women

By Ann Jones via Tomdispatch.com On September 29th, power in Afghanistan changed hands for the first time in 13 years. At the Arg, the presidential palace in Kabul, Ashraf Ghani was sworn in as president, while the outgoing Hamid Karzai watched calmly from a front-row seat. Washington, congratulating itself on this “peaceful transition,” quickly collected the new […]

Iran

Iran Pressures Media over coverage of Acid Attacks on Women

contributors

By Golnaz Esfandiari via RFE/RL Iranian officials are moving to muzzle media coverage of a string of recent acid attacks targeting young women in the central city of Isfahan. The attacks have sparked outrage and fear among many Iranians who last week took to the streets of Isfahan and Tehran to protest and call for […]

CIA

Burned: Valerie Plame Wilson’s new Roman a Clef on Dick Cheney’s Great Betrayal

contributors

Bloomberg “Valerie Plame Wilson, author and former CIA officer, discusses her new book entitled “Burned” and national security in the 21st century with Bloomberg’s Pimm Fox on “Taking Stock.” (Source: Bloomberg)” Channel 4: “Former CIA Agent Valerie Plame Embraces Being ‘Burned’ ”

Iraq

Iraq’s Sole Yazidi Lawmaker Says 25,000 Girls Abducted By ISIL To Be Raped, Sold

contributors

By Freshta Jalalzai and Luke Johnson via RFE/RL Iraq's only ethnic Yazidi member of parliament says that the human rights situation in her country is "deteriorating," with Islamic State (IS) militants kidnapping, raping, and selling Yazidi women. "They are still without any shelter. They are sleeping on the streets. The situation is not good and the […]

Afghanistan

Listening to Nobelist Malala Yousafzai instead of just Honoring Her

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole Malala Yousafzai has become the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in history, sharing it this year with India’s Kailash Satyarthi, a children’s rights activist. Ms. Yousafzai, from Pakistan’s picturesque Swat Valley, was shot in the head by a member of the Tehrik-i Taliban Pakistan (TTP or Pakistani Taliban Movement) two […]

journalism

CBS Unjustly Punishes Rihanna For Ray Rice Controversy

contributors

Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks “CBS Sports pulled Rihanna’s intro to Thursday night’s NFL game between the Ravens and the Steelers following the release of video showing Ravens running back Ray Rice beating then-fiancée Janay Palmer in an Atlantic City casino elevator. CBS said it pulled the intro last Thursday to maintain an “appropriate […]

Iraq

Are ISIL fighters Afraid of Women with Guns?

contributors

BBC “In Kurdish areas of northern Syria, fighters have been battling Islamic State – or ISIS – for two years – and unlike Iraq’s kurdish forces, they get no help from the west. Gabriel Gatehouse has been northern Syria to meet some of those taking on the jihadists.” ‘ISIS are afraid to see women with […]

Arab World

Cole’s “The New Arabs” at Firedoglake Book Salon

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole Firedoglake Book Salon on Juan Cole, The New Arabs: How the Millennial Generation is changing the Middle East See also this recent NYT review by Irshad Manji FDL Book Salon Welcomes Juan Cole, The New Arabs: How the Millennial Generation is Changing the Middle East Author: CTuttle Sunday, September 7, 2014 12:15 […]

Democratic Party

Mansplaining Women’s Pay Gap (John Oliver satire)

contributors

John Oliver explores America’s wage gap between men and women and proposes a possible solution. Note: Solution proposed is 100% sarcastic. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: The Wage Gap between Women and Men