Democracy

By L. Carl Brown What has made Tunisia’s transition from authoritarian government, for all its ups and downs, more successful than those of its Arab neighbors? It will soon be four years since December 17, 2010 when Muhammad Bu Azizi from Sidi Bouzid in Tunisia immolated himself in protest against local government officials who barred […]

American Jews

Statement by Professors of Jewish Studies in North America Regarding the AMCHA Initiative

contributors

Received by email attachment) Statement by Professors of Jewish Studies in North America Regarding the AMCHA Initiative We the undersigned are professors of Jewish studies at North American universities. Several of us have also headed programs and centers in Jewish studies. Many of us have worked hard to nurture serious, sustained study of Israeli politics […]

Arab Spring

Syria: If Violent Extremists are the Problem, why is al-Assad Jailing Peaceful Democracy Advocates?

contributors

By Lama Fakih, Human Rights Watch In a speech before the European Parliament in 2009, Syrian activist Mazen Darwish warned that unless civil society was strengthened “[the whole] region, not only Syria … could explode at any moment and leave behind thousands of refugees.” A dire warning at the time, Darwish’s prophetic words fail to […]

Democracy

‘You killed a million people in Iraq’ George Galloway tells Blair Cabinet Member

contributors

BBC “George Galloway told a former member of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s cabinets she killed one million people in Iraq. The former Labour MP, now a Respect MP, turned on Jacqui Smith as they looked ahead to Friday’s vote in Parliament on possible UK military action in the Middle East.” Ed. note: It isn’t […]

Banking

Climate Protesters Flood Wall Street – And A Polar Bear Is Arrested

Juan Cole

AJ+ “Hundreds of people attended the #FloodWallStreet demonstration to protest the role big business plays in fueling climate change. The protest was largely peaceful, but police arrested a number of people by the end of the night, including a polar bear.” AJ+ : “Protesters Flood Wall Street – And A Polar Bear Is Arrested”

Afghanistan

13 Years after US started Bombing it, Afghanistan Still Unstable

contributors

News Analysis: Afghan Deal Leaves Room For National Disunity By Frud Bezhan via RFE/RL After months of wrangling and high tension, Afghanistan has finally named a president-elect. Ashraf Ghani's name was officially entered into the books as the winner of the highly contentious, fraud-marred contest, shortly after he and his rival, Abdullah Abdullah, signed a […]

Climate Change

Climate Marchers join Alarmed Scientists against “Drill-Baby-Drill” Corporations & Politicians

contributors

AJ+ interviews Naomi Klein “As people gather in New York City for what organizers are billing as the largest climate-change protest in history, AJ+ asks Naomi Klein about her new book, This Changes Everything: Capitalism Vs. The Climate. She tells us why the planet is doomed if we don’t change course. And why it’s up […]

censorship

Is Israel’s Far-Right Government Inciting against the Israeli Left?

contributors

Middle East Eye Leftist Israeli activists staged weekly protests during the war in Gaza and they were confronted by rightwing protesters that shouted racial slurs and physical attacks. Middle East Eye: Israel’s Zionist Left: A Chronicle of Ambivalence

Democracy

New Iraqi Government: Less than Meets the Eye?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole The Iraqi parliament finally voted in the government of new Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi on Monday, in what US Secretary of State John Kerry called a “turning point.” There are reasons, however, to be cautious about pinning too many hopes on the new government. Although al-Abadi is a more congenial and less […]