Habib Siddiqui

by J.P. Linstroth In India there is never one story but thousands, even millions, and so the detrimental impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on this country of more than 1.3 billion, especially among the poor, has been profound, causing immense suffering. Nor did it help matters much when Prime Minister Narendra Modi shut India into immediate lockdown without warning to mitigate Indians from contracting COVID-19. Thousands of day-laborers and migrant-laborers were left stranded in large cities without food or money such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Gandhinagar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Jaipur, and Lucknow, among others. It was the largest lockdown in the world because of COVID-19. If such workers had prior warning, say at least a week’s time, then it may have prevented such a massive humanitarian disaster. Yet, Modi and his BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government, did not seem to be concerned about these rural migrants when planning their lockdown. Thousands of migrants are still making the...

This time, we are told, it is different and that President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, is absolutely serious about his decision to absolve his leadership from all previous agreements signed with Israel and the United States. But this time is not different, and Abbas is not serious. “The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the state of Palestine are absolved … of all the agreements and understandings with the American and Israeli governments … including the security ones,” Abbas declared at an emergency meeting of his leadership held in Ramallah on May 19. Unsurprisingly, there were no massive demonstrations reported throughout Occupied Palestine in support of Abbas’ latest decision. Aside from a few loyalists in PA-controlled media, it seemed as if the man did not utter a word, let alone cancel all agreements that justified the very existence of his Authority over the course of nearly 30 years. The demonstrable truth is that Abbas ceased to ma...

Jo Schietti Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's regime has ramped up its brutal campaign against freedom of expression in the media, punishing anyone challenging the official line. News of the arrest of Lina Attalah , editor-in-chief of independent media outlet  Mada Masr,  in Cairo on 17 May triggered widespread calls for her release.  The editor was apprehended outside Tora prison, south of Cairo, while interviewing Laila Soueif, the mother of jailed prominent activist Alaa Abdel Fattah . She was released on bail hours later. The reason behind the arrest and the charges against her were unclear. Her brief detention was a highly symbolic example of the Egyptian government's campaign of persecution against independent journalism . "Disturbing news of the arrest of Egyptian journalist Lina Attalah simply for doing her job. @Linaattalah is one of the country's most highly respected journalists. Her arrest is yet another blow to press freedoms under the Sisi regime,"...