Middle East

Gays and Lesbians Battle Discrimination

Population Policy Under Scrutiny

Damascus government accused of failing to encourage contraception to deal with soaring birth rate.

Female Circumcision Ban Urged

New survey reveals that majority of women in Kurdistan have undergone genital mutilation.

Casting a Ballot for Democracy

Constitutional referendum proved that minorities not only have a voice, but their voices can effect change.

Flawed Charter Beyond Repair

Those who voted in favour of the constitution because they felt there was no alternative were mistaken.

Back to Baghdad

One year after leaving the capital, a reporter returns to a ghost town.

Dealing With Hizb-ut-Tahrir

Repressive policies from Central Asia governments have done nothing to curb the rise of the banned Islamic party.

New Saddams” Must Also Face Justice

Now that Saddam has been convicted, Iraq's other criminals - its corrupt officials, militia leaders and terrorists - should be tried too.

Capital Punishment as a Means of Revenge

Iraqi rulers have long employed the death penalty as a way of getting back at their enemies.

ICJ Judgment Significant Despite Flaws

Ruling marks an important development in international law - the first time the Genocide Convention has been applied at the ICJ.