Rafia Zakaria

rafiazakaria

Rafia Zakaria is a political philosopher, and the author of The Upstairs Wife: An Intimate History of Pakistan (Beacon, 2015), Veil (Bloomsbury, 2017), and Against White Feminism (W.W. Norton, 2021). She recently edited Amidst the Debris: Humanitarianism and the End of Liberal Order (Hurst, 2021). She served as a director of Amnesty International USA from 2009 to 2015.

Flag gavel

The End of Human Rights The End of Human Rights

The United States is throttling what meager enforcement mechanisms still exist.

Dec 23, 2019 / Column / Rafia Zakaria

War-Weary Pakistan Is Ready for Peace

War-Weary Pakistan Is Ready for Peace War-Weary Pakistan Is Ready for Peace

As peace rallies were being held in Pakistan, much of the media in India were pushing for war.

Mar 1, 2019 / Rafia Zakaria

Freeland and Mogherini at the Women Foreign Ministers Meeting

Canada’s ‘Feminist’ Foreign Aid Is a Fraud Canada’s ‘Feminist’ Foreign Aid Is a Fraud

Women’s empowerment is never just an economic issue; it’s always a political issue, too.

Feb 11, 2019 / Rafia Zakaria

Naturalization Ceremony

How Trump Is Stripping Immigrants of Their Citizenship How Trump Is Stripping Immigrants of Their Citizenship

On the 99th anniversary of Emma Goldman’s deportation, the Trump administration is using the same tactics to expel US citizens.

Dec 21, 2018 / Rafia Zakaria

Brett Kavanaugh Laughing

The Fate and Future of Christine Blasey Ford The Fate and Future of Christine Blasey Ford

What lies ahead for the women who expose the despicable pasts of powerful men?

Sep 19, 2018 / Rafia Zakaria

The Legal System Needs to Catch Up With the #MeToo Movement

The Legal System Needs to Catch Up With the #MeToo Movement The Legal System Needs to Catch Up With the #MeToo Movement

It is nearly impossible to successfully sue for sexual harassment in the workplace—here’s what we can do to change that.

Apr 18, 2018 / Rafia Zakaria

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Letters From the October 23, 2017, Issue Letters From the October 23, 2017, Issue

Calling out the climate criminals… A dangerous savior complex…… Carrying a tune…

Oct 5, 2017 / Our Readers and Rafia Zakaria

Why Donald Trump Needs Muslim Women

Why Donald Trump Needs Muslim Women Why Donald Trump Needs Muslim Women

Liberals and conservatives have used the plight of Muslim women to champion wars—now this idea is being redeployed in a cultural war at home.

Aug 11, 2017 / Feature / Rafia Zakaria

Can War Reporting Be a Feminist Project?

Can War Reporting Be a Feminist Project? Can War Reporting Be a Feminist Project?

Women journalists can go to places where men are barred—and build their careers by exposing the lives of other women.

Aug 24, 2016 / Feature / Rafia Zakaria

Religious students at Islamabad's Red Mosque

What a Trial in Pakistan Reveals About Women Who Choose Fundamentalist Islam What a Trial in Pakistan Reveals About Women Who Choose Fundamentalist Islam

Uzma Qayyum's controversial case set her against the men who would rescue her.

Jul 2, 2015 / Feature / Rafia Zakaria

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