"The most difficult thing for me is that the lives of my wife and daughter are in danger all the time," Hegazy said.
In one instance a year ago, he and his family barely escaped alive. Last October, he received a phone call from a friend who told him that one of his own lawyers had given authorities his address. His friend told him he might have to move in the next few days and to be careful.
"I had a feeling we should move," said Hegazy, explaining that he listens for God's voice on such decisions. "So we moved immediately, and the next night the fundamentalists came to attack us."
A group of Islamists camped around his former house for days. They also set fire to the apartment of Hegazy's next-door neighbor, killing her. He said the neighbor, whose name was withheld for the security of her relatives, was the best friend of his wife and had helped them in their ordeal.
"The church denied that she was killed, and it was never reported publicly," he said.
The convert's hope is that one day he can get his family out of the country, but without passports that is a remote possibility. Passports are issued in the hometown of the citizen.
Both Hegazy and his wife are well-known and unwelcome in their hometowns.
His wife would need to go to El-Minya to apply for a passport, he said, "and as soon as she goes there she will be killed. Even if it's not family, others will do it, so I can't take that risk."
Hegazy's father has also filed to gain custody of his baby granddaughter so that she is raised Muslim. He has also given authorities false information, such as asserting that Hegazy hasn't served his military service, and has publicly said that if his son doesn't recant his faith he will kill him.
"Many lawyers volunteered to file a case against me," he said.
Persecuted Converts
Hegazy risked venturing out of his house on a hot afternoon in August to speak to Compass. At a restaurant, he looked over his shoulder nervously to make sure he wasn't followed.
What the convert-turned-political activist really wanted to talk about was the situation of thousands of converts in his country who suffer discrimination by the state, family and even local churches, he said, because the country's constitution is based on sharia (Islamic law).
"The most important thing is to show how converts are persecuted and how they are suffering in Egypt," said Hegazy. "I want to clarify this because converts are persecuted by society and the church and their families."
Hegazy minces no words when it comes to what he calls the inability of the church to stand up to the forces of government and Islamic society in order to defend the rights of converts.
"The church in Egypt is impotent and cowardly," he said, noting church leaders who do not stand up for religious rights and claim they do not evangelize and baptize converts. He cited Coptic Bishop Bishoy, who said that his church is against "proselytizing" and spreading the gospel and that the Coptic Church is not doing it. Coptic churches in Egypt – Catholic and evangelical – publicly claim they do not baptize converts, each blaming the other for doing so, while priests and pastors are known to baptize in secret so as not to provoke violent reactions from Islamists and the government.
"The priest that baptized me refused to see me for a whole year," said Hegazy. "Not one priest is standing up to say, 'I baptize converts.'"
Hegazy said that reactions like this leave converts feeling marginalized.
"You have to understand that the church is treating converts as second-class citizens. The only heroic thing they could do was baptize me secretly," said Hegazy, who had to fight to get a baptismal certificate, as do so many other converts. "Can you imagine how a convert feels? Should we accuse converts of being discriminatory or sectarian if they want to establish their own church?"
Converts, Hegazy said, are attacked on all fronts of Egyptian society. "The government is Islamic, the society is Islamic, and the church is weak," he said. "Converts are stuck between all of these, between the jaws of the government and society."
Hegazy and other religious rights activists believe that individual cases such as his or that of Maher El-Gohary, filed last month, alone cannot gain legal rights for converts who wish to become officially Christian and accepted in society.
"I don't believe my case is going to be resolved," said Hegazy. "I'm not pessimistic, but if we are dealing with a personal case we can't achieve anything. Instead we have to talk about the broad issue and discuss conversion as a big case, because there are so many believers persecuted."
As have other activists, Hegazy said that if Egyptian converts living overseas and in Egypt were to file a joint case they would have more leverage. But they need greater support from human rights groups, which are not pushing enough for convert cases, he said.
"I can't understand how we have so many human rights organizations, and Christian ones, and no one is taking any action," he said.
Hegazy suggested that human rights organizations should publicly advocate a law that supports freedom of conversion, including committees to monitor developments. If such a law were in place, he said, the Egyptian government would stop using Muslim fundamentalist reactions as an excuse to avoid enforcing justice.
"This way the government can't say, 'We don't [change religion on identification cards] because of fundamentalism, it will upset our society,' because there will be a law in place," he said.
Additionally, he said, converts must also fight against lack of action by human rights organizations.
"The problem is we're struggling with the church, the society, our families," he said. "So we don't need an extra struggle with human rights organizations."
Hegazy and his lawyer are still waiting for a court date for his appeal. They applied for it in February.
"Every week we go to the court to find out when the appeal date is set for," said Hegazy's lawyer, Gamal Eid of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information.
At a recent court visit they were told to come back in October, leading them to believe that perhaps they will get a court date that month.
Hegazy said he is ready to fight his case to the end. Already, he said, his case has made one gain for Egypt's converts: the recognition that there are such persons as "converts," and they are in the public debate.
"Nowadays, the word 'convert' is being used in the media here – never before!" said Hegazy. "That's progress."
Posted in Christianity, Egypt	| Tagged action, activist, alive, apartment, appeal, apply, Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, attack, baby, baptismal, baptize, baptized, believe, best, bishop, Bishoy, call, case, certificate, channels, Christian, Christianity, Christians, church, churches, citizen, constitution, convert, Coptic, court, custody, danger, daughter, dead, debate, decision, Discrimination, discriminatory, ecaped, Egypt, Egyptian, El-Minya, Evangelical, evangelize, face, faith, faithful, false, family, Father, file, fire, followed, freedom, friend, fundamentalism, fundamentalists, Gamal Eid, gospel, government, granddaughter, hiding, hierachy, home, hope, house, human rights, identification card, information, interview, Islam, Islamic Law, Islamists, Judaism, judge, justice, killing, law, lawyer, lawyers, leaders, legal, life, Maher El-Gohary, marginalized, media, members, military, Mohammed Ahmed Hegazy, Muslim, neighbor, newspapers, ordeal, passport, passports, pastors, Persecution, phone, priest, priests, prisoner, proselytizing, protect, public, reactions, recant, recognition, religion, religions, restaurant, rights, Roman Catholic, ruling, second-class, secretly, sectarian, security, service, Sharia, snares, Society, son, state, struggle, suffering, TV, verdict, violent, wife | Leave a comment


text:
Q: SMTP Google Apps Oauth2 - issue in relay I am trying to send mail by connecting to Google SMTP server using oAuth2 mechanism.
public static Transport connectToSmtp(String smtpServer, int port, String email, String authToken, boolean isDebug, MimeMessage mimeMsg)
     throws Exception
{
    Properties props = new Properties();
    props.put("mail.smtp.starttls.enable", "true");
    props.put("mail.smtp.starttls.required", "true");
    props.put("mail.smtp.sasl.enable", "true");
    props.put("mail.smtp.sasl.mechanisms", "XOAUTH2");
    props.put("mail.imaps.sasl.mechanisms.oauth2.oauthToken", authToken);
    Session session = Session.getInstance(props);
    session.setDebug(isDebug);
    final String emptyPassword = "";
    Transport transport = session.getTransport("smtp");
    transport.connect(smtpServer, port, email, emptyPassword);
    try
    {
        transport.sendMessage(mimeMsg, mimeMsg.getAllRecipients());
    }
    catch (Exception e)
    {
        logger.log(Level.WARNING, "Exception Occured : ", e);
    }
    return transport;
}

Client ID and Secret of my App:
ID - 345101*-i6ki*4tk1sms.apps.googleusercontent.com
Secret - e6NHB*-eZ-rk
The above code threw the following error:

javax.mail.AuthenticationFailedException: 535-5.7.8 Username and Password not accepted. Learn more at
    535 5.7.8  https://support.google.com/mail/answer/14257 o135sm276925ith.4 - gsmtp

Smtp Server : aspmx.l.google.com,
Port : 25
Edited:
I have changed the below for the Google App account I am trying to connect and the above exception was cleared:

*

*No 2 step authentication

*Allow Less Secure Apps
"Security" -> "Basic Settings" -> "Go to settings for less secure apps" -> "Allow Users to Manager Their Access to Less Secure Apps"
But after clearing the above exception. I got another exception.

com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPSendFailedException: 550-5.7.1 Invalid credentials for relay [121...2]. The IP address you've registered in Google Apps SMTP Relay service doesn't match domain of the account this email is being sent from. If you are trying to relay mail from a domain that isn't registered under your Googles Apps account or has empty envelope-from, you must configure your mail server either to use SMTP AUTH to identify the sending domain or to present one of your domain names in the HELO or EHLO command. For more information, please visit  https://support.google.com/a/answer/6140680#invalidcred f65sm341248ith.1 - gsmtp
    ;

So I changed the following setting:
Apps > Google Apps > Gmail > Settings for Gmail > Advanced settings
SMTP relay service

*

*Allowed senders: Any addresses (not recommended)

*Only accept mail from the specified IP addresses: No

*Require SMTP Authentication: Yes

*Require TLS encryption: No

Even after attempting the above change the same exception is thrown.
Please help.

A: Plain authentication and OAuth2 must be differentiated in Transport object which sends actual mail data to the SMTP server.
This is done in JavaMail with the password parameter in Transport.connect().
If the password is given as null in the above code, then the Java MailClient treats the authentication as OAuth instead of plain auth.
So the code should be
final String emptyPassword = null;

As reply to the comment,
If authentication is given as IP Address, then the given username and password are not validated. Instead, the IP address from which the connection comes from serves as authentication.
This is the reason the same code worked, when you added the sender IP address to the GApps Relay Mail Settings and select authentication type as IP address.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange