Adam Shapiro, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and human rights activist, is currently working with the Free Gaza Movement. This is his latest article: One year ago, I watched election results coming in for Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District, where my friend and colleague Tom Perriello was challenging incumbent Virgil Goode, Jr. CNN kept flipping the winner…
Showing all posts tagged human rights
How a rich, Jewish man came to define human rights in Russia?
Russia under Putin is an unforgiving place. Impunity is the name of the game. In this context, a fascinating feature in this week’s New York Times Magazine about Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once the country’s richest man, is sobering. Here’s a man who made staggering amounts of money in the post-Communist circus, seemingly had a conversion, discovered…
“Hamas is not obliged under international law to accept the legitimacy of the state of Israel”
Resistance will continue: Hamas political chief Khaled Meshaal vows of planning a new political initiative that would discard vain negotiations and instead adopt resistance to redress Palestinian rights. “Not much hope could be upheld for a future Palestinian state as long as the Zionist occupation persists; Israel pushes ahead with plans to build more homes…
Cubans deserve far better than this
The human rights situation in Cuba – something I examined in my book The Blogging Revolution – remains dire. Some prominent bloggers on the island were recently abused for simply speaking out. Now, according to Human Rights Watch, the regime continues to oppress its people: The Cuban president, Raúl Castro, has crushed dissent and continued…
The democracy formerly known as Victoria
Welcome to your likely new reality in the Australian state of Victoria: A new law introduced to the Victorian Parliament by the Brumby Government will give Victoria Police the power to search people randomly, and to strip search children and people with disabilities in violation of fundamental human rights and freedoms. A similar law has…
The daily violation of the occupation in graphic detail
What is this advertisement? Within the “One Day One Struggle” campaign organized by the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR), held on November 9, we are seeking to break the “walls” of silence on daily violations of our sexual and bodily rights in the Palestinian society. We are principally highlighting the…
On the ground reporting under Israeli bombs in Gaza
To Shoot an Elephant, a film about Israel’s bombardment of Gaza in December and January.
What has happened to Iran since June?
Iran after its disputed June elections is a dark and foreboding place. A face of the uprising was Neda, a pretty young woman shot dead by Islamic Republic goons. This feature in yesterday’s Observer features an interview with her partner, Caspian Makan. It’s an amazing piece of journalism, revealing the reality for dissenters, the desire…
Organising mass violence and Australia laps it up
Australian academic and writer Scott Burchill is one of the more astute commentators in the country. His latest missive is spot-on (see below). Why do we allow generals and men in uniform to keep on telling us that wars are noble and important? Jim Molan (ex-Australian military) is regularly in blogs and in the papers…
Iraqi freedom coming through cancer and deformities
Evidence of US war crimes in Iraq are almost too frequent to document. “Our” side is brutal and remains so. Back in 2006, I heard two speakers in Sydney explain the situation at that time and included were discussions of the use of napalm by the US in Fallujah. So how to explain this? Doctors…