Front Page
Islam and Human Rights – Conflicting Ideals or Synchronized Paths
One man’s suicide in Tunisia1 sparked a wave of protests across the country and soon the fever spread across the Muslim world, in the Middle East and North Africa, where people seemed suddenly awakened from a long sleep to seek their fundamental human rights. The people of the region, long plagued by poverty and... »
Taking ownership: Afghan government to amend land law
By U.S. Army Sgt. April Campbell, International Security Assistance Force Public Affairs Kabul, Afghanistan (October 27, 2011) – Second only to the Afghan people, land is a crucial resource for the Afghan government – they fight to secure it and work hard to develop it to bring economic stability to the nation. Now,... »
Commentary: He Said, She Said
The following was submitted by our correspondent in Pakistan who wishes to remain anonymous. In my last commentary I touched on the subject of hijras, males depicted as transgendered and transsexual. In this post, my focus fell on Ali Saleem who by transforming himself into Begum (an Urdu term for a “Lady”) Nawazish Ali... »
Commentary: GLBT Rights in Pakistan
The following was submitted by our Pakistani correspondent who wishes to remain anonymous: Right or Wrong by Anonymous In South Asian weddings, celebrations go on weeks before the actual “I do” occurs. At a recent wedding I attended in Pakistan, I was surprised to see another form of... »
Land, Development and Human Rights in Mexico
“Everyone has the right to own property alone, as well as in association with others”, and furthermore that, “no one shall arbitrarily be deprived of his property.”—Article 17 UDHR Upon the arrival of the Europeans to Mexico, property rights became an issue that left a legacy all the way until the passage of... »
With Open Arms
On Feb 26 2011, CBS news had a headline, “Libya: Qaddafi arms his civilian supporters.” The story remarked on how Qaddafi is trying to crush and restrain the rebels by terrorizing the residents with firearms. The heightened fear, the newspaper claims, has caused the residents to remain in their homes and halted day-to-day trade... »
Suicide Bomber Attacks UN in Nigeria
For those who haven’t heard, A suicide bomber drove a vehicle packed with explosives into the UN building in Abuja Nigeria this morning. At this point there are at least 18 people dead, with many more injured. The editorial staff at WPHR wish to express our sincere condolences to the victims of this horrific... »
Critical Conditions: Water and Sanitation
Last winter several news headlines declared a Cholera outbreak in an already vulnerable Haiti. The same year, another Cholera flare-up occurred in Nigeria. Moreover, same epidemic had hit another African country, Zimbabwe, approximately three years earlier (Bosley, 2010; “Nigeria; 2010,” 2010; “Zimbabwe; Cholera,” 2007). Could there be a connection between these outbreaks? Could the... »
SGBV and Women’s Agency
This article will focus on gender and women’s rights with focus on sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) and with specific emphasis on the role of women’s agency, or women as elements of change, as Belhadj & Touré puts it. Sen describes how the objectives of women’s rights has evolved from focusing almost exclusively... »
Egypt’s revolution: a prelude to democracy?
Nestled in the volatile Middle East, Egypt was widely considered a stable country until recent events revealed the depth of its people’s suffering. On February 11, in response to 18 days of massive street protests and demonstrations, Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, resigned after three decades of authoritarian rule. The uprisings, mostly spurred by discontent over... »