A victory for free speech and historical memory was declared last month when charges were dropped against Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, who had dared to invoke the World War I genocide of the Armenians, as well as more recent persecution… Read moreTurkey: free speech on trial —again
This is cute. Just as the cartoon controversy is being portrayed as evidence of Western values of “free speech” versus inherent Islamic intolerance, comes the conviction of Shiekh Abu Hamza al-Masri in Britain—on charges of, basically, expressing his opinions publicly. That he… Read moreAl-Masri conviction reveals “free speech” double standard
Brian Tokar reports for February’s Z Magazine on the recently-concluded Montreal talks on global climate change, aimed at implementing the Kyoto agreement. What’s really dangerous is that this agreement—which the Bush administration is refusing to join, of course—was already essentially… Read moreUS sidetracks Montreal climate talks
In a big boost to the sclerotic campaign to divest from companies that do business with Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, which includes East Jerusalem, the Church of England reversed earlier expectations, voting to divest from the Caterpillar corporation:… Read moreChurch of England votes to divest from Caterpillar
A round-up on the Feb. 7 BBC shows how the crisis over the anti-Islam cartoons published in Denmark’s Jyllands-Posten (and since reprinted in Norway and other European countries) is spinning out of control. The protests sweeping the Muslim world have… Read morePropaganda and the cartoon controversy
As we noted in November, Noam Chomsky appears to have utterly lost his moral compass in his advancing years, jumping on the Bosnia revisionism bandwagon and, in one unsavory incident, engaging in blatanly censorious behavior towards a writer who dared… Read moreOnce more into the breach: Chomsky and Bosnia
The ongoing White House attempt to politicize science makes the front page of the New York Times. Now let’s get this straight: Bush wants to go to Mars, but is so beholden to the anti-science religious right that he wants… Read moreNASA chief bucks White House on science suppression
From our correspondent Sarah Ferguson: The irony couldn’t be more clear. New York City police and their union, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, are suing the NYPD for spying on them at rallies and demonstrations held during their contract dispute with… Read moreCops sue cops for… spying on cops
After a month-long volley of op-eds in neo-con pubs, misquotes in Jewish papers, capped with an attack by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the powers-that-be are now comparing Chavez to Hitler. How predictable. From the New York Times: February 3, 2006… Read moreRummy: Chavez Hitler
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Freddy Pressner, president of the Venezuela Confederation of Israelite Associations (CAIV) meet over the recent flap over allegations of anti-Semitic remarks by Chavez: Venezuela’s Chavez, Jews reconcile President of Jewish community satisfied, says president not… Read moreChavez meets with Venezuelan Jewish leaders
Danny Rubinstein, longtime journalist and Palestinian affairs analyst for the respected Israeli daily Ha’aretz, believes that Arafat was poisoned, but felt proscribed from writing about his conclusions in Ha’aretz. Rubinstein explained why in an interview to Keshev, The Center for… Read moreArafat poisoned: Israeli journalist
From the AP Jan. 30: Bombs in Iraq target 5 Christian buildings BAGHDAD – Car bombs exploded in quick succession Sunday near four Christian churches and the office of the Vatican envoy, killing three people and raising new concerns about… Read moreIraq: Christian buildings bombed
