A REPORT BY DR. KATRIEN HERTOG
International Women’s Conference Celebrates Women’s Leadership
Bangalore, 6-8 February 2009
“If the Lehman Brothers would have been ‘Lehman Sisters’, would we be in the same mess as the one we are in now?” This provocative question characterizes the lively atmosphere of the Third International Women’s Conference, organised by the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) in Bangalore at the beginning…
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Senior Research Associate at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution and PhD Candidate at ICAR Nemat Nojumi just published this important article on Afghanistan and American policy:
During the campaign, President Barack Obama called the loss of focus in Afghanistan a “grave mistake” and promised that he would refocus from day one of his presidency. The powerful re-emergence of the Taliban and al-Qaida, with cross border capabilities in Afghanistan and Pakistan, after their rout in 2001 turns what Obama has promised into an urgent requirement.
More than $10 billion in U.S. counterterrorism aid to Pakistan has been doled out for expensive weapons at the Indian front, while parts of Pakistan have instead turned
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A Nepalese newspaper picked up the blog on Mumbai from December 10, which was published also as an oped by Common Ground News Service.
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Millions of Muslims across India have decided to temper or even cancel festivities on their most cherished week of holy yearly celebrations, the Eid, in protest of crimes committed in the name of Islam by the criminals who murdered so many in Mumbai.
They wore black ribbons, carried placards of peace, sent out emails and SMSes reiterating harmony, and put up banners saluting those who died in the 26/11 terrorist attack. From Chennai’s Thousand Lights Mosque to Delhi’s Jama Masjid, from Khwaza Banda Nawaz dargah in Gulbarga, to the mosques of Mumbai – Bakr-Eid celebrations were subdued, in a symbolic declaration of Muslim protest against terrorism.
“At every dargah, prayers were said for the grieving families in Mumbai.
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I have tried to concentrate on putting the finishing touches on my book manuscript to hand into the publisher. I was looking forward to the exquisitely quiet isolation of writing days when I got a phone call from a young person at Al Jazeera English here in DC on Wednesday. “We need you to talk about the violence in India tonight.” I thought that she meant the ongoing issues between Hindu militants and Christians and so I said, “Sure.” I was just on their station about that subject a few weeks ago. I had no idea. Then I got a call two minutes later, voice agitated, “We need you sooner, like in two hours.” I said, “Sure, send…
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The shocking story of Christian persecution in India in recent months has all the markings of a politically motivated campaign. The atrocities are across several provinces, and now there is footage of soldiers and police engaged in the persecution, in the regions where BJP is in control. It is clear that BJP supporters are utilizing hatred and fear of Christians as a way to gain political power. There are certainly conversions to Christianity, especially by aggrieved lower castes in India. This is nothing new, and at 3% the Christian population is absolutely no threat to anyone, but they are an interesting scapegoat.
The Nazis did the same thing. Appeal to the basest instincts of a wounded majority, get…
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