By Damon F. Lynch | (Informed Comment) | – – Evangelical university Wheaton College has generated global attention by suspending and initiating the firing of Professor Larycia Hawkins. She had asserted that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, quoting Pope Francis. Wheaton justifies its punishment of Dr. Hawkins theologically, stressing inviolable differences between Islam […]
Can Twitter be Sued for ‘Facilitating’ ISIL Terrorism?
By Bruce Baer Arnold | (The Conversation) | – – If ISIS and its supporters use Twitter to facilitate terrorist action or merely spread propaganda, is the social network liable? A lawsuit against Twitter in the United States in which a family is seeking compensation for the death of family member in an ISIS terrorist […]
Sanders: Michigan Governor Must Resign over Flint Lead-Poisoning Crisis
By Common Dreams staff | ( Commondreams.org) | – – Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Saturday called on Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to resign for his administration’s failure to deal with a lead-poisoning crisis that has sickened thousands of children in Flint, Michigan. “There are no excuses. The governor long ago knew […]
Iraq: Ethnic Fighting endangers Civilians; now it’s Kurds and Shiites
Human Rights Watch | – – (Beirut) – Kurdish and Shia Turkmen armed groups have repeatedly harmed and endangered civilians in clashes in Iraq’s Tuz Khurmatu district, in Salah al-Din province, since October 2015. The armed groups have killed, wounded, and abducted civilians and destroyed scores, if not hundreds, of homes and shops. “Some of […]
Out of Gas in Iranian Waters
By Michael G. Roskin | (Informed Comment) | – – Why did two U.S. Navy boats drift into Iranian waters? And why was it so easy for Iran to capture them? The best explanation is that the Riverine Command Boats—repurposed for freedom of navigation (FON) operations at sea—ran out of gas. The images of our […]
Israeli plan for minorities slammed as bid to ‘divide and conquer’
By: Chloe Benoist | (Ma’an News Agency) | – – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A plan approved by Israel’s cabinet last week to provide half a billion dollars worth of assistance to Israel’s Druze and Circassian minorities has been denounced by leaders of Israel’s Palestinian community as a “divide and conquer” tactic. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin […]
Palestinian Kids Dodge Settler Attacks Daily
AJ+ | – – “These Palestinian kids need an army escort to get to school.” AJ+: “Palestinian Kids Dodge Settler Attacks”
Five years on, Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution continues from the ground up
By Adnan Saif | (The Conversation) | – – Tunisians are marking five years since the culmination of their “Jasmine Revolution”. Since its longtime authoritarian leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was forced out of office in January 2011, Tunisia has been embarking on a long transition to constitutional democracy – a transation that, although […]
Swedish FM: Israel Extrajudicial killings; Netanyahu: OK to Kill Assailants
Ma’an News Agency | – – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday waded into a growing row over a call by Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom for an investigation into the possibility that Israeli forces have been carrying out “extrajudicial executions.” Speaking to foreign reporters at a new year’s reception, Netanyahu […]