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Stories about West Asia & North Africa from February, 2019
Egyptian parliament endorses constitutional amendments that could allow Sisi to rule until 2034
"Proposed amendments to Egypt’s constitution, including granting the armed forces authority to intervene in government, would undermine judicial independence and expand executive powers that are already being abused."
How Saudi leaders are using religion to consolidate power and silence critical voices
''Oppression is a comprehensive system, and [in our country] it is enabled by religion.''
Can Jordan offer some lessons to oil-dependent ‘giants’ on renewable energy?
Jordan is the only Arab country in the region with an attractive market for commercial-scale solar.
A look at Syria's long history of feminist movements
"The 2011 revolution was a revolution against everything, and so the women had a role as revolutionary activists at the forefront of the revolution"
EU proposal pushes tech companies to tackle ‘terrorist content’ with AI, despite implications for war crimes evidence
AI tools can assess whether a video is violent or graphic. But can they determine the video’s intended purpose?
Cameroonian justice minister rationalizes Holocaust on national television
The comments are distressing given how it feeds into the renewed reliance worldwide from far-right movements on the tired, racist trope that the Jewish community controls the finance world.
#MetooUyghur campaign asks Chinese government to prove that Xinjiang detainees are still alive
Uyghur communities from all over the world are using the #MetooUyghur hashtag to demand answers about the welfare of their loved ones.
Iranian environmentalists fear death penalty after a year behind bars
Public prosecutors built much of their case against the group from a forced confession made by one of the activists.
Why Bahrain's ‘torture prince’ can still visit the U.K. despite calls for his arrest
Despite allegations that Bahrain's Nasser Bin Hamad personally took part in torturing protesters, he has repeatedly traveled to the UK where he faces calls for his arrest.
European Parliament approves EU-Moroccan trade deal, ignoring Western Sahara Indigenous protections
By ignoring the European Court of Justice's verdict and the concerns of Sahrawis whose lands are occupied by Morocco, the European parliament is "pushing for a war in Western Sahara".
Pressure mounts for Thailand to free Melbourne-based Bahraini refugee Hakeem al-Araibi
"Australia just gave our highest award to 2 divers for risking their lives to rescue 12 Thai boys from underground caves. We know where Hakeem is. He just needs a one-way plane ticket."