In October of 2009, Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi ignited a heated debate when he said the niqab was merely a tradition not linked to religion, and that women would be banned from wearing it in schools and universities.

A few days ago, an article was published on the Daily News Egypt website, about how some Egyptian women see the veil as a protection against sexual harassment on the streets. This is not a surprise, given the shocking statistics that were released a couple weeks ago that stated that 98% of foreign women and 83% of local women are sexually harassed in Egypt.

Last week marked the one year anniversary of the inauguration of the US President Barack Obama, presenting us with an opportunity to reflect upon the past year, to assess both the accomplishments and

SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
THE HUMAN RIGHTS AGENDA FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
WASHINGTON, DC
DECEMBER 14, 2009

Faced with increasing furor in the West Bank and Gaza, the Palestinian Authority leadership a

Richard Goldstone, a former UN war crimes prosecutor who led a UN inquiry into the Gaza conflict,