North America

Human Rights and Religious Freedom in Pakistan
A panel discussion with 
Father James Channan, Anasuya Sengupta and Sabahat Rafiq

Gaining trust to visit an American governmental institution is one of the things that increased my interest of being a student in the USA and a URI youth Ambassador. A lot of people try to limit our ambitions as Arabs, even worse as females. But you see, a hypothesis will always be in doubt until proved right. I am writing today to give a tiny example of how Intersectionality can be challenged.

Tony Blair, Founder and Patron of the Tony Blair Foundation, recently announced the selection of 30 young people from the UK, US, Canada and India to join his Faith Foundation's youth leadership.

Last night I witnessed a burst of historic heroic citizenship in the USA when I watched a PBS special program called The Freedom Riders. In 1961 racism was ugly, mean, unjust, and embedded in American society. Southern states enforced Jim Crow legislation and local police enforced segregated sitting rooms in bus and railroad stations in cities across the South.

Jonathan Granoff reflects on the power of nonviolence, and extends an invitation to all to attend the Newark Peace Education Summit, May 13 - 15, Newark, New Jersey, USA.

Eleanor Roosevelt reminded us that universal human rights begin in  small places close to home.  Recently, I  drew upon Roosevelt's wisdom in offering my perspective at the Annual Meeting of the United Muslims of America in Newark, CA.