First year in Afghanistan - visiting Herat city, on the Iranian border, in 2007. Living a dream ✨ . . . #afganistan #herat #middleeast #love #photooftheday #refugees #mosque #iran #homesweethome #ancestral #homeland #ancestralhome
This elaborate folio presents four calligraphic panels (clockwise from upper left): two unsigned couplets; three couplets copied by Sultan Mahmud; two couplets by Shah Muhammad; and two couplets by Sultan Muhammad Nur. Writing in gold in the triangle above his work, Sultan Muhammad Nur states he penned this example by imitating the style of “Mawlana [our master] Sultan Ali al-Mashhadi.” The unsigned couplets in the upper left corner could well be the work of Sultan Ali Mashhadi. Its carefully modulated line and the visual balance between fluid and disciplined strokes are indeed distinctive of his work. Also, combining Sultan Ali Mashhadi’s calligraphy with examples by three of his outstanding students on a single page underscores the fundamental importance of the master-pupil relationship.
Album folio Signed by Sultan Mahmud, Shah Muhammad, and Sultan Muhammad Nur Historic Iran, present-day Afghanistan, Herat and Ahmedabad, Safavid period, 16th century Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
The outbreak of war between Russia and Ukraine did not come out of nowhere. Here are the key historical events that produced the crisis, and the declassified documents showing that the U.S. gov’t knew it was playing with fire over the last 30 years.
of NATO’s broken promises
The Clinton administration made many behind-the-scenes promises to Boris Yeltsin, and their deceptions eventually came to a head at their Budapest meeting in 1994.
Declassified documents revealed this misdirection.
U.S. & NATO continue their regime change efforts. Two notable examples of this are NATO’s involvement in Afghanistan which resulted in a 20 yr occupation with hundreds of thousands dead.
NATO’s bombing of Libya (serving as the air force for the rebels) collapses the gov’t.
After a decade of deception, Putin comes to power promising to overcome Russia’s humiliations. He makes clear that NATO expansion to Ukraine is a red line
A doc by William Burns, current CIA Director, shows they knew they were playing with fire
In 2014 the era of Ukrainian neutrality comes to an end with the overthrow of President Victor Yanukovych. This coup was supported and funded by the U.S. and succeeds when far-right paramilitaries storm the presidential palace.
While western powers continue to stoke escalation and war, a diplomatic road out of the current crisis is still possible. Will the U.S. & NATO step back from the brink and negotiate with Russia?
Looking back on it today, the famous U.S. assurance to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev of “Not one inch eastward” rings hollow.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, NATO has added 13 countries… and counting.
Mother, Daughter, Doll:Yemeni photographer Boushra Almutawakel makes us reflect on the living conditions of women in contexts where religious fanaticism prevails.
Her work highlights the strength and courage of Middle Eastern women.
I know this little drawing won’t help our afghan sisters. All I can do is hope for them to stay safe and wish they’re able to leave that country. These days I’ve felt more privileged than ever to live in a democracy, and I just hope they get the help they need.
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No hay consuelo para tanto terror.
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Sé que este dibujillo no ayudará a las afganas. Todo lo que puedo hacer es esperar que se mantengan a salvo y puedan abandonar el país. Estos días me he sentido más privilegiada que nunca por vivir en una democracia, y simplemente espero que estas mujeres reciban la ayuda que necesitan.
