Trump’s relentless attack on LGBTQ people is beyond the pale of any criticism. It is a gross violation of human rights that has engendered widespread anti-LBGTQ sentiment throughout the country, subjecting nearly 10 percent of the American population to harassment and discriminatory laws that no government or institution has any legal or moral right to…
The global assault on journalists is a deadly threat linked to authoritarian regimes, which commonly choke off free expression, and even some “democratic” governments that deliberately seek to hide their nefarious activities Being a journalist in many parts of the world has become far more than a challenging occupation—it has become a high-risk profession under…
The West, led by the Trump administration, has enabled the Netanyahu government to commit crimes against humanity and became complicit in the unfathomably horrific disaster that is being inflicted on the Palestinians in Gaza The war in Gaza has crossed many red lines, rendering Palestinian lives worthless, trivial, and of no consequence. Much of the…
It is hard to assess the disastrous impact of Trump’s immigration policy on our economy and its horrific human rights violations. Every man and woman of conscience is duty-bound to raise their voices and peacefully and relentlessly protest to stop Trump from inflicting such widespread harm on tens of millions of people I understand the…
The ongoing civil war in Sudan is tragic, but the greater tragedy is that if the international community sits on its hands and does nothing to stop this horrific war and prevent further escalation of the conflict, it will come at an unfathomable price The human toll of Sudan’s civil war, now in its third…
The violations of women’s human rights by the Taliban in Afghanistan are egregious. Imposing economic sanctions alone will not suffice. A change in strategy and better understanding of the Taliban’s mindset is needed to compel them to respect women’s rights The Taliban’s egregious violations of women’s rights in Afghanistan, especially banning women from education and…
No riches can obscure the ugliest manifestation of antisemitism and bigotry that Elon Musk displayed with his Nazi salute following Trump’s inauguration. Musk can send a spaceship to Mars with his fortune, but no money or social platform will erase the well-deserved shame and humiliation he will endure for the rest of his life Billionaire…
Climate change deniers, including President Trump, insist that there is no such thing as climate change and that measures taken to combat it only decrease economic productivity and stifle growth. In fact, the opposite is true; a plethora of scientific evidence suggests that such measures increase overall productivity and create millions of new jobs, which…
The right to abortion is a human rights issue that no government agency, courts, local and state legislators, or anyone else has the right to violate or impede in any shape or form. It is a fundamental right that every woman must be free to exercise with impunity, in consultation with her doctor only, who…
It is only fitting, against the backdrop of World Press Freedom Day, to recount the horror being inflicted on journalists and reporters around the world, which is increasing day by day. To tell the story of the mounting death of journalists in Gaza, it is essential to put into perspective the plight of journalists around…
The Iranian government continues to commit human rights violations and crimes against humanity in its effort to strike terror into the heart of its people. That the government considers itself a devout Muslim regime is sacrilegious and makes a mockery of Islam.Righting the Wrong Iran’s theocratic government is violating every grain of human rights to…
Antisemitism has existed from time immemorial and will likely persist for millennia to come. The Jews have been maligned, hated, persecuted, expelled, segregated and slaughtered. And yet. They persevered, defying time and place. Ironically, although it was hoped that the creation of Israel would mitigate antisemitism, the occupation and the way the Palestinians are treated…
The electoral defeat of Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro is a triumph for everyone who is concerned about the peril of climate change. Bolsonaro’s well-deserved defeat could help save the Amazon rainforest, which has been ravaged under his criminal rule, and the process of reversing the looming climate change catastrophe can begin Righting the Wrong President-elect Luiz…
I am at a loss for words to describe my utter outrage, my excruciating pain, and my revulsion at yet another massacre in what has become an unending cycle of carnage wrought by guns. The perpetrators are not only the murderers themselves but the Republican members of Congress who enable them to commit such heinous…
It is hard to fathom how in a country that boasts about its technological advancements, scientific breakthroughs, economic prosperity, and military prowess, 23 percent of its population lives under the poverty line Israel’s founders had a vision—a vision that defied millennium-old persecution, discrimination, oppression, and death. A vision of a country, free and democratic, anchored…
Erdogan’s decision to withdraw Turkey from the 2011 Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence Against Women is by far the most despicable turn he has yet taken against women It is hard to find something more scornful than Erdogan’s sudden decision to withdraw Turkey from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing…
While a peace accord was reached in February 2020 to end civil war in South Sudan, the agreement remains extremely fragile and needs international support to hold together Righting the Wrong In July 2011, South Sudan became independent from Sudan following six years of autonomy and 20 years of brutal war. Only two years later,…
Tragically, the entire international community has failed miserably to muster the moral courage to end the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children in Syria’s civil war. Is it any wonder that such atrocities are happening time and again? The ten-year old civil war in Syria has gone far beyond tragic mass…
The US and the EU will make a mockery out of the virtues of morality and human rights they preach unless they stop Erdogan’s outrageous criminal treatment of his own people Righting the wrong Human rights abuses under Erdogan are beyond the pale of inhumanity and moral decadence. The list of Erdogan’s violations and cruelty…
While tens of thousands of Yemeni men, women and children are dying from starvation and disease, the world is shamelessly watching with deafening silence The bombing continues unabated. The explosions are heard in the distance. A family with seven children is cowering in fear in a corner of their shack, Daring not to step out…
Israel’s continued treatment of Palestinian political prisoners is unconscionable. Mohammad El Halabi, an aid worker from Gaza, has been in prison for four years while he awaits his trial; this is nothing short of cruel absurdity. He has been forced before the court over 150 times, many of those appearances secret, without word of when…
Even a cursory review of our prison system reveals the outrageous inhumanity to which hundreds of thousands of prisoners, especially young adults, are subjected to, many of whom are imprisoned for non-violent crimes, sometimes for life. Some of the cases I came across are simply heart wrenching, bringing tears to my eyes. The over-policing of…
The continuing demonstrations throughout the country suggest not only the obvious—that Black lives matter—but that racism is consuming America from within, that injustice affects the perpetrators just as much as the victims, that enough is enough. The rage, desperation, and determination which continue to bring tens of thousands of Americans to the streets in protest…
The murder of George Floyd by a police officer in broad daylight came amid a high point in the continuing rampage of the coronavirus throughout the country, killing over 100,000 and infecting nearly 2 million while more than 45 million have lost their jobs. The death of Floyd is no longer seen merely as an…
The proxy war that Saudi Arabia and Iran have been waging in Yemen for the past five years goes beyond the pale of human capacity for extreme cruelty and ruthlessness, and against the spirit and the letter of the Quran. Ironically, whereas Saudi Arabia has many reasons to end the war, which prompted its decision…
What the U.S., Iraq, the U.N., and the EU can do to help the ethnic minority return to their homeland in Iraq The genocide of the Yazidis in northern Iraq’s Sinjar District will be remembered as one of the darkest chapters in the rise and “fall” of ISIS. It is hard to fathom the pain,…
A few week ago, I had an opportunity to meet with six members of the Yazidi community, including journalists and activists. I must admit that although I knew and was very shaken when I first learned about the horrifying attack by ISIS on the Yazidi community in Sinjar, Iraq, listening to their account of what…
I could not possibly applaud enough the young men and women who flooded the streets in hundreds of cities around the world demanding from their government to take immediate and long-term action to combat climate change. By the same token, I could not condemn and denounce more vehemently Mr. Trump and many of his ilk,…
Climate change is real and is visible for all to see. The scientific evidence is overwhelming, and denying that climate change is already upon us, especially as the president and his party does, flies in the face of the indisputably dire consequences that will be inflicted on all humanity. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s…
Within 13 hours, two mass shooting took place—in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio—killing 31 innocent people and injuring twice as many. We normally hear about these horrifying incidents, express sorrow and bewilderment, talk about gun control, and move on. Politicians, including Trump, dispatch their old and tired expressions of condolences and offer prayers to…
By Alon Ben-Meir and Arbana Xharra Two weeks ago, a 29-year-old Roma woman was physically attacked in the middle of the day in Kosovo, after a false accusation spread that the victim had been kidnaping children. Social media provided a platform for hate speeches and misleading information, which often precipitates violence against innocent Roma people….
Artwork by Michael Anderson and Sam Ben-Meir The phenomenon of genocide has baffled historians for many generations. The question that has been and continues to be asked is what goes through the minds of leaders, however despotic and ruthless, to conclude that committing genocide against their real or perceived enemies will provide them with salvation…
Alon Ben Meir and Arbana Xharra Kosovo investigative journalist Parim Olluri knew the assailants who physically attacked him two years ago in front of his house, while the police and other security institutions remained silent. “I sent names to the Kosovo Police as well as to the Prosecutor’s Office, but none of them took any…
To dramatically slow the flow of illegal immigration and even end it does not rest on building walls or sending troops to the border, or by heartlessly snatching children from their mothers’ arms, or by incarceration, deportation, or prosecution. A big part of the answer lies in economic development, mainly sustainable development projects, in the…
When I woke up yesterday morning, I was shocked yet once again to read about Wednesday’s mass killing of 12 people during “college night” at a country music bar in southern California, sending hundreds fleeing in terror. I have young children who occasionally visit these types of bars, and I can only imagine how devastating…
Once again, we are faced with another mass shooting. This time the cold-blooded killings took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 14 innocent students and three adults. This horrific mass murder of young and old attests to the criminal negligence of our lawmakers and president, who dispense with their responsibility by offering to…
The unspeakable atrocities that are happening in South Sudan are unfathomable, not only because of the scope of savagery in the war between the Dinka and Nuer peoples, but also because it defies every tenet of our civilized being in which we take so much pride. Civilization, however, has hardly penetrated the first layer of…
The egregious violation of freedom of the press in Turkey has reached a mammoth proportion that places Turkey among the most oppressive nations for journalists. It is sadder than sad that the US and the EU, who champion free press as one of the main pillars of democracy, have largely left Turkey’s President Erdogan free…
The Trump administration’s proposals on the annual budget, the efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), and restructuring of the tax system all point to a sad and even tragic conclusion. The poor will be poorer, dilapidated towns will continue to crumble, and crime will rise; but worst of all, our underprivileged…
Tens of thousands have been killed over 40 years of bloodletting between Turkish forces and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and tragically there seems to be no end in sight. In May 2016, President Erdogan stated that military operations against the PKK will continue until “the very last rebel is killed.” What is alarming about…
Although Christians have lived in the Middle East – the birthplace of Christianity – for nearly two thousand years, as a result of years of persecution and discrimination, especially in the past 15 years, they now constitute no more than 3-4% of the region’s population, down from 20% a century ago. Christians are not the…
