Pakistani politics risk aggravating problems and heightening regional tension

Credit: Balochistan Police Self-serving Pakistani politics threaten to aggravate the country’s myriad problems that have strained its relations with the United States and could heighten tension in the restless, key geo-strategic region of Balochistan, a vital node bordering Iran in China’s Belt and Road initiative and the earmarked home for the People’s Republic’s second foreign military base.

Opinion | It’s time for the U.N. to sanction Saudi Arabia

Ripples of reform from Riyadh have been attracting positive press for the Saudis in Washington. The government recently pledged to permit women to drive, allow movie theaters into the country and to teach physical education to girls in schools. These are important steps, especially for gender equality.

Tackling Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism: A Pakistani-US collision in the making

A recent government surrender to militant demands for stricter adherence to Islam mediated by the military coupled with the release from house arrest of a militant leader designated by the United Nations and the United States as a terrorist sets the stage for a confrontation between Pakistan and the Trump administration.

New ADHRB White Paper – Sectarian Discrimination and Extremism in Bahrain’s Security Forces: Questions for US Policy

New evidence suggests that Bahrain’s military has directly propagated sectarian hate speech – yet the Trump administration has dropped reform conditions and authorized new multibillion-dollar arms deals for the kingdom. ADHRB’s white paper, Sectarian Discrimination and Extremism in Bahrain’s Security Forces: Questions for US Policy, analyzes the abusive recruitment and training practices that pervade the Bahraini security sector amidst increasingly unrestricted American defense support.

Divided We Fall: Mehdi Hasan and Wajahat Ali

UMAA comes to Dearborn in December 2017 Buy your tickets today – Click here Mehdi Hasan is an award-winning British journalist, broadcaster, author and political commentator. He is the presenter of both UpFront (filmed in Washington DC) and Head to Head (filmed at the Oxford Union).

Foreign correspondent: Make Saudi Arabia great again! – 48 hills

I stood in front of a mosque in the city of Qatif, Saudi Arabia, interviewing people for a story. Suddenly, two city police cars pulled up. Several minutes later plain clothes officers from the secret police began questioning me. I had entered the country with a journalist visa, but committed the grave crime of practicing journalism without official permission.

NYU faculty ends ties with UAE over sectarianism claims

New York University’s journalism department has voted to end its relationship with its campus in the United Arab Emirates following allegations two professors were denied visas because of their religious affiliation.

Just as we recently saw in Las Vegas, such killers don’t represent any faith

By way of this statement, the Shia Muslim Council of Southern California joins with all Americans in calling for swift action to rid us of the evil of such wanton killings. Just as we recently saw in Las Vegas, these killers don’t represent any faith.

See also statement from Imam al-Khoei Foundation New York

Opinion | N.Y.U. in Abu Dhabi: A Sectarian Bargain

The U.A.E.’s security clearance forms require applicants to list religion and sect, and N.Y.U.’s own written instructions specify that its employees cannot leave those fields blank. University officials recently told me that they’re still working to reverse my security clearance denial. But based on my past experience with the Abu Dhabi project, I have little hope.

US approves huge arms sale to Bahrain despite human rights concerns

The US state department has approved a $3.8 billion arms sale to Bahrain, despite continued criticism of the Gulf regime due to gross human rights abuses. The US state department has approved a $3.8 billion arms sale to Bahrain, despite growing unease about the Gulf state’s human rights abuses and blockade of Washington ally Qatar.