Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Haifa Zangana
-
The Palestine Book Awards 2018: refuting the Israeli narrative
How can we tackle the Israeli narrative about Palestine’s past and present, when the Palestinian people continue to struggle against Israel’s colonial occupation which bases its existence on a false narrative about Palestinian history? It is that narrative, after all, which is used to define the prevalent ideology in...
-
Foolishness has its price, as the US administration and Arab rulers know
Was President Donald Trump aware of how foolish he looked when he sat in front of the cameras and proudly signed a document recognising Jerusalem as the Israeli capital? Was this a studied and deliberate strategic move made by the US administration in the context of its “paternal” relationship...
-
Books on Palestine to combat stripping Palestinians of their humanity
Writing is the act of documentation and is one means of resisting apartheid and ethnic cleansing targeting any nation, let alone the Palestinian nation....
-
Lest the blood of the Iraqis be shed in vain
During his meeting with the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions and her accompanying delegation on 15 November, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi stated that human rights violations in Iraq were “few” and condemned “exaggerations of human rights violations by some human rights organisations” under his rule. Such a...
-
The secret public auction of the ‘reconstruction’ of Mosul
After the announcement of Mosul’s liberation, the spotlight was focused on rebuilding the city that everyone agreed had been 80 per cent ruined on the right side, including bridges, hospitals, water, electricity, schools, homes and government buildings. Meanwhile, its left side lacked the basic necessities of life. This turned...
-
Iraq’s marriage and family rights are under threat
For the third time since the occupation of Iraq in 2003, the National Personal Status Law number 188 of 1959, which is still on the statute book, is at risk of being amended despite the fact that it is one of the best pieces of Arab legislation. The first...
-
Post-referendum Iraq… is there enough space in the cemeteries for our victims?
The Iraqis are fearfully waiting for the beating of war drums after the referendum was held in Kurdistan, wondering if this is the post-Daesh phase. They know too well the exchange of accusations, the imposition of sanctions and the fighting that will follow as long as they live under...
-
How can we psychologically and mentally remedy Iraq?
According to Dr Elham Al-Douri, “40 per cent of Iraqi children suffer from mental illnesses.” She continues to list harrowing facts about the mental and psychological illnesses in Iraq, saying: “The same can be said for 17 per cent of youth. This translates to 5.7 million young individuals who...
-
American food aid: A meal for every child before being bombed
One of the changes US President Donald Trump has been working to make since his presidency is a change to the laws regarding humanitarian food aid to the world, including the direct form that is provided through the UN World Food Programme and the indirect form that is provided...
-
100 security officers involved in tortures in Mosul
The United Nations has urged the Iraqi government to investigate abuse by its soldiers after a video, allegedly showing Iraqi soldiers torturing and killing individuals in Mosul suspected of affiliation with Daesh in recaptured areas of Mosul, was widely circulated in social networks on 23 January 2017...
-
Silence and the children of the dirty war
There is complete political and media silence surrounding the US-led coalition’s use of deadly white phosphorus in Mosul and Raqqa. At the same time, there is a flood of statements by politicians and journalists condemning the weapons used by Daesh in the same two cities. The first victims in...
-
The map of a ‘new Iraq’: Hostages and displacement
The release of Qatari nationals held hostage in Iraq, which took place after long negotiations, has long captivated the Arab and international media’s attention. Various parties and news outlets all have their own interpretations of what took place. This calibre of attention has never been given to the abduction...
-
Fallujah is the resistance city that cannot be destroyed
It is said that the siege of the city of Fallujah, which is situated nearly 60 kilometres from Baghdad, has been ongoing for the past two years. We are also being told that those who enter the city are allowed to do so for good reason as part of...