Human Rights

Death Penalty in the USA The Death Penalty in the USA. Produced from ArrestRecords.com —— Related video: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO): Death Penalty”

Apartheid

Apartheid is a reality in the West Bank

Juan Cole

(By Glenn Robinson) America’s top diplomat, Secretary of State John Kerry, has found himself in a pickle for having used the word “apartheid” when describing a possible future for Israel if it forever remains in occupation of the Palestinian West Bank. This is truly a tempest in teapot. Kerry simply said what many Israelis say […]

Bill of Rights

US Supreme Court: First Amendment is Only For Christians, Upholds State-Sponsored Prayer

Juan Cole

Welcome to the theocracy! Monday morning was a dark day for America. The Supreme Court set a frightening precedent in its finding that beginning legislative sessions with prayers does not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. As…

Apartheid

Netanyahu’s Blood and Soil: The Racist-Nationalism of his “Jewish State” Ideal

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) Binyamin Netanyahu is again beating the “Israel is a Jewish state” drum, and now wants to have it legislated into Israeli organic law. On Sunday, Netanyahu said, “There are those who do not want Israel to be defined as the national homeland for the Jewish people…” “They want a Palestinian national homeland […]

Constitution

Taking Voting Rights from Felons preserves the Legacy of Slavery

Juan Cole

(By Pippa Holloway) Nearly six million Americans are prohibited from voting in the United States today due to felony convictions. Six states stand out: Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia. These six states disfranchise seven percent of the total adult population – compared to two and a half percent nationwide. African Americans are particularly […]

Featured

Jose Antonio Vargas’ “Documented” on Plight of Undocumented to air on CNN after Theatrical Release

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) I was privileged to see a special screening of Jose Antonio Vargas’s breathlessly awaited documentary, “Documented,” when I was in Los Angeles last week, and honored to meet Vargas himself along with executive producer Janet Wang (“The Joy Luck Club,” “The People vs Larry Flynt”). The film was shown in a class […]

Human Rights

Boycott, divestment, sanctions movement seeks justice for Palestinians

Juan Cole

(By Marilyn Jerry) Opinion: Boycott, divestment, sanctions movement seeks justice for Palestinians (via NJ.com) By Marilyn Jerry With the collapse of Secretary of State John Kerry’s efforts to promote a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, many are asking, “What now?” Given the number of times such talks have failed, it doesn’t seem likely… […]

Bush

Condoleezza Rice, Charged with War Crimes at Rutgers, withdraws as Commencement Speaker

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) Condoleezza Rice on Saturday pulled out of giving the commencement address at Rutgers University after professor and student protests. Rutgers historian Professor Rudy Bell argued that while it would be appropriate to have Rice on campus as part of an academic debate, she is unsuitable as a commencement speaker because of her […]

Arab World

From Raybans to Portrait Underwear: Sisi-Mania floods Egypt with Kitsch

Juan Cole

(By Leila Zaki Chakravarti) Egypt’s current political scene is marked by ’Sisi-mania’, as the new leader’s supporters scramble to snap up the latest items of Sisi-branded consumer kitsch. A gendered reading of this ‘patriotic consumerism’ reveals its role in negotiating citizenship within Egypt’s refashioned political order. “In the end I suppose I’ll marry my cousin […]