Dissent

By Faten Bushehri | (Global Voices) | – – The Saudi Cables, released by WikiLeaks, includes a treasure trove of information in secret exchanges between Saudi diplomats on restive Bahrain Saudi Arabia's meddling in Bahrain's internal affairs has been revealed in top secret documents released by whistle blowing site WikiLeaks from June 20. WikiLeaks published […]

censorship

PM Netanyahu wants a Free Press, just not in Israel

contributors

By Ari Heistein | (Informed Comment) | – – Continuing his assault on transparency and independent voices in the media, Prime Minister Netanyahu denied investigative journalist Raviv Drucker’s Freedom of Information Law request last week regarding the frequent telephone calls between the Prime Minister and Amos Regev, the editor-in-chief of Israel’s biggest daily Israel Hayom. […]

BDS Occupied Territories

French Telco CEO Receives Death Threats, is Cyberstalked over Withdrawal from Israel

contributors

By IMEMC | – – Orange boss Stephane Richard has taken legal action after receiving death threats against himself and family members amid a row over withdrawing his brand from Israel, legal sources said Tuesday, according to AFP. Richard filed a complaint at a Paris court last week before heading to Israel in a bid […]

Authoritarianism

Saudi Arabia Lashing Blogger Reveals What Religion Fears Most

contributors

Cenk Uygur & John Iadarola | (The Young Turks Video) | – – “The public flogging of jailed blogger Raif Badawi is now “sure” to resume after Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court upheld his sentence at the weekend, his wife has told The Independent. Ensaf Haidar spoke out amid growing fears among human rights groups that […]

Dissent

Tens of thousands participate in Israel’s annual gay pride Parade

contributors

AFP | (Video Report) | – – “Tens of thousands of people turned out on Friday for Israel’s annual Gay Pride parade, dancing in the streets of Tel Aviv and waving rainbow-coloured flags.” AFP: “Tens of thousands participate in Israel’s annual gay pride”

Culture

Jon Stewart on Iran, Israel and Directing Rosewater: “It Turns out the Middle East is Somewhat of a Hotbed”

contributors

By Alexander Bisley | (Lumiere Reader) | – – N.B. Rosewater is now streaming at Amazon Instant Video and will be available on Netflix beginning June 10 It’s slightly surreal interviewing Jon Stewart, The Daily Show interviewer. His debut film Rosewater tells the story of Maziar Bahari (played by Gael García Bernal), imprisoned in solitary […]

Arab Spring

Egypt: Year of Abuses Under al-Sisi — President Gets Western Support While Erasing Human Rights Gains

contributors

Human Rights Watch | – – (Beirut) – President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt has presided over the flagrant abuse of human rights since taking office a year ago pledging to restore stability. Violence by armed groups and the government has escalated. The United States and European governments should stop overlooking Egyptian government abuses, including […]

Democracy

Will the fight against ISIL Bankrupt the Iraqi Gov’t? Is it hemorrhaging hundreds of billions?

contributors

By Ibrahim Saleh | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) It’s hard to get an accurate figure on how much Iraq’s fight against the Islamic State group has cost. Local experts believe it’s in the hundreds of billions and that the country may never recover without foreign aid. The security crisis caused by the extremist group known as […]