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By Ayat Basma | ERBIL, Iraq

ERBIL, Iraq With their waxed moustaches, precision-clipped beards and dapper clothes, members of the Mr. Erbil gentleman's club look like the smarter residents of Brooklyn or Shoreditch.

But rather than the hipster neighborhoods of New York or London, this is Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdish region - just 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the grim battle to drive Islamic State fighters from their last bastion in the country.

Although an oasis of calm in a country torn apart by war since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003, Erbil has been unable to provide its young people with the opportunities they crave, say the men who set up their club last year to change that.

"When we started we were in a bad situation, economic crisis and then an expected war against ISIS (Islamic State)," said Goran Pshtiwan, 26, wearing a three-piece suit and custom-made moccasins decorated with the club's logo - without socks, naturally.

"There was no business activity so we started with the idea to gather and make something different and unique and change the look of the people and the way that they are thinking."

As well as regular meetings where they dress in different styles, from smart casual to black tie and traditional Ottoman-time attire, the club aims to support local tailors and craftsmen who help make their outfits.

Accessorized with purple-trimmed handkerchiefs, pocket watch chains and selfie-sticks, the men, in their 20s and 30s, hold photoshoots at local beauty spots, posting the results on Instagram where they have more than 60,000 followers.

The buzz has surprised co-founder Omer Nihad, a 28-year-old former stock trader, who said Star Trek actor George Takei, who has more than 2 million Twitter followers, had mentioned the club.

A recent video they shot received 5 million views, he said.

While a boy's only club, Mr. Erbil uses its internet platform to promote women who are working to improve rights and opportunities for girls.

The group has about 40 members and is receiving so many requests that the founders are considering toughening the admission requirements which already set demanding standards for fashion taste.

Nihad said the club aimed to launch its own clothing brand, set up a shop and collaborate with fashion houses. And he would love to see Mr. Erbil featured in a high fashion magazine.

"Of course, we don't want to be on the front page," he said. "It is okay if we were in the middle!"

(Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

RIYADH A comic show and a recent pop concert have drawn rebuke from powerful religious figures and social media users in Saudi Arabia this week, highlighting the sensitivity of cultural reforms underway in the conservative kingdom.

MILAN Milan's fashion elite strolled down an elegant street in "Rome" on Thursday, sporting subtle and elegant creations that recalled the timeless movie scenes of yesteryear.

JERUSALEM Forgoing the provocative and risque, a group of designers in Jerusalem on Thursday held Israel's first major fashion show for Orthodox Jewish women, whose tradition requires they dress in conservative outfits.

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Far from Brooklyn, Iraq's hipsters declare war on poor dress sense - Reuters

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On February 23, Abdelrazeq al-Nadhouri, chief of staff of the forces known as the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the military governor of the region that extends from Derna to Ben Jawwad, repealed his order requiring women who wish to travel abroad to be accompanied by a male guardianand replaced it with a new order imposing travel restrictions on all men and women ages 18 to 45. The new order specifies that people in that age group need clearance by relevant security agencies ahead of any international travel from eastern Libya. Justifying these restrictions, the order refers to the necessity to put in place measures to counter risk from abroad that threaten national security.

Libyan officials in the east should immediately repeal this new order, Human Rights Watch said. While governments have the authority to restrict travel on an individual basis based on narrow and appealable grounds laid out in law, al-Nadhouris order, by its sweeping nature targeting all would-be travelers of a certain age, gravely undermines the right enshrined in international law that entitles everyone to leave any country, including their own, and to return to their country.

(Tunis) Officials in eastern Libya should immediately repeal an order, issued on February 16, 2017, that bans women under age 60 from traveling abroad unless they are accompanied by a male guardian, Human Rights Watch said today. The order threatens to curtail freedom of movement for women in eastern Libya, including for medical treatment, education, and professional travel.

Abdelrazeq al-Nadhouri, chief of staff of the forces known as the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the military governor of the region that extends from Derna to Ben Jawwad, issued the order requiring women who wish to travel abroad by land, air, or sea to be accompanied by a male guardian, also known as a mahram. The text of the order justifies it as necessary for reasons of public interest and to limit negative aspects that accompanied Libyan womens international travel. On February 21, after a public uproar, al-Nadhouri reportedly suspended implementation of this regulation until further notice.

Libyan women celebrate the third anniversary of the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi at Freedom Square in Benghazi, February 17, 2014.

2014 Reuters

Requiring adult women to have a male guardian with them when they travel is a humiliating step backward for women, said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch.

In a television interview on February 19, al-Nadhouri claimed that the order was necessary for the national security of Libya and that it had no religious or political background. Al-Nadhouri claimed, without providing any details, that several young women had collaborated with foreign intelligence agencies, creating a risk that they would disclose information that could harm the national interest. He also warned, As long as [a Libyan woman] is in Libya, she is free. Once she leaves Libya our eyes will be on her.

Many womens rights activists and human rights lawyers rejected the regulation, saying it violated womens rights, as protected by Libyan laws. On February 22, womens rights activists staged a demonstration in al-Kish square in Benghazi protesting the travel restrictions.

Libyan women have had the right to travel abroad without the permission of a male relative. In 2014, the Tripoli-based religious authority, Dar Al-Iftaa, called for a woman to be accompanied by a male guardian if she wished to travel abroad, but the religious edict, or fatwa, never became law.

The Libyan National Army operates with affiliated militias and the army special forces in eastern Libya under the command of Khalifa Hiftar, a retired general who served under the ousted Gaddafi government. The LNA has gained control over territory in much of eastern Libya since the outbreak of hostilities in May 2014. It is aligned with the so-called Interim Government based in al-Bayda, and the House of Representatives, based in Tobruk, both in the eastern part of the country. The Interim Government is not recognized by the United Nations or the international community and is competing for legitimacy with the Tripoli-based and UN-backed Government of National Accord.

Article 14 of the Libyan Constitutional Declaration guarantees the right to freedom of movement. Libyan authorities are also bound by numerous international treaties ratified by the country. The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), to which Libya acceded in 1989, legally obligates member states to end all discrimination against women, without delay, and guarantees the right to freedom of movement.

As a state party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, Libya must ensure nondiscrimination and the right to freedom of movement for all people, without distinction as to gender. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights also provides: Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state [and] to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Read more from the original source:
Libya: Discriminatory Restriction on Women - Human Rights Watch

The bodies of 13 migrants who died of suffocation have been recovered from a shipping container in western Libya, the Red Crescent says.

The migrants appear to have been locked in the container for several days as it was transported to the coast at Khoms, where they were to attempt to cross the Mediterranean towards Europe, the Red Crescent said in a statement on Thursday.

Fifty-six migrants were rescued from the container, some suffering from serious injuries and fractures, the statement said.

Libya has become the main gateway for migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. A record 181,000 migrants reached Italy along the route last year.

Within Libya, migrant smugglers operate with impunity, and migrants are subjected to a wide range of abuses, including rape, torture and forced labour.

Earlier this week the bodies of 74 migrants were found on the shore near Zawiya, west of Tripoli. The local coastguard said smugglers had stolen the engine from their boat.

Read more:
Thirteen dead migrants found in Libya - NEWS.com.au

africanews

UN lauds Libya's mediation efforts by neighbouring countries africanews Speaking on Wednesday during a press conference in Tunis, the head of United Nations Support Mission in Libya, Martin Kobler, welcomed the move by Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt to ease tension among rival groups. Foreign ministers from the four countries ... and more »

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UN lauds Libya's mediation efforts by neighbouring countries - africanews

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Libyan Mufti, Al-Sadiq Al-Gharyani, said whoever wants to strike an agreement among the Libyan factions must be fair, adding that the mediators who are trying to stabilize Libya currently are not serious in their efforts. The Mufti described the UN envoy to Libya as biased to one party over the others and the Skhirat agreement as a conspiracy that is dragging Libya into nothingness.

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UNSMIL Head, Martin Kobler, said the Tunisian initiative, which aims at resolving Libyas crisis and bring consensus among all factions, is excellent. Kobler added, in a meeting with Tunisian Foreign Minister, that the initiative of the Tunisian President is acceptable to all Libyan parties.

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The UN-proposed governments Local Governing Minister, Badad Gansu, urged the ministrys authorities not to travel abroad unless they have obtained a permit, warning Wednesday all mayors and other authorities that violating this new decision will have legal consequences.

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Italy has sent two tons of medical aids to the Misrata Central Hospital. The aids arrived on Thursday in Misrata Airport.

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Special Deterrent Force said it had arrested a thieves gang headed by Jebril Al-Dabea (A.K.A. Jebril Abiya). SDF wrote on Facebook Wednesday that the gang conducts armed robberies in Tripoli, especially against foreign workers.

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Delegations from Zliten and Misrata agreed on Wednesday to reopen the coastal road after the withdrawal of all the armed forces of Misrata to outside Zlitens administrative borders and after they hand in the culprits to the Public Prosecution.

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The Turkish IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation provided food aids for 700 displaced families from Benghazi in cooperation with the crisis committee at the Tripoli Municipality. IHH official told Anadolu Agency that they will launch a big relief campaign in southern Libya in the coming days.

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Sabratha Municipality condemned the attack on its building on Wednesday by a brigade from the Interior Ministrys forces. It urged in a statement the citys national security department to work properly and make sure security prevails in Sabratha.

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Sources from Shahat city said the former member of the General National Congress Fawzi Al-Oqab, and his companion, Khalid Al-Mukhtar, were released on Wednesday. The two were kidnapped in the beginning of February when they were returning from the farm of the High Council of States member Abdeljalil Al-Zahi in northern Shahat.

Read more:
News Roundup - Thu, Feb 23, 2017 - The Libya Observer