Photo by Manal Madkhan
Afghanistan/Pakistan
Will 2014 Be the Year Afghanistan Is Abandoned?
Mirwais Rahmani* | 27 Feb 2013
Jalalabad Students (Photo credit: Fiona Shukri) With 2014 less than a year away, much of the world is waiting for major international events like the FIFA World Cup or the Winter Olympics. For most Afghans, however, the countdown to 2014 is filled with fear, uncertainty and hopelessness. It is the year when NATO and the International Security Assistance Force...Rape in India: a Focus on Retribution
Ayesha Chugh* | 12 Feb 2013
One of the many protests that followed the brutal December 16, 2012 rape of a 23 year old Indian woman(Photo credit: NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images) On December 16, 2012, a 23-year-old woman from New Delhi, India was gang raped in a moving bus. Besides her male companion who was also on board, the six attackers were the only other passengers on the bus. The men...The Future of Afghanistan – On the Shoulders of the Young
Mustafa Babak * | 31 Jan 2013
Military force and foreign aid have long been considered the optimal solution for Afghanistan’s long-standing instability. Ill-informed military generals and hawkish policies, reckless and unaccountable international aid, and an enterprise of corrupt Afghan politicians have resulted in increased violence, civilian casualties, corruption, and impunity. No one...The Cultural & Religious Debates on HIV/AIDS in the Muslim World
Dominic Bocci* | 15 Jan 2013
(Photo credit: Andy McCarthy UK on Flickr, under Creative Commons) On December 8, 2012, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) hosted a Red Gala Dinner at the Fairmont Hotel in Cairo, Egypt to raise awareness about the virus and how it affects the lives of over three hundred thousand people across the Arab world. The by-invitation-only event featured...New DOD Report: Progress toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan
Muftah Editors | 13 Dec 2012
The U.S. Department of Defense submitted a report to Congress this December on the status of Afghanistan’s transition. Covering progress made in the country from April 1 to September 30, 2012, the report suggests multiple challenges persist as the country’s security is transferred into the hands of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). Key Report...“The Buzkashi Boys:” Filming in Kabul
Francesca Recchia* | 13 Feb 2013
Photo credit: David Gill – shot2bits@mac.com Childhood cannot be taken for granted in a place like Afghanistan. On a walk through Kabul, it is inevitable to meet street children by the hundreds, rugged,...A Snowy Week in Kabul
Francesca Recchia* | 1 Feb 2013
Photo credit: Conrad Blything Paraphrasing Marquez. Snow in the time of war. Kabul, 12 January 2013 It started to snow yesterday evening. My first snowfall in Kabul. It started slowly with small flakes that grew...The Prospects for a Continued U.S. Presence in Afghanistan After 2014
Mahboobullah Iltaf * | 22 Jan 2013
From January 8-12, 2013, President Hamid Karzai’s visited Washington, DC to discuss relations between the United States and Afghanistan beyond 2014, in a trip many Afghans believed would be crucial for determining...Mourning My Neighbors: Newtown, CT and the Terror Within
Lara Dotson-Renta* | 17 Dec 2012
A woman pays respects at a memorial outside of St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. On Friday, a gunman allegedly killed his mother at their home and then opened fire...Pakistan: The Army and the Electoral Process
Ayesha Chugh* | 6 Dec 2012
Pakistan’s elections are set to occur in May 2013, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Already, political stakeholders are emphasizing the need for a fair electoral process. Debates have...
