ABBA NETWORK

With decades of struggle for human rights under his belt and a newcomer to Madrid to speak at a conference organized by the General Council of Lawyers, Shirin Ebadi spoke to ABC this upheaval in Iran.

“Your country is engaged in riots against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. How is the situation?
“The protests are growing and have gotten as small cities. In addition to that every day there is more activism and more strikes in the factories, people no longer afraid. They know that if they go out could end up in jail, yet they still do. And the government loses popular support by the day. Even among the fundamentalists there are differences …

- What solution is there?
“The only is that another election be held with UN observers. That election must be completely free and involve release of political prisoners.
“You and your family are suffering repression firsthand. Do you feel more persecuted than ever?
“I have no political office, not belong to any party and I do not name the Prime Minister. But being a human rights activist can not remain indifferent. And I give to other organizations reporting on the human rights situation in my country, that the wrath of the Government of Iran. Months before the election ended the human rights NGO founded and assaulted my law practice.

“The regime has acted against his sister and her husband.
“What we are doing is harassment for them which in turn will convince me that I stop what I’m doing. My husband has been detained in jail and my sister as a hostage, when neither are activists. My husband is an engineer and my sister dentist.
“No favors economic sanctions or military intervention in Iran. Maybe because he thinks the solution must come from within?
“That kind of measures can only worsen the situation and giving ammunition to the Government to radical. Any change must come from within Iranian society. All that we ask the international community not to support the government in the crackdown, and the important thing is that the world knows what is happening in Iran.

“Barack Obama shares with you the status of Nobel Peace Prize. Can there be accredited deserve in less than a year as president?
“No doubt the performance of President Obama is much better than Bush. A president can not be able to change all that must change in a year, but has made some important first steps. Do not forget that the first day in office ordered the closure of Guantanamo. Or who has declared that military intervention in Iraq was a mistake. Just for that I am worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize.

- Islam and democracy?
“Islam can be interpreted consistently with human rights, and reject those who use religion as an excuse for violating them.
- What do you think the Alliance of Civilizations promoted by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero?
“It’s a good project for psychology tells us that when we do not know the other what we fear and hate him. The solution lies in dialogue, but the important thing is that this exchange is given in all areas: among journalists, athletes, clergymen and writers.

- Do you see the commitment of adequate some in the West to banish the veil?
“I do not wear veils. In Islamic countries like Iran require women to wear the scarf, and women do not want. And in countries like France and Germany forced the woman to take it off, and she does not want. Do not understand why not let women do what they please. Rejection decisions taken with bigotry or prejudice.

Following the first year of Barack Obama in power, the U.S. black population has gained pride and self esteem as well as in the preceding 25 years. That is clear at least from a survey of the prestigious Pew Research Center, under which African Americans no longer see themselves or are viewed by others as the most discriminated ethnic group in North America.

That “honor” is now Hispanics.
Some 23 percent of 2884 adults (including 812 blacks) surveyed by the Pew Research Center, between 28 October and 30 November 2009, believe that Hispanics are the most discriminated group in America. A 18 percent that are still considered black. A curious fact is that 45 percent of all Americans surveyed, and 55 percent of blacks believe that no race or ethnicity is as discriminated as homosexuals.

Positive developments in the vision of black people and their situation are mostly among the black population itself, with which the present economic crisis has been primed. Even in these circumstances are becoming more blacks who think they can fend for themselves in the U.S. and tend to look blurred the barriers with other races.

Not that everything is no longer black and white to turn pink. Forty years after the great wave of struggle against racial segregation and civil rights, 8 in 10 blacks are generally less satisfied with their lives than whites and believe that further changes are needed to achieve full or least reasonably equal. But 39 percent believe that their life is better than five years ago, only 20 percent believed that in 2007 - and 53 percent believe their lives will be even better in the future, compared with 10 percent who believe that will be worse. In 2007 only 44 percent expected future improvements for blacks, while 21 percent expected that any further deterioration.

Some 54 percent of blacks, compared with 32 percent of whites believe race relations have improved with Obama. These figures are very positive but not as satisfactory as those were the day after the election when they said that 74 percent of blacks and 48 percent of whites.

Values similar
But perhaps the most telling indicator is that more and more blacks tend to see a convergence of their values and way of life with those of whites. That’s the opinion of today 6 of every 10 blacks. This represents an increase of almost 20 points since 2007.

With the fall of racial barriers come doubts about identity. What is being targeted and what is being black in today’s society, so mixed that the president himself is a mestizo? About 55 percent of blacks surveyed believe Obama black, whereas 34 percent is of mixed race. Among whites the proportion is reversed: 53 percent considered of mixed race and 24 percent black.

The U.S. president, Barack Obama, accused the Supreme Court to give “a blow to democracy ‘to the ring last Thursday, the contribution limit that is allowed to contribute to the companies during an election campaign, to protect, according to opinion, the right of corporations to freedom of expression.

This decision comes just two days after Obama threw down the gauntlet to U.S. banks, announcing, with great fanfare, a reform to limit by law the size of large financial institutions and restrict their activities at risk.
“I see record profits for some firms then say they can not lend more money to small businesses, lower fees credit card or return the ransom money they received from the taxpayer, “said the president, has warned that while”If they want to fight, will’.

For Bush, the Supreme Court ruling “opens the floodgates for the entry of an unlimited amount of money from special interests in our democracy,” he said. Thus, Obama said, he “gives lobbyists more reasons to spend millions of dollars in advertising, so that elected representatives vote in favor or to punish those who do not.

“This ruling is a blow to democracy itself,” the president said in his weekly address.

U.S. election campaigns in 2008, with the presidential head, spent about 6. 000 million dollars. Of these, more than 1. 000 million came from lobbyists and other private organizations.

The Supreme Court decision “will make it harder to pass the legislation guided by common sense because even foreign entities will be allowed to interfere in elections,” he said.

In reply, Obama announced the preparation of measures in collaboration with Congress to get a response “and bipartisan forced” to the sentence. “We started working on it, and will be a priority to repair the damage,” he said.

The legislation “is not going to be a hanging for banks, but I think Congress has collared them and are bringing them in,” says Robert McKinley, founder of CardTrak.com, which consults with banks. “It’s been the Wild West for the card industry for a long time.”

The changes will affect most households in America. About 90 million households carry credit cards, with an average debt load of more than $10,500, according to CardTrak.com. The curbs, which mostly take effect in nine months, deal with controversial practices including:

•Interest rate increases. Issuers can generally raise rates on existing credit card debt only if consumers have paid their bill more than 60 days late.

Palestinians seeking to establish their own state in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, as part of a future peace agreement with Israel, say they want their capital to be in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu’s comments on Thursday, at a ceremony marking Israel’s capture of Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East War, were in line with his election pledge to keep Jerusalem “united.”

“A united Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Jerusalem was and will always be ours. It shall never be divided and disunited again,” Netanyahu said at the ceremony.

Netanyahu, whose right-leaning coalition took office nearly two months ago, said that only Israeli sovereignty over a united Jerusalem would ensure free religious practice and access to holy sites by the three major faiths.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Netanyahu’s position on Jerusalem was a setback to the goal of a two-state solution, which is strongly supported by the Obama administration.

“Mr. Netanyahu, by saying that, he’s saying the state of conflict will be eternal,” Erekat said.

Netanyahu wants talks with Palestinians to focus on shoring up their economy and improving security in the West Bank instead of tackling thorny issues like the status of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees and final borders.

Palestinians reject this approach, saying the renewal of peace negotiations with Israel hinges on Netanyahu publicly endorsing Palestinian statehood and halting settlement activity.

The statement by Netanyahu on Jerusalem was similar to one made by Obama during last year’s U.S. presidential campaign.

In a speech to a pro-Israel lobby group last June, Obama said Jerusalem “will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided.”

He later said Palestinians and Israelis had to negotiate the status of the city. “We don’t want barbed wire running through Jerusalem, similar to the way it was prior to the ‘67 war,” Obama explained.

Netanyahu wants talks with Palestinians to focus on shoring up their economy and improving security in the West Bank instead of tackling thorny issues like the status of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees and final borders.

Palestinians reject this approach, saying the renewal of peace negotiations with Israel hinges on Netanyahu publicly endorsing Palestinian statehood and halting settlement activity.

The statement by Netanyahu on Jerusalem was similar to one made by Obama during last year’s U.S. presidential campaign.

In a speech to a pro-Israel lobby group last June, Obama said Jerusalem “will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided.”

He later said Palestinians and Israelis had to negotiate the status of the city. “We don’t want barbed wire running through Jerusalem, similar to the way it was prior to the ‘67 war,” Obama explained.

Fresh from pushing Chrysler into bankruptcy
Mr. Obama will be forcing deeper cuts and becoming the controlling shareholder.

It’s all on Obama now
“It is now absolutely his economy,” said Paul Light, a New York University professor who specializes in presidential

Many American presidents have been lawyers
Former students and colleagues describe Mr. Obama as a minimalist (skeptical of court-led efforts at social change) and a structuralist

Obama’s New Twitter Feed
President Obama’s staff is in the process of migrating his Twitter username from the campaign’s “BarackObama” to the more Presidential “whitehouse.”

Zardari to meet Obama
The turnaround is occurring as President Asif Ali Zardari prepares to meet Obama and Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai in Washington

Notre Dame’s Obama invite riles Catholic bishops
The university has emphasized that Obama will be honored as an inspiring leader who broke a historic racial barrier

Obama is no Chamberlain
But logic and panic do not go hand in hand. Iran’s nuclear program was not considered a threat when leaders thought to be “reasonable”

Critics Say Obama’s Torture Ban Undermines…
Obama, however, has argued that any intelligence gained by methods his administration deems torture could have been obtained

Catholics Split Over Obama’s Notre Dame
The pollsters note, however, that there is a gap in the Notre Dame controversy between more and less

It is expected that the First Dog will arrive White House on coming tuesday. The dog is a Black Portugese male water dog. It is six months older and its name is Charlie. This name will be changed after entering the White House. The dog was brought up in a Texas Kennel. It was sold recently and now returned back. The dog is related to the lineage of Sen. The new dog is presented to President Barack obama by the Kennedy family.

When a reporter asked Obama about the arrival of the dog. He replied, “Oh, man, now, that’s top secret.”

Obama invites close friends, staff to seder dinner:
President Barack Obama is inviting close friends and staff to a private White House meal Thursday to mark Passover, a signal that the new president intends to fulfill his promise that Jewish voters would have an ally.