The Most Cancerous Street in Iraq? Locals in Basra Leaving Homes Because of Disease!
Niqash | Saleem al-Wazzan | Basra In the southern city of Zubair, in Basra province, there is one street where the neighbours report more cases of cancer than most. The street is close to former government offices that were bombed by US-led forces in 2003. As a result families have been leaving their homes and […]
Declaration of the Iraqi Coalition for Freedom of Expression
An International Conference on Freedom of Expression in the MENA Region took place in Tunis on 28-30 May 2014, organized by the Italian NGO Un ponte per… A new Iraqi partnership emerged from it — the Iraqi Coalition for Freedom of Expression — that will focus on raising awareness about and taking action on issues […]
Maliki’s call for Unity Conference in Anbar May Be Too Late
Mushreq Abbas : Al-Monitor Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s call on May 28 for holding a conference to resolve the Anbar crisis did not come as a surprise. However, the residents of Anbar felt that this call came late. In his weekly speech, Maliki called on “Anbar tribes and all those who confronted al-Qaeda and […]
Iraq: Government Attacking Fallujah Hospital and Barrel Bombs Hit Residential Areas
Human Rights Watch (Baghdad) – Iraqi government forces battling armed groups in the western province of Anbar since January 2014 have repeatedly struck Fallujah General Hospital with mortar shells and other munitions, Human Rights Watch said today. The recurring strikes on the main hospital, including with direct fire weapons, strongly suggest that Iraqi forces have […]
The Realities of Ilisu Dam in Iraqi Kurdistan
By Toon Bijnens, Save the Tigris Campaign and ICSSI – Sulaymaniya, May 28, 2014 The construction of the Ilisu Dam in South-Eastern Turkey can be described as one of the most pressing current environmental issues for Iraq. Its impact will be mostly felt in the Southern part of the country, located at the downstream […]
All talk, No action: Iraqi Kurdistan’s New Freedom of Information Law Toothless!
Niqash | Erbil Iraqi Kurdistan has a new freedom of information law. Despite being lauded by all local political parties, the law is almost a year old and has barely been used. At a recent meeting, journalists blamed politicians for wording the law in an imprecise way while MPs said the journalists were at fault. […]
When Muslims Renounce their Faith!
Naomi Conrad – Qantara The Islamic faith Fearing ostracism or even death, many former Muslims keep their lack of faith a secret. A German organisation offers support to people who choose to turn their back on Islam for whatever reason. Turning away from Islam? No, she couldn’t discuss the subject now, says Mina Ahadi quietly […]
The U.S. Role in Iraq’s Postelection Politics
Michael Knights – Wahington Institute Washington has rightfully avoided backing a candidate in next week’s elections, but it should still use counterterrorism assistance and other levers to push Baghdad on pluralism and KRG oil revenue sharing during the presumably lengthy transition period. On April 30, the Iraqi public will vote in national parliamentary elections, establishing […]
Iraqi Elections in 2014, A Step Forward, Two Steps Backward!
The Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI) – Rome May, 2014 From the perspective of Iraqi civil society, there is no way to deny the fact that the elections held in 2014 — the first Iraqi elections since the U.S. army withdrew from Iraq — were an accomplishment in itself and a very positive step […]
Hasankeyf: Open-air Museum or Last Frontier for Diving?
By Marcello Canepa, April 2014. English translation by ICSSI editor. Overview If ballots are a mirror of reality, administrative elections in Turkey on March 30, 2014 marked the reaffirmation of Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan and of AKP. The political turnout poses inevitable obligations to the winners, in terms of socio-economical development, that will shape […]
Iraqi Wins International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2014 :”Frankenstein in Baghdad”
Beyond good and evil, Ahmed Saadawi’s novel “Frankenstein in Baghdad” has won the 2014 International Prize for Arabic Fiction. Khaled Hroub presents the book © Qantara.de 2014 Turning the final page of Ahmed Saadawi’s novel “Frankenstein in Bagdad”, the reader’s head is full of questions: who is really the monster of Bagdad? Who created it? What […]
MOUNTING DANGERS FOR JOURNALISTS IN IRAQ
Reporters Without Borders May 2014 Journalists were the victims of obstruction, threats and violence during Iraq’s 30 April parliamentary elections, the first since the withdrawal of US troops in late 2011. Violence by jihadi groups and inter-communal tension of a political and sectarian nature marked the security climate. “We are very concerned about the threats […]