Opinions
Jim Crow tactics reborn in Texas abortion law
The new Texas law that bans most abortions uses a method employed by Texas and other states to enforce racist Jim Crow laws in the 19th and 20th centuries that aimed to disenfranchise African Americans. Rather than giving state officials, such as the police, the power to enforce the law,… Read
With Australia-UK deal, Biden again shows China is paramount priority
Forging a new three-way alliance with Britain and Australia to the anger of the French, U.S. President Joe Biden has again made brutally clear -- his top international priority, overriding all else, will be facing China. Under the alliance christened with the acronym AUKUS, Australia will be the only country… Read
'Imagine' at 50: Why John Lennon's ode to humanism still resonates
Fifty years ago, John Lennon released one of the most beautiful, inspirational and catchy pop anthems of the 20th century: “Imagine.” Gentle and yet increasingly stirring as the song progresses, “Imagine” is unabashedly utopian and deeply moral, calling on people to live, as one humanity, in peace. It is also… Read
How social media – aided by bots – amplifies Islamophobia online
In August 2021, a Facebook ad campaign criticizing Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, the United States’ first Muslim congresswomen, came under intense scrutiny. Critics charged that the ads linked the congresswomen with terrorism, and some faith leaders condemned the campaign as “Islamophobic” – that is, spreading fear of Islam and… Read
Black Lives Matter: How far has the movement come?
Black Lives Matter has been called the largest civil movement in U.S. history. Since 2013, local BLM chapters have formed nationwide to demand accountability for the killings of dozens of African Americans by police and others. Since the summer of 2020, when tens of millions in the U.S. and around… Read
What young kids say worked -- and didn't work -- for them during virtual learning
On Aug 30, 2021, my kid joined millions of children in walking through school doors as he began first grade. Despite the ongoing pandemic, school buildings are almost universally open. While there are many voices expressing health and safety concerns, policymakers have decided that the best choice for children’s well-being… Read
How someone becomes a torturer
Every day, thousands of people are tortured in police stations, security offices and prisons around the world. Human rights organizations protest torture and advocate for survivors, but neither they nor the public knows much about the torturers themselves. Where do torturers come from? How can they do such terrible things?… Read
Photographer, his leg lost, seeks answers from Paralympians
When I last saw Freddie de los Santos, his mouth was ravaged -- his teeth had been blown away by the same blast that took his leg. And yet, he always smiled. The year was 2009. We were both being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center; I too… Read
Two decades after 9/11, Muslim Americans still fighting bias
A car passed, the driver’s window rolled down and the man spat an epithet at two little girls wearing their hijabs: “Terrorist!” It was 2001, mere weeks after the twin towers at the World Trade Center fell, and 10-year-old Shahana Hanif and her younger sister were walking to the local… Read
Only winner in biennial World Cup plan is FIFA bank
FIFA President Gianni Infantino found a curious salesman to push his plan to double the frequency of World Cups: a coach who spent his career until now complaining about the spate of international tournaments. Three years after leaving Arsenal, Arsene Wenger is trying to sell the merits of a biennial… Read
