Author Archives: Niloofar Shambayati

The Assault on Gaza

Throughout the current Israel’s assault on Gaza, President Obama, the Congress, and the media have been sounding off the mantra of “Israel’s right to defend itself” against rockets from Gaza—a self-evident right, if Israel were indeed the innocent victim of … Continue reading

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Shooting the Messenger: Reflections on the Court Martial of Whistle Blower PFC Bradley Manning

I spent five days in and around Fort Meade military base in Maryland, attending the first two days of the court martial of the whistleblower, Bradley Manning.  The trial started on June 3rd, after he had already spent three years … Continue reading

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Democracy and Israeli’s Other Citizens

MAY 15 IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE establishment of the state of Israel which is celebrated every year with pride and jubilance. The Palestinians in Israel, however, have very little to celebrate. Although most of them are citizens, they have … Continue reading

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Deconstructing Obama’s Rhetoric on Palestine

IN HIS JANUARY 22 CEREMONY to announce the appointment of George Mitchell as the special envoy to the Middle East, President Obama spoke to the urgency of a lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and made a commitment “to seek … Continue reading

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The Case of the Gap and the Oak Harbor Strike

In a recent strike, over 600 workers from Oak Harbor Freight Lines (O.H.) have taken the legal and moral principle of corporate social responsibility to a new level. They have taken their case to Oak Harbor’s major clients, demanding that … Continue reading

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The Science and Politics of Medical Cannabis

FOLLOWING THE DEFEAT of a medical marijuana bill in 2007, Ray Warren, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) adamantly stated that “We are not going to abandon the patients, doctors and nurses who have worked so … Continue reading

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A Bourgeoning Community Garden In North Champaign

…garden programs serve to further a vision of what should be in times when society is unclear about where the future is heading. —Laura J. Lawson, City Bountiful, A Century of Community Gardening in America (2005) As chronicled in City … Continue reading

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Post-Cold War U.S. Geo-Strategy in the Middle East

Back in the summer of 2006, while the Israeli army was incessantly bombing Lebanon back to the Stone Age, the U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, comforted us all by calling the death and destruction being inflicted upon Lebanon “the … Continue reading

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