Breaking through the silence on the plight of Middle Eastern Christians
January 15, 2013 | Ahron Shapiro
Up to 100 million Christians are facing persecution globally, mostly by Islamic extremists, and especially in the Middle East and African regions, according to a new report by the Christian NGO Open Doors.
According to the organisation, of the top 10 countries on their list – North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Maldives, Mali, Iran, Yemen and Eritrea – eight are majority Muslim states threatened by Islamic extremism, with North Korea and Eritrea being the sole exceptions.
The report puts a spotlight on the underreported plight of minority Christians worldwide, particularly in the Islamist-dominated Middle East, where the number of Christians relative to the global Christian population has plunged to less than one percent. This is in contrast to a century ago, when the Middle East was home to 20 percent of the world’s Christians.
Media Week – Half-cocked; Nuclear handwringing; Off key; The value of values
January 11, 2013 | Allon Lee
In the Sun-Herald (30/12), Paul McGeough penned a long article devoted to offensively comparing pro-Israel voices concerned over President Barack Obama’s possible nomination of former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as his next Defence-Secretary to those Americans who defend their right to own guns in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school massacre.
Iran’s war on human rights
January 11, 2013 | Sharyn Mittelman
Following the Iranian regime’s violent crackdown on Iranians who protested the June 2009 election result, Iran’s repression continued against anyone deemed to be a supporter of the ‘velvet revolution’. As a result, citizens who dare to speak out against Iran’s violation of human rights including lawyers, journalists, bloggers have been arrested and often tortured. While this issue has mostly faded from global attention, the death while in custody of a 35-year-old Iranian activist blogger Sattar Beheshti in November 2012 has put this issue back in the headlines.
More questions about al-Jazeera as it purchases a network to create US subsidiary
January 8, 2013 | Sharyn Mittelman
Al Jazeera TV, located in and financed by Qatar and owned by Qatar’s ruling al-Thani family, has just bought the struggling US left leaning channel Current TV, founded by Al Gore in 2005. This will allow al-Jazeera to have access to millions more US homes. Al-Jazeera reportedly plans to create a new channel, “Aljazeera America,” instead of using its existing English-language channel. However, this announcement has called attention to growing claims that al-Jazeera is being used a propaganda tool for Qatari foreign policy interests.
Leader of Australian Islamist extremist group calls for world conquest through jihad
January 8, 2013 | Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz
The notorious Islamist organisation Hizb-Ut Tahrir (‘HUT’) openly avows an ideology whose ultimate goal is to transform the entire world into an Islamic state. Despite being linked to a number of terrorist attacks — most notably the ‘7/7 bombings’ in London — the group is generally careful to avoid being portrayed as pro-violence.
For example, the profile of local Australian spokesperson Uthman Badar on ABC’s The Drum (for which he is an occasional contributor) describes the group as…
Israel’s Blockade and Construction Materials for Gaza
January 4, 2013 | Tzvi Fleischer
Everyone knows that, while Israel has eased its blockade of Hamas-ruled Gaza, it is still blocking the import of almost all construction materials, arguing they can be used for military purposes, right?
You would certainly think so if you read the Australian and New Zealand press coverage of a recent deal between Israel and Egypt to allow 20 trucks worth of construction material into Gaza this week… But it is just not true that Israel has banned construction materials entering into Gaza…
Suha Arafat admits her husband planned the Second Intifada
January 4, 2013 | Sharyn Mittelman
Since the Second Intifada, which commenced in September 2000 there has been an ongoing debate as to its origins. This debate has finally come to an end, with Yasser Arafat’s wife Suha admitting on Dubai TV on December 16 that her husband planned the Second Intifada and told her about it before he launched it.
Technology and the Gaza War/ Taking Iran at their word
January 4, 2013
This Update includes two pieces analysing some of the innovations in military technology and tactics which affected the Gaza conflict/Operation “Pillar of Defence”, which occurred in November.
First up is an evaluation by Dr. Uzi Rubin, the father of Israel’s missile defence program, discussing both Israel’s Iron Dome missile and rocket defence system, and the innovations in rocket design and use on the Hamas side of the Gaza conflict.
Hamas over-reporting civilian casualties in Gaza, again
January 2, 2013 | Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz
The most heartbreaking consequence of any conflict is the unavoidable toll taken on the local civilian population. Sadly, in the hyper-politicised realm of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, these events seem unable to remain mere tragedies. Instead, each civilian killed takes on the additional mantle of a propaganda point scored in the conflict of public opinion.
This leads to the unfortunate tactic that Hamas and other Gaza-based groups seem to have adopted of cynically exploiting international sympathy…
Reporters only hearing one side of the story?
December 21, 2012 | Ahron Shapiro
Why do news reporters often get their reporting about Israeli-Palestinian issues so badly wrong?
A new wrinkle to the controversy surrounding Israel’s decision to approve housing projects in Jerusalem suburbs and east Jerusalem neighbourhoods (following up on my earlier blog posts on the subject on December 4 and December 11) suggests one answer.
