June 15, 2004

• Via Informed Comment.
• The Bush administration has made *everyone's* work of promoting democracy & human rights harder.
• How sad! We're really all so fatigued by the last three years (I feel the same)that we can't respond to this. Prove me wrong?
• What do we say? That it's a shame that it's more difficult to spread democracy and basic human rights? Because it is a shame. That Bush needs to go? Can't do anything until November. How are we supposed to react? Not angry. Just really curious. What do you think we should do? It's not neccesarily fatigue it's just not being able to do anything right now. I guess I could throw money at the cause and hope that helped.
• And, for everyone in USofA that thinks Bush needs to go, there's probably someone that thinks he should stay and that he's doing a wonderful job. Devil'sAdvocateFilter
• "Ebadi was chosen for the Nobel Prize over Pope John Paul II, among others. The award was seen as effort by the Nobel committee to promote peaceful reform in the Middle East. She learned of the honor while she was in Paris and returned to an impromptu airport welcome by enthusiastic crowds. But initial government reaction was tepid. President Mohammad Khatami told reporters the peace prize was "not that important," adding, "the ones that count are the scientific and literary prizes."" --from the article.
• Also see this interview of Ebadi; short read, well worth it.
• Another interview, with streaming video.
• Bush, if he doesn't follow the Geneva Conventions on the 30. June, and release all the Iraqi POWs (including Saddam) will have abolished the rule of law, which means we (the rest of the world) get to take up arms to overthrow the tyrant. That would make the job of promoting democracy a little bit more concrete.
• There are at least a couple of folks in Norway that would like to see Bush take Ms. Ebadi's Nobel spot next year.
• Iran's Nobel Winner To Represent Slain Journalist
• Excerpts from a series of emails between Jill Klein and a PhD student in North Africa. Resistance fighters, revenge and utter bewilderment. "In early 2003 I received an email from a Ph.D. student in a North African country. She was working on the boycott of American products in the Arab world, and had contacted me because of my research on international animosity and on boycotts. I began an email correspondence with her. Excerpts from her emails follow."
• Shirin Ebadi on Islamic feminism, living with fear, and losing trust in U.S. foreign policy.
• Nobel Prize winner accuses US of double standards over Iran
• This is encouraging: US Quits Human Rights Council
• Iran's brutal morality police are growing in power, warns Nobel Prize-winner