They Got Away With a Gang Rape They Captured on Video. Then Came Instagram. [VICE]

Over the last two months, there’s been a seismic shift in the way Egyptians talk about sex, namely how it’s weaponized against women. In the past, incidents of sexual violence in Egypt would go unreported; the victims who did come forward were typically blamed or encouraged to let it go because of the humiliation its disclosure would cause the accused’s family or their own. But that started to shift abruptly this summer. In late June, an anonymous Instagram account called @assaultpolice began collecting testimonies about and screenshots of conversations with… Continue reading “They Got Away With a Gang Rape They Captured on Video. Then Came Instagram. [VICE]”

A Domestic Terror Law Could Quash Political Dissent in US [Al Jazeera]

When President Trump announced his intention to designate Antifa as a domestic terrorist organisation, his disregard for the upsurge of white right-wing extremist violence was obvious. So, too, was his objective -quashing political opposition to his administration.   Antifa, short for anti-fascist, is a far-left ideological movement opposed to fascists, neo-Nazis and far-right groups. A loose collective of individuals and local groups, it lacks a chain of command or designated leaders.  Followers of this decentralised movement engage mostly in nonviolent activities such as protesting, giving speeches, tracking fascist groups and hanging… Continue reading “A Domestic Terror Law Could Quash Political Dissent in US [Al Jazeera]”

U.S. Leadership Needed on Syrian Refugee Crisis [Wilson Center]

Sixty percent of Syria’s population are either refugees or internally displaced.  Of those thirteen million Syrians, nearly six million are refugees who fled to neighboring Middle Eastern nations—five times more than the one million in Europe and the U.S.  Unable to return home and with minimal, if any, access to education, jobs, and health care in host countries; Syrian refugees are trapped in a legal and economic purgatory. The challenge facing the international community is whether it will stand by and watch as a generation of Syrians is lost to… Continue reading “U.S. Leadership Needed on Syrian Refugee Crisis [Wilson Center]”

Building Resilience in the New Threat Paradigm [Rutgers University Miller Center]

Professor Sahar Aziz gave keynote opening remarks in the conference “Building Resilience in the New Threat Paradigm: Targeted Violence Against People of Faith” in June 2019 at Stockton University and hosted by the Rutgers Miller Center for Community Protection and Resilience. Her remarks, entitled “Connecting the Dots of Hate: Islamophobia and Antisemitism,” analyzed the common stereotypes that perpetuate hate against Muslim and Jewish communities by far right wing groups.… Continue reading “Building Resilience in the New Threat Paradigm [Rutgers University Miller Center]”

Reporting Islam: Media, Policy and Politics [Northwestern University]

In an interdisciplinary convening of scholars, practitioners, and activists, Professor Aziz gave a presentation entitled “Depoliticizing Muslims: Countering Violent Extremism as a Racial Project” at Northwestern University in April 2019. Her comments are based on her academic articles on countering violent extremism available for download here.… Continue reading “Reporting Islam: Media, Policy and Politics [Northwestern University]”