The newly elected president  said, “We want the people in their private life to be completely free,”and pledged to create a citizens’ rights commission “in the near future” …
… in an op-ed piece for the Washington Post he talks the talk …
- Â Why Iran Seeks Constructive Engagement (Washington Post)
… and he has taken concrete steps to show he can walk the walk …
- Iran’s Prisoner Release May Signal First Push to Dismantle Security State (Christian Science Monitor)
… while rejecting both nuclear weapons and Israeli hypocrisy on weapons of mass destruction …
… so might one of America’s only two lawmakers accompany Obama to meet Rouhani? …
- Iran: Jewish Lawmaker Heads to UN With President (AP / abc News)
- Analysis: Obama May Extend His Hand to Iran’s Rouhani at U.N. (Reuters)
… and can he help end the Syrian civil war?
- French, Iranian Leaders to Meet amid Syrian Crisis (Lebanon Daily News)
It is common for factions to turn against one another once a civil war has overthrown the regime, but when the killing starts before meeting their common objective, that is an ominous sign indeed:
- Civil War Within a Civil War? Syrian Rebel Infighting Raises New Worries (Christian Science Monitor)
Russia UN Ambassador Vitally “Churkin said that besides the incident in Ghouta the UN mission, which was led by Swedish professor Ake Sellstrom, should investigate other instances of alleged use of chemical weapons ‘including the incident on March 19 near Aleppo as well as incidents of intoxication of Syrian government troops on August 22 and 24-25′”:
Under pressure for its chemical and nuclear weapons policies as well its illegal occupation policies, Israel resorts to abusing diplomats and then threatens to file a complaint against one of its victims:
- Israel Still Angling for Attacks on Syria and Iran (Counterpunch)
- Israel, Allies Fend off International Censure  (AP / abc News)
- Israeli Forces Manhandle EU Diplomats, Seize West Bank Aid (Reuters)
- Israel Probing Claim French Diplomat Roughed Up (AP / abc News)
“Bahrain’s main Shiite opposition group is defying a ban by the island’s Sunni government to have direct contacts with foreign diplomats”:
- Bahrain Opposition Defies Ban on Meeting Diplomats (AP / abc News)
Nearly 200 clerics say, “The U.S. does not condone torture, but torture has been done by our citizens and in our country’s name. Our national security would be improved by restoring the world’s respect for U.S. integrity on human rights and adherence to the rule of law”:
The small number of British Muslim women who choose to wear the niqab make it clear that what is at stake in the proposed ban is a matter of individual rights:
A Saudi film director pulls back the veil between Western stereotypes and the nuances of her country’s conservative culture:
- ‘Wadjda’ Director Haifaa Al Mansour Gives Female Perspective of Life in Saudi Arabia (Washington Post)
- ‘Wadjda’ Movie Review (Washington Post)
“The Muslim world’s current turmoil has one key cause that is rooted in neither religious ideology nor sectarian struggle. In Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey, rapidly growing and increasingly assertive middle classes want a say in politics and greater economic opportunity”:
- The Irresistible Rise of the Muslim Middle Class (Project Syndicate)
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