Fundamentalisms

Palestine: Suspected Islamic militants set fire to UN summer camp

Last night, 25 armed, masked men set fire to a U.N. summer camp at a beach in Nuseirat, Gaza, destroying inflatable pools and tents and roughing up a group of guards protecting the facility. It was the second attack on a U.N. recreation facility in just over a month. On May 23, a group of 30 masked, armed men set fire to another U.N. summer camp facility under construction in Gaza City. They also threatened to kill the U.N.'s top relief official in Gaza.

Palestine: In Gaza, prisoners twice over

The slim owner of Gaza City's Gallery cafe has sharp eyes and a sharp tongue. It's easy to imagine him conversing with artists and actors -- he is also a theater director -- far into the night. But he crossed a line. He allowed female patrons at his cafe to smoke hookah pipes and to talk with men. He ignored demands by plainclothes police to rein in "immoral" behavior. In early May, police interrogated and accused him of having extramarital affairs. To persuade him to confess, they beat him with a 2-inch-thick, leather-covered bamboo rod for 50 minutes, and later forced him to stand on one leg for two hours.

Saudi Arabia: Letter from Wajeha Al-Huwaider to Obama

Dear Mr. President, Allow me to introduce myself: I am Wajeha Al-Huwaider, Saudi writer and women’s rights activist in the Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia. When you meet with King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz next week, we kindly request that you bring to his majesty’s attention the issue of reforming the Saudi male guardianship system.

Afghanistan: Peace process offers little hope for women

"If the conflict is to be wound down, real compromises will have to be made on the constitution, women's rights and civil liberties." These are the words of an editorial comment in Afghan Scene, a magazine written by and mainly for the international community in Afghanistan. After years of fierce fighting and numerous counterinsurgency initiatives, the Afghan government and some of its international allies seem to have reached to the peak of desperation. They are now even exploring whether Afghan women's rights can be sacrificed in order to declare "mission accomplished".

Royaume-Uni: Déclaration de Gita Sahgal à son départ de Amnesty International

Le 09 avril 2010, Amnesty International annonçait mon départ de l’organisation. Selon notre déclaration commune, « il était convenu que Gita quitte Amnesty International, en raison de différences irréconciliables de points de vue entre Gita Sahgal et Amnesty International sur les relations entre l’organisation et Moazzam Begg et Cageprisoners ».

Qatar: Les insoumises d'Al-Jazira

Le tournant date du 1er novembre 2009, jour anniversaire de la chaîne. Al-Jazira fête ses 13 ans en innovant, avec une opération "new-look". Présentateurs et présentatrices ne sont plus des hommes et des femmes troncs, ils se déplacent face à la caméra. Et ce jour-là, ironise une présentatrice, la direction fait une découverte : lorsque l'on met une femme debout, elle a des jambes.

Indonesia: Developing A Discourse Of Gender Justice In Islam

In sharp contrast to many other Muslim-majority countries, women in Indonesia play a very significant role in the public sphere, even in the realm of the production of Islamic discourses. The history and experiences of Indonesian Muslim women, including their role in Islamic scholarship, and also the prolific writings of a number of Indonesian male scholars championing gender justice using Islamic arguments, is largely unknown to Muslims elsewhere.

Iran: High Price of “Bad Hejab”

When Iranian girls go out these days, their friends warn them they face trouble if they are wearing makeup or are fashionably dressed. Their friends point out that they have a 1,000-dollar price tag on their heads. They would do well to heed such advice, because the Iranian police launched a new drive a few weeks ago to crack down on anyone deemed to be wearing “bad hejab” or to be flouting the rules of chaste behaviour in other ways. The campaign is being called the “new approach to moral security”.

Northern Ireland: Supporters of creationism abuse language of rights and equality

Last month Nelson McCausland, DUP assembly member and Northern Ireland culture minister, wrote to the trustees of National Museums Northern Ireland about how "to ensure that museums are reflective of the views, beliefs and cultural traditions" of the region. This included a more specific stipulation – referring explicitly to the Ulster Museum, the letter called for alternative views of the origin of the universe to be accommodated. In other words, creationism was to be incorporated into the museum's natural history displays. That an elected minister should make such a suggestion is a development that should be taken seriously.

Egypt: Personal freedom? An alien concept in Egyptian society

Alexandria's beautiful Corniche by the Mediterranean is one of the most romantic places for a young couple in love to take a stroll. However, there is a sinister side to this picturesque scene that few talk about. At any given time, the coast is crawling with the policemen and plainclothes thugs of the morality police, searching for (unmarried) couples cuddling in a secluded area to terrify and blackmail.