Straight terrorism
At least 50 people were killed and another 53 wounded early Sunday morning in a massacre at the “Pulse” club, a venue associated with the LGBTQ community in Orlando. The media spent the better part of Sunday trying to understand why it happened. But for many of us in the LGBTQ community, it was clear as could be: yet another hate crime in a wave of violence against LGBTQ people that has been going on for thousands of years — all over the world. “Straight terrorism” hits us everywhere we live.
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Dog lovers in Baghdad break sectarian, ethnic barriers
Every Saturday, a crowd gathers spontaneously in Baghdad’s Abu Nawas park. But they are not protestors. No, they are fans with one thing in common – a love of man’s best friend. Some of the visitors bring their own dogs with them and compete in races and other contests, others come to buy a dog, and many come just to see the animals in actions.
Keeping dogs as pets is not seen the same way in the Middle East as it is in European countries. In Islamic religion, dogs are considered unclean – one piece of scripture says that angels won’t enter a house where a dog is kept - and although a staunch Muslim would not treat canines unkindly, they would not keep a dog as a pet either; there is however some dispensation that allows dogs to be kept if they are working animals. However, as the crowds in Abu Nawas park might suggest, this attitude is changing somewhat.
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Exploring the industry behind Egypt's colorful Ramadan lanterns
As Muslims all over the world celebrate Ramadan, which reminds them of the importance of generosity, spirituality and feeding the poor, celebrations in Egypt have their own unique feel.
The industry of manufacturing Egyptian authentic lanterns was originally based in “Taht El Rab’aa,'” a local district in downtown Cairo. Today, it has moved to Al-Sayeda Zeinab and Khaiamia, two kilometers away from Tahrir Square, the center of downtown Cairo.
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