| Posts |
|
Bahrain doctors, nurses on trial for treating injured protesters
A Bahrain court on Monday arraigned 47 doctors and nurses on charges of trying to overthrow the government and participating in illegal demonstrations when they helped treat injured protesters. The doctors and nurses were stationed primarily at the (More) |
|
Bahrain lifts state of emergency laws as king calls for national dialogue
Bahrain on Wednesday lifted its emergency laws imposed in mid-March that allowed for a crackdown against journalists and opposition leaders. The move may be a sign that the uprising in Bahrain is winding down. Despite the lifting of the emergency la (More) |
|
UN rights office warns of Yemen civil war
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) called for the Yemeni government on Friday to crack down on deadly violence, expressing fear that the violence will push the country into a civil war . The OHCHR's concerns follow esca (More) |
|
Bahrain court upholds 2 death sentences for police killings
Bahrain's Appeal National Safety Court on Sunday unanimously upheld death sentences for two men convicted of killing police officers during anti-government protests in March. The court reduced the death sentences of two others to life in prison. T (More) |
|
Bahrain court sentences Shiite cleric, 8 others for police kidnapping
Bahrain's Lower National Safety Court on Thursday sentenced nine citizens to 20 years in prison for kidnapping a police officer . The decision was announced by the government-owned Bahrain News Agency, without details of the charges or the incident. (More) |
|
Afghan Guantanamo detainee, suspected terrorist dies in apparent suicide
An Afghan Guantanamo Bay detainee believed to be an al Qaeda leader, was found dead in his cell in what appears to be a suicide , the US Southern Command announced Wednesday. Guards found the 37-year-old Inayatullah not breathing and unresponsive (More) |
|
Rights group claims Palestinian Authority, Hamas guilty of torture
A Palestinian human rights group released a report this week criticizing Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas security forces for violations of civil rights in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In its newest annual report, the Independent Commissio (More) |
|
UN officials concerned over Middle East rights violations
UN human rights officials expressed concern Friday over rights violations in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen where governments have responded to ongoing reform protests with crackdowns and military deployments. The Office of High Commissioner for Human Ri (More) |
|
Social media creating new opportunities for rights activists: AI report
Recent revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa have demonstrated the unique opportunities that social media has created for human rights activists, according to an Amnesty International (AI) report released on Friday. However, repressive g (More) |
|
Rights group urges Bahrain torture investigation
The government of Bahrain should suspend prosecution of civilians in military courts and set up an impartial commission to investigate torture allegations , Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Tuesday. A Bahraini military court was set to try 14 prominen (More) |
Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance
On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools.
The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was more recently the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life offers more Pledge of Allegiance resources.
