Early on in “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,” the first of three autobiographies Douglass wrote over his lifetime, he recounts what happened – or, perhaps more accurately, what didn’t happen – after his master, Thomas Auld, became a Christian believer at a Methodist camp meeting. Douglass had harbored the hope that Auld’s conversion,… Read More Michael Luo: American Christianity’s White-Supremacy Problem
Alexander Nanau’s extraordinary documentary “Collective” unfolds in the aftermath of a 2015 tragedy in the Bucharest nightclub Colectiv that gives this film its title. While 27 people died in the fire, more than 100 were injured and sent to area hospitals. However, an additional 37 of the 100-plus victims died as a result of bacterial infections while hospitalized. One father,… Read More "Collective" is an urgent exposé of killer corruption & how journalism and the people fought back. By GARY M. KRAMER
A groundbreaking Arabic satirical news site that skewers the Middle East’s politicians and pieties – dodging the ire of hostile governments and their online supporters – has launched an English language edition. Al-Hudood (the Limits), with deadpan headlines reminiscent of the US publication the Onion, has rankled authorities in the Arab world since launching in 2013. It… Read More Michael Safi: Arabic satirical news website launches English edition
In political science literature there is a familiar term — democratic barbarism. Democratic barbarism is often sustained by a judicial barbarism. The term “barbarism” has several components. The first is the overwhelming appearance of arbitrariness in judicial decision-making. The application of law becomes so dependent on the arbitrary whims of individual judges that the rule… Read More Pratap Bhanu Mehta: SC was never perfect, but the signs are that it is slipping into judicial barbarism
Dara Shukoh, along with Akbar, remains among the two well-loved personalities of Mughal India. In the case of Dara, he finds appeal even among Hindu nationalists. As the figure of Dara is inscribed with modern labels of liberal and secular, the nuances and complexities in the personality of Shah Jahan’s eldest son remain hidden. The… Read More Book Review – Supriya Gandhi’s Biography of Dara Shukoh Separates the Man From the Myth
The Brereton report has uncovered credible evidence of 39 alleged murders carried out by Australian Defence Force personnel in Afghanistan. But details of the alleged killings are not provided in full – or in some cases – at all. Only 21 alleged murders can be identified while the other 18 are missing – presumably redacted. The nature… Read More “Possibly the most disgraceful episode in Australia’s military history” – The alleged Afghanistan war crimes that shocked Australia
NB: Patricia Mukhim has a record of exposing and condemning communal and intolerant behaviour even when it emanates from her co-religionists and fellow tribal residents of Shillong. She has campaigned against militancy and fought for communal harmony throughout her career. Instead of appreciating her journalistic integrity, her courage and her humanity, she has been punished… Read More The Shillong Times editor Patricia Mukhim resigns from Editors Guild of India
The world of secret offshore companies is outrageous. The rich and corrupt, seeking to hide assets and income from taxes, set up shell companies, foundations and trusts – by the hundreds of thousands – every year. Despite the harm it does to local government and the likely illegality of it, the industry holds public trade… Read More Book Review: 'Secrecy World' by Jake Bernstein
Sometime after midnight on October 21, Elisha Sunday Ibanga answered a phone call from his older brother’s number. The person on the other end of the line — a stranger — broke the news that Ibanga’s brother, Victor, had been shot dead at the Lekki toll gate, in Lagos, Nigeria, where he had been peacefully… Read More 'They pointed their guns at us and started shooting' – How a bloody night of bullets and brutality quashed a young protest movement
One warm June weekend 61 years ago, a scruffily bearded Argentinian on his way from Cuba to Cairo stopped over in Madrid. With almost a day to kill between flights, he did what any tourist of the time would have done: explored the city, visited a bullring, had breakfast and did a little shopping. He… Read More Sam Jones: From Che Guevara to lockdown: photo book tells story of Madrid
After the truth-shower 