Journey to Guantánamo
I went to the American penal colony in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. I was there as a journalist, to cover pre-trial motion hearings …
America is steeped in violence. And the roots of that violence go deep
It’s not just about guns. I wrote this essay for The Guardian reflecting on how America’s obsessions with guns and violence terrifies …
The alleged Buffalo shooter was also inspired by Islamophobia. That’s telling
I wrote this essay for The Guardian on the shooting in Buffalo. Few may realize that the alleged shooter copied the manifesto …
Facebook’s solidarity with Ukraine is impressive. Now extend it to others
I wrote this essay for The Guardian about how our powerful tech platforms like Facebook and Instagram act very differently when people …
They are ‘civilised’ and ‘look like us’: the racist coverage of Ukraine
Are Ukrainians more deserving of sympathy than Afghans and Iraqis? Many seem to think so, and I investigate this problem in an …
Why is the White House stealing $7bn from Afghans?
To take Afghan money to pay grieving Americans in order to punish the Taliban is nothing less than larceny as collective punishment, …
The US government is deploying robot dogs to the Mexico border. Seriously?
As if the border isn’t surveilled and militarized enough, the Department of Homeland Security wants to go full Black Mirror. I wrote …
Can the K-pop boyband BTS … save the world?
I wrote this essay for The Guardian on the South Korean megastar boyband BTS. Their sunny pop-optimism and ‘Army’ of fans are …
Justice for Ahmaud Arbery
Recognizing that jury reached the right verdict – even as the criminal justice system did everything it could to exonerate the three …
About that new University of Austin and free speech…
For The Guardian, I wrote this essay, in which I congratulate Bari Weiss and the other founders of a brave new university, …