A Question of Interpretation

“In the last 23 years, from the day I was stripped of my judgeship to the years of doing battle in the revolutionary courts of Tehran, I had repeated one refrain: an interpretation of Islam that is in harmony with equality and democracy is an authentic expression of faith. It is not religion that binds women, but the selective dictates of those who wish them cloistered. That belief, along with the conviction that change in Iran must come peacefully and from within, has underpinned my work....

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A Blessing in Disguise

The Vice President of Iraq, Tareq Al-Hashemi, has been the focus of a political storm in Iraq for more than a month. Accusations—made by his political rivals—that Hashemi orchestrated a series of attempted assassinations have forced the politician into hiding in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan. Only a few days ago government forces detained more than a dozen members of Hashemi’s bodyguard, and the Ministry of Interior made further accusations that Hashemi’s employees were...

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