Interview Gertrude Bell Documentary: ‘She Would be Unhappy with Iraq Today’
Victorian-era explorer Gertrude Bell contributed much to the making of what is now modern Iraq. And now Western popular culture has discovered her. A major Hollywood movie is in the making as well as an in-depth documentary. NIQASH spoke to the directors of the documentary, Letters from Baghdad, to ask them whether Bell – and […]
Ja’fari Law Takes the Iraqi Government’s Violation of Women’s Rights to a New Level
Marriage at age nine, legalising marital rape – this bill breaches UN conventions and is degrading for Iraqi men and women alike! Haifa Zangana – The Guardian If you think the Iraqi government has reached its limit in violating women’s rights, think again. On 25 February, the Iraqi council of ministers approved a new personal status law […]
Kurdish Journalist Still in Prison in Slemani / Don’t Critizise APO!
ARA News – Urfa, Turkey This is the second time he was arrested. / Syrian journalist detained in Iraqi Kurdistan for ‘defaming Kurdish leader’ The Police Center of Siwan in Sulaymaniyah city in Iraqi Kurdistan detained on Sunday the Syrian Kurdish journalist Biradost Azizi on charges on entering Iraqi Kurdistan illegally in 2004 and was […]
Najaf’s Shiite Seminaries Enter 21st Century
Ali Mamouri – AlMonitor The Shiite seminary (hawza) in Najaf witnessed huge developments in its educational program in the mid-20th century, especially between the 1940s and 1960s. The number of students ranged between 15,000 and 20,000, and they came from various countries that have Shiite populations. More than 1,000 students used to attend the lessons […]
Iraqi Elections, Iranian Interests
Kenneth M. Pollack Iran@SABAN A major event for Iran is barely a month away, though few in Washington seem to be paying attention. On April 30, Iraq will hold national elections. A lot is riding on these elections, including the future stability of Iraq. And that is of no small concern to Tehran, which seems […]
Iraq’s Jaafari Law Would Violate Human Rights!
Muhannad Al-Ghazi / Al-monitor The Iraqi Justice Ministry announced on Oct. 27 that it had sent a copy of a draft law on Jaafari (Shiite) jurisprudence and personal status to the cabinet for approval and referral to the Council of Representatives for passage. The draft law stipulates that Iraqi Shiites would refer to Islamic Sharia, […]
Women’s Movement in Iraq Faces Setbacks!
Ali Mamouri – Al-Monitor When well-known feminist activist Mona Eltahawy put forth her theory that women are hated and detested in the Middle East, she faced objections from both men and women in various Arab countries. Yet, when we consider the Iraqi model and watch the decline and regression in the status of women and feminist activism, we might have no choice but […]
Will Iraq Refer The Issue Of Ilisu Dam To The UN Security Council?
by Johanna L. Rivera Save The Tigris And The Iraqi Mashes Campaign and ICSSI On March 22nd in Baghdad, the Iraqi Social Forum – a gathering of several Iraqi civil society organizations – and the Save the Tigris and Iraqi Marshes Campaign, in cooperation with the Baghdad Provincial Council, held a seminar to discuss Iraq’s […]
Ilisu Dam and Legal Considerations in Iraq
Policy Paper Presented to the Iraqi Government on the legal possibilities available to Iraq to respond to the threat posed by the Ilisu Dam. Author: Save the Tigris and Iraqi Marshes Campaign Baghdad, 22-03-2014 Download the full paper here (PDF file) or read the full content below. Contents: ILISU DAM AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS […]
The Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI) Rome – April 2014 The Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI) calls on the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations on the situation of human rights defenders and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, to make an […]
On the tenth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Iraqis and U.S. military veterans came together to hold the U.S. government accountable for the lasting effects of war and the rights of veterans and civilians to heal. The Iraq war is not over for Iraqi civilians and U.S. veterans who continue to struggle with […]
Banned for Bad Behaviour: Criticising Iraqi PM Enough to Get MPs Banned from Elections?
Niqash | Baghdad | 20.03.2014 A number of high profile MPs have been banned from running in Iraq’s upcoming general elections – allegedly because they contravene an electoral rule about good conduct. However there is also another thing they all have in common: They are all vehement critics of the current Prime Minister. There are […]