By Salma Essam | ( Globalvoices.org) | – – The Egyptian government’s efforts to crack down on critical media platforms reached news heights this week when authorities blocked access to the Cairo-based independent news website, Mada Masr. An “independent and progressive” news outlet that covers a variety of topics including politics, culture and the economy, […]
Archives for May 2017
Anger and youth fan flames of terror – not race and religion
Simon Mabon | (The Conversation) | – – The bombing of Manchester Arena on May 22 struck the very heart of British society. It was a horrific, direct assault on the innocent and the vulnerable. Many of the victims were children and young people, with their whole lives ahead of them, who had gone to […]
Mosul curses ISIL corpses: “Beguiled by promises of Virgins, you’re Garbage now”
Special Correspondent | (Mosul) | (Niqash.org) | – – NIQASH’s Mosul correspondent left the city shortly after the extremist Islamic State group took over. But most of his family remained. After 34 months, he returned home. This is what he found. When I left Mosul on July 1, 2014 – fearing for my life because […]
Allies Furious as Trump w/draws from G7 Climate Commitment, May leave Paris Accord
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Trump bombed at the G7 summit in Italy. Despite an “intense” discussion with Germany, France and the others, who made it clear as sunshine that they wanted the US to meet its Paris Climate obligations, Trump refused to join in the issuance of a joint statement […]
Trumpism: White Terrorist Murders 2 after harassing Muslim-American
TeleSur | – – According to one witness, the suspect was heard saying “get off the bus, and get out of the country because you don’t pay taxes here.” Amidst rising rates of violence directed toward Muslims and those percieved to be Muslim in the United States, two men on a commuter train in Portland, […]
Iraq Parliament Mulls ending Freedom of Assembly
By Afef Abrougui | ( Globalvoices.org) | – – When armed men in civilian clothes kidnapped journalist Afrah Shawqi from her home on 26 December 2016, journalists and activists quickly took to the street to demand that the government take action to ensure her safety and her immediate release. Iraq's parliament is currently reviewing a […]
Who are Egypt’s Coptic Christians, ISIL’s latest Victims?
By Paul Rowe | (The Conversation) | – – Coptic Christians in Egypt have been attacked while traveling on pilgrimages and bombed while praying on Palm Sunday, amid an accelerating series of attacks over the last decade. The interrelated challenges of violence, economics and discrimination have led to the increasing departure of Christians from the […]
Top 5 Questions about Kushner’s back channel to Moscow
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – In a meeting with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the US, WaPo reveals that Jared Kushner asked that a private, encrypted back channel be set up to the Kremlin. The report is based on a leak to a WaPo reporter from last December, which the […]
Retraining Workers for Climate Action: How the Light Gets In
H. Patricia Hynes | (Informed Comment) | – – Every now and then I re-visit these lines of the Canadian poet and songwriter, Leonard Cohen: Ring the bells that cannot ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in. In these times of climate change denial, macho […]