To date, America’s greatest contribution to the world has been its Constitution. The importance of this document far surpasses such other cultural achievements as the Moon landing, the telephone, GPS, rubber vulcanization, and Henry Ford’s mass production lines. It is more important, even, than Gone With the Wind, and the hamburger — even though this [...]
The idea of reviving the Silk Road is gaining traction, but with a twist: this time, it’s expected to ignite competition regionally and globally. China, spearheading the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aims to create a massive economic bloc by connecting its economy to around 150 countries. The World Bank estimates BRI’s potential to [...]
As the world marks International Women’s Day, we have to address the elephant in the room. When it comes to honoring and protecting the rights of women, far too much of the global community is backsliding. As a legal scholar from Afghanistan, I know firsthand about these struggles as they pertain to the women of [...]
“Where there were great military actions, there lies whitening now the jawbone of an ass.” Saint-John Perse (French poet, 1887-1975) As film, the core importance of “Oppenheimer” lies in its messages on human survival. The personal, emotional and romantic aspects of the film are captivating, to be sure, but they are less consequential than any [...]
The United States Constitution was signed by the members of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. We have entered the 237th year of our national Constitution, which continues its legacy as the oldest written constitution in the world. Yes, we have the immense good fortune to live in the oldest constitutional democracy [...]
Can a country’s citizens nullify the criminal cases that a popular leader faces by handing them an electoral victory in the general elections? This question raises issues that could prove pivotal to the political processes in Pakistan and the US, pertaining respectively to their former prime minister Imran Khan and former President Donald Trump. Its [...]
As the Gaza conflict stumbles forward, out of control, bloody, deadly, and seemingly endless, the Israeli Prime Minister vows “total victory” against Hamas as he steps over the bodies of thousands of Palestinians caught up in the violence. Total victory is an impossibility in this conflict. The days of total victory, of unconditional surrender, are [...]
Even especially attentive Supreme Court watchers might underestimate the importance of a pair of cases the Court subjected to three and a half hours of argument on January 17. In a term full of cases pitting gun rights against domestic violence victims, determining access to medical abortion, and injecting the justices into presidential election politics, [...]
On August 15, 2021, Taliban forces seized Kabul, bringing an end to the era of the internationally sponsored Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (IRA), and reviving the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) in its place. While the Taliban’s approach to issues of rights remains unchanged, their control over Afghanistan is virtually unchallenged for now, fostering inevitable [...]
“God loves from Whole to Part, but human soul Must rise from Individual to the Whole.” Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man Though poorly understood, humankind can survive on this planet only by embracing viable systems of international law. More than anything else, these world-centered legal systems must be founded upon axiomatic principles of human [...]
