Human Rights

Iran releases Canadian Academic it accused of ‘Feminism,’ but Crackdown on Women Activists Continues

By Mahsa Alimardani | ( Globalvoices.org) | – – Some good news reached Canada this week when Homa Hoodfar, an Iranian-Canadian anthropologist, was released after months of incarceration in Iran. Hoodfar is known for her research on women and Islam, especially women's participation in Iranian elections. Her arrest highlighted two particular areas of sensitivity for […]

Copts

Egypt: New Church Law Discriminates Against Christians

contributors

By Human Rights Watch | – – Authorities Fail to Prevent, Punish Violent Attacks (Tunis) – A long-awaited new law maintains restrictions over the construction and renovation of churches and discriminates against the Christian minority in Egypt. The law, passed by Egypt’s parliament on August 30, 2016, applies only to Christian houses of worship. Recent […]

Domestic Surveillance

Feds: We can read all your email, and you’ll never know

contributors

By Clark D. Cunningham | (The Conversation) | – – Fear of hackers reading private emails in cloud-based systems like Microsoft Outlook, Gmail or Yahoo has recently sent regular people and public officials scrambling to delete entire accounts full of messages dating back years. What we don’t expect is our own government to hack our […]

Corruption

George Clooney Report Ruffles Feathers in South Sudan

contributors

TeleSur | – – The report “can only jeopardize the pursuit of peace and stability,” South Sudan representatives said. A new report claiming that South Sudan’s leaders have exploited the country’s ongoing civil violence has been criticized by the country’s government. It comes as the world’s youngest nations stands on the brink of a renewed […]

Arms Sales

Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia Must End, Says UK Parliament Report

contributors

TeleSur | – – Two parliamentary committees said it was likely Saudi Arabia used U.K. weapons to target civilians, but Tory lawmakers blocked a vote on suspending sales. Sales of British weapons to Saudi Arabia must be suspended until an international investigation takes place into the kingdom’s crimes against the Yemeni people, two British parliamentary […]

Displaced and Refugees

Busting the Myths about Syrian Refugees in the US

contributors

Jeffrey H. Cohen | (The Conversation) | – – On Sept. 12, a new cease-fire took effect in Syria. With a lull in fighting, some are hopeful for an end to the nation’s ongoing civil war. Yet, even if the war ends soon, rebuilding the country will take time. As many refugees anxiously wait and […]

Displaced and Refugees

America’s Shameful Record on Syrian Refugees

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The US government played a role in the collapse of Syria. It continually placed sanctions on this little country, including the 2003 Syrian Accountability act. By 2013 the CIA was apparently passing medium weaponry through Saudi Arabia to fundamentalist militias, the ideology of which cannot easily […]

Displaced and Refugees

Merkel: Migrants did not bring Radical Terrorism to Germany

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at a campaign event on Wednesday evening, that there is no relationship between the influx of some one million migrants and refugees into Germany in the past year and the incidents of radical Muslim violence in the country. She pointed out […]

Syria

10 Children Killed in Saudi Airstrike on Yemeni School

contributors

TeleSur | – – The Saudi-led coalition admitted children were at the site of the airstrike but jets “don’t distinguish ages” during attacks. At least 10 Yemeni children were killed in a Saudi airstrike targeting a school in Haydan, a town in rebel-held Saada province, Doctors Without Borders, a Paris-based relief agency also known as […]