'Kubatana Blogs' - (http://kubatanablogs.net/kubatana/?p=19) points to an article by Zimbabwean cartoonist, Tony Namate on the Zimbabwean Domestic Violence Bill. Namate wants a bill that covers all violence - not just domestic violence - that would include baby dumping, abortion, and failing to report violence. He also believes “that women engaging in indecent exposure should be arrested”.

“And then there are some forms of violence that are touted as women’s rights. Once upon a time I remember hearing that women had a right to wear what they wanted. Fair and fine, but when they deliberately and indecently violate other people’s sensibilities by “wearing what we want”, then surely they are committing the crime of indecent exposure and should be arrested “on sight”? Or perhaps indecent exposure is a male-only crime?”

Mr Namate misses the point about “indecent exposure” as applied to men exposing their genitals in public, since this is also sexual assault if it is directed at another person. If women were to expose their genitals in a similar way then, of course, this would be indecent exposure.

Malawian blog, 'Afrika-Aphuki' - Afrika-Aphuki comments on the adoption of an 18 month old Malawian child, David Banda by mega celebrity, Madonna. The child has left Malawi for London but the debate around the adoption in Malawi and elsewhere rages on. In Malawi the debate has centred around two issues – firstly the way the Malawian government and Madonna have bypassed Malawian law to allow the adoption to be fast-tracked, and secondly on whether the child would be better off growing up in Malawi with support from outsiders such as Madonna, or growing up in the home of a high powered celebrity white European celebrity. Afrika writes…

“Although their actions have been interpreted as jealousy and anachronism, the Malawian lawyers and activists who have drawn our attention to the way in which Malawian law has been compromised for the sake of a celebrity adoption have shown that not every African has been sold on the white supremacist bandwagon. Granted that there are NGOs who thrive on foreign money which they misuse and enrich themselves with, there are Malawians who are genuinely concerned about Malawi’s problems, and are working both inside Malawi itself and outside, to help ease the problems. The very Malawians who are making accusations of jealousy and archaic laws would be the first ones to blame the Malawian legal system the moment child traffickers learned of the power and influence of money and fame, and began targeting Malawian children. Hopefully this debate has alerted us to such a possibility, and we are embarking on a process to make sure it does not happen.”

Zimbabwean blog, 'Enough is Enough' - Enough is Enough (http://enoughzimbabwe.org/eddie-cross-the-farm-situation-today) reports on the situation of farming in Zimbabwe, particularly that of white farmers and the seizure of farm equipment by the police and army. The seizures were declared illegal by the court but by the time the equipment was returned to the owners, it had been vandalised. Zim Pundit posts a letter sent to Zimbabwean political activist Eddie Cross and comments

“The campaign is carried out on an ethnic basis - white farmers are the targets. It is completely illegal and destructive. Farms taken over in this way quickly become derelict and unproductive.”

'Redeem Ethiopia' - Redeem Ethiopia (http://redeemethiopia.blogspot.com/2006/10/lures-of-war.html) commenting on the threat of war between Ethiopia and Somalia, believes that Meles Zenawi provoked the Somalis into declaring “war on Ethiopia”, something he believes Meles learned from his predecessor, former Ethiopian leader, Mengistu Hailemariam.

“It seems that Meles has been a good student of history. He has done all that is in his power to provoke the Somalis to declare war on Ethiopia with the same hopes of gaining domestic legitimacy and external military support. The fact that there is no formidable Somali government, military or immediate threat to Ethiopia has made his job much harder than Mengistu’s. He has literally had to partially invade Somalia to get mostly empty threats from Somali Islamists, who can at best remove his soldiers from some Somali territory.”

However, unlike during Mengistu’s rule, Ethiopians of today are not ready to go to war and believe the threat from Somalia to be non-existent.

'Mental Acrobatics'Mental Acrobatics writes a moving tribute to the late Dr Dr.Wanjiru Kihoro of Kenya who passed away last Thursday following a long coma. Mental Acrobatics describes Dr Kihoro as

“a true patriot, a strong daughter of Kenya, highly principled in an age where people’s convictions change with the direction of the wind……….. In Kenya, where she took on the Moi regime on human rights abuses when most were to scared to speak out, she showed patriotism and courage. Refusing to be broken by the arrest and detention of her husband, Wanyiri Kihoro, and colleagues by Moi’s notorious security forces, she showed patriotism and courage. As the founder and director of ABANTU for Development, an international development agency, Dr. Kihoro’s vision, inspiration and direction touched and changed the lives of many.”

'African Shirts' - African Shirts (http://africanshirts.blogspot.com/2006/10/lifting-veil.html)
comments on the debate around comments made by Jack Straw about Muslim women wearing the Niqab during his MP surgery. He stated that he asked the women to remove their veils which he sees as a “visible statement of difference” and one that infringes on the communication experience, since one cannot see the face of the woman. African Shirts however points out that in an interview with Jack Straw, he let slip the real motivation behind his statement

“in an interview with the Today programme, he lets slips his actual motivation. He's worried about "community relations". In other words, the people in a community cannot communicate with a woman who covers her face, in this instance at the behest of her religion. The veil here, acts as a barrier, just as 18-year-old boys in hoodies are intimidating. And if non-Muslim and Muslims who are trying to live harmoniously alongside each other cannot interact, "parallel communities" start to develop.”

The debate around the Niqab is an Islamic debate and should not be of concern to non-Muslims. From a Muslim point of view it is yet another attack against Islam and interference in the way people choose to practice their religion.

'Black Looks' - Black Looks (http://www.blacklooks.org/2006/10/5_days_in_south_africa.html) is in South Africa and writes a piece on her first 5 days

"The most annoying thing for me is not the fences, locks and gates but having to take taxis everywhere after 7pm in the evening. Everyone keeps telling me not to go out even in Melville at night, not to carry my laptop on the Kombi bus - basically not to go anywhere at night without a taxi. A Cameroonian colleague who lives in downtown Joburg takes a taxi to a bar 10 minutes away from his apartment and back! Coming from sleepy Granada where no one even goes out before 10pm and you can walk home on your own at 4am in complete safety, this takes some getting used to. I realise I no longer have a sense of personal security."

• Sokari Ekine produces the blog Black Looks, www.blacklooks.org
• Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at www.pambazuka.org