El General- Mr. President

http://rssnews.tv/12694/song-tunisian-rapper-arrested-after-online-protest-song.html


TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisian military have arrested a swat thespian who expelled a strain vicious of supervision policies as protests against President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali’s order shook the North African nation, his hermit mentioned on Friday.
Police arrested 22-year-old Hamada Ben-Amor late on Thursday in the Mediterranean Sea coastline town of Sfax, Hamdi Ben-Amor told Reuters.
“Some 30 plainclothes policemen came to the residence to detain Hamada and took him divided without ever revelation us where to. When you asked because they were impediment him, they mentioned ‘he knows why’,” he said.
Ben-Amor is well known to fans as The General. Last week he expelled a strain on the internet patrician ‘President, your people are dying’ that talks about the problems of the girl and unemployment.
The strain came out as students, professionals and youths mounted a array of protests over a lack of jobs and restrictions on open freedoms.
The protests have grown in to the many extensive and aroused flare-up of gainsay of Ben Ali’s 23-year rule.
Tunisian authorities on Thursday moreover arrested Aziz Amami, a well-noted blogger, opponent belligerent Sofiene Chourabi said.
Security technology firm Sophos mentioned on Monday that “hacktivists” from a organisation mission itself ‘Anonymous’ had struck a few authorized Tunisian websites, inclusive those of Ben Ali, the supervision and the Tunisian batch exchange.
Tunisian officials had no evident criticism on possibly arrest.


http://www.npr.org/2011/01/21/133121640/Tunisians-Embrace-Life-Without-Censorship

Music To His Ears

Not far from the bookstore, journalists are in an editorial meeting at Radio Mosaique, one of Tunisia's private stations. While Radio Mosaique pushed the envelope of what was permitted under Ben Ali's rule, many station employees say they lived in fear.

Disc jockey Alaeddine Ben Amor said he was not really able to choose his own music. "We had ... some songs that we had to broadcast."

Like the songs of Latifa Arfaoui, who was a close friend of the president. Ben Amor says he's deleted all of her songs. Now, he says, he's finally enjoying his freedom and his job.

His new favorite artist is rapper El General, who was just released from prison. Ben Amor puts on El General's scathing ballad about Ben Ali, entitled "Mr. President."

"If I played that before, I'd be in jail," he says. "That's it."





Mr. President, I’m addressing you today, in my name

and in the name of the (Tunisian) people who are living in suffering

2011 and there are still those who die of hunger

They want to work for a living but their voice is not heard

Just walk the streets and see, people are becoming monsters

Look at the police men with batons, “tak tak” (hitting) relentlessly

Since there is no one to tell them No, not even the law

Every day I hear about innocent people being falsely convicted

I see "religiously dressed" women being prosecuted

You wouldn't want this for your own daughter

Sad talk makes your eyes cry

As a parent you wouldn't want harm to your children

So consider this a message from one of your suffering children

We are living like dogs; half your people are living humiliated and in sufferance

Mr. President, your people are eating from garbage cans

You can see what’s happening in the country

Tragedy and homeless everywhere

I’m talking in the name of the wronged and those who were treaded on

Mr. President, I’m addressing you fearlessly, not expecting more than slap on my face

I’m seeing a lot of injustice, that’s why I'm speaking up

Against the advice of many who warned I would pay with my head

But until when will the Tunisians live in delusion?

Where is freedom of expression that’s only talked about?

You called Tunisia the lush, Mr. President, but as you can see, today it’s only a desert divided in two

They steal in broad day light, they seized and nabbed everything in the country

Without naming names, you know who these people are

A lot of money that was destined for development and projects

The sons of bitches stole and are clinging to their thrones

I know that the people don’t hear about much of it

But if the situation was not unjust I wouldn't speak out

OK

The voice of the people

General 2011

The same situation

The same problems and sufferance

Mr. President…