Salem-News.com Politics articles

India: Human Rights Defender Samiul Biswas in Judicial Custody

Samiul Biswas has been instrumental in documenting human rights violations along the India-Bangladesh border.

(YORK, UK) - According to the information received from Front Line Defenders, on 19 March 2019, the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court remanded human rights defender Samiul Biswas in custody at Krishnanagar District Jail.

Biswas had been arrested the previous day by the Border Security Force (BSF) of the Mahakhola Border Outpost near the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal on charges of theft relating to his “possession” of Bangladeshi currency and a Bangladeshi SIM card, the evidence for which is believed to have been falsified.

Will Democratic Socialism be a Winner in 2020?

Socialistic programs provide safety nets when unregulated capitalism goes awry.

(SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.) - In his State of the Union address, President Trump decried socialism stating, “Tonight, we resolve that America will never be a socialist country.” I bet Trump could not explain what socialism is, nor for that matter, could many Americans.

Why does the word "socialism" cause fear and trembling too many Americans? Many probably think socialism equals that old bogeyman communism. However, communism is primarily a political system, a way of organizing a society in which the government owns the things that are used to make and transport products, and there is no privately owned property.

Jim Crow Jumps Into The Game

History in blackface slaps the present moment awake.

(SALEM / PeaceVoice) - What? The governor put that picture on his yearbook page? In 1984? The wave of outrage, the demand for his resignation — from Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s own party, the Democrats — can’t be dismissed with a shrug and an apology.

His career may be over, thanks not simply to an act of youthful stupidity but to the context that made it possible: good old American racism.

Fair Trial: Asia Bibi Not Guilty of Blasphemy

The US has conveyed concerns about Christian persecution in Pakistan, while Pakistan simply denies it.

(ISLAMABAD) - The Supreme Court of Pakistan finally set aside a review petition of a Christian woman, Asia Bibi, accused of blasphemy, after she spent more than 8 years in prison, in solitary confinement.

The decision is being warmly welcomed by human rights activists in the local and international community. The judgement is unclear, however, regarding what action will be taken against those who falsely accused her of blasphemy and gave false testimonies to mislead the court and public.

More AIPAC Than J Street: Kamala Harris Runs to the Right on Foreign Policy

The California senator’s hardline positions on Israel-Palestine point to a dangerous disregard for international law.

(SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.) - California’s junior senator Kamala Harris is being embraced by many progressive Democrats, and she’s branding herself as a progressive.

Yet in the course of her little more than two years in the U.S. Senate, she’s taken some foreign policy positions that should give pause to supporters of human rights and international law.

Journalist Marzieh Hashemi Released From Federal Custody

Hashemi was detained by the Federal Government for 10 days without charge or accusation.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Marzieh Hashemi is an American citizen and a prominent news anchor for Iran's Press TV. She detained by the Federal Government for 10 days without charge or accusation, held in a prison facility in Washington DC as a "material witness."

As of this afternoon, she has been released from custody.

The Annual Whitewashing of Martin Luther King Jr.

Too many cynically misappropriate words they neither earned nor deserve.

(GEORGIA) - Every year I ask myself questions about the shameful exploitation of Martin Luther King Jr.--why do Americans love to disgrace his message so much? Why is it so popular that we see it year after year?

Remember last year? Trump was talking about "s@!#hole countries" while tweeting “I encourage all Americans to observe this day with appropriate civic, community, and service activities in honor of Dr. King’s life and legacy.”

Give Shelter to Those Seeking Refuge

We need to stand for border communities and vulnerable migrants seeking refuge

(SAN DIEGO, Calif.) - I was near the San Diego border crossing when I saw Border Patrol agents fire tear gas canisters and flash bang grenades into a crowd of migrants gathered nearby.

I saw a low-flying Customs and Border Protection helicopter use its rotors to push plumes of tear gas into a canal where many migrants had gathered. Even though I have been working to support and protect migrants and border communities for many years, I continue to be disturbed and horrified by these clear and egregious violations of people's dignity and human rights.

Fortieth Anniversary of Jonestown Tragedy

There isn't anything extraordinary about Jones’ power. It was pure politics.

(SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.) - November 2018 marks the fortieth anniversary of the mass murder and suicide of 918 in Jonestown, Guyana, by religious cult leader Jim Jones. About two-thirds of the victims were African-Americans.

Jones was the founder and leader of the Peoples Temple, established in 1971.

Truth and Reconciliation for Gender-based Offenses

Help chart a fair path forward in light of the #MeToo movement.

(BALTIMORE, Maryland) - I was very inspired by the bold New York Times piece “Eight Stories of Men’s Regret,” published in response to the polarized debate over now-Justice Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Not only is it brave to confess one’s past transgressions, but it is also necessary for accountability, which is the missing link of #MeToo.