January 2015
The Latest Blow to Israeli-Palestinian Peace By Dr. Stephen Zunes: Though not technically using its veto power, the Obama administration is responsible for the defeat of a draft UN Security Council resolution passed at the end of last month calling for a “just, lasting and comprehensive peaceful solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Reiterating a series of UN Security Council resolutions supported by previous administrations, the recent draft resolution underscored Israel’s right to exist in peace and security, called for security guarantees (including international peacekeepers), and even allowed Israel to incorporate most of the illegal settlements. Read More
American Muslims fear backlash over Charlie Hebdo attack By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: American Muslim organizations have strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo that killed 12 people but expressed fear of possible backlash and retribution against Muslims in America and Europe. “The event is disgusting. We send our condolences to our friends and those who lost loved ones,” said Dawud Walid, executive director of Michigan’s branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “We are concerned about backlash against Muslims in the west.” Read More
Soft Martial Law imposed in Pakistan By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: Perhaps following the example of Egypt, the US-client government of Mian Nawaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, has extended military courts jurisdiction all over Pakistan.The government stamped through the National Assembly and the Senate to approve the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2015 as well as the 21st Constitutional Amendment. It took less than 24 hours for both the houses to approve the controversial legislation and the Constitutional Amendment. At one time during the National Assembly vote a member of parliament complained that the bill submitted for approval was different than the draft bill circulated to the MPs. President Mamoon Hussain signed the bills into law the next day on January 7. Read More
2014: Another hard & difficult year for American Muslims Abdus Sattar Ghazali: * A Muslim teenager is fatally injured in an a hate assault in Kansas City.* Somali cabbie beaten in Seattle hate crime. * St. Cloud Minnesota mosque vandalized four times within 4 weeks. * Hate attack on a Bosnian Muslim woman in St Lous. * Urine placed at Muslim chaplain’s office at Wake Forest University, North Carolina. * Florida State University professor resigns after anti-Muslim Facebook comments.... These are some of the news headlines in the first two weeks of December 2014 related to the Muslims in America. These tragic incidents and disturbing episodes embody the dilemma and plight of the seven-million strong Muslim American community which remained under siege since 9/11 terrorist attacks. Read More
Fear and Loathing in Pakistan: Why We Must Not Let it be Our 9/11? By Junaid S. Ahmad and Sania Sufi: December 16th, 2014 was a day of sadness, anger, and fear in Pakistan. Like everyone else, we shared the incredible sadness at the loss of life of so many innocent school children and staff in Peshawar. But as we listened more and more to others around us, we also realized that our anger and fear were not necessarily about the same things. Our anger was primarily directed towards a state establishment that has nurtured the networks of patronage for these groups and individuals, and although our fear was for the safety of all across the country, we emphasize that this fear was also for the safety of our brothers and sisters in the Northwest who we felt would now be held collectively culpable, dehumanized, and targeted by our state and society. Our anger was not limited to the individuals who perpetrated these attacks, but also included those segments of the state who have been responsible for being the lifeblood of violent, reactionary groups. Our anger was against those who have been engineering killings, disappearances, gross human rights abuses, and so on. Read More
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