Category: Opinion

Mon 29 July 2019: I returned this week from my first visit to Sri Lanka since the horrific Easter bombings which were claimed by Islamic State (IS) and carried out by the National Thowheed Jamath, a relatively little known extremist group who have gone against the very faith they claim to be part of. As a […]

Sun 28 July 2019: There have been news reports about the mushrooming of “chastity houses,” particularly in holy cities, and their increasing popularity with male foreign tourists visiting Iran. Though they are yet to become legal, chastity or morality houses are religiously sanctioned establishments that enable couples to engage in intimate relationships by performing sigheh (temporary marriage). […]

Thu 25 July 2019: Trump’s latest quip reflects old white supremacist desire to keep black people in a position of servitude and weakness. If the blatant racism on display in the lead-up to the 2020 election is at all surprising, you have not been paying attention. Candidate Donald Trump began his ascent to the US presidency descending down […]

Tue 23 July 2019: In the week of what would have been his 101st birthday, Nelson Mandela made an emotionally unexpected return to South African, and world, TV screens. His memory had already been briefly revived in the Middle East and Europe on July 7 when his grandson, Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, a South African MP, slammed Israel […]

Sun 21 July 2019: Palestinian refugees say they are victims of ‘racist’ system and demand legal clarity to their status. Thousands of Palestinian refugees protested in and around their camps on Friday to demand that the Lebanese government end its requirement that they must obtain a work permit to gain employment. The intensifying protests were […]

Thu 18 July 2019: They remained as Indians, not colonists. India gained independence in 1947 after a long freedom struggle with British imperialism. Perhaps because of that, lack of historical knowledge and sense we see all conquests as colonisation. Colonisation is described by professor Harbans Mukhia as “governance of a land and its people, now […]

Sun 14 July 2019: Can the esteemed scholar be trusted to speak truth to power, and should the public intellectual be held accountable to a higher standard? Mike Pompeo, United States Secretary of State, announced the formation of the Commission on Unalienable Rights this Monday. The 10-member panel chosen by the former CIA director, will […]

Fri 12 July 2019: The dehumanisation campaign Syrians are facing is strikingly similar to the one that led to the genocide of Bosnians. Refugees are being hunted, arrested and forcibly returned to the regime they fled in increasing numbers. The “reasons” for their targeting are multiple, from formalities regarding their documents to accusations of extremism […]

Mon 08 July 2019: On top of their obstructing humanitarian aid efforts, the Houthis’ tax policy is adding to the suffering of Yemen’s civilians. With Iran reeling under the pressure of increased US sanctions, its proxy militias, such as the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, are looking for alternative ways to finance their activities […]