thought provoking lecture by ron takaki, the father of multicultural studies in america:
May 28, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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May 28, 2009
by mara.ahmed
0 comments
thought provoking lecture by ron takaki, the father of multicultural studies in america:
May 28, 2009
by mara.ahmed
0 comments
i feel sick. unless there’s a trial, there’s no way to try and make this stop. we r still in iraq and in afghanistan (possibly in pakistan). there r still detainees who have been incarcerated with no trial in sight. … Continue reading
May 28, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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“Obama knows that resolving Kashmir is a critical piece of the “Af-Pak” strategy; he even mooted a renewed push for negotiations during his campaign for president. But in office he has been faced with a massive Indian lobbying effort warning … Continue reading
May 28, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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“Widespread killings, injuries and damage to homes could undermine popular support needed for the US-backed Pakistan army campaign and possibly generate sympathy for the insurgency.” Full article.
May 28, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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retribution for the army’s military action in swat… Terrorists struck Lahore for the third time in as many months with the emergency response police bearing the brunt of a brutal suicide attack on Wednesday that left a total of 26 … Continue reading
May 28, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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May 28, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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What I find most harmful about [Obama's] embrace of things like preventive detention, concealment of torture evidence, opposition to investigations and the like is that these policies are now no longer just right-wing dogma but also the ideas that many … Continue reading
May 28, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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directed by andrucha waddington, “the house of sand” was shot in brazil’s northern state of maranhão with its pristine beaches, lagoons and sand dunes. the landscape is so stunning and otherworldly that it conflates into mood, theme and character. the … Continue reading
May 28, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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so strong, so incisive, so pithy, so intelligent. i am blown away. it would take pages and pages of words to convey the impact of this image. wow.
May 28, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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Whoever Reads Bourgeois Newspapers Becomes Blind and Deaf: Away with These Stultifying Bandages!, 1930, John Heartfield
May 23, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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saw this doc at high falls this year – excellent! “if we don’t fight for our freedoms every day, we will lose them.” MARTIN GARBUS
May 23, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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here is saleh bakri once again in a film that sounds terrific – “the time that remains” directed by elia suleiman. i like what suleiman says about being surrounded by politics and using film to escape that oppressive influence. check … Continue reading
May 23, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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talking of images and their effect on transforming culture, here is an exhibit by christopher slack. in view of the statements he is trying to make about war and violence, what do u think? i like the idea of the … Continue reading
May 23, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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what do afghans think about the escalation of obama’s war…
May 23, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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“Although it seems unthinkable now, future wars may require censorship, news blackouts and, ultimately, military attacks on the partisan media. Perceiving themselves as superior beings, journalists have positioned themselves as protected-species combatants. But freedom of the press stops when its … Continue reading
May 21, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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preventive detention = thought policing = orwell’s 1984 In Closed-Door Meeting With Rights Groups, Obama Suggests He’ll Use ‘Preventive Detention’ Just when you think President Obama’s policies on war, civil liberties and Guantanamo couldn’t possibly look any more like the … Continue reading
May 21, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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what??? Senate Votes To Block Funds For Guantanamo Closure WASHINGTON — In a rare, bipartisan defeat for President Barack Obama, the Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to keep the prison at Guantanamo Bay open for the foreseeable future and forbid the … Continue reading
May 21, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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i like this.
May 21, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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protecting torturers. escalating american wars. change you can count off.
May 21, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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pls sign this petition if u haven’t already. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, has been detained for 13 of the last 19 years, mostly under house arrest. On May 14, 2009, Aung San … Continue reading
May 21, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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Ever since he was released from Guantanamo in February after six years of due-process-less detention and brutal torture, Binyam Mohamed has been attempting to obtain justice for what was done to him. But his torturers have been continuously protected, and … Continue reading
May 21, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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May 21, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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a side of pakistan you’ve never seen: activism and citizen engagement inspired by the lawyers’ movement. Young Pakistanis Take One Problem Into Their Own Hands by Sabrina Tavernise, NYTimes, May 18, 2009 LAHORE, Pakistan — The idea was simple, but … Continue reading
May 21, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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some of the people who were tortured…
May 18, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 12:20 – 1:00 pm at the Hall of Justice, Exchange Street at Court, downtown Rochester (immediately following the 12:00 – 12:20 vigil for Troy Davis called by the Judicial Process Commission). For further information contact Rochester … Continue reading
May 18, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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many reviews describe “laila’s birthday” as funny and humorous. some go so far as to compare the film’s lead actor mohamed bakri to buster keaton. i got a different vibe from the film. filmed in ramallah, in the west bank, … Continue reading
May 17, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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shot in southern kazakhstan, “tulpan” has the feel of a documentary. it proceeds at a languorous pace, exploring in great detail the life of nomadic sheepherders, etched against the vastness of the kazakh steppe. tulpan means tulip. it is the … Continue reading
May 17, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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wish we would channel the passion and energy aroused by the torture photographs into stopping the horrible war in afghanistan – thousands of civilians killed (including large numbers of children), more than 1.3 million people displaced and turned into refugees … Continue reading
May 17, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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to stop torture, people who legalized it must be held accountable. to hold them accountable, civil rights lawyers must be able to build a case. to build a case, lawyers need evidence – all evidence – to prove that this … Continue reading
May 17, 2009
by mara.ahmed
0 comments
just saw an extraordinary documentary at the high falls film festival: “youssou ndour: i bring what i love”. visually stunning, larger than life, like africa, and infused with the beauty of ndour’s voice and personality. a work of art. a … Continue reading
May 17, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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The war in Afghanistan: “Such a war can never be won, and can only lead to tragedy, not just for the people of Afghanistan, for whom it is already that, but for American troops and ultimately for America itself. It … Continue reading
May 17, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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“The truth is always better than a cover-up, and what we now have the president advocating is a cover-up of American torture. But that’s only part of the president’s slide into Cheneyism. We have the president now calling for the … Continue reading
May 17, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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Afghanistan: 95 children among dead in U.S.-Taliban clash KABUL (AP) — Ninety-five Afghan children are among the 140 people said to have died in a recent U.S.-Taliban battle in western Afghanistan, according to a list drawn up by Afghan officials, … Continue reading
May 17, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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Global Day of Action for Troy Davis Stop the execution of a possibly innocent man! Venue:Global / Virtual Time:12:00AM Tuesday, May 19th
May 17, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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i don’t know how the so-called war on the taliban is going to rein them in (probably not imho) however, it has created a huge humanitarian crisis. all those advocating for military action in swat should now be doling out … Continue reading
May 17, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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having ur film on PBS is cool! thanks to everyone who watched and everyone who logged on for the online chat – it was fun! here’s a transcript: WXXI Live Chat with Mara Ahmed | interactive.wxxi.org (click on the play … Continue reading
May 11, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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live chat with yours truly after tomorrow’s tv broadcast – wxxi, 8pm. Title: Chat with Filmmaker Mara Ahmed Date: Tuesday May 12, 2009 Time: 9:00PM EDT
May 11, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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last section of an 8 part series, “the end of america”, written by naomi wolf. on the loss of civil liberties: “civil liberties don’t swing back like other issues. civil liberties is a v precious commodity, when u lose them, … Continue reading
May 11, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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white phosphorus in afghanistan and charges of human shields in pakistan – where the hell have we heard that before???
May 11, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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May 11, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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my film on PBS, may 12th, 8 pm! u can also buy the dvd at: www.TheMuslimsIKnow.com Take a journey into the much talked about but little known American community in Mara Ahmed’s personal documentary that focuses on the Pakistani American … Continue reading
May 11, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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good analysis: Conflating Afghanistan and Pakistan Obama’s Axis of Obedience By PAUL WOLF “The question at hand is not whether Pakistan is on the verge of a takeover by reactionary religious extremists from Afghanistan. It is not. Conflating the situations … Continue reading
May 7, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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finally someone who sees it clearly – the case that is being built for war in pakistan. nothing new. same MO: the press creates gradual hysteria (although everything seemed to be alright in pakistan when the swine flu first struck), … Continue reading
May 7, 2009
by mara.ahmed
0 comments
U.S. Troops In Iraq Excited To Finally Return To Afghanistan Source: www.theonion.com BAGHDAD—Since the announcement, Military officials have noticed improved morale, with many soldiers looking forward to returning to the one place where they felt they truly belonged. Full article … Continue reading
May 7, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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the torture issue: denial of the humanity of others, contempt for accepted morality. “It Plays Into the Hands of Al-Qaida” Torture? It Probably Killed More Americans Than 9/11 By PATRICK COCKBURN “The reason why foreign fighters joined al-Qa’ida in Iraq … Continue reading
May 7, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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Fascism is a unique phenomenon and has unique traits: the notion of being a “superior nation”, the denial of the humanity of other nations and national minorities, a cult of the leader, a cult of violence, disdain for democracy, an … Continue reading
May 6, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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People who are emotionally secure, who view life’s problems as manageable and who feel safe and protected tend to show the greatest empathy for strangers and to act altruistically and compassionately. In contrast, people who are anxious about their own … Continue reading
May 6, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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A day after the Pentagon accused Al Jazeera of being ‘irresponsible and inappropriate’ for broadcasting the ‘hunt for Jesus’ in Afghanistan footage, the network releases unedited tapes. Full article here.
May 5, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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our front yard, about a week ago (pittsford, ny)
May 4, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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revolutionary road: steep descent into hellish world of disjointed marriage, 9 to 5 corporate bondage, and anesthetic, skin-deep suburban life. kate winslet is radiant as usual. she is trapped, suffocating in her perfect family life. leo dicaprio is uneasy in … Continue reading