An Indian and an American share their reflections on their countries’ shared march toward authoritarianism.

Tucked away in a corner adjacent to the Al Aqsa compound in Jerusalem’s Old City is the neighborhood of Bab al-Majles. It is a rather small neighborhood, but is heavily fortified and gated by Israeli forces at its entrance, the reason being that the locale leads directly to an entrance to the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif. The area is home to 350 residents that make up the Old City’s Afro-Palestinian community, giving the area the informal designation of an African quarter. Descendants of pilgrims, migrants and even slaves that made their way to the Holy Land from countries such as Nigeria, Sudan and Chad, the Afro-Palestinians have been living in the area since 1930. Today the community is considered well integrated into Palestinian society, and are even actively engaged in the Palestinian freedom movement. Living in Jerusalem under occupation has presented its own set of challenges that are unique for the Afro-Palestinian community.

Over this past week’s Memorial Day which is traditionally held to highlight the deaths of fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terrorism, a ceremony was held jointly by Israelis and Palestinians, calling for reconciliation by highlighting the sufferings caused to both sides of the conflict. The event, which is organized by two organizations, the Israel-Palestinian Bereaved Families for Peace, and Combatants for Peace was, for the first time since its inception in 2006, only streamed online rather than attended in person due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Jugal Bhinde is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Political Science. He has worked as a journalist in Indian administered Kashmir and Jordan, reporting mostly on minority and human rights issues. He is currently an intern with PIJ, after which he plans to pursue his graduate studies.

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During all the celebrations that culminate at the end of Ramadan, Eid is a day when Kashmiri children are let loose to roam the city as they please. They glimmer in their new clothes, and frolic to parks and gardens, going in their numbers in tightly crammed cars, or atop open-air double decker buses.

Nabeel Ahmed and his wife Noor Jaan battle to cure their son of his addiction. From a bright student, their son Shahid (named changed), is a wreck and a shadow of his past, recuperating at the Police Drug De-Addiction and Rehabilitation Center, located in Batmaloo, Srinagar. As they are asked about the circumstances of their son’s addiction, a middle-aged mother and father would break down and wail.

“Discounted maids!”. announces a male voice on the radio. “If you’re not satisfied you can return your maid for free.”. Every week, ads aired on the radio in Jordan offer “one-month trial” periods and “cash on delivery” options for employers who want to hire migrant domestic workers. Online ads via social media also boast offers like "Delivery in 30 days," and "Enjoy a month of discounts on maid.”.

The campaign "Let's go downtown Amman", intended to support shop owners in downtown Amman who were affected by recent flooding, launched on Friday. Activists said the campaign sprouted from a sense of social solidarity and aimed to help alleviate the losses of shop owners whose businesses were hit by flooding in downtown Amman.

When Mary Jo signed a contract to work as a nanny in Jordan, she was promised a 400JD monthly salary, a weekly day off from work, a mobile phone to call her family in the Philippines and adequate accommodations by her host family. A copy of her contract was given to her as a guarantee that her employers would meet these conditions.