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The Middle East protest movements: each with a story, all with uncertainty
Dr. Jonathan Schanzer [Vice President of Research, Foundation for Defense of Democracies]: "Across the Middle East, protest movements are taking hold. While each draws inspiration from the examples of Egypt and Tunisia, each country (More) |
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The awakening of Muslim North Africa
Farzana Hassan : "Much of the Arab world is in turmoil. The Shia majority in the tiny island kingdom of Bahrain has suffered years of oppression by the ruling Sunni minority and is now demanding freedom. The citizens of newly liberated Egypt and Tuni (More) |
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ICC lacks jurisdiction to investigate Libya crimes: chief prosecutor
Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Wednesday that the ICC cannot investigate possible crimes in Libya because the country is not a party to the Rome Statute . Moreno-Ocampo noted that the ICC lacks (More) |
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Libya may be committing crimes against humanity: UN rights chief
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said Tuesday that the Libyan government's response to recent protests may amount to crimes against humanity . Pillay cited the use of machine guns, snipers and military planes against protesters, ca (More) |
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Libya government promises constitutional reforms following protests
The Libyan government is considering adopting a constitution and allowing greater freedoms, Saif al-Islam, son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi , announced Monday in a televised address following several days of protests. In the address, Saif al-Is (More) |
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UN SG calls for an end to violence against Middle East protesters
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called for an end to violence against protesters [statement text; video] in Bahrain, referencing recent attempts to quell protests sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa . Ban said that he is " (More) |
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UN commissioner urges Bahrain to respect rights of demonstrators
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay voiced Wednesday the need for Bahrain to respect the rights of demonstrators. The announcement came after a news release Tuesday by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) re (More) |
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Egypt-inspired protestors face violent crackdowns by Arab governments: HRW
Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Tuesday that Arab governments are using violence to crack down on protests inspired by the unrest in Egypt. According to the report, public gatherings in Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, West (More) |
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Bahrain election results prevent corruption investigation
Bahrain released election results Sunday in its second round of parliamentary elections, revealing that pro-government Sunni parties had maintained a majority, preventing opposition groups from beginning a corruption investigation of the ruling fa (More) |
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Bahrain coup plot trial begins for Shiite opposition leaders
The trial of 25 Shia Muslim opposition activists began in Bahrain on Thursday with the activists pleading not guilty to charges of plotting to overthrow the government and supporting terror cells. The activists said that they were working for an unn (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.
