International Features

Chechnya: War is over, crisis is not

Russia announced on April 16 that it had ended the war in Chechnya. The announcement was largely symbolic because for a long time, there had been no clashes in Grozny. Wars can be won, but conflict resolution requires compromise and goodwill. In Chechnya this did not happen. Might can be right, but not always. In a democracy where human rights …

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Arab ‘Reconciliation’ Summit a Bust By Rannie Amiri

The 21st Arab League summit held this week in Doha, Qatar ended up being little more than a summit of egos. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir – just indicted for war crimes in Darfur by the International Criminal Court (ICC) – arrived to a red-carpet and hero’s welcome; Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak boycotted the entire gathering; Libyan President Muammar Qaddafi walked …

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A Nation Raped and Ravaged

Iraq after six years of US led invasion: Iraq, a land where many great ancient civilisations such as Mesopotamian, Sumer, Akkad, Babylonian and Assyria flourished between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers for more than 7,000 years, has been ruthlessly raped and ravaged by the European colonial powers followed by the United States to loot its oil wealth for more …

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What the Middle East can learn from Southeast Asia Samuel Rizk

Washington, DC – An argument could be made that the Middle East, as the birthplace of the Abrahamic religions, is a centre of dialogue between Muslims and Christians. Where their holiest places of worship and pilgrimage exist, Muslims and Christians have provided models of historical co-existence and cooperation. But when there is tension, either for religious reasons or when sacred …

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Manufacturing Fear

If I write a column arguing that Bernard Madoff, a Jew by birth, cheated mostly Christian investors of billions of dollars, you will rightly call me crazy. If I argue that some Jewish religious organizations that received money from Madoff were thriving on the loot, you will rightly call me insane. If I whisper that Madoff was a supporter of …

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