Trump’s Muslim ban: Iranian-Americans are treated like the enemy within by Azadeh Shahshahani
“I’ve stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you,” US President Donald Trump said on Twitter in Farsi last month, presumably talking to the Iranian people. My reaction as an Iranian-American was one of sheer rage. This is a president who issued a ban targeting Iran and other […]
Democratic backsliding and the information battle
Continued backsliding of democracy for more than a decade, globally and domestically, has raised the question—where are we heading? The question, for some, is an innocuous query, while for others it is the first step towards devising a strategy to halt the downward spiral. The democratic backsliding, which began at least 13 years ago, is […]
Will the Democrats follow British Labour down the revolutionary rat hole?
It would seem rational for the Democratic Party in the United States to look carefully at the political dynamics as well as the outcome of the December 12 election in the UK. On the surface, the two elections might look quite dissimilar. The British election was almost existential in nature, given that the primary (really […]
The CAA Hurts Bangladesh-India Ties
“A leader leads by example, not by force.” – The Art of War by Sun Tzu, 5th century BC Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has long been accused of sacrificing her country’s interests and well-being while selling out to India. This is not only the viewpoint of her political critics but a widespread, general consensus […]
Journalists covering elections in Dhaka, Bangladesh attacked, harassed by Awami League activists
At least 15 journalists were beaten, threatened, denied access to polling stations, or had equipment broken or taken while covering the mayoral and ward councilor vote, according to reports. Separately, over 30 complaints of election irregularities, including voters being denied entry to polling stations or people standing outside centers with firearms, were reported to the Election […]
Uyghurs and the China Coronavirus By Munawwar Abdulla
The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global public health emergency on January 30. The Chinese government initially heavily obscured the severity of outbreak in the early days, leading to inadequate initial handling and the spread of the virus to other parts of the world. The outbreak that began in Wuhan is now a matter of global […]
A Step Forward for 10,000 Rohingya Refugee Children by Bill Van Esveld
Bangladesh will allow 10,000 ethnic Rohingya refugee children to get a formal school curriculum for the first time after the government approved a “pilot” education program. It’s a step in the right direction, but also an urgent reminder of how far there is to go until all refugee children can get a real education. There […]
Bangladesh’s part in the Trump impeachment drama by William Milam
Well, Bangladesh is in the news again, in a way probably, despite its eagerness to be better known in the US, it does not want to be. This may seem serious when you read it, but the title is tongue-in-cheek, and the way Bangladesh came into the news yesterday would be comic opera if its […]
Anti-CAA protests by large number of Indian Americans mar Republic Day celebrations in US by RTOF Admin
India’s 71st Republic Day celebrations in the US on Sunday were marred by some peaceful protests and marches by a large number of Indian Americans in various cities of the country against the recent changes in the citizenship law. Among Indian Americans, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, however, also had a fair share of its supporters […]
ICJ Ruling on Rohingya: Where do we go from here? by Ali Riaz
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on Myanmar about taking emergency measures for the protection of the Rohingyas, delivered at The Hague on Thursday, is historic on many counts and provides a glimmer of hope for the persecuted community of Myanmar. The question is: where do we go from here? To be specific, the […]
