(By Juan Cole) Iraqis went to the polls on Wednesday in the first national parliamentary elections since US troops pulled out of the country completely (in late 2011). The results won’t be in for a while, but here are some early statistics: 1. Preliminary estimate of turnout: 60% 2. Number of people who died in […]
Egyptian Judges shock world again, condemning 683 Muslim Brothers to Death
Egypt’s judiciary accused of being arm of repression (via AFP) A wave of mass sentences in Egypt, including hundreds sentenced to death this week after a rushed mass trial, has sparked charges that military-installed authorities are using the judiciary as a blunt tool of repression. The sentences handed out Monday… —– Related video: AFP: […]
Did the Supreme Court just Kill Dirty Coal Plants & Save the World?
(By Juan Cole) The Supreme Court on Tuesday affirmed that the Environmental Protection Agency has the prerogative to regulate air pollution that spills across state lines. The EPA wants to force 28 states to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from their power plants. Sulfur dioxide causes acid rain and breathing problems. Nitrogen […]
The Longest War: How the US drove potential Afghanistan Allies into the Arms of the Taliban
(By Anand Gopal via Tomdispatch.com) It was a typical Kabul morning. Malik Ashgar Square was already bumper-to-bumper with Corolla taxis, green police jeeps, honking minivans, and angry motorcyclists. There were boys selling phone cards and men waving wads of cash for exchange, all weaving their way around the vehicles amid exhaust fumes. At the gate […]
Saudi Fatwa against “THE 99” Tolerant Muslim Superhero Comics as “Evil”
(By Naif Al-Mutawa) Seven years ago, THE 99 [super-hero comics] were granted approvals to Saudi Arabia. What began as a suspicious relationship, my not expecting approvals to begin with, and their suspicion of the subversive nature of the content we were at loggerheads. It turned out that the solution was simple. I had to first […]
From Raybans to Portrait Underwear: Sisi-Mania floods Egypt with Kitsch
(By Leila Zaki Chakravarti) Egypt’s current political scene is marked by ’Sisi-mania’, as the new leader’s supporters scramble to snap up the latest items of Sisi-branded consumer kitsch. A gendered reading of this ‘patriotic consumerism’ reveals its role in negotiating citizenship within Egypt’s refashioned political order. “In the end I suppose I’ll marry my cousin […]
Former FBI Agent: NYPD’s Muslim-Spying Demographics Unit Was Almost Completely Useless
Certain demographics are desirable. 18-34? Taste-makers and early adopters. 35-49? Money. Muslim and New York City resident? Being a member of this group meant (until recently) having First Amendment-protected activities being closely scrutinized by…
Israel okayed nearly 14,000 squatter homes on Palestinian land during talks with Palestinians
Israel approved plans for nearly 14,000 new settler homes during the nine months of peace talks with the Palestinians, an Israeli settlement watchdog said Tuesday as the negotiation period formally ended. Figures quoted by Peace Now showed that during…
If you are younger than 29, you’ve never experienced a cooler than average Month: March Was 4th Warmest on Record Globally
By Andrea Thompson Follow @AndreaTWeather March 2014 was the fourth-warmest March on record globally, according to recently released NASA data, making it the 349th month — more than 29 years — in which global temperatures were above the historic…
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