A beautiful dua….   O اللَّه , help me to say words of truth in the face of the mighty….  And to refrain from speaking ill in order to gain the applause of the weak…  And do not let me accuse my adversaries of treachery because their opinions oppose mine…   O اللَّه , should you give me wealth, do …

IPS UN Bureau Chief Thalif Deen receiving the gold medal from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Photo credit: Rousbeh Legatis. UNITED NATIONS — At the annual UN Correspondents Association (UNCA) award ceremony/black tie dinner in New York on December 19, Inter Press Service (IPS) was declared  winner of a prestigious gold medal for its global and UN coverage of the environment – specifically climate change, …

Some have left, others are resilient as Israel encroaches on their territory   A Greek Orthodox priest walks inside the Church of the Nativity, the site revered as the birthplace of Jesus, ahead of Christmas in the West Bank town of Bethlehem December 22, 2012. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (WEST BANK – Tags: RELIGION)     Bethlehem: Amid plastic bags snagged on …

We do not live in a world that treats all life equally. Not even close. Human beings inevitably feel certain tragedies more deeply, based on proximity to the victims, national identity, the circumstances of death and so on. It is not surprising that there has been so much media attention paid to the horrible massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. The thought …